Method and system for agglomerating chopped fiber strand and product

Abstract

A new system and method for making agglomerates of chopped glass fiber strand segments is disclosed as are the agglomerates produced. The agglomerates, made by feeding wet chopped fiber strand segments into a wave chamber having a vibrating curved surface that produces a wave-like flow pattern in the segments and agglomerates, have a substantially higher bulk density and greatly improved flow characteristics than conventional chopped strand reinforcements. The wet agglomerates are usually dried in any conventional dryer.

1 - 36 . (canceled)  
   
   
       37 . A method of agglomerating chopped bundles of wet fiberglass strands into uniform segments, comprising: 
 providing a container having a curved inner surface disposed about a generally horizontally extending longitudinal axis,    mounting the container on a plurality of springs to resiliently support the container above a base surface therefore,    placing a plurality of chopped bundles of wet fiberglass strands to be agglomerated onto the curved inner surface at an input end of the container,    producing vibratory force to cause the chopped bundles of wet fiberglass strands to move from the input end to an output end of the container,    the vibratory force causing the chopped bundles of wet fiberglass strands to be directed in a rising and falling path of rolling movement,    whereby the rolling movement of the chopped bundles produces uniform segments by causing agglomeration of the wet fiberglass strands.    
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the container is in the form of a cylindrical drum and a dimpled liner is provided within the cylindrical drum to define the curved inner surface upon which the chopped bundles of fiberglass strands undergo rolling movement.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the curved inner surface defined by the dimpled liner within the cylindrical drum includes a plurality of generally elongated dimples projecting inwardly in relation to the cylindrical drum so as to be staggered in adjacent rows.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the generally elongated dimples of the curved inner surface defined by the dimpled liner are generally elliptical and are elongated in the direction of the generally horizontally extending longitudinal axis of the container.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the vibratory force which is produced is directed along a linear path displaced from the generally horizontally extending longitudinal axis and also displaced from the center of gravity of the container.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the plurality of springs upon which the container is mounted resiliently support the container above the base surface for