KR850001876B1 - Foam Extrusion Apparatus and Method - Google Patents

Abstract

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Description

Foam Extrusion Apparatus and Method

1 is a plan view of a foam extrusion apparatus using the edge roll of the present invention.

2 is a side front view of the edge roll assembly and remote actuation angle adjustment mechanism.

3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the operating arm of the remote control attack angle adjuster viewed from the direction of 3-3 in FIG.

4 is an enlarged side front view of the roll assembly as seen in the 4-4 line direction in FIG.

5 is a top plan view of the upper support bracket assembly.

6 is a plan view of the lower support bracket assembly.

The present invention provides a thin, elongated plastic upon extrusion through a die hole to obtain a uniform thickness of foam, cytoplasmic plate, slab, billet or the like that requires little next processing. An improved foam extrusion apparatus and method using an adjustable traction roll to mold and form such foam during foam formation.

In the production of rigid foam billets, boards, slabs, logs or the like, styrene or similar foaming thermoplastics with blowing agents are extruded through the die holes.

As soon as the extrudate leaves the die hole, it is placed at a much lower pressure, preferably vacuum, and moves from the die hole immediately beginning to expand to three sides.

If such expansion is not adequately controlled and the extrudate is not adequately pulled out of the die hole, in particular the extrudate cools and hardens or solidifies, causing undesirable dimensional variations such as corrugated wrinkles, density or cell orientation. Something like that could result in a transformation of

In addition, when the product is formed it is desirable to finish the product to a constant thickness as possible while making the upper and lower planes.

Then the finished product is probably just trimming the edges, or just making the edges and grooves of the tongue and cutting them horizontally.

Importantly, the density and thickness of the product should be constant and the cell twist should be minimal.

It is also important that the finished surface be free of torsion, grooves or gaps.

U.S. Patent No. 4,234529 discloses a plastic foam molding method and apparatus in which a plastic foam extrudate extruded through a bow-shaped extrusion die passes through a pair of curved rolls. Each set of curved rolls consists of two curved rolls each located opposite the extrudate pass line.

The center of curvature of each curved roll is located almost at the center of curvature of the bow-shaped extrusion die hole.

At least one of each set of curved rolls is driven independently to rotate the curved rolls, and at least one curved roll of each set can adjust the distance between the curved rolls and the other curved rolls of the set. It is supposed to move.

Extrusion die curve rolls and surface finishers are in a controlled environment such as vacuum when used.

Some degree of thickness when an angle-related high-pressure pinch roll is used to grasp non-bubble extrudates, such as in axial biaxial films, as in Japanese Publication No. 11598/71. Expanded boards or billets with other problems present a different kind of problem, especially when they are formed by foaming under vacuum. Several features and advantages of the methods and apparatus described in US Pat. No. 4,234,529 also relate to the present invention.

Thus, the full description of these patents is incorporated herein by reference. In particular, in order to facilitate high quality maintenance in the production of relatively wide boards or billets of extruded plastic foam, it is desirable to impart additional forming and molding capabilities to the extrusion apparatus, as specified in this patent.

Thus, the present invention provides an apparatus capable of providing this secondary capability by combining such a roll or use in an apparatus and method of the type specified in US Pat. No. 4.234,529 by means of adjustable edge forming or forming rolls. It's about how.

The edge rolls are rather located below the extrusion die and the curved rolls. The curved rolls extend completely beyond the two critical surfaces of the extrudate, but the edge rolls are arranged in pairs, at least one pair close to one edge of the extrudate, and the second pair close to the other edge of the extrudate.

Rather, it is preferred that the pairs are located only near each edge of the extrudate.

The pair of secondary edges consists of two linear rolls each opposite the extrudate pass line.

The attack angle of such a roll, for example, the angular relationship of the roll or these linear axes with respect to the main direction in which the extrudate moves between the rolls may be adjusted remotely.

Remote control capability facilitates adjustment without disturbing the control environment in which extrusion, foaming and molding occur.

The secondary rolls can be transported to accommodate different extrudates by moving one roll to change the spacing between the rolls, for example, keeping the other roll in the same plane as the curved roll plane and the surface finisher on the same side of the extrusion line. It is also possible to adjust the force exerted on the extrudate by the rolls and to adjust the gap therebetween.

The spacing between pairs of rolls on opposite edges of the extrudate can also be adjusted by varying the extent of the extrudate edge portion at which the roll extends or the extent of extrudate acceptable by such a roll.

This adjusting capability allows the operator to vary the control forces exerted by these rolls to form the extrudate to the desired width.

It is desirable to maintain the relative orientation of each roll pair of two rolls in order to make the remote control mentioned earlier and to maintain the high quality of the finished product.

It is thus possible to equip the two rolls to rotate about the common pivot axis and to use a remotely adjustable actuator to precisely control this rotation.

According to the method of the present invention, a method of adjusting and shaping a foam extrudate exiting a die hole includes the steps of engaging the extrudate through a set of rolls extending beyond the surface of the extrudate on the opposite side and opposing the extrudate. Engaging only the edge portion through each pair of secondary rolls beneath these few sets of rolls and adjusting each secondary roll pair.

With the foregoing in mind, the main purpose of the present invention is to provide an improvement on foam extrusion.

Another object is to facilitate the production of board billets or the like of relatively wide plastic foam, in particular while maintaining a high production quality.

Another object is to provide an adjustable edge forming roll for use in the foam extrusion apparatus and method.

Another object is to adjust the molding compression force on the edges of the board, billet or similar extrudate.

Another object is to adjust the force on the edge of the board or similar extrudate, in particular by means of a driven cross-section roll. Another object is to adjust the attack angle of the edge position rolls used to extrude, shape and form the foam extrudate.

Another object is to remotely control the attack angle of the roll with respect to the foam extrusion passing therebetween, in particular without disturbing the control environment in which extrusion, forming and molding takes place.

Another object is to combine the adjustable edges in their expanding foam extrusion apparatus and method and their use, in particular to form a relatively wide extrudate from a rather narrow extrusion die. These objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing related objects, the present invention is, however, made up of the following description and the annexed drawings, which fully clarify the following and particularly point out the specific embodiments of the present invention and the features pointed out in the claims. Only a few of the various methods of using the principles of the present invention are shown.

Referring to the drawings, first from Figure 1, the foam extrusion apparatus according to the present invention is indicated by (10).

The extrusion apparatus 10 includes an extrusion die 11 having a bow hole 12, a set or a pair of curved forming rolls, indicated by 13, in which each pair of rolls is located opposite the extrudate passage line, respectively; Conveyor or surface finisher 14, all of which are of the general type disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,234,529.

The components 11-14 are located in a controlled environment made up of the partially illustrated chamber wall 16 and the end wall or partition wall 17, such as in a vacuum.

A liquid barrier or its means is provided at the lower end of the conditioning environment 15 to separate between the vacuum and the outside air in this conditioning environment 15, as described, for example, in US Pat. No. 4,299,310.

A rigid frame support 20 supports the conveyor 14 which in turn supports several sets of curved forming rolls 13 and extrusion dies 11. Another support means is provided, for example, as described in US Pat. No. 4,234,529, which provides the extrudate 21 from the extrusion die 11 to an outlet, not shown, as a finished product of expanded foam plate or similar material. Ensure that the necessary interactions are obtained in forming, shaping or moving.

The foam extrusion device 10 also includes an edge 22 device as shown in FIG.

The edge device 22 has two adjustable roll assemblies, each positioned at the opposite end 24 of the extrudate 21 so as to extend beyond each opposite end and completely beyond the extrudate 21. This is in contrast to the set of curved rolls 13 extending. The support plates 25 are opposed to each other and each edge of the extrudate 21 which is about the same distance from the extrudate center and from the extrusion die 11 located between several sets of curved rolls 13 and the conveyor 14. The roll assembly 23 is supported from the opposite rigid frame support 20. Slot 26 adjusts roll assembly 23 transversely to each other. Fasteners 27 may be tightened to secure roll assembly 23 to rigid frame support 20.

By adjusting the relative lateral spacing between the roll assemblies 25, it is possible to adjust the distance that these roll assemblies extend beyond the extrudate 21, thus adjusting the interlocking width of the edges of the extrudate 21 as well. have.

Each roll assembly 23 may also pivot about a pivot shaft 30.

To spin in this way. As will be described in more detail below, it is also possible to vertically move the actuating arm 31 from a position 32 outside the adjustment environment 15.

By remotely controlling this rotational movement by mechanically connecting the actuating arm 31, the pivot movement of the roll assembly 23 around the pivot axis 30 can be easily and accurately adjusted without disturbing the adjustment environment 15.

Referring to FIG. 2, the roll assembly 23 has a pair of cylindrical upper and lower portions 40, 41.

The rolls 40 and 41 are straight cylinders with elastomeric sleeves.

Each roll has a longitudinal axis that is parallel and perpendicular to a straight line, such rolls are equipped to rotate around each shaft 42, 43, and then each shaft 42, 43 is a central support tube. It is supported by each split mounting blacket which is fixed to the / shaft 46.

The upper portion of the lower roll 40 forms a common plane with one of the upper portions of the lower curved roll (not shown) in the set of curved rolls 13 on the upper portion of the conveyor 14.

This common plane is shown in FIG. 2 as a horizontal plane for ease of illustration, but in an embodiment embodiment it should be noted that such a common plane is inclined downward from the extrusion die, for example as described in US Pat. No. 4,234,529. .

The upper roll 41 can be moved vertically with respect to the lower roll 40 to change the spacing between the rolls on the opposite side as it passes through the extrusion. In addition, the upper and lower rolls 40 and 41 can pivot together around the pivot axis 30 of the center support tub / shaft 46.

This pivoting motion can be achieved by pushing the actuating arm 31 of the attack angle adjusting mechanism 47 which can be remotely operated, and the attack angle adjusting mechanism 47 moves the actuating arm 31 to the lower support bracket. It has a rigid linkage 50 (FIG. 1) connecting to 44.

The rigid linkage 50 has an elbow rod 51 and an elbow rod 51 connected to the lower support bracket 44 by a jam nut 52 as shown in FIG. A U-shaped connector 53 is connected to the actuating arm 31.

The rigid elbow rod 51 is directly in the extrudate passageway to provide the arm movement necessary to shake the roll assembly in its angular position and length and to be perpendicular to the actuating arm 31 at the midpoint of the attack angle adjustment range. It is designed to stretch vertically.

Referring to FIG. 3, the actuating arm 31 provides a rigid mechanical connection between the actuating end 54 of the actuating arm and a rigid linkage 50 that can adjust the different attack angles and heights of the roll. do.

The actuating arm 31 has a second concave with a partially concave adjustable shaft 55, a threaded rod 56, a first U-shaped connector 57, an adjusting rod 58 and a U-shaped 53. Consists of a connector (59). The adjustable shaft 55 passes through the opening 60 in the partition wall 17. The vacuum seal 61 is in the proper place around the shaft 55 by a bracket 62 fixed to the partition wall 17 with a clamp 63.

The bracket 62 has a concave longitudinal extension 64 through which the shaft 55 passes.

A pair of split shaft collars 65 and 66 and Oilite thrust washers 67 and 68 secure the shaft 55 in a longitudinal relationship to the partition wall 17. do.

The needle bearing 69 supports its longitudinal axis which is relatively fixed while rotating the shaft 55.

This rotational movement is produced manually or automatically by applying a torque to the adjustment end 54 of the square.

The adjustable shaft 55 opens towards the adjustment environment 15, which has a threaded hole 70 therein and the threaded adjustment rod 56 is threaded in the threaded hole 70.

The screw adjusting rod 56 is also attached to the U-shaped 72 of the first U-shaped connector 57 at the screw connector 71 and locked while being connected by the jam nut 73.

U-shaped connectors 57 and 59 are attached to each U-shaped 72 and 53 by pins 76 and are then fixed in place by cotter pins 74. It also has 75).

The threaded end of the adjusting rod 58 is attached to the spherical rods 74 and 75 in the threaded inner passages 78 and 79 as illustrated and is fixed in place by the jam nut 80. .

It will be appreciated that the effective length of the actuating arm 31 may be adjusted, for example, by adjusting the connection between the adjusting rod 58 and the U-shaped connectors 57 and 59 during installation of the foam extruder 10.

For example, when the shaft 55 is turned in one direction or the other using the torque applied to the adjusting end 54, the adjusting rod 56 moves vertically with respect to the shaft 55.

This longitudinal motion is connected to the rod 51 via the U-shaped connectors 57 and 59 and the rod 58 to rotate the rolls 40 and 41 around the central vertical support shaft 46.

Referring to FIGS. 4-6, the lower roll 40 is mounted on the shaft 42 so that it can rotate.

A split collar 90 and a washer 91 at the outer end of the roll support the roll on the shaft.

A thrust washer 92 and a sprocket assembly 93 at the inner end of the lower roll 40 are provided, which is journaled to the shaft 42 and roll 40. It is fixed at. The last washer is sandwiched between the sprocket assembly 93 and the split fixing bracket 94 and the split fixing bracket then supports the air motor 95 from the angle bracket 96. The air motor 95 drives the roll 40 through the chain 97 between the sprocket assembly 93 and the sprocket 98 on the motor drive shaft 99. The controlled air pressure (not shown) from the conventional supply method drives the air motor 95 to rotate the roll 40 at a controlled speed. The shaft 42 is hung on the horizontally grooved concave surface 100 in the lower support bracket assembly 44 by clamp fastner 101 (FIG. 6).

In addition, the lower support bracket assembly 44 is vertically separated at 102 so that it can be safely held on the support tube 104 of the tube / shaft support 46 by the clamp 103.

The support tubing 104 is arranged to be movable and swingable perpendicularly to the central support rib 105, which is then attached to the support plate 25 at the bottom flange. )

A ball bushing 106 mounted in the support tubing 104 leaning against the land 107 secures the center support shaft 108 of the center support tube shaft 46 to support this center support. The pivot axis 30 of the shaft 108 is in the same axis as the axes of the support tubing 104 and the central support ribs.

The bowl bushing 106 also facilitates vertical or axial movement of the central support shaft 108.

The lower rod support 111, which is adapted to rotate about the outer periphery of the center support rib 105 and is engaged with the land 110, is supported in place by the split collar 112.

The threaded lower end of the guide shaft 114 is caught by the thread through the screw hole 113 in the lower rod support 111.

The guide shaft 114 has an upper end 115 of one reduced cross-sectional area passing through the opening 117 via the lower support bracket assembly 44 whereby the oillight bushing 118 and the split shaft collar ( 119).

The upper end of the guide shaft 114 is also perpendicular to the bowl bushing 120 in one opening 121 through which a rear extension plate 122 secured to the upper support bracket assembly 45 passes. Pass through.

The guide shaft 114 keeps the upper roll 41 in exact parallel with the lower roll 40 when raising and lowering the upper roll 41.

The guide shaft 114 also allows the clamp clamp 103 of the lower support bracket assembly 44 to move the lower roll 40, for example, in the plane of the conveyor 40, in order to adjust the vertical height of the lower roll 40. It can be rotated by a force on the lower square end 123 when released to adjust the height of the set of curved rolls 13 to be above, below, or the same plane as the plane.

After adjusting the vertical height in this manner, the clamp clamp 103 is again tightened to secure the lower support bracket assembly 44 to the support tube 104, thereby lowering the lower support bracket assembly 44 to the support tube. 104).

In the embodiment of the present invention, the upper roll 41 is not driven, but the upper roll 41 may be driven by the motor shown or if necessary. The upper roll 41 is equipped to rotate on the upper shaft 43 by a pair of split shaft collars 130 and the last washer 131. The abnormal shaft 43 is then secured to the top of the upper support bracket assembly 45 by the clamp 132.

Appropriate bearings or other means may be provided to facilitate rotation of each roll 40, 41 around each shaft 42, 43. The upper support bracket assembly 45 can also be secured to the upper end of the central support shaft 108 by fastening the clamp clamp 140 so that its rear end is vertically separated.

The shafts 108 and 114 cooperate to keep the upper roll 41 parallel to the lower roll 40 with the straight longitudinal axis of the roll being perpendicular to the lower roll 40. When they are done, they become parallel and form another same vertical plane.

An air cylinder assembly 41 causes this upper roll 41 to move vertically.

The air cylinder 141 is attached to the inner surface of the lower bracket assembly 44 by a rod end cap 142. The piston rod 143 of the cylinder assembly is connected to the rod extension 144 which is the flange upper end 145 held by the rod retainer plate 146. Has)

This rod retainer plate 146 is attached to the inner surface of the upper support bracket assembly by the clamp 147 (FIG. 5).

The rod extension 144 passes through openings provided in the lower support bracket assembly 44 and the lower roll shaft 42.

The air cylinder 141 is preferably of the type specified in U.S. Patent No. 4,234,539, which is connected to a regulating pressure source and a branch (not shown) so that the gap between the rolls 40 and 41 and the pressure source The pressure on the extrudate passed therebetween is precisely adjusted. The pressure exerted under the piston, as in this patent, allows the upper roll to compensate for its own load weight, and the finely regulated pressure over the piston is the lower drive as well as the pressure of the roll against the foaming extrudate. Also adjust the pressure of the extrudate against the roll

In operating the foam extruder 10, the spacing between the roll assemblies 23 is relative to the support plate 25, the length of each operating arm 31 and the rolls 40 and 41 relative to the extrudate 21. Adjust by adjusting the initial direction of attack angle. Other good adjustments can be made with U-shaped connectors 57, 59 and rods 58.

This attack angle can be adjusted by turning the adjusting end 54 of the shaft 55.

The first vertical separation of each pair of upper and lower portions 40 and 41 can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting the air supply to the air cylinder 141 and the branch therefrom, and similar adjustments are made to the curved roll 13. The set and conveyor 14 can be made as described, for example, in US Pat. No. 4,234,529.

In addition, the rotational speed of the lower roll is initially determined according to the rotational speed of the air motor 95.

Using the foam extruder 10 in the extrusion process, although the extrusion die holes 12 are relatively narrow in width, the extrudate passes through a set of curved rolls 13 shaped to obtain a relatively wide finished extrudate. Done.

The roll apparatus 22 has a pulling effect and a molding control effect on the extrudate below the curved roll 13 to adjust the extrudate to a desired width. When the air cylinder 141 is adjusted to fix the height of the upper roll 41, it affects the force exerted by the roll, thereby affecting the traction force or the pulling force.

This force can be chosen to exert a controlled force of the desired size on the extrudate 21, thereby minimizing the destruction and crushing of individual cells of the foam extrudate.

Furthermore, by increasing the attack angle of the roll assembly 23, for example, by rotating the shafter 55, the vector of force exerted by lengthening or shortening the arm 31 even during the extrusion process in vacuum. Can be increased and, conversely, by reducing such angles, the vector of applied force can be reduced.

In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that the method and apparatus of the present invention have a useful effect in extruding foaming material from a relatively narrow extrusion die hole to form a relatively wide extrudate.

Claims (11)

Curved rolls suitable for positioning close to the extrusion die and located opposite the extrusion path of the extrusion die hole, additional linear rolls paired opposite the extrusion path below and the straight rolls for the extrudate Foam extrusion apparatus for forming a foam extrudate consisting of means for adjusting the attack angle, 2. The foam extrusion apparatus according to claim 1, comprising adjusting means comprising an adjusting die consisting of an extrusion die hole, a curved roll and a vertical roll, and a rigid linkage capable of remote control for adjusting from a position outside the adjusting environment. 3. The foam extrusion apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, comprising curved rolls extending completely over each surface of the extrudate, and straight rolls respectively positioned on both sides of the extrudate only at opposite end portions thereof. 2. The foam extrusion apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of each pair of additional rolled pairs is driven. 2. The foam extrusion apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting the spacing between each additional roll pair. Pass the extrudate through a set of rolls extending beyond the surface of the extrudate on the opposite side, and only the opposite end of the extrudate through each additional pair of rolls underneath this set of rolls to interlock, and Foam extrusion method for adjusting each additional roll pair. 7. The method of claim 6, comprising adjusting the attack angle of the additional roll relative to the direction of movement of the extrudate. 8. The method of claim 7, including maintaining a vacuum environment in each pair of die holes, sets of rolls, and additional rolls, and including speculatively rotating each pair of additional rolls from a location away from such a vacuum environment. Foam extrusion method. 7. The foam extrusion method of claim 6, comprising adjusting the gap between each pair of additional rolls. 10. The method of claim 9, including maintaining a vacuum environment in each pair of die holes, sets of rolls, and additional rolls, and further comprising adjusting each pair of additional rolls to be at regular intervals from a location away from the vacuum environment. Foam extrusion method. 7. The foam extrusion method according to claim 6, wherein the roll is rotated irrespective of the extrudate passing through the roll by driving at least one of the additional rolls in each pair of additional rolls.

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