Abstract: A system and method for treating or processing granular absorbent while the granular absorbent is being transported in a fluid stream that preferably is a stream of air. The system includes a pneumatic conveyor with a conduit that draws pellets exiting an extruder into the conduit drying the pellets as they are transported through the conduit. Material can be introduced that dries, coats or otherwise treats the pellets while the pellets are transported through the conduit. Coating material, e.g., powdered bentonite can coat and also dry pellets during transport. A conduit can have inner pellet treating surface that abrades pellets transported through the conduit producing smaller fines that can be packaged with pellets forming a granular absorbent product that forms clumps on top that extend generally horizontally.
Abstract: An extruder has a valve assembly configured to move pins to open and close the nozzles in a multi-nozzle extruder head independently. The pins of the valve assembly that are driven by actuators into and out of engagement with nozzles in the extruder head are positioned within sleeves that extend between the valve assembly and the extruder head. A gap is provided between the extruder head and the end of the sleeves proximate the extruder head to enable thermoplastic material leaking from the extruder that contacts the pins to remain in a melted or plastic state so the thermoplastic material does not interfere with the movement of the pins.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 23, 2018
Date of Patent:
May 11, 2021
Assignee:
Xerox Corporation
Inventors:
Christopher G. Lynn, Peter J. Nystrom, David A. Mantell
Abstract: A secure extruder device includes a material delivery channel, a nozzle part, a parameter part, a thermal-control part, a material auto-destruction module and/or a parameter auto-destruction module. The material delivery channel is assembled with an extrusion part. The nozzle part is connected to the material delivery channel for ejecting material in the material delivery channel out. The parameter part provides parameters for a printing task to a microcontroller. The thermal-control part heats the nozzle part according to the parameters for the printing task. The material auto-destruction module destroys the material delivery channel after the printing task is completed. The parameter auto-destruction module destroys the parameters for the printing task after the printing task is completed. The microcontroller controls the extrusion part based on the parameters for the printing task so that the extrusion part delivers the material disposed inside the material delivery channel to the nozzle part.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 21, 2018
Date of Patent:
May 11, 2021
Assignee:
ADVANCED BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY INC.
Inventors:
Ding-Yuan Chen, Chun-Hung Chen, Chia-Chi Ho, Sheng-Nan Kuo
Abstract: An apparatus for making spunbonded nonwoven has a spinneret for emitting the continuous filaments in a filament-travel direction, a cooling chamber downstream in the direction from the spinneret and receiving the filaments, and two air-supply manifolds flanking the chamber for feeding cooling air thereinto transverse to the direction. A flow straightener for equalizing flow of the cooling air on the filaments is provided in at least one of the air-supply manifolds and has passage walls forming a plurality of flow passages that extend transversely to a filament-travel direction. A flow cross section of the flow straightener is greater than 85% (preferably more than 90%) of a cross-sectional size of the straightener, a ratio of a length L of the flow passages to an inner diameter Di of the flow passages L/Di is 1 to 15.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 27, 2019
Date of Patent:
May 11, 2021
Assignee:
REIFENHAEUSER GMBH & CO. KG MASCHINENFABRICK
Inventors:
Detlef Frey, Tristan Tiedt, Michael Nitschke, Martin Neuenhofer, Hans-Georg Geus
Abstract: A metal mold for manufacturing a honeycomb structure having a plurality of cell density regions and an annular boundary wall includes a honeycomb-like slit part, which is opened to an extrusion surface of a single metal mold body, that is formed of a plurality of cell slits for forming the plurality of cell density regions and an annular boundary slit for forming the boundary wall. Out of the plurality of cell slits, adjacent cell slits adjacent to the boundary slit have all corner portions formed in a round shape by the adjacent cell slits and the boundary slit.
Abstract: A die structure is provided. The die structure may have a die body, a mandrel having a magnet and/or one or more magnet assemblies, a first magnetic structure, a second magnetic structure and/or one or more magnetic structures. The first magnetic structure may be configured to apply a first magnetic force to the mandrel, in a first direction. The second magnetic structure may be configured to apply a second magnetic force to the mandrel, in a second direction opposite the first direction. The one or more magnetic structures may be configured to apply one or more magnetic forces to the mandrel. Application of the first magnetic force, the second magnetic force and/or the one or more magnetic forces to the mandrel supports the mandrel to be levitated within the die body and/or causes the mandrel to rotate and/or to maintain a position within the die body.
Abstract: Various techniques involve a device for entangling a plurality of individual threads of a composite thread in a melt-spinning process for the production of crimped yarns. The device to this end has a plurality of entanglement nozzles which are collectively held on a support. In order to enable a flexible utilization of the entanglement nozzles and of thread guiding, the entanglement nozzles on the support are assigned at least one thread guide in such a manner that the threads are guidable optionally in the entanglement nozzles and/or in the thread guide.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 30, 2018
Date of Patent:
April 27, 2021
Assignee:
Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG
Inventors:
Christian Hubert, Ludger Legge, Jan Westphal, Eike Holle, Mathias Stündl
Abstract: A spinneret (1) for producing several filaments, comprising a plurality of perforations (2), each of which ends on the bottom side of the spinneret (1) into a respective outlet opening (3) for pressing a thermoplastic there through for forming the filaments, wherein the outlet openings (3) are arranged in rows (5) which extend along a cooling direction (A), from one side of the spinneret (1) to the opposite side, wherein these rows (5) are arranged increasingly close together, away from a line (C), along this cooling direction (A) and through the centre of the spinneret (1).
Abstract: An extrusion system including an edge encapsulation block is disclosed. The edge encapsulation block includes a housing that defines a central extrusion channel having an inlet for receiving a central material and an outlet for emitting an encapsulated material that includes the central material and an edge material, and an edge encapsulation channel for receiving the edge material. The encapsulation block also includes an edge blocker that includes an edge actuator at a first end of the edge blocker and an edge block at a second end of the edge blocker that is opposite the first end. Actuation of the edge actuator causes the edge block to translate from a first position to a second position spaced from the first position along an axis that extends through the central extrusion channel.
Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for manufacturing rotational spun materials. The rotational spun materials are medical appliances or other prostheses made of, constructed from, covered or coated with rotational spun materials, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 7, 2017
Date of Patent:
March 23, 2021
Assignee:
Merit Medical Systems, Inc.
Inventors:
John William Hall, Randal Boyd, Dylan Neyme, F. Mark Ferguson
Abstract: A method and apparatus for resistive heating usable in composite-based additive manufacturing is disclosed. The method includes providing a prepared stack of substrate sheets, placing the stack between electrode assemblies of a compression device, applying a current to thereby heat the stack to a final temperature to liquefy applied powder, compressing the stack to a final height, cooling the stack, and removing the cooled, compressed stack from the compression device. The apparatus comprises at least two plates, a power supply for providing current, a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 11, 2017
Date of Patent:
March 16, 2021
Assignee:
Impossible Objects, Inc.
Inventors:
Robert Swartz, John Bayldon, Buckley Crist, Eugene Gore
Abstract: A method and apparatus for extrusion of an article is provided. A die assembly can apply flows of thermoplastic material to an array of reinforcing cables to form a composite extrusion. A slider fabric can be bonded to one side of the composite extrusion. After exiting the die assembly, the slider fabric can act to support the extrudate as it passes along an elongate mandrel, which can cause the base of the slider fabric to change shape from a flat profile to the final internal profile of the article. The extruded article can then be cooled to solidify the material. The die can include cooling for the slider fabric and means for promoting penetration of the thermoplastic into reinforcing cables.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 27, 2018
Date of Patent:
March 9, 2021
Assignee:
EHC CANADA, INC.
Inventors:
Andrew Oliver Kenny, Douglas James Weatherall, Viqar Haider, Ronald Harold Ball, Alexander Stuart Caunce, Reginald Anthony Butwell
Abstract: A corrugator for an extrusion system for shaping a tubular plastic product, having a multiplicity of mould blocks, a guide track, along which the mould blocks are guided in each case in pairs during the operation of the corrugator from a starting region of the guide track towards an outlet region of the guide track, a first return track, along which the mould blocks are guided during the operation of the corrugator from the outlet region towards the starting region, and a second return track, with the aid of which individual mould blocks can be removed from the first return track and/or can be inserted into the latter during the operation of the corrugator.
Abstract: A nozzle is disclosed for use with an additive manufacturing system. The nozzle may include a first channel fluidly connectable to a matrix reservoir and configured to discharge a liquid matrix received from the matrix reservoir. The nozzle may also include a second channel operatively connected to the first channel configured to discharge a reinforcement into a bed of the liquid matrix discharged by the first channel.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 29, 2017
Date of Patent:
February 16, 2021
Assignee:
Continuous Composites Inc.
Inventors:
Blake L. Alfson, Ryan C Stockett, Kenneth Lyle Tyler
Abstract: A print head is disclosed for use with an additive manufacturing system. The print head may include a nozzle having a base end, a tip end, and a cylindrical passage extending from the base end to the tip end. The print head may also include a compactor located at least partially inside of the nozzle at the tip end.
Abstract: A method of operating an additive manufacturing system feeds solid extrusion material into a heater using a slip clutch coupled to an actuator of a mechanical driver to supply thermoplastic material into a manifold in an extruder head. The method sets a speed of the actuator so the actuator operates at a rotational speed that is slightly greater than the rotational speed of the mechanical mover. This method helps maintain the pressure of the thermoplastic material in the manifold of the extruder head in a predetermined range no matter how many nozzles are opened in the extruder head.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 9, 2020
Date of Patent:
February 2, 2021
Assignee:
Xerox Corporation
Inventors:
Barry P. Mandel, Peter J. Nystrom, Christopher G. Lynn, Robert A. Clark, David A. Mantell
Abstract: An extruder head has an arrangement of multiple nozzles in the faceplate that avoids aligning the multiple nozzles at angular orientations from the 0°-180° axis and 90°-270° axis intersection at the center of the faceplate. The extruder head includes a housing having a faceplate with a plurality of nozzles that are equally spaced from one another when the nozzles are projected onto a first axis in a plane of the faceplate and the nozzles are equally spaced from one another when projected onto a second axis in the plane of the faceplate that is orthogonal to the first axis. Movement of the extruder head along any angular path from the intersection of the first axis and the second axis in the plane of the faceplate enables at least one nozzle in the plurality of nozzles to not be aligned with any other nozzle.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 13, 2018
Date of Patent:
January 19, 2021
Assignee:
Xerox Corporation
Inventors:
David A. Mantell, Stuart A. Schweid, Christopher G. Lynn, Peter J. Nystrom
Abstract: In a method and a corresponding device for producing an extrudate, starting products are introduced into an extrusion container, heated, and homogeneously intermixed by dual asymmetric centrifugation of the extrusion container. The extrusion container is rotated about a primary rotation axis that extends outside the extrusion container, and is simultaneously rotated about a secondary rotation axis that extends through the extrusion container and is situated at an acute angle with respect to the primary rotation axis. Lastly, the intermixed starting products are jointly extruded from the extrusion container. The method and the corresponding device are particularly suitable for processing small and very small substance quantities.
Abstract: According to one embodiment, a cleaning device cleans a nozzle provided on a nozzle head of an electrospinning apparatus. The device includes a storage part and a cleaning part. The storage part is box-shaped, and one surface of the storage part is open. The cleaning part is provided inside the storage part, is flexible, and is capable of holding a solution.
Abstract: A film having first segments and second segments arranged across the film's width direction is disclosed. The first and second segments are separated from each other by polymer interfaces. The first segments include a first polymeric composition and the second segments include a second polymeric composition. At least some of the second segments are layered second segments having first and second layers in the film's thickness direction, and one of the first or second layers includes a third polymeric composition different from the second polymeric composition. An extrusion die useful for making the film and a method for making the film using the extrusion die are also disclosed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 26, 2018
Date of Patent:
November 10, 2020
Assignee:
3M Innovative Properties Company
Inventors:
Thomas P. Hanschen, Ronald W. Ausen, William J. Kopecky