The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of

Vance C Setterholm

John F Hunt

Dennis E Gunderson

Methods and apparatus for producing three-dimensional structural members having one flat side from wood fibers utilizing flow deposition of the fibers onto a support. The support includes resilient deformable mold inserts. The mold inserts are formed of silicone rubber and may be blocks of the material, or may be a membrane which can be inflated to form the mold inserts. Pressing is done with a force normal to the support, and the mold inserts create response forces at varying directions to thus shape and hold the three-dimensional finished part. Heat drying also may be used.

Method and apparatus for forming three dimensional structural components

An apparatus and method of measuring edgewise compressive deformation in sheet material comprises providing a specimen beam having an inner curved layer of the sheet material to be tested, an outer curved strip spaced radially outwardly of the sheet material, an elastomeric spacer between the sheet and strip, and blocks fixing the opposite ends of the sheet material to the opposite ends of the strip. The spacer is fixed to the backing strip and engaged firmly on the outer radial surface of the sheet material. The ends of the curved specimen beam receive a pure torque which causes compression of the sheet material which can be measured. The sheet material is supported so that it does not buckle with the torque being applied by simple weights connected to rotors which in turn are engaged with the opposite ends of the specimen beam.

Growing community of inventors

Blue Mounds, WI, United States of America

Vance C Setterholm