Abstract: Method and apparatus for longitudinal orientation of thermoplastic film material (4) comprises a width-reduction zone upstream of the longitudinal stretching zone, through which the width of the film is gradually reduced so as to allow longitudinal stretching without necking. The width-reduction zone comprises at least one, preferably several, pairs of pleating rollers (16, 17) comprising intermeshing grooves or discs for pleating the material, the length of said width reduction zone preferably being less than 3 times the original width of the film. The width-reducing zone has upstream (14) and downstream (15) rollers or roller assemblies, with curved axes and optionally also conveyor belts for providing smooth width reduction. Longitudinal stretching is preferably between at least two, and preferably more than two, pairs of stretching rollers (9, 10, 11, 12) which are relatively close together.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a flexible laminate of films of thermoplastic polymer material mainly for applications in which relatively high yield strength and ultimate tensile strength is required, and a method and apparatus for its manufacture. The laminate comprises a monofilm formed or multifilm-formed ply (A) and another monofilm-formed or multifilm formed ply (B) both mainly consisting of orientable thermoplastic polymer material, in which A has a fluted configuration and B on a first side is adhesively bonded in bonding zones to the crests on a first side of A, in which B also has a fluted configuration, the flute direction of B forming an angle from generally about 30° up to and including 90° to the flute direction of A and the said bonding zones being on the crests of the first side of B to produce spot bonding with the crests on the first side of A, the wavelengths of the flutes in A and/or B are no longer than 5 mm, and the wavelengths of the flutes in both A and B are less than 10 mm.

Abstract: Two or more different materials such as food material are co-extruded through adjacent orifices of an extruder. The flows of the two materials are cut in a direction transverse to the flow to form segments of flow. These segments are interspersed so as to join upstream and downstream of each segment of first material to a segment of a second material. Generally two rows of joined segmented flows are extruded side by side. Preferably between the two rows is formed a boundary cell wall which usually is transformed to a harder material after extrusion. Cell walls of the harder material may surround, in two or three dimensions, cells of softer or foamed material. The apparatus and method to provide the food product having the cell-like structure is particularly useful for producing confectionery products formed of chocolate, marzipan or dough materials.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an oriented film of thermoplastic polymer material comprises extrusion of a film in tubular form from an extrusion die, orienting the film in a main direction of orientation during the haul-off from the die while in molten or semi-molten state, the direction being at an angle between 0 and 45-to the axis of the tube, followed by cutting of the tube at an angle to its main degree of orientation to form a web having an orientation of no less than 20 to its longitudinal direction, which method involves segmental stretching of the film to form an array of linear bosses (1), being of thicker material, integrally connected by thinner webs (2), said bosses and webs extending in a direction which is generally parallel with the direction of orientation, forming an acute angle to the longitudinal direction of the web, the method involving, after segmental stretching and cutting, shearing of the bosses along one another under re-orientation in the connecting webs, to increase the angle at which

Abstract: A film material formed of thermoplastic polymer material is processed so as to have linearly extending regions (A) linked together by linearly extending webs (B), regions (A) and webs (B) each being oriented, the dominant direction of orientation in regions (A) forming an angle (V) to the direction on which (A) extends and webs (B) comprising arrays of linear furrows of thinner material or splits forming angles (U) higher than (V) to the direction in which (A) extends. The method of producing the new film involves passing an orientated film through a pair of intermeshing grooved rollers to cold-stretch the film in a direction at an angle to the predominant original orientation, at least one of the grooved rollers having crests with sharp edges to form the division between regions A and webs B and to stretch the material to form webs B while stretching the material less or not at all to form regions A. Preferably at least one of the grooved rollers has crests with a waved surface shape.

Abstract: The improved method and apparatus for longitudinal orientation of a tubular thermoplastic film as it leaves an annular extrusion die aims at a better control of this orientation. On its travel between the exit orifice (21) and the draw-down means, the at least partly molten film passes an annular frictional device (101), and the frictional force set-up hereby is variable in controlled manner. This device is cooled from its interior (105) in controlled manner by means of a fluid cooling medium. The friction may be controlled by airlubrication with air pressed through holes (123) in the frictional device or through microporous metal, (102) or alternatively by sucking the film against the frictional device.

Abstract: A laminate of thermoplastic polymeric films comprises a fluted ply A and non-fluted ply B, adhered to one another in bonded zones along some of the flute crests the fluted ply A. The wavelength of the flutes is preferably no more than 3 mm. Ply A has a generally uniform thickness or can have attenuated zones of lesser thickness extending parallel to the flute direction, each bonded zone being located mainly within an attenuated zone. The flutes can be sinuous with crests on both sides of ply A and can be adhered on each side to a ply B. The flutes can be filled with filler material, including reinforcement strands, and one or both sides can be perforated. The method and apparatus employ aligned grooved fluting rollers and a grooved laminating roller.

Abstract: A crosslaminate is formed from two oriented plies of thermoplastic polymer material, arranged so that their orientation directions cross one another, the plies being heat sealed together. Each ply is semi-fibrillated, that is consist of linear thin regions of biaxially oriented material and thicker linear bosses between the thinner regions. The webs are sealed primarily through bonds formed at the intersection of the bosses (thicker regions). The array of bosses has a division less than 2 mm. The laminate has improved aesthetic and strength properties. A method for forming the crosslaminate involves segmental stretching of the material to form the thinner regions, and apparatus comprising intermeshing grooved stretching rollers having sharp-edged crests is described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for extrusion of flat or tubular films from thermoplastic material is described. Improvements concern equalisation of the lateral distribution of the flow velocity achieved in combination with elimination in part or in full of die-lines formed at interfaces where part flows join each other. The improvement involves the provision of edges of the ends of die-walls which separate the part-flows from one another being slanted to form a lateral displacement over the length of said edge, or are provided with screw shaped vanes.

Abstract: A small container comprising as major components a generally rectangular frontside sheet A and a generally rectangular backside sheet B, both consisting of thermoplastic polymer material and each having an inner face and an outer face, wherein A and B are joined to each other at three edges (1,2,3) either directly or through connecting pieces of sheet material, while at least a part of a fourth edge (4A) and a corresponding part of an edge (4B) are not joined so as to serve as a mouthpiece characterised in that A and B are each a laminate consisting of at least two film layers wherein the film layer (5) which forms the inner face of the laminate has a corrugated waved shape with the waves extending generally parallel to an edge of the sheet, the other film layer(s) (6) are flat; and the direction (7) in which the waves in the film layer which forms the inner face of the sheet A extend is generally perpendicular to the direction (8) in which the waves in the film layer which forms the inner face of sheet B ext

Abstract: A method and apparatus for carrying out the method are for forming a sheet or film of thermoplastic polymer alloy by extruding an intimate blend of incompatible polymer materials, such as polypropylene dispersed in LLDPF, through an extrusion die and stretching after extrusion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a flexible laminate of films of thermoplastic polymer material mainly for applications in which relatively high yield strength and ultimate tensile strength is required, and a method and apparatus for its manufacture. The laminate comprises a monofilm formed or multifilm-formed ply (A) and another monofilm-formed or multifilm formed ply (B) both mainly consisting of orientable thermoplastic polymer material, in which A has a fluted configuration and B on a first side is adhesively bonded in bonding zones to the crests on a first side of A, in which B also has a fluted configuration, the flute direction of B forming an angle from generally about 30° up to and including 90° to the flute direction of A and the said bonding zones being on the crests of the first side of B to produce spot bonding with the crests on the first side of A, the wavelengths of the flutes in A and/or B are no longer than 5 mm, and the wavelengths of the flutes in both A and B are less than 10 mm.

Abstract: A laminate of thermoplastic polymeric films comprises a fluted ply A and non-fluted ply B, adhered to one another in bonded zones along some of the flute crests the fluted ply A. The wavelength of the flutes is preferably no more than 3 mm. Ply A has a generally uniform thickness or can have attenuated zones of lessor thickness extending parallel to the flute direction, each bonded zone being located mainly within an attenuated zone. The flutes can be sinuous with crests on both sides of ply A and can be adhered on each side to a ply B. The flutes can be filled with filler material, including reinforcement strands, and one or both sides can be perforated. The method and apparatus employ aligned grooved fluting rollers and a grooved laminating roller.

Abstract: A blend of two partly incompatible polymers is extruded to form a film under conditions such that the alloy in the blend comprises fibrils extending mainly in one direction, the width and thickness of each fibril having a mean lower than 5 ?m, the fibrils being formed of the polymer component having a higher melting point, and the fibrils being surrounded by a matrix of the second polymer, which has a lower coefficient of elasticity. The special morphology is achieved by providing grids in a grid chamber upstream of the exit orifice of the extrusion die, and by sequential hot stretching at a temperature at which the higher melting polymer is at least partly crystalline, and cold stretching, at which both polymers are substantially solid. The second, cold stretching step, is carried out under conditions to give an elongation at break at 20° C. of at least 25%. The films are of particular value for forming crosslaminates having high shock resistance.

Abstract: A laminate of thermoplastic polymeric films comprises a fluted ply A and non-fluted ply B, adhered to one another in bonded zones along some of the flute crests the fluted ply A. The wavelength of the flutes is preferably no more than 3 mm. Ply A has a generally uniform thickness or can have attenuated zones of lessor thickness extending parallel to the flute direction, each bonded zone being located mainly within an attenuated zone. The flutes can be sinuous with crests on both sides of ply A and can be adhered on each side to a ply B. The flutes can be filled with filler material, including reinforcement strands, and one or both sides can be perforated. The method and apparatus employ aligned grooved fluting rollers and a grooved laminating roller.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for coextruding two materials A and B, in which B is extruded on A through a port (3), in which the separating wall between the flows of A and B is formed as a flap closure (4) adapted to act as a non-return valve for the flow of B into A, and further means are provided for extruding B through the port in pulses. The pulses may be effected by opening and closing the closure, by mechanical transmission means or by the effect of imposing pressure difference on the flap (4) by the flows of A and/or B. The pulsing means preferably involves rams (1). The invention is particularly suitable for extruding a low viscosity material B onto a higher viscosity material A, or for making sheets or pipes with alternating segments of differential flexibility, or for coextruding a flow of solid particles with a flow of liquid.

Abstract: Two or more different materials such as food material are co-extruded through adjacent orifices of an extruder. The flows of the two materials are cut in a direction transverse to the flow to form segments of flow. These segments are interspersed so as to join upstream and downstream of each segment of first material to a segment of a second material. Generally two rows of joined segmented flows are extruded side by side. Preferably between the two rows is formed a boundary cell wall which usually is transformed to a harder material after extrusion. Cell walls of the harder material may surround, in two or three dimensions, cells of softer or foamed material. The apparatus and method to provide the food product having the cell-like structure is particularly useful for producing confectionery products formed of chocolate, marzipan or dough materials.

Abstract: New cross-laminates are formed of films of which at least two are uniaxially or unbalanced biaxially oriented, in which the main direction of orientation in one of these films crosses the main direction of orientation in the other one, having modifications, made in a suitable pattern, of the surface properties of the two films on the surfaces which are inside the laminate and are bonded to each other. The internally arranged surface layers of the films comprise an array of strands (101, 102) of coextruded material and the films are arranged so that the arrays of the two films cross one another. The strands may be used to control adhesion between the films and reduce the tendency to delaminate on repeated flexing, making a laminate suitable for use as a tarpaulin.

Abstract: Two or more different materials such as food material are co-extruded through adjacent orifices of an extruder. The flows of the two materials are cut in a direction transverse to the flow to form segments of flow. These segments are interspersed so as to join upstream and downstream of each segment of first material to a segment of a second material. Generally two rows of joined segmented flows are extruded side by side. Preferably between the tow rows is formed a boundary cell wall which usually is transformed to a harder material after extrusion. Cell walls of the harder material may surround, in two or three dimensions, cells of softer of foamed material. The apparatus and method to provide the food product having the cell like structure is particularly useful for producing confectionery products formed of chocolate, marzipan or dough materials.

Abstract: The improved method and apparatus for longitudinal orientation of a tubular thermoplastic film as it leaves an annular extrusion die aims at a better control of this orientation. On its travel between the exit orifice (21) and the draw-down means, the at least partly molten film passes an annular frictional device (101), and the frictional force set-up hereby is variable in controlled manner. This device is cooled from its interior (105) in controlled manner by means of a fluid cooling medium. The friction may e be controlled by airlubrication with air pressed through holes (123) in the frictional device or through microporous metal, (102) or alternatively by sucidng the film against the frictional device.