Process and plant for manufacture of latex foam products

A continuous process for manufacturing foamed products of unlimited length to form mattresses (2) or cushions, including the steps of:

• moving forward continuously at a first speed a plurality of laying planes (12) between a first and a second station (3,5) between which a vulcanizing station (8) is interposed, said laying planes being of determined sizes,
• injecting foam material at the first station until foaming on said laying planes a layer of determined thickness of said article
• vulcanizing;
• removing the vulcanized product at the second station,
• a) advancing, during the movement of laying planes from the first to the second station, at a second speed higher than the first one, at least one of the laying planes, devoid of foam material, coming from the exit of the second station unto close to the first station
• b) pushing by said laying planes devoid of foam the plurality of laying planes placed between the first and the second station,
• said second speed and said pushing given by said laying planes devoid of foam determining always between the first and the second station a constant plurality of laying planes mutually touching each other delimiting a continuous surface for the formation of said articles of unlimited length.

A continuous process for manufacturing latex foam products of unlimited length designed to form mattresses (2) or cushions, the process comprising the steps of:

• moving a plurality of laying planes in a ring-like path comprising a first and a second stretch (10,11), joined to one another at their ends by means of a third and a fourth stretch shaped as an arc of a circle (16, 17) respectively arranged between the exit of the first stretch and the entry of the second stretch and between the exit of the second stretch and the entry of the first stretch,
• advancing continuously at a first speed a plurality of laying planes (12) between a first and a second station (3,5) between which a vulcanizing station (8) is interposed, said laying planes being of determined sizes,
• injecting latex foam material at the first station until forming over said laying surfaces a layer of determined thickness of said product;
• vulcanizing the foam material to form a vulcanized product;
• and
• removing the vulcanized product at the second station;
• said process further comprising the steps of:
• a) advancing along the second stretch, during the transfer from the first (3) to the second station (5), at a second speed, higher with respect to the first one, at least one of the laying planes devoid of foam material, coming from the exit of the third stretch up to the proximity of the first station (3);
• b) pushing by means of said laying planes devoid of foam material the plurality of laying planes placed between the first (3) and the second station (5), said second speed and said pushing transmitted by said laying planes devoid of foam material causing always, between the first (3) and second station (5) a constant plurality of laying planes (12) in contact with one another delimiting a continuous surface for the formation of said products of unlimited length;
• c) joining with each other (24, 29) adjacent laying planes from the first station up to the exit of the third stretch;
• d) releasing adjacent laying planes after the exit of the third stretch and before the second stretch;
• e) removing (53, 54) close to a fourth station laying planes coming out from the second station devoid of foam material without stopping the manufacturing cycle when new manufacturing necessities of the products or maintenance operations are requested;
• f) changing or repairing said removed laying planes;
• g) moving forward at said second speed the change or repaired laying planes up to the proximity of the first station, and repeating step b).