Abstract: A method of producing an extrudate is disclosed in which on-line adjustments are made to size and shape deviations by varying the temperature conditions in the extruder and by varying the relative speeds along the extrusion line. The temperature conditions can be adjusted by varying the temperature of the stock while maintaining a fixed relationship of the die temperature to the stock temperature to produce deviations in the thickness of the extrudate with respect to the width of the extrudate, and by varying the temperature of the die with respect to the temperature in the stock to produce variations in different thicknesses of the extrudate. The relative speeds along the extrusion line can be varied by changing the speed of the screw in a cold-feed extruder, by changing the feed rate for a hot-feed extruder, or by changing the speed of the take-away device which regulates the speed by which the extrudate is taken away from the extruder.

Abstract: A machine for metering and mixing two or more liquids, which are rapidly reactive to form a solid polymer, immediately prior to the injection of the liquids into a molding machine. The machine is characterized by two or more metering cylinders into which the liquid reactants are introduced from supply sources and ejected in stoichiometric ratio into a mixing head for injection into a molding machine. The machine is capable of both incremental and continuous variation of stoichiometric ratio. The first is achieved by provision of removable cylindrical liner sleeves of varying inside diameter and corresponding pistons for the mixing cylinders. The latter is achieved through the use of a movable fulcrum lever arm to control the stroke of the piston of at least one of the metering cylinders. The mixer head is characterized by a mixing chamber, a plurality of impingement jet nozzles oppositely spaced and the flow from which is characterized by Reynolds numbers exceeding about 120.