Abstract: Apparatus located at the output end of a screw extruder comprising a mandrel to rotate with said screw and a jacket coaxial with the mandrel and rotatable in an opposite direction of rotation to the mandrel at a speed which is steplessly adjustable. Sealing lips co-operating with abrasion rings are preferably provided on relatively moving surfaces of the jacket and stationary housings and temperature adjustment means can be provided in the jacket and the mandrel.

Abstract: In a process for the continuous manufacture of a conveyor belt with rubber covering layers and with a reinforcing insert of longitudinal wire ropes, the wire ropes are maintained in tension and covered with an upper and lower covering layer of rubber. The raw belt constructed in this manner is then vulcanized by means of exposure to pressure and heat in a rotating installation. The innermost rubber cover layer in the radial direction is scorched prior to its placement on the outer cover layer and the longitudinal steel wires.An apparatus for the continuous manufacture of a conveyor belt with cover layers of rubber and with a reinforcing insert of longitudinal steel ropes has an extruder-calender arrangement (2, 4 and 3, 5, respectively) each for the production of the lower and upper cover layer (11, 12). At least one doubling installation (15, 17; 22, 23) is provided for the combining of the cover layers (11, 12).

Abstract: In a screw extrusion device used for extruding plastics materials, a filter or tool-carrier is disposed at the downstream or outlet end of the extruder, an annular pressure element bearing on the carrier so as to secure and seal the carrier in its operative position. The carrier is displaceable perpendicularly to the flowpath of the plastics material so as to permit facile changing of the filter element. The annular pressure element is acted upon by hydraulic fluid, the hydraulic circuit including an annular pressure chamber. The inner and outer walls of the chamber are formed, respectively, by concentric metal bellows. One end of each bellows is mounted on the pressure element and the other end thereof on a housing.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring the length of vee belts, particularly so that vee belts of closely similar length can be identified and thereby used together in multi-belt drives, comprises a fixed drivably rotatable pulley, a further pulley on a tensioning carriage, a belt to be measured being engaged on the pulleys, a drag chain to couple the carriage to a travel drive or to a tensioning station with tensioning weights, an absolute length measuring device to supply an electronic control and arithmetic unit and recording means to mark the vee belt with a symbol denoting a length tolerance part-range.

Abstract: A two-stage extruder having a first, vertical stage and a second, separately driven, horizontal stage, the two stages being off-set from one another and lying at tangents to one another in the region of a connecting passage. The first stage has a rotatable plasticizing member with kneading blades off-set from one another and located between conveying screw components of said member and cylindrical pins projecting into the working chamber of said first stage. A bearing is provided for the member at its upper end and a cylindrical sleeve surrounds the lower end of the member and can be turned to control the effective size of the connecting passage or to eject material through a second outlet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sealing the drive end of a chamber for the preparation and hydrogenation of coal with hydrogen to form hydrocarbons in which the chamber comprises a hollow cylinder with a rotatable element therein having a conveying web thereon and in a sealing region a pressurized sealing substance such as coal particles mixed with oil is fed from a storage container through a feed passage into an annular recess at a pressure higher than that in the chamber so that the scaling substance passes through a conical annular gap which tapers towards the chamber. A further narrower gap on the drive side of the recess leads to a further annular recess from which the sealing substance can be extracted through a return pipe. Pressure comparison means control the feed pressure in the feed passage. The recesses and the annular gap can be provided by machining the rotatable element rather than the hollow cylinder and forward feed screw forms may be provided on the rotatable element in the sealing region.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting, i.e. hydrogenating, dry particles of coal with hydrogen to give hydrocarbons such as engine or heating fuels. The invention combines together several steps in the hydrogenation process, such as compressing the dry coal, heating, plasticizing and hydrogenating, in one apparatus. The apparatus comprises a housing, preferably a cylinder containing a feed and preparation portion of a chamber with a rotatable friction element therein and an immediately adjoining hydrogenation portion of the chamber with a rotating rotor therein and with static mixing nozzles projecting thereinto, through which nozzles heated hydrogen can be injected into the coal which has been brought, by the friction element into a heated, plastic state. The friction element and rotor can be driven by a single drive means, the feed and preparation portion of the chamber can be fed with coal from a hopper through a wheel lock and the hydrocarbon products can be ejected through a valve into a separator.

Abstract: In plant for hydrogenating coal to form hydrocarbons, wherein coal in powder or piece form is fed from a hopper into a preparation chamber, is compressed, conveyed and heated by a rotor comprising a rotating friction element and passed, through a feed aperture, into a hydrogenation chamber wherein hydrogen is injected into it by nozzles, monitoring and controlling means are provided whereby upon the pressure in the hydrogenation chamber rising above that in the end of the preparation chamber adjacent the hydrogenation chamber, as measured by sensors and gauges, the feed aperture is closed and the rotor is stopped. Preferably the feed aperture is closed by providing a conical portion on the rotor and a conical seat on the cylinder forming the chamber, the rotor normally being held in a position to keep the feed aperture open by an hydraulic cylinder but upon the pressure sensors sensing over pressure in the chamber, the cylinder is vented by control means to close the feed aperture.

Abstract: A filtering arrangement of thermoplastics extruding apparatus has a rotatable cylindrical screen unit through which material flows radially inwards and is discharged axially and an outlet aperture for impurities which are washed from the screening unit by reverse flow, i.e. radially outward flow, of part of the filtered material. The outlet aperture for the impurities is variable in cross-section by moving an arcuate segment about the axis of the cylinder to control the extent of reverse flow washing.

Abstract: A kneading and mixing machine for plastic materials having a housing with a rotor rotatable therein to convey material from an inlet aperture fed by a feed hopper to an outlet passage and to plasticise the material during such conveying, and a throttling member in the form of a cylindrical sleeve concentrically surrounding the rotor within the housing having an aperture therein and being rotatable to alter the extent of the alignment of the aperture with the passage and thus the size of the effective output aperture of the machine.A discharge extruder may be fed via the aperture or the sleeve can be rotated to eject the output of the machine through a second outlet.

Abstract: An endless belt, for apparatus for continuously hot pressing webs of material by pulling the belt against the periphery of a heated rotatable drum with the web interposed therebetween, comprising a layer of butyl rubber bonded to a fabric of steel wires, a textile layer adhered to the butyl rubber and a layer of silicon rubber adhered to the textile layer. In manufacture the fabric of steel wires is encased in the butyl rubber, the textile layer is adhered to the butyl rubber and the composite article is vulcanized. After vulcanization, the silicon rubber layer is adhered to the textile layer and the composite article thus formed again vulcanized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for matching a microwave heater to reduce the microwave energy reflected by the load, wherein microwave energy from a microwave energy source is supplied to a treatment chamber by a hollow waveguide of rectangular section. A directional coupler in the waveguide prevents reflected energy returning to the source and directs it to absorption means. A detector is provided at the absorption means to measure the reflected energy and produce a signal, and control means is provided to operate control motors to operate tuning pins provided in the waveguide, the control motors having different operating speeds.

Abstract: Drive means for a twin screw extruder has a pair of drive shafts mounted in a housing and each to be connected to a drive and to a respective one of the screws of the extruder. A thrust bearing to absorb the axial thrust applied to the screws comprises a thrust ring surrounding both drive shafts and supported in the housing by an axial roller bearing, a pair of coaxial butting rings inserted in and secured against rotation with respect to the thrust ring, off-set from one another in an axial direction and surrounding the two drive shafts and a respective shaft thrust ring for each drive shaft secured thereon against relative rotation. The two shaft thrust rings are off-set from one another in an axial direction with each shaft thrust ring bearing against a respective one of the butting rings.The surfaces of each thrust ring and associated butting ring facing towards one another are preferably of tapered construction to facilitate lubrication.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting, i.e. hydrogenating, dry particles of coal with hydrogen to give hydrocarbons such as engine or heating fuels. The invention combines together several steps in the hydrogenation process, such as compressing the dry coal, heating, plasticized and hydrogenating, in one apparatus. The apparatus comprises a housing, preferably a cylinder containing a feed and preparation portion of a chamber with a rotatable friction element therein and an immediately adjoining hydrogenation portion of the chamber with a rotating rotor therein and with static mixing nozzles projecting thereinto, through which nozzles heated hydrogen can be injected into the coal which has been brought, by the friction element into a heated, plastic state. The friction element and rotor can be driven by a single drive means, the feed and preparation portion of the chamber can be fed with coal from a hopper through a wheel lock and the hydrocarbon products can be ejected through a valve into a separator.

Abstract: A transmission for two driven shafts which are parallel to and at a small spacing from one another and which drive the twin screws of the extruder wherein each shaft has a respective driven pinion thereon with the two pinions axially displaced with respect to one another and for each pinion there is a respective drive each comprising three intermediate gears equiangularly disposed around the pinion and meshed therewith, a ring gear surrounding and meshed with the three intermediate gears and drive means to rotate the ring gear, the pinion and two of the three intermediate gears not having any mountings, i.e. floating, and the third intermediate gear being free to move in directions radially of the pinion thereby to obtain equal division of drive power between the three intermediate gears and avoid forces tending to move the pinion radially.

Abstract: A two stage extruder comprising a first, vertical extruder and a second, horizontal extruder with the working chambers of the two stages connected by a connecting passage and off-set from one another so that each lies at a tangent to the other in a region which is a lower outlet region of the vertical stage and a drawing-in region of the horizontal stage; the vertical stage has a plasticizing portion with a planetary arrangement, a screw shaft supported in a lower axial pressure bearing and a butting ring for the planetary spindles disposed on the screw shaft. A lower cylindrical liner for the vertical stage has an aperture therein and the effective size of the connecting passage can be adjusted by rotating the liner.

Abstract: Multi-stage apparatus for plasticizing and extruding plastic material comprising a first extruder having a first screw, a planetary roller unit and a second extruder having a second screw, the second screw receiving its drive from the first screw via the planetary roller whereby a speed increase or reduction is obtainable between the two extruder screws depending upon the particular arrangement and tooth ratio of the planetary roller unit.

Abstract: In order to provide adaptability to a variety of material properties in a worm feed extruder for processing of synthetics or rubber, individual feed worm segments (7) and cylinder segments (10) surrounding the feed worm segments are provided at desired locations, the feed worm segments and cylinder segments being constructed divisible in the axial direction to enable these feed worm segments to be exchanged for feed worm segments of differing geometry. Removal of the cylinder (2, 3) or withdrawal of the feed worm (1) from the cylinder is thus avoided in the case where the feed worm is to be adapted to various material properties.

Abstract: In a plant for hydrogenating coal to form hydrocarbons, wherein coal in powder or piece form is fed from a hopper into a preparation chamber, is compressed, conveyed and heated by a rotor comprising a rotating friction element and passed, through a feed aperture, into a hydrogenation chamber wherein hydrogen is injected into it by nozzles, monitoring and controlling means are provided whereby upon the pressure in the hydrogenation chamber rising above that in the end of the preparation chamber adjacent the hydrogenation chamber, as measured by sensors and gauges, the feed aperture is closed and the rotor is stopped. Preferably the feed aperture is closed by providing a conical portion on the rotor and a conical seat on the cylinder forming the chamber, the rotor normally being held in a position to keep the feed aperture open by an hydraulic cylinder but upon the pressure sensors sensing over pressure in the chamber, the cylinder is vented by control means to close the feed aperture.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sealing the drive end of a chamber for the preparation and hydrogenation of coal with hydrogen to form hydrocarbons in which the chamber comprises a hollow cylinder with a rotatable element therein having a conveying web thereon and in a sealing region a pressurized sealing substance such as coal particles mixed with oil is fed from a storage container through a feed passage into an annular recess at a pressure higher than that in the chamber so that the sealing substance passes through a conical annular gap which tapers towards the chamber. A further narrower gap on the drive side of the recess leads to a further annular recess from which the sealing substance can be extracted through a return pipe. Pressure comparison means control the feed pressure in the feed passage. The recesses and the annular gap can be provided by machining the rotatable element rather than the hollow cylinder and forward feed screw forms may be provided on the rotatable element in the sealing region.