Owens Corning Fiberglas Technology, Inc.

David Lynn Molnar

Richard Alan Green

Thomas O Matteson

Guang Gao

Thomas P Hager

Diane Marie Hulett

Andrew Lawrence Snedden

Gary Gao

Tom Orin Matteson

An apparatus for applying a liquid composition to one or more fibers of a fan of fibers provides a housing defining an elongated passageway therethrough such that the fan of fibers travels along a path through the passageway. The apparatus further provides a plurality of centrifugal spray heads including at least a first centrifugal spray head mounted in the housing and supplied with the liquid composition under pressure for directing the liquid composition onto one or more fibers of the fan of fibers passing a first location of the path. The plurality of centrifugal spray heads further includes at least a second centrifugal spray head mounted in the housing and being supplied with the liquid composition under pressure to direct the liquid composition onto one or more fibers of the fan of fibers passing a second location of the path.

Spray coating applicator apparatus and method

An applicator for the deposition of size and other coating compositions onto the surfaces of reinforcing fibers, such as glass. The device may be used to apply aqueous or non-aqueous size to continuously formed fiber materials in a high speed forming process. The applicator may include an atomizing spray pre-applicator in combination with a slide-die applicator. The atomizing spray pre-applicator can be connected to a vacuum source, which increases contact of the spray with the fibers, and thereby improves coating coverage. The slide-die applicator may include a slide-die configuration that reduces leakage of the liquid coating. The process of using the invention can provide a more uniform thin film coating, higher coating efficiency, and better coating coverage than size applicators otherwise known in the art.

Applicator for coating fibrous materials

A roll for applying a sizing composition to a fan of one or more fibers, providing a shaft having a curved central axis and a sleeve covering at least a portion of the shaft, the sleeve being rotatable relative to the shaft. Each fiber of the fan of one or more fibers contacts the sleeve at an axial location of the sleeve such that each fiber of the fan of one or more fibers lies substantially in a plane perpendicular to the curved central axis of the shaft at the axial location.

Radial contact applicator roll

An optical cable reinforcement in the form of glass fiber strands �30! having a first coating �32! of a binding agent such as a latex mixture and a second coating �34! of particles �36! of a water blocking agent such as a polyacrylate salt. The particles �36! of water blocking agent are adhered to the glass fiber strands �30! by the binding agent without the binding agent entirely coating the particles of water blocking agent. The unoccluded surface areas of water blocking agent thus provided serve to rapidly absorb/desorb water and protect the optical cable from moisture. A unique powder coating station �60! is used to apply the particles �36! of water blocking agent to glass fiber strands �30! which have been coated with wet binding agent so that the proper adherence of the particles �36! of water blocking agent without complete embodiment, is obtained.

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Newark, OH, United States of America

David Lynn Molnar