Dynamic mixer screw tip
AssigneeCertainTeed Corporation
InventorsThomas A. Gates, James N. Valentine, David H. Steele, Steven H. Bowens, Donn L. Briskie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention includes a screw tip for an extruder screw for effecting mixing in an extruder. The screw tip has a shaft portion and at least one mixing element ring connected to the shaft portion, or a mixing element having an aperture therethrough, or both. The mixing element may have two legs connected by a top portion with the aperture between the two legs to allow flow of extrudate therethrough.
Claims15
A twin screw extruder comprising:
- two adjacent screw tips connected to respective twin screws of the extruder, each screw tip comprising a shaft portion, a separation ring removably connecting the shaft portion to one of the twin screws, a mixing element ring connected to the shaft portion, and extrudate mixing elements on each mixing element ring;
- the mixing element rings having the extrudate mixing elements thereon being rotatable with the two adjacent screw tips, respectively, to mix an extrudate at the end of the twin screws of the extruder;
- and
- each of individual ones of the extrudate mixing elements having two legs connected by a top portion with an aperture between the two legs to flow at least some of the extrudate therethrough.
An extruder screw tip of an extruder machine, comprising:
- a mixing element ring;
- extrudate mixing elements on the mixing element ring;
- the mixing element ring having the extrudate mixing elements thereon being rotatable with the extruder screw tip at the end of a feedscrew of the extruder machine to mix an extrudate;
- and
- each of individual ones of the extrudate mixing elements having two legs connected by a top portion with an aperture between the two legs to flow at least some of the extrudate therethrough.
An extruder screw tip of an extruder machine, comprising:
- a mixing element ring on an extruder screw tip;
- extrudate mixing elements on the mixing element ring;
- the mixing element ring being rotatable with the extruder screw tip at the end of a feedscrew of the extruder machine to mix an extrudate;
- and
- each of individual ones of the extrudate mixing elements having two radial portions on the mixing element ring connected by a tangential portion with an aperture between the two radial portions to flow at least some of the extrudate therethrough.
A process of mixing an extrudate in an extruder machine, comprising:
- rotating a feedscrew in the extruder machine to rotate an extruder screw tip at the end of the feedscrew;
- the extruder screw tip having a mixing element ring and multiple extrudate mixing elements on the mixing element ring, and each of individual ones of the extrudate mixing elements having two legs connected by a top portion with a corresponding aperture between the two legs to flow at least some of the extrudate therethrough;
- and
- rotating the mixing element ring by rotating the extruder screw tip, while flowing said at least some of the extrudate through the corresponding aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.