Apparatus for compounding resin and fiber

An apparatus for coating and conveying fiber strands with a suitable liquid comprising:

• a housing having a fiber inlet and outlet;
• a fiber entrainment and coating passage within the housing connected between the fiber inlet and outlet for the passage of a continuous strand of fiber through the housing;
• a liquid injection port in said housing in fluid flow communication with the fiber entrainment passage to introduce pressurized liquid in a fluid state into contact with the continuous strand of fiber in the entrainment passage, whereby the pressurized flow of liquid into said entrainment passage conveys the continuous strand of fiber through the housing and out of the fiber outlet, and the continuous strand of fiber becomes coated with liquid.

An apparatus for wetting fiber strands with a thermoplastic resin to form a molding material comprising:

• a body having a passage formed therethrough, said passage having a continuous strand of said fiber passed therethrough, said body further having an injection port formed therein, said injection port being in fluidic communication with said passage;
• a resin supply device arranged and constructed to introduce a supply of resin into said injection port, said resin flowing through said injection port to said passage in said body, said resin exiting said body through said passage, said resin flowing through said passage entraining said continuous strand of fiber therewith, said continuous strand of fiber subsequently becoming wetted by said resin to form said molding material.

An apparatus for coating fiber strands with a thermoplastic resin to form a molding material comprising:

• a body having a passage formed therethrough, said passage having a first and a second diameter, said passage having a continuous strand of said fiber passed therethrough, said body further having an injection port formed therein, said injection port further being in fluidic communication with said passage between said first and said second diameters, said first and second diameters of said passage being constructed and arranged such that when a thermoplastic resin is caused to flow through said injection port to said passage, said resin flows in a predetermined direction and causes said continuous strand of fiber to become entrained in said flow of said thermoplastic resin, said continuous strand of fiber being wetted in a predetermined ratio of fiber to thermoplastic resin.

An apparatus for wetting and conveying fiber strands with a thermoplastic resin comprising:

• a housing having a passage with a fiber inlet and an outlet, said passage being arranged and constructed to permit a continuous strand of said fiber to be passed from said inlet through said housing and out of said outlet, said housing further comprising a resin injection port that is fluidically connected to said passage to direct said thermoplastic resin into said passage under pressure into contact with said continuous strand of fiber and wherein the pressurized flow of said thermoplastic resin into said passage causes said continuous strand of fiber to be drawn through said housing, said continuous strand of fiber also becoming substantially wetted by said resin, said inlet of said housing having formed therein at least one back flow passage.

An apparatus for wetting and conveying fiber strands with a thermoplastic resin comprising:

• a housing having a passage with a fiber inlet and an outlet, said passage being arranged and constructed to permit a continuous strand of said fiber to be passed from said inlet through said housing and out of said outlet, said housing further comprising a resin injection port that is fluidically connected to said passage to direct said thermoplastic resin into said passage under pressure into contact with said continuous strand of fiber and wherein the pressurized flow of said thermoplastic resin into said passage causes said continuous strand of fiber to be drawn through said housing, said continuous strand of fiber also becoming substantially wetted by said resin;
• and,
• a traction block having a bore formed therethrough, said bore being fluidically connected to said outlet of said passage of said housing so as to pass said continuous strand of fiber and said thermoplastic resin therethrough, said bore of said traction block having a diameter sized to pass therethrough said continuous strand of fiber and said thermoplastic resin in a predetermined weight ratio.