Abstract: Granulating apparatus, for plastics melt and other materials comprising an extruder head with a perforated member, a rotating cutter to cut material extruded through the perforated member, a housing surrounding the cutter and forming a granulating chamber with a generally upright axis and liquid supply means to supply cooling liquid to the top edge of the granulating chamber so that the cooling liquid flows in a film over the inner wall of the housing of the granulating chamber to prevent the cut material from sticking to said inner wall and to cool the cut material. The liquid supply means may include a perforated pipe encircling the granulating chamber or a weir at the inner edge of an annular chamber.

Abstract: A screw extrusion press having longitudinally extending bores in the wall thereof for heating or cooling the cylinder wall by passage therethrough of a temperature control medium. The passages are divided into sets of three adjacent passages with each set of three passages so connected to one another by annular passages which are divided off into respective portions for each set that medium supplied to an inlet manifold provided in a connecting flange at one end of the cylinder passes through a radial bore into a first passage of each set, flows along that passage to the other end of the cylinder, passes into a respective portion of the annular passage, passes into the second passage of each set, passes back along the cylinder into a respective portion of the annular passage and passes into the third passage of the set to pass along the cylinder, through a radial bore into an outlet manifold in a connecting flange at the other end of the cylinder and thence to an outlet connection.

Abstract: Regulating apparatus for the output of an extruder so that the output can be varied to follow variations in the output of a polymerization system supplying melt to the extruder, the apparatus including filling level measuring means in a melt container feeding an intake opening of the extruder and itself supplied with melt by the polymerization system and a flow restrictor provided in the extruder cylinder between the intake opening and a discharge opening, the extent of the restriction of flow provided by the flow restrictor being adjusted in accordance with signals received from the filling level measuring means and the extruder having an output capacity such that, with the flow restriction reduced to zero, the extruder can process the maximum output capacity of the polymerization system.

Abstract: A machine for processing plastics materials having a screw mounted in a housing and made up of a plurality of screw members in the form of collars on a drive shaft, whereby screw members to suit a particular material treatment are secured against rotation on the drive shaft and can be exchanged when required for other screw members, the machine including a thrust arrangement to press the screw members axially into close engagement with one another, the thrust arrangement comprising a divided thrust ring axially supported on the drive shaft at least at one of the end zones thereof, thrust or draw bolts, which act on the adjacent end surface of the adjacent outermost one of the screw members or on a frontal surface of a guide ring bearing against the outermost one of the screw members, and a sleeve closely surrounding the periphery of the divided thrust ring.

Abstract: A control device connected to rotational speed measuring means for an extruder screw, to a filling level monitor in a degassing opening of the extruder, to a cut-off in a filling container for the extruder, to vacuum means connected to the degassing opening and to a source of gas under pressure such that upon receipt from the speed measuring means or the filling level monitor by the control device of an indication of probable filling of the degassing opening with melt, the control device closes the cut-off, disconnects the vacuum means from the degassing opening and connects the gas pressure source thereto.

Abstract: A screw, particularly an extruder screw for rubber or plastics materials, comprising a plurality of hollow screw components juxtaposed in end-to-end relation, a coupling sleeve disposed over the or each joint between two adjacent screw components, each end of each screw component which is joined to another screw component having axially extending external splines on an external face thereof and the or each coupling sleeve having axially extending internal splines on an internal face thereof to engage with the external splines on the ends of the screw components to secure the screw components and the coupling sleeve or sleeves against relative rotation, and means, preferably a bolt coupling end members of the screw, to secure the screw components and coupling sleeve or sleeves against relative axial movement.

Abstract: Extruder and twin roller calendering plant for producing films or sheets of synthetic plastics or rubber material comprising a pair of calendering rollers mounted in a calender frame and an extruder nozzle head directed into the gap between the pair of calendering rollers, the calender frame being pivotally mounted such that it can be pivoted away from the extruder nozzle head to allow ready access to the extruder nozzle head. The calender frame may be pivotally mounted on the nozzle head and a counter balance weight and/or the drive motor for rollers can be mounted on an opposite side of the pivot to the rollers thereby to counter balance the weight of the rollers.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing tubes by helically winding strips of thermoplastics synthetic sheet material, comprising a double-shell coolable draw-off mandrel onto which, immediately after its extrusion through a slit nozzle or after being heated to a workable state, the sheet material is wound spirally in overlapping manner in such a way that it is formed into a tube with an obliquely extending winding seam, pull-off apparatus to cause and permit axial and rotational movement of the tube relative to the draw-off mandrel and cooling means to act directly on the sheet material wound into a tube on the draw-off mandrel. The double-shell draw-off mandrel can be cooled by liquid coolants circulating through a closed cooling system and between inner and outer shells of the mandrel. Conveyors extending longitudinally of the mandrel and laterally overlapping with one another can be provided to reduce friction between the tube and the mandrel.

Abstract: An extruder screw for the processing of thermoplastics, natural rubber and other elastomeric materials, comprising a screw core and a plurality of webs spiralling around the core and forming a multi-start thread in which, for at least a portion of the length of the extruder screw, the webs each have alternating lengths of lower height and lengths of greater height and, at the trailing end, having regard to the direction of rotation of the screw, of each of the web lengths of greater height, a transverse web is provided of approximately the same height as the web lengths of lower height, such transverse webs each connecting the trailing end of a respective one of the web lengths of greater height with the leading end of one of the web lengths of lower height of the next adjacent rearward, having regard to the direction of conveyance of material through the extruder, one of the webs. Preferably the lengths of web of greater height and the lengths of web of lower height are all of equal length.

Abstract: An end thrust bearing arrangement for the shaft of a screw extruder driven by a gear drive, in which misalignment of the gear drive output shaft and the shaft of the extruder screw is compensated by a co-rotation thrust member provided between the screw and a tapered roller bearing which axially supports the shaft of the extruder screw, an end of shaft of the extruder screw projecting through the thrust member and being coupled to the gear drive output shaft to be rotated thereby, and an elastically deformable sleeve surrounding the end of the shaft of the screw and coaxial therewith, one end of the elastically deformable sleeve being attached to the thrust member and the other end being attached to the gear drive output shaft. If desired the thrust member of the elastically deformable sleeve can be formed integral one with the other.

Abstract: Ejecting means, in a slot die head to extrude plastic material in a strip, whereby material left in the slot die head after extrusion has ceased can be removed, comprising a piston mounted with its crown flush with the inner wall of a distributing passage in the slot die head, so that, after the slot die head has been opened by separately upper and lower parts thereof, the piston can be moved hydraulically to project into the distributing passage to lift the residual material away from the wall of the distributing passage containing the piston to facilitate grasping of the material by an operator and stripping from the slot die head.

Abstract: A ring to be interposed between the adjoining ends of two lengths of cylinder barrel of a worm extruder, each length of which comprises an inner cylindrical member and an outer cylindrical member disposed concentrically therewith with a duct for flow of heating and/or cooling fluid provided between the cylindrical members, the ring having an inside diameter corresponding to the inside diameter of the inner cylindrical member end faces, having sealing rings therein, to abut and seal against the end faces of the cylindrical members and a covered in recess in its periphery for connection to a source of heating and/or cooling members, clamping means being provided to pull the outer cylindrical members into abutment with the ring.