Processes and apparatus for making transversely drawn films with substantially uniaxial character

Abstract

An apparatus for processing a film includes a conveyor and an isolated takeaway device. The conveyor includes gripping members that hold opposing edge portions of the film and convey, under influence of a drive member, the film along a machine direction within a stretching region of the apparatus. The conveyor, over substantially the entire stretching region, is configured and arranged to provide diverging, substantially parabolic paths along which the gripping members move to stretch the film. The isolated takeaway device receives the film from the conveyor and includes gripping members to grasp opposing takeaway regions of the film directly from the stretching region and convey the film in the machine direction. In another embodiment, the conveyor provides diverging curvilinear paths along which the gripping members move to stretch the film. An isolated takeaway device includes opposing flexible, continuous gripping mechanisms for grasping opposing takeaway regions of the film.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.