Method and apparatus for the continuous upward production of foamed material

A machine for continuous upward production of foamed material by a method in which foam forming liquid reactant materials are fed at a controlled rate to a sealed feed zone leading into an upwardly diverging expansion enclosure wherein foaming takes place and thence into an upwardly extending take-off path for expanded foam, comprising means forming a sealed feed zone leading into an upwardly diverging expansion enclosure wherein foaming takes place and thence into an upwardly extending take-off path for expanded foam, the feed zone being continuous with the expansion enclosure, means for controllably feeding foam forming liquid reactant materials to said sealed feed zone, travelable flexible sheet material defining the sides of at least the expansion enclosure, means for positively drawing the sheet material upward from above the expansion enclosure such that in operation the expansion enclosure is defined above by already expanded foam in the take-off path and at the sides by travelling sheet material so that the surface of the body of expanding foam and the travelling sheet material move together, and controllably driven conveyor means at one or more positions at the sides of the take-off path for positively gripping the foamed material above said diverging expansion enclosure sufficiently to draw it upwards at a controlled rate related to the reactant feed rate and the foaming conditions, the machine being controllably operable to ensure that expansion is not completed before the end of the diverging portion of the expansion enclosure is reached.