Process for manufacturing foam-filled extruded products
AssigneeRonald D. Erwin
InventorsRonald Dean Erwin, Marvin Ray Whitley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for fabricating an article having a rigid foam core and a resilient outer plastic shell by extruding heated thermoplastic material to form the shell, partially hardening the extruded a plastic shell, injecting a liquid foam material into the interior of the partially hardened plastic shell, and cooling the shell and the liquid foam material to fully harden the plastic shell and the foam under conditions which cause the article to have a predetermined shape and size.
Claims7
A process for fabricating an article having an inner rigid foam core and an outer resilient plastic shell, said article having a predetermined length and shape, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) extruding a thermoplastic material around a tube having a liquid foam material flowing therethrough;
- (b) partially hardening the thermoplastic material while it is around the tube to form the outer resilient plastic shell;
- (c) transporting the plastic shell over an opening formed in the tube and injecting liquid foam material into the plastic shell;
- (d) transporting the plastic shell filled with the liquid foam material through a cooling and sizing tank whereby the liquid foam material is hardened to form the inner rigid foam core and the article comprising the inner rigid foam core and the outer resilient plastic shell is shaped into the predetermined shape;
- (e) transporting the article out of the cooling and sizing tank;
- and
- (f) cutting the article to a predetermined length.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.