1. A composition for pelletized bitumen comprising:
between approximately 30% to approximately 40% by weight of bitumen;
between approximately 15% to approximately 30% by weight of stiffening compound;
between approximately 35% to approximately 45% by weight of setting compound; and
approximately 0.05% by weight of water.
2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition is composed of:
approximately 37.5% by weight of bitumen;
approximately 23.2% by weight of stiffening compound;
approximately 39.25% by weight of setting compound; and
approximately 0.05% by weight of water.
3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the stiffening compound comprises:
between approximately 10% to approximately 20% by weight of ground asphalt shingles;
between approximately 5% to approximately 10% by weight of vulcanized rubber;
between approximately 1% to approximately 2% by weight of uintahite; and
up to approximately 0.5% by weight of zeolite.
4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the stiffening compound is composed of:
approximately 14.4% by weight of ground asphalt shingles;
approximately 6.8% by weight of vulcanized rubber;
approximately 1.7% by weight of uintahite; and
approximately 0.3% by weight of zeolite.
5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the setting compound is Type II Portland cement.
6. A composition for pelletized bitumen comprising:
between approximately 30% to approximately 40% by weight of bitumen;
between approximately 15% to approximately 30% by weight of stiffening compound;
between approximately 35% to approximately 45% by weight of setting compound; and
approximately 0.05% by weight of water;
wherein the approximately 15% to approximately 30% by weight of stiffening compound comprises:
between approximately 10% to approximately 20% by weight of ground asphalt shingles;
between approximately 5% to approximately 10% by weight of vulcanized rubber;
between approximately 1% to approximately 2% by weight of uintahite; and
up to approximately 0.5% by weight of zeolite.
7. The composition of claim 6 wherein the composition is composed of:
approximately 37.5% by weight of bitumen;
approximately 23.2% by weight of stiffening compound;
approximately 39.25% by weight of setting compound; and
approximately 0.05% by weight of water.
8. The composition of claim 7 wherein the stiffening compound is composed of:
approximately 14.4% by weight of ground asphalt shingles;
approximately 6.8% by weight of vulcanized rubber;
approximately 1.7% by weight of uintahite; and
approximately 0.3% by weight of zeolite.
9. The composition of claim 6 wherein the setting compound is Type II Portland cement.
10. A method for pelletizing bitumen comprising the steps of:
blending liquid bitumen and stiffening compound together within a blending unit to create a liquid bitumen mixture;
blending setting compound with the liquid bitumen mixture to create bitumen pellets;
cooling the bitumen pellets; and
setting the bitumen pellets.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of blending liquid bitumen and stiffening compound together comprises the steps of:
providing approximately 37.5% by weight of liquid bitumen into the blending unit; and
providing approximately 23.2% by weight of stiffening compound into the blending unit to mix with the liquid bitumen.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein the stiffening compound comprises:
between approximately 10% to approximately 20% by weight of ground asphalt shingles;
between approximately 5% to approximately 10% by weight of vulcanized rubber;
between approximately 1% to approximately 2% by weight of uintahite; and
up to approximately 0.5% by weight of zeolite.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of blending liquid bitumen and stiffening compound together further comprises the step of:
creating a partial pre-mixture of the ground asphalt shingles, the uintahite, and the zeolite components of the stiffening compound;
providing the partial pre-mixture into the blending unit to mix with the liquid bitumen; and
providing the vulcanized rubber component into the blending unit to mix with the liquid bitumen.
14. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of blending setting compound with the liquid bitumen mixture comprises the steps of:
providing the liquid bitumen mixture into a pelletizing unit; and
providing approximately 39.25% by weight setting compound into the pelletizing unit to mix with the liquid bitumen.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the setting compound is Type II Portland cement.
16. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of separating bitumen pellets according to pellet size by passing the bitumen pellets through a sizing screen.
17. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of setting the bitumen pellets comprises the steps of:
providing the bitumen pellets into a setting drum; and
spraying the bitumen pellets with approximately 0.05% by weight of water to harden the setting compound present on an outer surface of the bitumen pellets.
18. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:
blending a first portion of the stiffening compound together with the liquid bitumen within the blending unit; and
blending a remaining portion of the stiffening compound together with the liquid bitumen mixture and the setting compound within the pelletizing unit.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A process for forming a puffed, smock-like quilted fabric comprising an exterior layer of non-stretchable material and bi-axial stretchable material overlaying a soft interior layer stitched together in automated manner, comprising the steps of:
(a) winding non-stretchable and stretchable layers on separate rollers,
(b) after placing the rollers in a quilting arrangement, positively feeding the layers from the rollers to sewing head arrangement to provide essentially zero elongation for the non-stretchable layer and to provide both axial and lateral elongation for the bi-xial stretchable layer simultaneously such that elongation factors Ax and Ay are additive to define a total elongation in the range of 1.25 to 3.00 times the relaxed state of the stretchable layer,
(c) sewing the arranged layers in sets of sinusoidal-like seam patterns across the layers wherein each of said sinusoidal like seam patterns has an axis of formation essentially parallel to said axial stretch direction of the bi-axial stretchable layer,
(d) relaxing the stretchable layer to relax to a natural state wherein a series of puffs are formed in rows across the layers normal to said axial stretch direction the stretchable layer, and columns of puffs of even numbered rows are aligned with each other but are laterally offset with respect to puffs of odd numbered rows a constant amount thereby creating an aesthetically pleasing finished fabric.
2. The process of claim 1 in which side-by-side seam patterns are complementary, wherein said seam patterns are each laterally aligned in a direction normal to the stretch direction of the stretchable layer relative to said each axis of formation of the seam patterns.
3. The process of claim 1 in which said non-stretchable layer has an ultimate tensile strength of known value and wherein tensioning stretch force applied to the non-stretchable and stretchable layers is less than said ultimate tensile strength for the non-stretchable layer.
4. A process for forming a puffed, smock-like quilted finished fabric comprising an exterior layer of non-stretchable material and an interior layer of bi-axial stretchable interior material, stitched together in automated manner, comprising the steps of:
(a) winding non-stretchable and stretchable layers on separate rollers.
(b) after placing the rollers in a quilting arrangement, positively feeding the layers from the rollers to sewing head arrangement to provide essentially zero elongation for the non-stretchable layer and to provide both axial and lateral elongation for the biaxial stretchable layer simultaneously such that elongation in the axial and lateral direction are additive to define a total elongation in the range of 100 to 250 per cent
(c) sewing the arranged layers in sets of sinusoidal-like seam patterns across the layers wherein each of said seam patterns has an axis of formation essentially parallel to said axial stretch direction of the bi-axial stretchable layer,
(d) allowing the stretchable layer to relax to a natural state wherein a series of puffs are formed in rows across the layers normal to said axial stretch direction of the stretchable layer thereby creating an aesthetically pleasing finished fabric.
5. The process of claim 4 in which puffs of even numbered row are columnarly aligned with each other but being laterally offset with respect to puffs of odd numbered rows by a constant amount thereby creating an aesthetically pleasing finished fabric.
6. The process of claim 5 in which each of said series of puffs is defined by a length L parallel to said axial stretch direction of the stretchable layer and wherein said constant offset amount is equal to L2.
7. A puffed, smock-like quilted finished fabric comprising an exterior layer of non-stretchable material and an interior layer of bi-axial stretchable material stitched together in automated manner having a series of puffs and columns of even number in a constant amount, formed by the steps of:
(a) winding non-stretchable and stretchable layers on separate rollers.
(b) positively feeding the layers from the rollers to sewing head arrangement to provide essentially zero elongation for the non-stretchable layer and to provide both axial and lateral elongation for the bi-axial stretchable layer simultaneously such that elongation in the axial and lateral direction are additive to define a total elongation in the range of 25 to 300 per cent of the stretchable layer,
(c) sewing the arranged layers in sets of sinusoidal-like seam patterns across the layers wherein each of said sinusoidal-like seam patterns have an axis of formation essentially parallel to said axial stretch direction of the bi-axial stretchable layer,
(d) allowing the stretchable layer to relax to a natural state wherein a series of puffs are formed in rows across the layers normal to said axial stretch direction the stretchable layer, and columns of puffs of even numbered rows are aligned with each other but are laterally offset with respect to puffs of odd numbered rows a constant amount thereby creating an aesthetically pleasing finished fabric.
8. The fabric of claim 7 in which each of said series of puffs is defined by a length L parallel to said axial stretch direction of the stretchable layer and wherein said constant offset amount is equal to L2.
9. The fabric of claim 7 in which side-by-side seam patterns are complementary wherein maximum peaks and troughs of each are laterally aligned in a direction normal to said axial stretch direction of the stretchable layer relative to said each axis of formation of the seam patterns.
10. The fabric of claim 7 in which said non-stretchable and interior layers have separate ultimate tensile strengths and wherein tensioning stretch force app lied to the non-stretchable and stretchable layers is less than said ultimate tensile strength for the non-stretchable layer.
11. The fabric of claim 7 formed into a jacket with attached collar comprising an outer shell having a pair of front panels attached to a waistband, a rear panel attached to said front panels via a pair of shoulder seams, and sleeves attached via arcuato seams to said front and rear panels, said puffs associated with said front and rear panels and said sleeves defining said rows wherein said rows run generally vertically between said waistband and said collar wherein the vertical pattern of said puffs are generally slimming for the user and pleasing to the eye of the on-looker.
12. The fabric of claim 7 formed into a cover for use in forming a pillow.
13. The fabric of claim 7 formed into a cover for use in covering an automotive seat.