Abstract: An apparatus for heating and blending thermoplastic material prior to delivering the material into the barrel of an extruder. The apparatus, has an elongated housing which contains two intermeshing feed screws that are driven to rotate in the same direction. Controlled heating is provided by electric band heaters which encircle the exterior of the housing, and electric cartridge heating elements fitted into aluminum cores that are received by an axial bore in each of the feed screws.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating and blending thermoplastic material prior to delivering the material into the barrel of an extruder has an elongated housing which contains two intermeshing feed screws that are driven to rotate in the same direction. Controlled heating is provided by electric band heaters which encircle the exterior of the housing, and electric cartridge heating elements fitted into aluminum cores that are received by an axial bore in each of the feed screws.

Abstract: Apparatus for coextrusion of two plastics materials provided by respective first and second extruders. The first extruder is oriented in a substantially horizontal direction, and the second extruder is positioned above the first extruder and is pivotally movable about a horizontal axis. A electrically powered jackscrew is provided for pivoting the second extruder about the pivot axis for orientation of the outlet of the second extruder with an inlet for an extrusion die. The second extruder is mounted on a carriage that is slidably carried by a support frame so that the second extruder can be moved along its own axis and toward and away from the axis of the first extruder.