Technical Field: The invention relates to a gluing system which enables more efficient usage of the glue raw material used in the production processes of the boards such as stand board, fibreboard etc. obtained from woods or other wooden materials .

State of the Art:

Today, wooden materials are usually used in wide range of areas both as massive and wood composites. Wooden boards such as stand board, fibreboard, plywood etc. are produced from wood raw materials due to the insufficiency in the use areas of massive wooden material requiring a wide surface and of economical reasons. Stand board and fiberboard industry in Turkey was founded in 1950s. Especially, after World Warll, due to the need for large- sized materials in the reconstruction works of cities, the stand board and fiberboard industries have developed rapidly .

Products such as stand board, fiberboard, oriented stand board (OSB) , plywood, blockboard, glulam, etc. can be given as examples of wood composite materials which are traditionally produced most in the world. In the production of these materials, a complex structure is formed by combining wood pieces in different forms and shapes (stand, fiber, coating board, massive, etc.) with the help of glues. This structure is known as matrix structure and wood pieces serves as 'reinforcement elements inside this system. Inside this matrix comprised of glue-wood mixture, wood provides strength and load carrying features, while matrix material (glue) provides high distortion force that may occur in the transition to plastic deformation by spreading the load to the whole material size.

Wood-based composite materials are generally engineering design materials. For this purpose, it is possible to produce a great variety of materials by changing wood- glue combinations based on their usage places and expected performance features. By means of these products produced, it is intended to improve some features expected from wooden-based materials and stated below as short headlines:

• Not having some growth defects naturally present in the wooden material,

• Resistance against biotic and abiotic pests,

• Suitability with fast and economical production,

• High strength (endurance) features,

• Improving thermal and acoustic isolation features,

• Providing aesthetical features.

In providing these shortly-mentioned features, apart from wood type, type and application form of the glue selected are among the most important issues.

Thousands of wood particles with different sizes can be found in a matrix structure with the help of glues. Yet, glues constitute the greatest input after wood in the production of wooden composite panel materials defined as engineering design products. In this regard, it is important to know the features of the glues used for successful production processes. There are a variety of theories on the bonding mechanism which occurs between wood particles and glue molecules, and although there are still unexplained issues, the most important issue is to spread glue solution onto the wood homogenously and to form chemical bonding.

In state of the art, systems and methods such as standard nozzle method, steam injection system, high-pressure injection system etc. are in the fiberboard production process .

In the standard nozzle method, firstly the glue is transferred to the nozzles by means of a pump and then glue is sprayed into fibers from nozzle tips. In this system, the smaller the hole diameter of the nozzle is, the better the pulverization will be. However, the smaller the nozzle hole diameter is, the faster said hole blocks. This situation causes the production to stop.

Nozzles similar to the ones in standard nozzle method are used in the steam injection system. In this system, there are pressurized steam blowing devices on the side of the nozzles. Blockages may occur in this system, just like in the standard nozzle method.

There are glue grinding and precise filtration modules in the high-pressure injection system. By this means, pulverization capability is increased by reducing the nozzle hole diameter up to approximately 1 mm. In this system, blockages caused by glue is reduced to minimum level. However, in this system, blockages caused by fiber still continue. Furthermore, increased nozzle replacement, maintenance-repair and assembly time are among other problems encountered.

Aim of the Invention:

The present invention aims to make glue consumption more efficient by means of ensuring glue to be homogenously bonded to wooden fibers by separating glue into very small pieces and to minimize the problems encountered in work-flow by removing potential nozzle blockages.

Description of the Figures :

Figure 1. General view of the wooden fiber gluing system

Figure 2. Perspective view of the wooden fiber gluing system

Figure 3. Cross-sectional view of the gluing duct

Figure 4. Frontal cross-sectional view of the gluing system

Figure 5. Perspective view of the nozzle

Figure 6. Perspective view of the steam inlet duct

Figure 7. Cross-sectional Sideview of working

principle of the gluing system

Description of the References in the Figures:

The reference numbers shown on the figures are given below .

1. Gluing system

1.1. Nozzle 1.11. Steam chamber

1.111. Steam inlet duct

1.12. Glue inlet duct

1.13. Piston control mechanism

1.131. Piston

1.2. Gluing duct

1.21. Tungsten carbide

1.3. Catalyzer

a. Diameter of the port of the steam inlet duct facing inside of the steam chamber

b. Diameter of the port of the steam inlet duct facing outside of the steam chamber

X. Distance of right convex side of the gluing duct

(1.2) to right convex side of the gluing duct (1.2)

Y. Distance of left convex side of the gluing duct

(1.2) to left convex side of the gluing duct

(1.2)

B. Steam

BL. Blowline

K. Dryer

L. Wooden fiber

R. Refiner

T. Glue

Description of the Invention:

The invention is a gluing system (1) which makes glue consumption more efficient by means of ensuring glue to be homogenously bonded to wooden fibers by separating glue into very small pieces and minimizes the problems encountered in work-flow by removing potential nozzle blockages, wherein the invention has: a gluing duct (1.2) located on the blowline (BL) which enables wooden fibers (L) originating from the refiner (R) to carry to the dryer (K) ,

nozzles (1.1) located on the gluing duct (1.2), a steam chamber (1.11) where the glue (T) located between the nozzle (1.1) and the gluing duct (1.2), in which the nozzles (1.1) connect to the gluing duct (1.2), encounters with steam (B) before entering into the gluing duct (1.2) and is blown up, steam inlet ducts (1.111) located around the steam chamber (1.11) through which the steam (B) passes and enters into the steam chamber (1.11),

glue inlet ducts (1.12) which are located on the nozzle (1.1) and through which the glue (T) enters into the nozzle (1.1),

a piston (1.131) which ensures adjusting of the opening area and opening and closing of the duct where the glue (T) passes from the nozzle (1.1) to the steam chamber (1.11), in which the nozzle (1.1) inside the nozzle (1.1) and the steam chamber (1.11) are interconnected,

a piston control mechanism (1.13) which enables movement of the piston (1.131) located inside the nozzle (1.1),

a catalyzer (1.3) located on the blowline (BL) .

The present invention is comprised of a gluing duct (1.2) placed on the blowline (BL) which enables wooden fibers (L) originating from the refiner (R) to carry to the dryer (K) and a catalyzer (1.3) placed on the blowline

(BL) . While the gluing duct (1.2) is placed on the blowline (BL) from a point where it can be easily controlled, the catalyzer (1.3) is placed on the blowline (BL) from the closest point to the dryer (K) .

The reason why the catalyzer (1.3) is placed on the blowline (BL) from the closest point to the dryer (K) is to keep reaction times short after glue (T) and wooden fibers (L) pass through the catalyzer (1.3) and before they enter into the dryer (K) . Therefore, adhesive effect of glue (T) is maintained and glue (T) usage is saved up by 10%.

Catalyzer (1.3) can be located in any point on the blowline (BL) located between the dryer (K) and the gluing duct (1.2) . However, it has been determined in the Re-De works that placing the catalyzer (1.3) on the blowline (BL) from the closest point to the dryer (K) is more efficient on maintaining adhesive effect of the glue (T) .

Nozzles (1.1) are located on the gluing duct (1.2) . There is a steam chamber (1.11) where the glue (T) located between the nozzle (1.1) and the gluing duct (1.2), in which the nozzles (1.1) connect to the gluing duct (1.2), encounters with steam (B) before entering into the gluing duct (1.2) and is blown up. Around the steam chamber

(1.11), there are steam inlet ducts (1.111) through which the steam (B) passes and enters into the steam chamber

(1.11) .

Structure of the inlet ducts (1.111) located around the steam chamber (1.11) is in hourglass shape. Diameter (a) of the port of the steam inlet duct facing inside of the steam chamber is smaller than diameter (b) of the port of the steam inlet duct facing outside of the steam chamber. This is because the pressure is increased while steam (B) with a specific steam coming to the port of the steam inlet duct (1.111) facing outside of the steam chamber (1.11) enters into the steam chamber (1.11) . Steam (B) leading from a large area to a small area will increase. Thus, the steam (B) reaching high pressure will hit the glue (T) harder and faster and the glue can be exploded into more pieces.

The purpose of the steam chamber (1.11) is to allow the glue (T) to enter into the gluing duct (1.2) in an exploded way by exploding before it enters into the gluing duct (1.2) . The more glue (T) can be divided into particles, the more homogeneously it will adhere to the wooden fibers (L) and the more efficient the usage of glue (T) will be. Glue (T) will homogenously adhere to the wooden fibers (L) which pass through the gluing duct (1.2) by means of the steam chamber (1.11) .

On the nozzle (1.1), there are glue inlet ducts (1.12) through which the glue (T) enters into the nozzle (1.1) . Glue (T) passes through the nozzle (1.1) and reaches to the port of the nozzle (1.1), and passes into the steam chamber (1.11) therethrough. However, some nozzles (1.1) located in the gluing system (1) are needed to be deactivated in order to prevent undesirable situations tin the gluing system (1) as a result of pressure decline. Therefore, there is a piston (1.131) which ensures adjusting of the opening area and opening and closing of the duct where the glue (T) passes from the nozzle (1.1) to the steam chamber (1.11), in which the nozzle (1.1) inside the nozzle (1.1) and the steam chamber (1.11) are interconnected. Movement of said piston (1.131) located inside the nozzle (1.1) is provided with piston control mechanism (1.13) .

Gluing duct (1.2) has a folded structure in "S" shape. The reason for this is to ensure that the wooden fibers (L) moving inside the gluing channel (1.2) and the glue (T) are better bonded to each other. There is a technical calculation of the "S" shaped structure of the gluing channel (1.2) . Otherwise, fluidity inside the gluing duct

(1.2) may be distorted.

Said technical calculation is shown in Figure 3 in detail. Gluing duct (1.2) moves by oscillating regularly around a straight line. Concave sides of the gluing duct

(1.2) is tangent to this straight line. Convex sides of the gluing duct (1.2) is equidistant from this straight line. Distance (X) of right convex side of the gluing duct (1.2) to right convex side of the gluing duct (1.2) and distance (Y) of left convex side of the gluing duct

(1.2) to left convex side of the gluing duct (1.2) are equal to each other (X=Y) .

There is also technical calculation for placing the nozzles (1.1) located on the gluing duct (1.2) . Nozzles (1.1) are not placed opposite to each other on the gluing channel (1.2) . Said nozzles (1.1) are placed opposite to each other by zigzagging on the gluing duct (1.2) and by forming angles of 90 degree with each other according to center of the gluing duct (1.2) . The reason for this is to ensure that the wooden fibers (L) moving inside the gluing channel (1.2) and the glue (T) are better bonded to each other. Thus, less glue (T) consumption will be provided . Inner surface of the gluing duct (1.2) is coated with tungsten carbide (1.21) in order to make it more resistant against abrasions.

Industrial Applicability:

The present invention can be easily applied and used in the gluing treatment being in the production processes of boards such as stand board, fiber board etc.