Method for dripless liquid color delivery using a dripless liquid color feed throat adaptor
OwnerStephen B. Maguireinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for converting resin into colored finished or semi-finished plastic parts include a process machine having a barrel, a rotatable screw inside the barrel, and a color feed conduit assembly extending into the barrel for passage of liquid color through the color feed conduit assembly into proximity with the screw.
Claims26
A method for supplying liquid color into proximity with a rotating screw of a process machine for converting granular plastic resin into finished or semi-finished plastic parts by molding or extrusion, the rotatable screw being within a barrel, the barrel having a feed throat for passage of liquid color therethrough downwardly towards the screw, comprising:
- a. covering the feed throat with a plate having an aperture therethrough and a slot therein connecting the aperture with a plate edge;
- b. positioning a telescoping color feed conduit assembly in the slot and extending downwardly through the aperture with the assembly outlet in proximity with the screw;
- c. providing a pneumatically powered pump for pumping liquid color from a supply thereof to the process machine for delivery to the screw through the color feed conduit assembly;
- d. providing a color conveying conduit connecting an outlet of the pump to the color feed conduit assembly via at least one self-sealing quick release fitting;
- and
- e. actuating the pump by application of compressed air thereto.
A method for supplying liquid color into proximity with a rotating screw of a process machine for converting granular plastic resin into finished or semi-finished plastic parts by molding or extrusion, the rotatable screw being within a barrel, the barrel having a feed throat for passage of liquid color therethrough downwardly towards the screw, comprising:
- a. positioning a telescoping color feed conduit assembly in the feed throat slot with the assembly outlet in proximity with the screw;
- b. providing a color conveying conduit connecting an outlet of the pump to the color feed conduit assembly via at least one self-sealing quick release fitting;
- and
- c. pneumatically pumping liquid color from a supply thereof to the process machine for delivery to the screw through the color conveying conduit out the color feed conduit assembly.
Apparatus for converting granular plastic resin into finished or semi-finished colored plastic parts, comprising:
- a. a process machine comprising:
- i. a barrel;
- ii. a rotatable screw within the barrel;
- b. a color feed conduit assembly connecting with the barrel for passage of liquid color through the assembly into proximity with the screw, comprising:
- i. an outer color delivery tube;
- ii. a flexible inner color delivery tube telescopically disposed within the outer color delivery tube;
- c. a liquid color supply;
- and
- d. a conveying tube connecting the liquid color supply to the color feed conduit assembly.
An apparatus for feeding liquid color to a process machine for converting granular plastic resin into finished or semi-finished colored plastic parts by molding or extrusion, the process machine having a rotatable screw located inside a barrel, comprising:
- a. a color feed conduit assembly comprising:
- i. a outer color feed tube;
- ii. an inner color feed tube telescopically movable within the outer color delivery tube, the inner color feed tube having greater pliability and lesser stiffness than the outer color feed tube;
- the color feed conduit assembly being positioned with the outer color feed tube extending through an aperture in the barrel, with an outlet of the inner color feed tube being in proximity with the screw;
- b. a conveying tube connected to the color feed conduit assembly;
- and
- c. a pump for pumping liquid color from a supply thereof remote from the process machine through the color conveying tube and the color feed conduit assembly into the barrel in proximity with the rotatable screw.
A method for supplying liquid color into proximity with a rotating screw in the barrel of a process machine for converting granular plastic resin into colored finished or semi-finished plastic parts by molding or extrusion, comprising:
- a. connecting telescoping polymeric and metallic tubes of a color feed conduit assembly to the barrel with the assembly outlet within the barrel and in proximity with the screw;
- and
- b. pumping liquid color from a supply thereof for delivery to the screw through the color feed conduit assembly via at least one self-sealing quick release fitting.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.