Apparatus for manufacturing a composite strand formed of reinforcing fibers and of organic thermoplastic material

In an apparatus for manufacturing a composite strand (31, 50, 73), composed of a first installation comprising at least one die (10, 35), which is supplied with glass and heated by Joule effect, and which is perforated at the bottom with a plurality of orifices from which continuous filaments (11, 36, 72) are drawn, and of a second installation comprising at least one drawing head (42, 51, 84), which is supplied under pressure with organic thermoplastic material in the molten state, and comprising a central passage through which said glass filaments (11, 36, 72) are drawn, said at least one drawing head (42, 51, 84) comprising at least one conduit (25, 43, 52) for supplying said organic material, which is connected to a chamber (53) that opens onto a plurality of orifices (55) on its bottom side, and through which the organic material is extruded to produce continuous filaments (28, 47, 56), the improvement comprising a hood which shields each of the at least one drawing head and includes:

• a) a top part (23, 40, 62) which fits immediately above said at least one drawing head and contains an opening (27, 44, 63) at its top which is disposed coaxially to the central passage, the top part of the hood being externally formed of one or more plates (23, 40, 62), which are inclined relative to the vertical centerline of the central passage;
• and
• b) a bottom part which is formed of a wall (24, 41, 70) immediately surrounding said at least one drawing head and extending below the bottom of the said at least one drawing head.