Method and apparatus for fabricating cellular structural panels

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing cellular laminate structural panels includes one or more supply stations of a flexible strip material including folding rollers for sequentially folding the strip material into cellular structures and feeding the cellular structures into a conveyor where the cellular structures are held in compression. The apparatus further includes a laminating station where the folded cellular structures are laminated to an upper and/or lower sheet material to which lines of a bonding medium have been applied prior to engagement with the cellular structures. The folded cellular structures are heated before engaging the sheet material so as to enhance the bonding of the sheet material to the cellular structures and subsequent to bonding, the laminate is passed through a cooling station to set the bonding medium. Downstream from the laminating station, the laminate passes through a side edge folding station where edges of the sheet material are folded over side edges of the laminate to finish the side edges of the laminate and subsequently the laminate is passed into a cutter for cutting the continuous laminate into predetermined lengths. Ends of the cut panels then receive rigid edge strips to fully finish the panel. The method of the invention includes the steps performed by the components of the apparatus.

1 . An apparatus for fabricating a structural panel having at least one planar sheet of material secured to a plurality of individual cellular members comprising in combination, at least one supply station having a support for a roll of elongated flexible strips of material, a folding station having folding members for providing at least one longitudinal fold in said strips of material to form a cellular structure, a supply of sheet material, at least one bonding medium applicator for applying a bonding medium to one of said sheet material or cellular structures, laminating members for receiving said sheet material and cellular structures and causing said sheet material and cellular structures to become engaged so as to form said structural panel.  
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further including drive means for advancing said cellular structures and sheet material through the apparatus.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said cellular structures and sheet material are advanced continuously through the apparatus by said drive means.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,  2 , or  3  wherein said laminating station includes supports for two sheet materials.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 2  or  3  wherein said support for at least one sheet material is adapted to rotatably support a roll of said sheet material.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein said supports for said two planar sheet materials are adapted to rotatably support rolls of said sheet materials.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said folding members include rollers.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein said rollers function to provide a plurality of folds in said strip material.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said folds are continuous.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein said apparatus has a length and further including drive means for advancing said sheet material and cellular structures longitudinally through said apparatus.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said strips of material are progressively folded into a cellular structure as it is advanced through said apparatus.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein there are a plurality of supply stations for said strips of material spaced longitudinally of said apparatus.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein there are a plurality of supports for said strips of material at each supply station.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein said supports support said strips of material at positions transverse to the length of said apparatus such that said cellular structures are positioned in side-by-side relationship.  
   
   
       15 . A method of finishing a side edge of a cellular laminate having a plurality of side-by-side cellular structures and a sheet material secured to said cellular structures along one surface thereof so as to overhang said cellular structures along at least one side of said laminate, an outermost cellular structure along said at least one side of said laminate having a longitudinally extending recess formed therein and opening laterally of said laminate when said laminate is at least partially compressed, comprising the steps of: providing a folder block having a contoured surface adapted for engagement with said overhang, moving said laminate along said folder block so that said folder block engages said overhang and causes said overhang to be folded into said recess and around an opposite surface of said outermost cellular structure from said surface that is secured to said sheet material, and securing said overhang to said opposite surface.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said contoured surface is continuous.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  or  16  wherein said laminate has an overhang on both sides, and further including the steps of providing a folder block with a contoured surface on both sides of said laminate and folding the overhang on both sides just as it was folded on said at least one side.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15  or  16  wherein said overhang is secured to said opposite surface with a bonding medium.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said overhang is secured to said opposite surface with a bonding medium.  
   
   
       20 . A method of finishing a side edge of a cellular laminate having a plurality of side-by-side cellular structures and a sheet material secured to said cellular structures along at least one side of said cellular structures, an outermost cellular structure along said at least one side of said laminate having a longitudinally extending recess formed therein and opening laterally of said laminate when said laminate is at least partially compressed, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of folding rollers aligned along said at least one side of said laminate, said rollers being positioned to successively engage said overhang, moving said laminate along said aligned folding rollers so that said overhang successively engages said rollers whereby said overhang is folded into said recess and around an opposite surface of said outermost cellular structure from said surface that is secured to said sheet material, and securing said overhang to said opposite surface.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein at least some of said rollers are of a different configuration from others of said rollers.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20  or  21  wherein said laminate has an overhang on both sides, and further including the steps of providing a plurality of aligned folding rollers on both sides of said laminate.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20  or  21  wherein said overhang is secured to said opposite surface with a bonding medium.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein said overhang is secured to said opposite surface with a bonding medium.  
   
   
       25 . A method of finishing an end of a cellular panel having a plurality of side-by-side compressible cellular structures and a sheet material secured to said cellular structures along one surface thereof, said cellular structures being substantially perpendicular to said end of the panel and having open ends at said end of the panel when the cellular structures are not fully compressed, comprising the steps of compressing said panel, applying a clip over said end of said panel to retain said end of said panel in a compressed condition, and forming a notch in said panel adjacent to said clip and transversely of said compressed cellular structures.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25  further including the steps of expanding said panel except where it remains compressed in said clip, and folding said clip along said notch into confronting relationship with the open ends of said cellular structures at said end of the panel.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25  wherein said notch is formed in said panel by making two spaced cuts in said panel and cleaning the material between said cuts out of said panel.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said steps of making cuts and cleaning material out are performed simultaneously.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said step of cleaning material out is performed after the step of making the cuts.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 26  further including the step of providing on said clip an element for connecting said clip to a support structure in a drop ceiling system.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein said element on said clip is a releasable hook.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 25  or  26  further including the step of providing a magazine for storing a plurality of said clips and a mechanism for receiving a single clip from said magazine and applying it over the end of said panel.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32  further including the step of using said mechanism to tilt said clip while applying it to the end of the panel and tilting the clip again to set it in position on said end of said panel.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33  further including the step of moving said panel, magazine and mechanism along a path of travel while applying said clip to said end of the panel.  
   
   
       35 . A system for removing the lowermost panel from a vertical stack of panels comprising in combination: a support plate for supporting the stack of panels, a pusher plate disposed adjacent to the lowermost panel, a mechanism for reciprocally moving said pusher plate across said support plate so as to push said lowermost panel out from beneath the remainder of the panels in the stack in one direction of movement and to retract to a beginning position in a second opposite direction of movement, and an expanse of material secured to said pusher plate so as to extend beneath and support said remainder of the stack as said pusher plate moves in said one direction.  
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 35  wherein said expanse of material is flexible.  
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 36  wherein said flexible material is stored on a spring biased roller and unrolled therefrom as said pusher plate moves in said one direction.  
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 35  wherein said expanse of material supports said remainder of the stack at an elevation that allows the pusher plate to move in said opposite direction without engaging said remainder of the stack.  
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 36  wherein said expanse of material is a fabric material.