Claims
- 1. An apparatus for producing a continuous lightweight multicell material, comprising:
- (a) means to form a plurality of hollow gas-filled spherical shells, said means having a plurality of nozzle assemblies, each of said assemblies comprising an outer nozzle for flowing largely vertically downwardly, an annular stream of liquid to be formed into shells, and an inner nozzle for flowing a gas stream within said annular liquid stream to form and fill said hollow spherical shells;
- (b) means to supply a heated molten shell-forming liquid to the outer nozzles to form said annular streams and to supply gas streams through the inner nozzles to form said liquid streams into a plurality of gas-filled shells, which harden upon cooling;
- (c) receiving means positioned substantially vertically below said nozzle assemblies, to collect said gas-filled shells while said shells are at least partially molten, to permit the coalescence of said shells into a continuously formed multicelled material thereupon, and wherein,
- said plurality of nozzle assemblies are arranged in a matrix pattern of largely horizontal rows and columns, and being positioned a distance above said receiving means to direct and to maintain the relative positions of said formed shells upon said receiving means in substantially the same relative positions said shells assumed upon being formed below said matrix pattern of nozzle assemblies.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nozzle assemblies include a first group of nozzle assemblies having outer liquid flow nozzles with a first inside diameter for producing larger shells, and at least a second group of nozzle assemblies having outer liquid flow nozzles with a second inside diameter less than said first diameter for producing smaller shells, the nozzle assemblies of said second group being interspersed with those of said first group, whereby to enable forming of a multicell material that has a regular cell pattern but that can minimize fatigue-susceptible planes and voids.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means to supply said gas streams provides said gas at a pressure several times greater than atmospheric, and including means to maintain a gas between the ends of said nozzles and said moving means at a pressure several times greater than atmospheric for producing pressurized gas-filled spheres within said multicelled material.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein: said means to supply said gas, provides a fire extinguishing gas at a pressure several times greater than atmospheric.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said gas is carbon dioxide.
- 6. An apparatus for producing a continuous lightweight multicell material, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of nozzle assemblies arranged in a matrix pattern of largely horizontal rows and columns for forming a plurality of gas-filled annular streams of heated molten shell-forming hardenable liquid to direct said streams substantially vertically downwardly along parallel paths to form said annular gas-filled liquid streams into hollow gas-filled shells positioned from each other in substantially the same matrix pattern as said nozzle assemblies, and
- (b) means for receiving and coalescing said formed shells while partially molten, and while remaining relatively positioned from each other in substantially the same matrix as said nozzle assemblies, and means to permit cooling of said molten shells into a matrix of coalesced continuous lightweight multicelled material.
- 7. An apparatus for producing a continuous lightweight multicell material, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of nozzle assemblies arranged in a largely horizontal matrix of rows and columns each nozzle assembly comprising an outer annular liquid flowing nozzle and an inner gas flowing nozzle, to form a matrix of gas-filled hollow spheres which harden when cooled,
- (b) means to flow a heated molten shell-forming liquid substantially vertically downwardly as annular parallel steams through said outer nozzles,
- (c) means to flow a gas stream through each of said inner nozzles within said annular molten liquid streams to form said liquid into gas filled hollow shells,
- (d) moving means spaced below said matrix of nozzle assemblies to receive said formed shells while at least partially molten, to collect and to form said shells into a coalesced structure, and to limit the thickness of buildup of said shells upon said moving means, and
- (e) an enclosure surrounding said nozzle assemblies and said moving means to prevent air currents within the region of said nozzles and said moving means from disturbing the vertical parallel direction of flow of said liquid/gas streams and said formed shells, and wherein said moving means is positioned from said nozzle assemblies a distance to receive said formed shells in substantially the same relative positions said shells assumed immediately upon leaving said nozzle assemblies.
ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
The invention described herein was made in the performance of work under a NASA contract and is subject to the provisions of Section 305 of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, Public Law 85-568 (72 Stat. 435; 42 USC 2457).
US Referenced Citations (10)