Leo Kurtis Thiessen
Engineers at Geddes Ave, Littleton, CO

5589536, Dec 31, 1996

Mar 13, 1995

8/402576

Carlo M. Golino - Evergreen CO
Thomas J. Taylor - Englewood CO
William H. Kielmeyer - Englewood CO
Leo K. Thiessen - Littleton CO
Carl A. Rude - Lafayette IN

QO Chemicals, Inc.
Schuller International, Inc.

C08L 6100

524593

The present invention relates to a glass fiber binding composition comprising an effective binding amount of an aqueous soluble furan resin, 15 to 99 percent by weight water, and an effective amount of a catalyst for curing the furan resin. The invention further pertains to a process of binding glass fibers at junctions of the fibers comprising the steps of providing newly formed glass fibers, applying an effect binding amount of an aqueous soluble furan resin to the junctions of the glass fibers, and curing the resin at the junctions of the glass fibers. Finally, the invention also discloses a glass fiber composition comprising a plurality of glass fibers having a plurality of junctions where two or more fibers meet, and an effective binding amount of an aqueous soluble furan resin comprising 15 to 99% water applied to the junctions of the glass fibers.

5232638, Aug 3, 1993

Sep 18, 1992

7/947328

Leo K. Thiessen - Littleton CO
Donald E. Shisler - Littleton CO

Schuller International, Inc. - Denver CO

C03B 3704, D04H 172

264 6

A method and apparatus for expanding the fiber column produced by a rotary fiber manufacturing unit and intermingling additive particles with the fibers. A rotating bell-shaped shell is mounted beneath the rotary disc of the manufacturing unit so that the lower portion of the shell is in the path of the fiber column, causing the column to be outwardly deflected. Additive particles are introduced from within or beneath the shell and are radially directed into the fiber column. Liquid binder may be introduced to the fibers and water may be directed onto the inner surface of the shell to cool the shell to prevent curing of binder coming in contact with the shell. The fibers may be glass fibers and the particles may be foamed resin, fibers or particles of various types.

5778492, Jul 14, 1998

May 14, 1997

8/856407

Leo Kurtis Thiessen - Littleton CO
James Sheldon Graham - Littleton CO

Johns Manville International, Inc. - Denver CO

D01G 1300

19107

An apparatus for refeeding scrap fibers into a gaseous stream of virgin fibers and mixing the scrap fibers with the virgin fibers to form a fibrous mat includes a fiber opener for opening up and substantially eliminating scrap fiber clumps and nodules from a supply of scrap fibers by releasing scrap fibers from the clumps and nodules. The scrap fibers are conveyed by a laminar airstream from the fiber opener to a virgin fiber containing gaseous stream where the scrap fibers are mixed with the virgin fibers and the mixture of fibers is collected to form a fibrous mat. The laminar airstream for conveying the scrap fibers is preferably formed by passing the airstream through a venturi eductor to reduce turbulence and impart a more laminar flow to the airstream to reduce scrap fiber entanglement in the conveying airstream. Preferably, the scrap fibers are introduced into the conveying airstream from the fiber opener by creating a low pressure zone at an outlet of the fiber opener with the airstream which draws the scrap fibers from the fiber opener into the airstream.

5123949, Jun 23, 1992

Sep 6, 1991

7/755956

Leo K. Thiessen - Littleton CO

Manville Corporation - Denver CO

C03B 3700

65 44

A process for introducing additive particles to extruded fibers during production of the fibers. Particles are directed into a moving stream of fibers during or after the fiber attenuation process. The movement of the fibers intermingles the particles with the fibers prior to the intermingled material being collected on a moving support. If liquid binder is sprayed onto the fibers it is subsequently set in an oven to bind the fibers and the particles to each other. The fibers preferably are mineral fibers and the particles may be fibers or particles introduced for a variety of reasons, such as to increase the strength of the product or to serve as extenders or fillers.