Sheet coating system on an apparatus for extrusion forming a sheet product

An apparatus for extrusion forming a sheet product, the apparatus having upstream and downstream ends and comprising:

• an extruder assembly comprising a sheet die through which a flowable material is delivered;
• and
• a roll stand assembly comprising a roll stack sub-assembly and a sheet take-off sub-assembly,
• the roll stack sub-assembly comprising first and second rolls between which a nip location is defined at which flowable material from the sheet die is delivered to define a first sheet layer,
• the sheet take-off sub-assembly configured to produce a force upon a first sheet component made up of at least the first sheet layer that advances the sheet component downstream towards a point of use,
• the roll stand assembly further comprising a coating system for applying a coating component to at least one of two oppositely facing surfaces on at least one sheet component advancing through the apparatus,
• the roll stand assembly constructed to be reconfigured thereby to change a path traveled by the at least one sheet component and facilitate selective application of the coating component to the at least one sheet component,
• wherein the roll stand assembly can be reconfigured selectively between:
• a) a bypass state wherein neither of the two oppositely facing surfaces on the one sheet component can have the coating component applied thereto by the coating system;
• and b) a first coating state wherein at least one of:
• i) the coating component can be applied to one of the two oppositely facing surfaces on the one sheet component;
• and ii) the coating component can be applied to both of the two oppositely facing surfaces on the one sheet component,
• wherein the coating system comprises a first sparger for applying the coating component to one of the two oppositely facing surfaces on the at least one sheet component with the roll stand assembly in the first coating state,
• wherein the coating system comprises a second sparger for applying the coating component to the other of the two oppositely facing surfaces on the at least one sheet component.

An apparatus for extrusion forming a sheet product, the apparatus having upstream and downstream ends and comprising:

• an extruder assembly comprising a sheet die through which a flowable material is delivered;
• and
• a roll stand assembly comprising a roll stack sub-assembly and a sheet take-off sub-assembly,
• the roll stack sub-assembly comprising first and second rolls between which a nip location is defined at which flowable material from the sheet die is delivered to define a first sheet layer,
• the sheet take-off sub-assembly configured to produce a force upon a first sheet component made up of at least the first sheet layer that advances the sheet component downstream towards a point of use,
• the roll stand assembly further comprising a coating system for applying a coating component to at least one of two oppositely facing surfaces on at least one sheet component advancing through the apparatus,
• the roll stand assembly constructed to be reconfigured thereby to change a path traveled by the at least one sheet component and facilitate selective application of the coating component to the at least one sheet component,
• wherein the roll stand assembly can be reconfigured selectively between:
• a) a bypass state wherein neither of the two oppositely facing surfaces on the one sheet component can have the coating component applied thereto by the coating system;
• and b) a first coating state wherein at least one of:
• i) the coating component can be applied to one of the two oppositely facing surfaces on the one sheet component;
• and ii) the coating component can be applied to both of the two oppositely facing surfaces on the one sheet component,
• wherein the coating system comprises an idler roll that is moved between first and second positions corresponding respectively to the bypass and first coating states for the roll stand assembly,
• wherein the coating system comprises a crank arm upon which the idler roll is mounted and the crank arm is pivotable about an axis between bypass and operative positions as an incident of which the idler roll is placed respectively in the first and second positions,
• wherein the coating system comprises a drive system for repositioning the crank arm, the drive system comprising a translatable drive component that moves in opposite
• directions in a path as an incident of which the crank arm is pivoted between bypass and operative positions,
• wherein the coating system further comprises a safety member that obstructs access to part of the sheet take-off assembly and the safety member follows movement of the drive component.