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AssigneeArco Polymers, Inc.
InventorsRichard L. Gates, Dennis J. Fuller, Thomas L. Wolford
Estimating the term…
Low density, lightweight foam articles may be provided with certain portions or regions thereof, that are reinforced, having higher density and strength, obtained by compression of the foam in these locations, during or after formation of the foam. Such locations may be made sufficiently strong and dense to allow the article to be attached in place by fastening means, imbedded therein. The increase in density can be as much as from 5 pcf to 10 pcf or higher, depending upon the particular application. Many foam materials, capable of being molded, extruded, or otherwise shaped to a predetermined configuration, may be made with this combination of high and low density, including foams of styrenic polymer or copolymer compositions, urethanes, vinyls, and even non-thermoplastic based materials, such as phenolic foams.
The method of making a foamed article molded to a predetermined shape which comprises:
The method of making molded foam articles from an expandable thermoplastic material in particulate form, said article having locally densified portions which comprises providing at least one recess in a mold cavity wall and a piston member mounted adjacent to and associated with said recess for reciprocal movement therein, filling the mold cavity and said recess with a predetermined amount of expandable resinous particles while the piston member is in a retracted position, moving said piston member a predetermined amount to compress the thermoplastic particles in said recess, fusing the expandable thermoplastic particles in said mold cavity to form a foamed thermoplastic part coinciding with the shape of said mold cavity, having a predetermined low density throughout the article and a higher density in the area of said recess.
Apparatus for molding expandable thermoplastic particles to produce a shaped foam article therefrom which comprises:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.