Multi pass extrudate cooling tank and method
AssigneeReel Power Licensing Corp.
InventorsRichard Vester, Steven Gillmeister, Thomas Bludis, Robert Bessemer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An extrudate cooling tank having cooling water chambers adapted for running passage of extrudate serially therethrough at a preselected regulated variable pressures with water in the chambers being at different temperatures, and a wheel-servo motor combination hingedly connected to the chamber and being movable with respect thereto between a first position with the wheel engaging running extrudate and a second position with the wheel remote from engagement with the extrudate.
Claims17
An extrudate cooling tank, comprising:
- a) a controlled pressure first temperature water chamber adapted for running passage of extrudate therethrough;
- b) an controlled pressure second temperature water chamber adapted for continued running passage of the extrudate therethrough;
- c) an controlled pressure third temperature water chamber adapted for further continued running passage of the extrudate therethrough;
- d) a rotatable extrudate puller wheel positionable for receivably engaging running extrudate in one of the water chambers and controlling speed of the running extrudate as the extrudate engagingly moves with the rotating puller wheel;
- e) a variable speed motor connected to the puller wheel for controlling speed thereof to regulate at least one physical parameter of the extrudate, the motor being rotatably connected to the tank for arcuate unitary movement of the motor and puller wheel together between a first position at which the puller wheel engages the running extrudate and a second position at which there is no engagement of the running extrudate by the puller wheel.
A method for cooling tubular plastic running extrudate after extrusion die forming thereof, comprising:
- a) feeding the running extrudate into a first temperature water bath within a chamber while maintaining the chamber at a selected pressure;
- b) passing the running extrudate through a first atmospheric pressure water bath at a second temperature lower than the first temperature;
- c) passing the running extrudate through a second atmospheric pressure water bath at a third temperature higher than the second temperature but lower than the first temperature;
- d) controlling passage of the running extrudate through the first temperature water bath to the exit speed of the extrudate from the extrusion die;
- e) continuing cooling the extrudate while adjusting outer diameter and wall thickness of the running extrudate passing through the first and second atmospheric pressure water baths by controlling speed of passage of the running extrudate passing therethrough.
A method of controlling the speed of running extrudate during cooling thereof comprising:
- a) pivotally moving a motor-puller wheel assembly between a first position at which the wheel engages the running extrudate within a controlled temperature bath thereby cooling the extrudate to regulate at least one of extrudate outer diameter, wall thickness, concentricity, ovality, and shrinkage, and a second position at which the puller wheel does not engage the running extrudate to regulate extrudate physical parameters.
An extrudate cooling tank, comprising:
- a) a plurality of cooling water chambers adapted for running passage of extrudate serially therethrough, a first cooling water chamber being at a preselected regulated variable pressure and remaining cooling water chambers being at least at atmospheric pressure, water in the chambers being at different temperatures;
- b) a rotatable extrudate puller wheel-servo motor combination hingedly connected to one of the remaining cooling water chambers and movable with respect thereto between two positions, the combination in a first position positioning the puller wheel to receivably engage running extrudate to rotatably controlling speed of the running extrudate by contact therewith, the combination in the second position positioning the puller remote from a position of engagement with the running extrudate.
A two chamber extrudate cooling tank, comprising:
- a) a controlled pressure first temperature water chamber adapted for running passage of extrudate therethrough;
- b) an controlled pressure second temperature water chamber adapted for continued running passage of the extrudate therethrough;
- c) a rotatable extrudate puller wheel positionable for receivably engaging running extrudate and controlling speed of the running extrudate as the extrudate engagingly moves with the rotating puller wheel;
- d) a plurality of guide wheels positioned in the tank downstream of the puller wheel to successively contactingly guide the running extrudate through the tank;
- e) a variable speed motor connected to the puller wheel for controlling speed thereof, the motor being rotatably connected to the tank for arcuate unitary movement of the motor and puller wheel together between a first position at which the puller wheel engages the running extrudate and a second position at which there is no engagement of the running extrudate by the puller wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.