Claims
- 1. Apparatus for continuously producing flat-topped polymeric foam, comprising
- a. longitudinally displaceable generally horizontal open-topped trough conveyor means (6, 7);
- b. means (S) adjacent said trough conveyor means for depositing a foamable mixture therein, thereby to permit foaming and expansion of the mixture in a foaming region (B) extending longitudinally of said trough conveyor means; and
- c. lifting means contained solely in said foaming region for lifting each of the side portions of the mixture during the expansion thereof to cause the foam emerging from the foaming region to have a flat top surface, said lifting means including at each side of the trough conveyor means a plurality of continuously driven endless wire means (8) having upwardly travelling runs (8a) contained in a vertical plane adjacent one side and parallel with the longitudinal axis of said trough conveyor means, and primary guide means (9) arranged adjacent the bottom of said trough conveyor means, said endless wire means being guided at least partially around said primary guide means prior to defining said upwardly travelling runs.
- 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said trough conveyor means includes a horizontal bottom sheet (6) having upturned lateral edge portions (7), and a vertical side wall sheet (5) adjacent and parallel with the outer surface of each of said upturned lateral edge portions, the upwardly travelling runs of said endless lifting means extending between said side wall sheets and said upturned lateral edge portions, respectively.
- 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further including means operatively associated with said endless lifting means for displacing said lifting means longitudinally of said trough conveyor means, thereby to permit continuous longitudinal adjustment of the positions of the endless lifting means during foaming and expansion of the mixture.
- 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further including means operatively associated with said endless lifting means for adjusting the angle of inclination to the horizontal of said upwardly travelling runs of said endless lifting means on at least one side of, and in a vertical plane parallel with the longitudinal axis of, said trough conveyor means.
- 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further including a plurality of drive means connected with said wire means for driving said wire means at selected speeds, respectively, whereby the speed of travel of the wire means may be varied relative to the side surfaces of the foaming expanding mixture in the foaming region.
- 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further including a bath of cleansing solvent (14), and guide means operatively associated with said wire means (10, 11, 12) for guiding the wire means, following their upward runs against the foaming expanding mixture, through said bath, thereby to remove foam from the wire means before the wire means return to the trough conveyor means.
- 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said guide means further includes secondary guide means (10) arranged in spaced relation above said primary guide means for guiding said wire means at the ends of their upward runs prior to the passage of said wire means through the bath, and means operatively associated with said secondary guide means for displacing said secondary guide means longitudinally of said trough conveyor means to vary the vertical orientation of the upwardly directed runs in a vertical plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of said trough conveyor means.
- 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said trough conveyor means includes at each side a side sheet (5) arranged between the downward runs of the wire means in the direction of the primary guide means and the upward runs of the wire means in the direction away from said primary guide means.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
28884/73 |
Jun 1973 |
UK |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a division, of application Ser. No. 478,510 filed June 12, 1974 and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,228.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
478510 |
Jun 1974 |
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