Extruder die plate with removable splitters
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsFumii Higuchi, John J. Ianni, Fraser S. Smith, Michael G. Hawkins, Joseph L. Leonardo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A die for the preparation of a toner resin in an extruder having a housing defining a housing aperture therein and a conveyor for conveying the resin through the housing aperture to form a stream of resin is provided. The die includes a member connected to a first end of the housing. The member defines an opening therethrough. The member includes a splitter disposed adjacent the opening for splitting a stream of resin passing through the opening in a first direction into two separate streams of resin.
Claims20
A die for the preparation of a toner resin in an extruder having a housing defining a housing aperture and a conveyor for conveying the resin through the housing aperture to form a stream of resin therein, the stream of toner resin moving in a downstream direction, the die comprising a member connected to a first end of said housing, said member including a body defining an opening therethrough and a splitter connected to the body, disposed adjacent said opening, and extending across the opening, for splitting a stream of resin passing through the opening in a first direction into two separate streams of resin, said splitter including a first portion to accomplish a primary splitting and a second portion spaced from the fist portion to accomplish a secondary splitting, the second portion located downstream from the first portion, whereby the stream may have primary and secondary splitting to prevent the reforming of a solitary stream of resin.
A die for the preparation of a toner resin in an extruder having a housing defining a housing aperture and a conveyor for conveying the resin through the housing aperture to form a stream of resin therein, the die comprising a member connected to a first end of said housing, said member including a body defining an opening therethrough and a splitter connected to the body, disposed adjacent said opening, and extending across the opening, for splitting a stream of resin passing through the opening in a first direction into two separate streams of resin, said splitter having a cross sectional area in a plane normal to the flow of the toner resin substantially smaller than the cross sectional area of the opening so that stream may be split without a significant increase in the pressure within the extruder.
A die for the preparation of a toner resin in an extruder having a housing defining a housing aperture therein and a conveyor for conveying the resin through the housing aperture to form a stream of resin, the die comprising a member connected to a first end of said housing, said member including a plate, said plate defining an opening through said member, said plate including a body, said body defining the opening;
- and an insert attached to said body, said insert located at least partially within the opening and having a surface thereof cooperating with said body to reduce the area of the opening in the direction of the stream of resin, and said member further including a splitter disposed adjacent the opening for splitting a stream of resin passing through the opening in a first direction into two separate streams of resin, said splitter being attached to said insert and including a plurality of pins.
A method for preparing a toner resin, comprising:
- adding base resin and chemical initiator to a toner extruder;
- mixing the base resin and the chemical initiator within an opening formed in the extruder to form the mixed resin;
- selecting a splitting die for use in the extruder so that the cross sectional area of the die in a direction normal to the flow of the resin is minimal with respect to that of the opening;
- locating the splitting die at an end of the extruder and extending the die across the opening;
- conveying the mixed resin within the extruder to the splitting die;
- and
- drawing the mixed resin through the splitting die to form two separate streams of resin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.