Grooved roller assembly for laterally stretching film

Abstract

There is disclosed a novel groove roller and roller assembly comprised of two of such grooved rollers wherein the grooved roller is comprised of a plurality of discs having varying diameters and positioned on a shaft thereby forming a grooved roller of self-centering groove components. In a preferred embodiment, discs of one diameter and discs of another diameter are alternately mounted on the shaft. Also disclosed is a roller assembly formed of two of such grooved rollers in interdigitating or intermeshing relationship for laterally stretching incremental portions of an orientable thermoplastic substrate by introducing such substrate into a nip formed by such interdigitating grooved rollers whereby the velocity of introduction thereof is controlled to substantially the rotational velocity of such grooved rollers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.