Abstract: The present invention provides novel casting tapes incorporating water soluble liners. The liners of the present invention may be used for a number of purposes including: use as an interlayer film liner in a casting tape article to prevent undesirable resin pooling; use as an interlayer liner to lubricate a casting tape when immersed in water, use in a method of producing a decorative casting tape either by retarding layer-to-layer migration of a colored resin or by transferring a design preprinted on the liner to an adjacent casting tape; use as an interlayer liner in a casting tape article to prevent adhesion between adjacent layers of the article; and use as a release liner to facilitate removal of a roll of casting tape from its package. The liners employed in this invention are rapidly soluble in water and may be provided as a continuous or semi-continuous sheet structure.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of using novel casting tapes incorporating water soluble liners. The liners of the present invention may be used for a number of purposes including: use as an interlayer film liner in a casting tape article to prevent undesirable resin pooling; use as an interlayer liner to lubricate a casting tape when immersed in water; use in a method of producing a decorative casting tape either by retarding layer-to-layer migration of a colored resin or by transferring a design preprinted on the liner to an adjacent casting tape; use as an interlayer liner in a casting tape article to prevent adhesion between adjacent layers of the article; and use as a release liner to facilitate removal of a roll of casting tape from its package. The liners employed in this invention are rapidly soluble in water and may be provided as a continuous or semi-continuous sheet structure.

Abstract: An open tube apparatus and method for continuously producing a rotating elongate strip of material are disclosed. An extrusion die continuously extrudes flowable material to form an open tube with a central longitudinal cavity and a transport mechanism includes a plurality of drive rollers which engage and pull the tube downline. A driver rotates the extrusion die and transport mechanism. A tube cutter, which is offset at an angle with respect to the downline direction and defines the open end of the tube, cuts the tube into a continuous elongate web of the desired width as the tube moves downline. An air seal seals the tube cavity to prevent air from escaping through the open end of the cavity, and a tube pressurizer controls air pressure in the central longitudinal cavity of the tube to expand the tube laterally outwardly.