Apparatus for Continuous Production of Foam Sheets
OwnerFred Svirklysinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Foam sheets are continuously produced by metering foam particles, which are free of any added binder or adhesive, from a storage location onto a moving conveyor at a controlled volumetric rate so as to continuously form a layer of the particles on the conveyor, heating the layer of particles to a temperature sufficient to render the particles tacky such that the particles adhere to one another so as to form a substantially integral sheet, compressing the sheet with a compression device that applies pressure on the advancing sheet so as to compress the sheet to a smaller thickness and enhance the integrity of the sheet; and cooling the compressed sheet.
Claims22
1-18. (canceled)
An apparatus for continuously producing polymer foam sheets or planks from starting polymer foam material comprising virgin and/or postindustrial polymer foam materials that have been comminuted into particles, the apparatus comprising:
- a metering device including a moving conveyor and being structured and arranged to meter the particles, which are free of any added binder or adhesive, from a storage location onto the moving conveyor at a controlled volumetric rate so as to continuously form a layer of the particles on the conveyor;
- a heating device structured and arranged to heat the layer of particles to a temperature sufficient to render the particles tacky such that the particles adhere to one another so as to form a substantially integral sheet;
- a compression device structured and arranged to apply pressure on the advancing sheet so as to compress the sheet to a smaller thickness and enhance the integrity of the sheet;
- and
- a cooling device for cooling the compressed sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.