Method and apparatus for manufacturing quartz slab

{
  "publication_number": "US10035733B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Method and apparatus for manufacturing quartz slab",
  "abstract": "An apparatus including a first conveyor device including a first conveyor belt; a second conveyor device including a second conveyor belt; a movement device; and a mold device including a mold; wherein the first conveyor device is connected to the second conveyor device so that when the movement device moves the first conveyor device, the second conveyor device also moves with respect to the mold device; wherein the first conveyor belt moves independent of the second conveyor belt; and wherein the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt move independent from the movement device. The apparatus may further include a first and second dispensing devices configured to dispense first and second materials, first and second gate devices to control height, and a computer processor to control the various components and the resulting ratio of first material to second material in a processed slab.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An apparatus comprising: a first conveyor device including a first conveyor belt; a second conveyor device including a second conveyor belt; a movement device; a mold device including a mold; wherein the first conveyor device is connected to the second conveyor device so that when the movement device moves the first conveyor device, the second conveyor device also moves with respect to the mold device; wherein the first conveyor belt moves independent of the second conveyor belt; and wherein the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt move independent from the movement device.",
    "2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a first dispensing device configured to dispense a first material onto the first conveyor belt; a second dispensing device configured to dispense a second material onto the second conveyor belt; wherein the second conveyor belt drops the second material onto the first conveyor belt to mix the first material with the second material; and wherein the first conveyor belt is configured with respect to the mold device so that the mixture of the first material and the second material is dropped into the mold of the mold device.",
    "3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a computer processor which controls the first conveyor device, and the second conveyor device.",
    "4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a first gate device which is connected to the first conveyor device, and which controls a height of the first material provided from the first conveyor belt; and a second gate device which is connected to the second conveyor device, and which controls a height of the second material provided from the second conveyor belt.",
    "5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a computer processor which controls the first conveyor device, the second conveyor device, the first gate device, and the second gate device.",
    "6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the computer processor controls the first dispensing device and the second dispensing device.",
    "7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a computer processor, which is programmed to control the contents of a combination of materials which includes a first material provided by the first conveyor device and a second material provided by the second conveyor device, so that the combination of materials has a continuously varying ratio of the first material to the second material as the combination of materials is dropped into the mold of the mold device."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus concerning quartz slabs.\n\nQuartz is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust and one of the hardest naturally occurring materials. One of its many uses is in “engineered stone”. Engineered stone, including quartz, has become a common surfacing and countertop choice in many countries throughout the world. Its applications include kitchen and bathroom countertops, tables and desktops, floor tile, food service areas, wall cladding, and various other horizontal and vertical applications.\n\nThe production of engineered stone generally involves particulate materials such as ground quartz rock, crushed glass, rocks, pebbles, sand, shells, silicon, and other inorganic materials combined with polymers, binders, resins, colorants, dyes, etc. The particulate material(s) may be varying sizes ranging from four hundred mesh particle size to four mesh particle size with multiple materials of different sizes used simultaneously. The polymer may include agents to such as a binder, hardener, initiator, or combination of such. The particulate material(s) and polymers, binders, resins, colorants, dyes, etc. are then mixed resulting in a slightly damp mixture. This initial mixture may be processed through a crushing machine to reduce the size of the combined particles. The resultant, finer mixture may be poured into a supporting mold, tray, or other supporting structure, after that, the slab is moved into a vacuumed press machine to be pressed, and then, moved into a curing machine to be cured into a hardened quartz slab.",
  "cpc": [
    "C04B 40/0032",
    "B28B 1/005",
    "B28B 13/022",
    "B28B 13/027",
    "B28B 7/0038",
    "B28B 7/08",
    "B29C 39/023",
    "B29C 39/24",
    "B29C 39/44",
    "B29C 67/243",
    "B29D 99/0039",
    "B44F 9/04",
    "B65G 2201/042",
    "B65G 2812/12",
    "B65G 41/003",
    "B65G 47/18",
    "B65G 47/62",
    "C03B 1/00",
    "C03B 3/00",
    "C04B 2111/542",
    "C04B 26/02",
    "C04B 35/14",
    "C04B 35/622"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B29C 39/02",
    "B29C 39/12",
    "B29C 39/24",
    "B29C 39/44",
    "B29D 99/00",
    "B44F 9/04",
    "B65G 41/00",
    "B65G 47/18",
    "B65G 47/62",
    "C04B 111/54",
    "C04B 35/14",
    "C04B 35/622",
    "C04B 40/00"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Alex Xie"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-12-26",
  "publication_date": "2018-07-31",
  "grant_date": "2018-07-31",
  "priority_date": "2017-12-26",
  "application_number": "US-201715854519-A",
  "family_id": "62949196",
  "cited_by_count": 3,
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}