Temperature Control Patents (Class 425/143)
  • Patent number: 5242289
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for controlled cooling of thermoplastic strands between the time that they are extruded from a melt of thermoplastic material until they are cut into pellets by a pelletizer that pulls the strands into it. A first tray inclined downwardly from the extruder receives the strands which are sprayed with cooling liquid while in the tray. A second tray inclined upwardly from the bottom of the first tray toward the pelletizer receives the strands which are also sprayed while in the second tray. Cooling liquid is also introduced at the inlet end of the first tray. A gravity liquid removal screen is positioned at the low point of each tray to remove the cooling liquid from the trays. A vacuum system for removing cooling liquid from the strands may also be positioned between the higher end of the second tray and the pelletizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Assignee: The Conair Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony R. Forgash, Richard H. Fetter, Jr., Richard O. Alguire, Henry E. Richardson
  • Patent number: 5240666
    Abstract: In the plastic foil-producing apparatus where a fluent plastic mass is cooled in a roll nip between a roller member and a counter roller to a defined predetermined solidification temperature, the roller member includes a non-rotatable support member and a rotatable roller shell supported at the non-rotatable support member by one or more support elements. The roller shell includes a plurality of coaxial zones, namely, an inner soft rubber zone and a thin outer metallic zone possessing good thermal conductivity, for example, formed of copper or silver or alloys thereof, the outer surface of which is mirror smooth, for instance, chromium plated. The roller surface is cooled by cooling gas nozzles regulated by a temperature sensor, so that the temperature of the roller member in the roll nip assumes an exactly defined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1993
    Assignee: Sulzer Escher Wyss AG
    Inventors: Eugen Schnyder, Rolf Lehmann
  • Patent number: 5229140
    Abstract: A device for smoothing out the thickness of a sheet of thermoplastic material which includes a sheet die and a heating device which is integrated with the upper die lip of the sheet die. The heating device includes a hollow box filled with a liquid and a bar which projects laterally beyond the endfaces of the hollow box. The inlet and outlet openings of the bar in the hollow box are sealed. Arranged on the underside of the bar are small hot plates which are electrically heated. The liquid in the hollow box serves as a heat transfer medium and typically is an oil having a boiling point higher than 280.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Guenther Crass, Siegfried Janocha, Harald Mueller
  • Patent number: 5227173
    Abstract: An apparatus for heat staking a first component to an apertured second component to form a unitary assembly are featured. A heated staking head from which one or more heat staking anvils extend laterally and are arranged at their respective distal ends to head over a protruding portion of a shank member formed in the first component to secure the shank to the second component, and which apparatus further includes an apertured cooling tube or tubes located in the proximity of the free end of respective anvils and when the tubes are supplied with a cooling fluid, the ends of the anvils will be chilled for immediate disengagement and clean release from the headed-over portion of the respective shanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1993
    Inventor: Robert D. Sherwood
  • Patent number: 5219581
    Abstract: A blow extruder for producing hoses made of plastic material has, at the outlet of its nozzle arrangement for producing hoses, a cooling air nozzle ring which encompasses hoses exiting from the nozzle arrangement and to which air is delivered from a blower. An apparatus for cooling air delivered to the cooling air nozzle ring includes a direct evaporator provided with a refrigeration plant and arranged between the blower and the cooling air nozzle ring. The direct evaporator includes a plate fin element and an injection device for a cooling agent and hot air. The cooling apparatus further includes a regulation device for controlling the temperature of the cooling air by controlling operation of the cooling apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignees: Sulzer Escher Wyss GmbH, Paul Kiefel GmbH
    Inventors: Gunter Gottwald, Gerard Schaeffer
  • Patent number: 5219498
    Abstract: Composite material consisting of reinforcing fibers are impregnated with polymeric matrices which may contain fillers and are then cured or thermoformed in a heating system such as an autoclave, press or oven. As the curing or thermoforming process proceeds, dielectric detection is employed to closely monitor critical process events such as the release of volatiles, chemical reactions such as cross linking, melting and solidification. Curves are generated by plotting factors of the dielectric loss of the polymer matrix versus time during the process, and these curves have a distinctive shape or signature that is characteristic of the particular polymer matrix being processed. These distinctive features or signatures have been found to correlate with critical process events, and these features are stored in a computer. During a cure cycle, the computer actuates the controls of the heating system so that the appropriate process actions or modifications will occur at the optimum time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Inventors: L. Brian Keller, Arturo A. Castillo
  • Patent number: 5213725
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for cooling an extruded blown film in which the interior surface of the thin film bubble is contacted with a gas which does not contain water vapor to thereby cool the extruded film. The apparatus and method may employ an enclosed circulation system to provide for the reuse of the gas through cooling with a liquid coolant such as liquid cryogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: The BOC Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Ron C. Lee, Mark Kirschner
  • Patent number: 5209881
    Abstract: The invention provides a control system and method for curing composite articles such as corrugated fiberglass resin plastic (FRP) panels. An exemplary system of the invention includes a curing oven, at least one infrared pyrometer sensor which is located within the oven curing zone and which provides an output indicating the temperature of the resin being cured, a tractor unit for moving the panel through the oven, and a comparator circuit which adjusts the speed of the tractor unit in predetermined response to sensor output. The invention thereby provides for the detection of the peak temperature or gelation point of resin in the panel, and allows its specific location in the oven to be controlled to optimize the performance and efficiency of the panel production line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Assignee: W. R. Grace & Co.-Conn.
    Inventor: Derrick Charbonnet
  • Patent number: 5208047
    Abstract: The present invention provides an extrusion apparatus having an improved mechanism for thermally-controlled, lip gap adjustment. The apparatus includes a flow path for a gaseous cooling medium, in which flow path a plurality of temperature-responsive, lip gap adjustment members are disposed. In contact with each such adjustment member is a heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Assignee: The Cloeren Company
    Inventors: Peter F. Cloeren, Richard L. Linam
  • Patent number: 5207956
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for controlling the curing process of a composite material part in a curing vessel such as an autoclave. The method relies on the comparison of actual part parameter values to predicted part parameter values wherein the predicted values are obtained from computer simulations of the cure cycles using thermo-chemical, cure kinetics, resin flow and viscosity analytic models. The invention provides a methodology for the continuous selection and updating during the cure process of new optimal cure cycles from sets of cure cycles in response to actual material behavior during the curing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Assignee: The Board of Regents of The University of Oklahoma
    Inventors: Ronald A. Kline, M. Cengiz Altan
  • Patent number: 5206033
    Abstract: In a mold for producing injection molded parts, the supply conduits for supplying molten material to the mold cavity are heated by various heating devices. Temperature measuring devices are provided for determining the temperature at predetermined locations within the melt flow. For the purpose of controlling the various heating devices depending on the predetermined temperatures at the individual measuring points, there is removably fixed to the mold at least one regulating member which is electrically connected via an electrical connector socket with electrical conduits installed within the interior of the mold. The electrical conduits installed within the interior of the mold are lead to the various heating and temperature measuring devices. The regulating member can be connected via an external conduit with a data supply and indicator member. The regulating member as well as the data supply and indicator member are preferably equipped to store several programs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Inventor: Erich Stastny
  • Patent number: 5194197
    Abstract: In a method of checking the gelling process after pouring a reactive resin system into a production mould, the gelling behavior of a resin system is detected by means of calibration measurements and stored. Temperature patterns of the resin system are detected and, for each temperature pattern, the temperature at which the gelling point lies is determined. A scalar value and the gelling moment temperature are associated with each temperature pattern. On carrying out a checking measurement inside a production mould, the temperature patterns at various sites inside the production mould are detected using a large number of thermocouples. Scalar values are obtained from the temperature patterns and are compared with the scalar values established during the calibration measurement in order to establish gelling moment temperatures. The particular advantage of the method described is that the checking measurement of a production mould requires the use only of thermocouples and not of gelling point probes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy Corporation
    Inventors: Kurt Munk, Jurg Heizler
  • Patent number: 5176858
    Abstract: A burr amount and a shrinkage cavity amount which have been inputted with respect to a molded article by a molding machine are received. A membership function relating to the burr amount, a membership function relating to the shrinkage cavity amount, a membership function of a value relating to a molding temperature, a membership function of a value relating to a molding pressure, and rules using the burr amount and the shrinkage cavity amount as input variables and also using a value relating to the molding temperature and a value relating to the molding pressure as output variables have been preset in a fuzzy inference apparatus. By applying the burr amount and the shrinkage cavity amount which have been inputted to the rules, a fuzzy inference is executed. The value relating to the molding temperature and the value relating to the molding pressure are inferred and the results of the inferences are given to the molding machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Tsukabe, Kaneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 5169649
    Abstract: A system for controlling the outer diameter of a strand, particularly of a cable or the like including a measuring device for measuring the outer diameter of the strand of plastic material emerging from the extruder. The signal of the measuring device is fed to a comparator which compares it with a reference diameter and generates a difference signal. A control unit receives the difference signal to control the rotational speed of the extruder and/or the speed by which the strand emerges from the extruder. A computing stage is connected to the control unit which generates a comparison signal modulated by the actual diameter signal and fed to the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1992
    Assignee: Sikora Industieelektronik GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Sikora, Ulrich Gwinner
  • Patent number: 5158132
    Abstract: The present invention provides heater equipment for heating to high temperature and intended to be mounted on a rigid mechanical support (66) in particular the table of a press for manufacturing products made of plastic material or of composite materials. The equipment comprises a heat distribution plate (60) which is heated in multiple zones by a heater submodule (61) comprising a plurality of one piece flat metal-clad heater elements (62) which are spaced apart by spacer blocks (63) and which are distributed over at least three different zones. Each heater element (62) includes at least three resistances (X1, X2, X3). The heater zones are fed with electric power independently from one another by electronic power feed means for each zone, with the power being fed as a function of predetermined references for each zone in co-operation with temperature sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Inventor: Gerard Guillemot
  • Patent number: 5158724
    Abstract: A plastic material, controlled at a desired temperature, is fed on an upstream side of a gap between a pair of rotating forming rolls arrayed almost in parallel and controlled at a desired temperature from a flat die connected to an extruding machine and having a slit outflow portion. The plastic material is pressed and formed into a sheet by the forming rolls therebetween while forming a bank or an accumulation of the plastic material on an upstream side of the gap of the forming rolls and is carried out on a downstream side of the gap. The bank quantity monitoring is performed by measuring a temperature of the sheet carried out through the gap of the forming rolls and estimating the quantity of the bank in accordance with measured temperature information. The sheet formation is performed by measuring a temperature of the sheet carried out through the gap of the forming rolls and controlling various forming conditions according to a measured temperature information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Yagi, Toshihiko Kusago
  • Patent number: 5157241
    Abstract: The temperature control device comprises heat transfer shells, each of which consists of two shell sections, each of which consists of a metal casting, in which a single temperature control element is embedded. The temperature control element has been formed from a tubular blank to comprise at least one loop and is formed with locating surfaces, which are exposed to recesses formed in the inside and outside peripheral surfaces of the shell section. Owing to that design the metal castings may be made by die casting under relatively high injection pressures and with a much smaller wall thickness so that the inside peripheral contacting surfaces of the shell sections can much more snugly contact the plasticizing cylinder or the nozzle and a temperature change can be effected at a higher rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Inventor: Karl Hehl
  • Patent number: 5153007
    Abstract: A rotary injection molding press having a rotatable platform with a plurality of mold blocks is disclosed, wherein a controller box containing individual temperature control units is mounted on the rotatable platform so as to reliably maintain independent temperature control of each mold block. The controller box includes a rotary coupler for providing a rotating electrical connection from the stationary frame to the controller box, wherein the rotary coupler comprises pairs of wetted electrodes connected through separated pools of mercury. Using this configuration, a highly reliable rotating connection is provided which is substantially frictionless and has a consistently low resistance. Furthermore, by locating the individual temperature control units in a single controller box positioned on the rotatable platform itself, the problem of routing the sensitive control loop signals through a rotating electrical connection is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1992
    Assignee: Illinois Precision Corporation
    Inventor: Michael J. Watkins
  • Patent number: 5149193
    Abstract: An extruder temperature controller for an extruder barrel and a method for controlling the temperature of an extruder barrel, includes a device for determining an actual screw speed and for storing a plurality of screw speeds. Each member of the plurality of stored screw speeds has a corresponding stored temperature reset value. The extruder temperature controller has a device for comparing and selecting that compares the actual screw speed to each of the plurality of stored screw speeds and selects a default screw speed. The default screw speed has a smaller deviation from the actual screw speed than any other member of the compared, stored screw speeds. The controller further includes a device for generating a control output driver signal to a heat exchanger. The control output driver signal is the corresponding stored temperature reset value for the default screw speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1992
    Assignee: Crompton & Knowles Corporation
    Inventor: Louie M. Faillace
  • Patent number: 5143734
    Abstract: Flowable molten plastic material is fed downwardly into an adjustable converging hopper mounted on a horizontal extruder barrel. This hopper is positioned around an opening feeding down into the barrel for guiding and deflecting a descending "rope" of plastic material into engagement with screw flights of a rotating feed screw extending along the axis of the extruder barrel. The hopper comprises a box-like structure open at top and bottom and having two opposed side walls which slope inwardly downwardly toward each other for providing a downwardly converging configuration with a pair of vertical parallel end walls interconnecting the side walls. A larger of the two sloping side walls extends downwardly farther than the other and is inclined to vertical at a large angle than the shorter side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Assignee: Farrel Corporation
    Inventors: Stuart A. Sardinskas, Mathew Mormino, Jr., Michael R. Kearney
  • Patent number: 5141681
    Abstract: A calender for producing packing sheets has a heated cylinder of large diameter and an unheated pressure cylinder of smaller diameter which is movable toward and away from the heated cylinder to vary the width of a gap between the cylinders. A plastic mixture plasticized by a solvent is fed to the gap between the cylinders and is formed into a sheet on the heated cylinder, where it is vulcanized. Two temperature sensors on a common support are positioned to measure the temperature of the outer surface of such sheet and transmit the temperature measurement to a procesor which is programmed to control operations of the calender. A further sensor measures the thickness of the sheet on the heated cylinder and the thickness measurement is transmitted to the processor as a further parameter in control of operation of the calender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1992
    Assignee: Paul Troester Maschinenfabrik
    Inventor: Hans F. Ramm
  • Patent number: 5135685
    Abstract: A method and apparatus to continuously harden articles made of visible light-curable resins, including continuously moving the articles to be hardened relative to a multiplicity of sources of visible light which are independently controllable to be able to vary the radiation to which the articles is exposed during its passage while independently controlling the temperature at which this takes place; and apparatus to accomplish this such that a large number of the objects to be irradiated passing through the hardening apparatus have the same exposure history to the visible light and to heating or cooling respectively. As the result, there is substantially no variation in the physical properties of these photo-polymerized products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1992
    Assignee: Japan Institute of Advanced Dentistry
    Inventors: Eiichi Masuhara, Shigeo Komiya, Takeyuki Sawamoto, Shusuke Kimura, Koji Ozeki, Kensuke Nakajima, Kiyomi Sanbonmatsu, Noboru Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 5135686
    Abstract: A method to continuousky harden light-curable resins, by irradiating at least one shaped article made of a light-curable resin by continuously moving the article past a multiplicity of light sources while changing the flux of the irradiated light in multiple steps corresponding to the moving positions of the object and an apparatus to accomplish this method including means to continuously move the article relative to the multiple irradiation sources and means to adjust the flux density in multiple steps corresponding to the moving positions of the article. Specifically, the flux density of the light irradiated on the moving article is changed stepwide depending upon the position and the location of the article and the polymerization speed of the article and the hardening depth can be controlled in relation to its position and time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1992
    Assignee: Japan Institute of Advanced Dentistry
    Inventors: Eiichi Masuhara, Shigeo Komiya, Takeyuki Sawamoto, Shusuke Kimura, Koji Ozeki, Kensuke Nakajima, Kiyomi Sanbonmatsu, Noboru Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 5123832
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for cooling of the furnace chamber (4) in a hot isostatic press by means of devices (7, 8) for circulation of a coolant in the furnace chamber (4), the coolant having a temperature which is lower, but not considerably lower, than the temperature of the articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1992
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AB
    Inventors: Carl Bergman, Lars Ohlsson
  • Patent number: 5116211
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the thickness of a film molded by a melt extruding method provided with a plurality of cooling means for cooling the vicinity of a die lip close to a plurality of heating means and with many grooved holes in which the heating means are embedded and provided with air holes at the both ends thereof, whereby the temperature can be freely adjusted to the high and low set values in a short period of time, by which the time loss and material loss can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Assignee: Tomi Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jitsumi Shinmoto
  • Patent number: 5108672
    Abstract: The temperatures of structural members of a plastic compression molding machine are controlled so that the socket-and-spigot gap between the dies is maintained at a constant size or so that changes in the socket-and-spigot gap between the dies is maintained below an allowable limit. Working oil for the lift cylinder is passed through passages in at least the bolster, the slide, and the frame. A temperature controller can include heat exchangers and/or flow-rate control valves to control the temperature and/or flow rate of the portion of the working oil to be circulated through the respective structural member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yosuke Sasaki, Noboru Harashima, Kazuhiro Mimura
  • Patent number: 5108277
    Abstract: An apparatus is located downstream of an extruder for cooling extruded material exiting the extruder. The apparatus includes a housing having a material passage. The material passage is dimensioned so as to have a larger cross section than a cross section of the extruded material. The apparatus further includes a system for controlling the temperature of at least a portion of the housing. The apparatus further includes a plurality of fluid passages in the housing and connectable to a source of pressurized fluid for providing fluid communication between the source of pressurized fluid and the material passage in the housing. The fluid passing through the fluid passages changes to a temperature having a value functionally related to the temperature of the temperature-controlled portion of the housing. The pressurized fluid passing through the fluid passages supports and cools the extruded material as the extruded material passes through the material passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Inventor: John A. Dixon
  • Patent number: 5106546
    Abstract: A method is described in which the operative condition of the cooling sections of a slot die for making flat films of thermoplastic material, or of an annular die of a blow molding extruder for making tubular films from synthetic thermoplastics, is tested. The cooling sections are provided with lines for supplying and discharging cooling air and the lines for supplying cooling air are connected, as required, to a central cooling air feed line, which is under superatmospheric pressure, by solenoid valves controlled by an electronic computer. In one embodiment of the invention, a testing program is performed in which the cooling air feed line is disconnected by a shut-off valve from the branch lines leading to respective solenoid valves when the latter are closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Assignee: Windmoller & Holscher
    Inventors: Richard Saatkamp, Dieter Borgmann
  • Patent number: 5096634
    Abstract: Biaxially stretched thermoplastic tubes are made in an apparatus having a plastic extruder, the output of which is controllable on an open-circuit or closed-circuit basis and which has a too head for the extrusion of a highly viscous exiting tubing, a stretching mandrel and a speed-controllable draw-off device. In the region of the run-on part there is disposed a surrounding temperature control bath for controlling the temperature of the tube to the stretching temperature while a cooling bath is disposed in the region of the draw-off part. A Raman spectrometer operating with laser waves is disposed in the zone downstream of the cooling bath. The frequency of the laser waves is adapted to the plastic used and the energy of the laser waves is so adapted to the wall thickness of the tube produced that in addition to the radiated wave scattered or reflected by the plastics, at least one wave corresponding to a Raman spectral line is radiated from the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1992
    Assignee: George Aristovoulos Petzetakis
    Inventors: Adonis Tsadares, Costas Anastassakis
  • Patent number: 5062784
    Abstract: A molding condition recording apparatus having a manual data input device with a CRT. The manual data input device has various keys for inputting parameters of various groups used for controlling injection, hold, metering and cylinder temperature, and for inputting molding defect indication data. A microprocessor for a programmable machine controller causes the input parameters and the molding defect indication data to be stored in a molding condition storage region of a shared memory (S5). The microprocessor then discriminates similarity between the thus stored molding condition and the molding condition already registered in a molding condition/molding defect storage file of a memory other than the shared memory (S7). If there is similarity between these molding conditions, the microprocessor causes the CRT to display an alarm message thereon together with the parameter already registered in the file and the mold defect indication data (S12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1991
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Inaba, Hideo Naito, Masao Kamiguchi, Noriaki Neko, Shinsuke Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 5055245
    Abstract: In a method of controlling a tire vulcanization by controlling a heat supply to a vulcanizing machine including a mold unit and a bladder unit, temperatures at points on a boundary between the mold unit and a tire are measured by means of temperature sensors, a temperature at a center post assembly of the bladder unit is measured by a temperature sensor arranged at the center post assembly. The method includes calculating temperature profiles within the tire from the measured temperatures by using the finite difference method, estimating vulcanization profiles within the tire from the temperature profile, deriving the least vulcanization within the tire from the vulcanization profiles, and producing a stop signal for the heat supply to the vulcanizing machine in accordance with the least vulcanization thus derived.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1991
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Hisatomi, Toshiro Iwata, Toshihide Kosoegawa, Kikuo Oka, Seizo Ichikawa, Kuninori Mitarai
  • Patent number: 5038709
    Abstract: A granulating and coating apparatus in which a rotary drum containing powdery or granular material is rotated about the substantially horizontal axis for granulating and/or coating the powdery or granular material. The apparatus is provided with a disk valve mechanism for switching a gas supply or exhaust path to the rotary drum on the operating side of the rotary drum. The rotary drum is provided inside of itself with a baffle means for stirring powdery or granular material and a baffle displacing means for displacing the baffle means. Inside of the rotary drum is provided a temperature sensor for directly measuring a temperature of powdery or granular material. The rotary drum is composed of porous polygonal. Each side of the polygonal drum includes an outer enclosure mounted thereon and individual detachable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Assignee: Freund Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuri Yamada, Kei Takebayashi, Narimichi Takei, Nagahiko Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5032525
    Abstract: An automated, close-loop system for controlling the autoclave cure of fiber reinforced composites uses multiple expert systems hosted on different microprocessors running concurrently to control the cure process. This qualitative process controller uses sensory feedback to determine matrix material state-of-cure and then makes control decisions and executes control commands to the autoclave to attain desired material properties. The sensory information is interpreted and translated into a qualitative cure-state description by a system known as a parser hosted on a 68000 processor. The cure state description is then analyzed by the expert system known as the thinke hosted on another 68000 processor. The control decisions are determined using symbolic logic programmed as a rule-based paradigm generated from a human expert on the cure process. Once made, these control decisions are then posted to a blackboard hosted on an 80286 processor for execution by the autoclave feedback controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1991
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: C. William Lee, John B. Park, Steven R. LeClair, Frances L. Abrams, Patrick H. Garrett, Ronald A. Servais
  • Patent number: 5030400
    Abstract: By agglomeration in a high speed mixer spherical granules having a desired granule size distribution are obtained by supplying the agglomeration liquid by means of an atomizer wheel axially positioned in the high speed mixer and by controlling the quantity and evaporation of said liquid in consideration of the changes occurring with respect to water binding ability of the agglomerates during compaction. An apparatus for carrying out the method includes a mixer bowl with an impeller on a central shaft through the bottom of the bowl and an atomizer with an atomizer wheel with its shaft in alignment with the shaft of the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Assignee: A/S Niro Atomizer
    Inventors: Svend Danielsen, Per Holm, Gjelstrup H. Kristensen, Torben Schaefer
  • Patent number: 5020984
    Abstract: The present invention provides an extrusion apparatus having an improved mechanism for thermally-controlled, lip gap adjustment. The apparatus includes a flow path for a gaseous cooling medium, in which flow path a plurality of temperature-responsive, lip gap adjustment members are disposed. Structurally associated with each such adjustment member is a heating wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1991
    Assignee: The Cloeren Company
    Inventors: Peter F. Cloeren, Richard L. Linam
  • Patent number: 5018957
    Abstract: An assembly of air heaters and reciprocally movable air driven staking tools is provided for use in the assembly of pieces using thermally softenable and pressure deformable studs. The air heaters and air driven staking tools are assembled in a supporting structure through which air is circulated to cool the staking tools to limit adhesion of hot softened material to the working face of each staking tool. The air heaters and air driven staking tools are individually selectable and controllable to meet the requirement of each workpiece to be hnot staked. The method of operating the hot staking assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1991
    Assignee: J R Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Assink, Mark J. Feenstra, Gerald L. Boyer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5019302
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for the formation of granules of a larger size or mass of a desired range from a feed stock of smaller particles comprising feeding a meltable powdery material to be granulated, or a non-meltable powdery material with a meltable binder to the surface of a rotating spreader means in the form of a disk or bowl, at least a portion of which has been heated to a temperature above the melting point of the meltable component of the feed material wherein the rate of feeding, the energy input to the spreader means and the rotational speed of the spreader means are controlled so that there is sufficient time for at least a partial melting of the meltable component of the feed material substantially solely by contact with the heated surface of the spreader means, centrifugally spreading the material across the surface of the disk or bowl and dispersing the same from the edge thereof into an atmosphere cooler than the melting temperature to form the granulated product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1991
    Assignee: Washington University Technology Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Sparks, Norbert S. Mason, Michael Center
  • Patent number: 5011395
    Abstract: A smoothing apparatus which includes at least one set of two rolls at least one of which is a metal roll, and a high-frequency dielectric heater positioned prior to the rolls. A magnetic recording medium is first heated by the high-frequency dielectric heater and then pressed between the rolls to smooth the surface of the magnetic layer of the magnetic recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1991
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshio Kawamata
  • Patent number: 4998872
    Abstract: A dental centrifugal casting apparatus includes a crucible for receiving a dental casting material, a crucible holding unit for holding the crucible, a heating furnace such as a high-frequency induction heating furnace for heating and melting the dental casting material in the crucible, a crucible forward and backward rotary driving unit for driving the crucible holding unit forward and backward so as to insert the crucible into the heating furnace to heat and melt the material in the crucible and remove the crucible from the furnace, and for rotationally driving the crucible holding unit so as to inject the melted material into a mold at a predetermined position, a bucket for holding the mold in which the molten material is injected by the forward and backward motion and the rotation of the crucible performed by the crucible forward and backward rotary driving unit, and a centrifuge unit for rotating a rotary arm swingably mounting the bucket on its end portion at high speed immediately after the material is
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1991
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoki Funakubo, Yasuharu Hakamatsuka, Mamoru Aihara, Kazuhiro Watanabe, Kiyozou Koshiishi, Sadao Shigetomi
  • Patent number: 4997357
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treating power station residues in the form of bulk material, particularly the filter ash from power stations, by hydrating the lime content by adding moisture and by further wetting of the bulk material, with an opportunity for constantly feeding in material to be processed and discharging processed material, and also to an apparatus for carrying out the method. In order to provide a method and an apparatus by which large quantities of power stations residues (ash) can be quickly and safely treated at economic and comparatively low cost, it is according to the invention proposed that the bulk material supplied should pass through a succession of different spatially substantially separate treatment zones be moved mechanically at adjustable intensity throughout the entire process, be differently treated in each treatment zone, be caused to react and transported along a reaction line under control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1991
    Assignees: Hubert Eirich, Paul Eirich, Walter Eirich
    Inventors: Hubert Eirich, Paul Eirich, Walter Eirich, Herbert Durr
  • Patent number: 4978484
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for manufacturing biaxially oriented film. A tubular original film which has been extruded by an extruding die is biaxially oriented by heat and air injected to the inside portion thereof being conveyed to nip rolls each having an individual circumferential speed. The temperature of heat to be applied to the film is controlled on the basis of the detected film thickness for the purpose of obtaining a uniform film thickness distribution. Furthermore, the film can be made uniform by adjusting the outer diameter of the bubble-shaped oriented film by adjusting the distance between two sets of nip rolls on the basis of the measured width of the film. In addition, when the thus-oriented film is subjected to a heat treatment, temperature of heat is arranged to be a predetermined temperature as to prevent adhesion of the films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Idemitsu Petrochemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Takashige, Teruyuki Iwai, Hidenobu Takeichi, Yasuo Takai, Yoshinori Sasaki, Masato Masuoka, Yuichi Ohki
  • Patent number: 4971547
    Abstract: A system for distributing wax or a similar substance in semi-solid form is provided which includes a liquid wax supply system, a wax conditioning system including a heat exchanger which cools the wax to a semi-solid state and an accumulator for storing conditioned wax until needed, and a die press or similar work station which receives semi-solid wax from the accumulator in a continuous stream or flow. Such a system allows a lost wax die press to operate without need to manually open and reload the press with wax. An automated control system according to the invention allows die press reloading to occur automatically when needed, and operates the wax conditioning system as needed to maintain a supply of wax in the accumulator. Wax tunneling problems are avoided by means of a piston disposed in the heat exchanger which is movably interposed between hot liquid wax entering the heat exchanger and cooler, semi-solid wax leaving the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Assignee: Signicast Corporation
    Inventors: John A. Nett, Jr., Walter C. Schmitt, Jr., Walter Lutz, Jr., James A. Capadona
  • Patent number: 4952344
    Abstract: A fishing line, or just a leader, has a core (11) which is coated by plastic material as it is pulled through an extruder (3) and then a quench bath (4) by a variable speed drive device (9). Very fine control can be exerted by laser devices (11, 12) before and after coating, and adjusting a selection of parameters such as drive speed, extrusion rate, pressure and temperature, and cooling. A double coating may be applied or additives mixed in the extruded plastics which will give a desired floating or sinking characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: Fly Fishing Technology Limited
    Inventor: Paul D. Burgess
  • Patent number: 4933126
    Abstract: An improved temperature sensing and controlling arrangement for incorporation in thermoplastic heat forming systems includes an infrared thermometer operative to sense the temperature of a plastic sheet during its heating and to produce a direct current output in linear proportion to the intensity to the radiation emitted by the sheet, an electrical relay assembly operative to receive the direct current from the thermometer and to energize and de-energize a relay when the value of the direct current is below or at or above a predetermined value corresponding to a predetermined maximum temperature to which the sheet is to be heated, and a programmable microprocessing sequencer operatively associated with the relay assembly and the heating oven to de-energize and energize the oven when the relay is energized and de-energized, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Inventor: Jack N. Shuman
  • Patent number: 4929163
    Abstract: A pellet mill includes a conditioning section which mixes dry material, moisture in the form of water, and heat provided by a hot air system for the creation of a mash suitable for pelleting without the use of steam. The hot air section inputs heat by utilizing a blower which pressurizes air across a heat exchanger and into a plenum which interconnects an air duct with the conditioner. Moisture is input to the conditioner with a hot water system which modulates the flow of water and temperature of the water as it is sprayed onto the dry material. An automatic controller controls the process in accordance with temperature measurements made at various points in the pellet mill to select a desired operating temperature or in accordance with other control parameters previously developed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1990
    Assignee: Beta Raven, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph A. Volk, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4927574
    Abstract: An apparatus for the production of a tubular thermoplastic film, and more particularly, a water bath film cooling apparatus for the rapid quenching of an extruded tubular thermoplastic film so as to enhance the speed of cooling thereof, and increase the strength of the film material. Also disclosed is a method of rapidly cooling a thermoplastic film material through the intermediary of a water bath, utilizing the inventive cooling apparatus. A predetermined internal pressure is maintained within the tube by a gaseous medium, such as air, which is slightly higher than the external pressure imparted to the film tube by the water bath, so as to enhance the speed of cooling of the film materials and increase the strength of the film by minimizing the premature crystallinity thereof upon extrusion of the film and passage through the cooling apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corp.
    Inventor: Fox J. Herrington
  • Patent number: 4921416
    Abstract: An injection molding machine having a system for detecting nozzle leaks including a thermocouple positioned in the tunnel opening of a stationary platen of the machine at a predetermined location relative to the nozzle to sense instantaneous temperature at the location. A controller coupled to the thermocouple receives signals from the thermocouple and activates an alarm when the temperature in the tunnel opening falls outside of a predetermined normal operating temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Inventor: Thomas M. Green
  • Patent number: 4921678
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process and a device for degassing and converting into pellets polyolefins from a gas-phase reactor.A device according to the invention comprises, in combination (FIG. 1):a reactor (1) for the catalytic polymerization in the gas phase of alpha-olefins, equipped with a polyolefin outlet (9);A device (12) for primary degassing by separation of the solid and gas phases, connected to the said outlet;A device for secondary degassing (14) to substantially free the particles of the gases accompanying them and which is connected to the outlet of the primary degassing (12) and which comprises a mechanical stirrer (14a) making it possible to raise the temperature of the particles to a temperature close to the minimum sintering temperature by conversion of the mechanical energy into heat;and a device (15) for pelleting the particles by extrusion through a die, this device being connected to the outlet of the said secondary degassing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: BP Chemicals Limited
    Inventor: Charles Raufast
  • Patent number: 4911629
    Abstract: Control apparatus for an injection molding machine having a sensor provided for the injection molding machine for producing a signal representing the quality of the molded product or a molding condition of the injection molding machine, a set value memory device in which a permissible range of the signal is set, a judging member for judging as to whether the signal lies in the permissible range, a production lot data memory device containing control data for the injection molding machine with respect to a lot now being produced, and a destination table showing a destination of the data corresponding to a result of judgment of the judging member, a controller for controlling the injection molding machine in accordance with the control data stored in the production lot memory device, and another memory device for storing a plurality of sets of the production lot data regarding various lots or production conditions, and a storing device for determining a destination of the production lot data based on the result
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeru Fujita
  • Patent number: 4908169
    Abstract: Method for improved melt quality of thermoplastics processed in reciprocating-screw molding, especially optical injection molding processes. In a reciprocating-screw injection-drive unit (4) is a barrel (53) and screw (15). Screw (15) is double flighted throughout its melting or transition zone (2), to form melt channel (48) and solids channel (50) separated by melt-filtering flight element (47), and kept in fluid communication by melt-transfer apertures (47 or 55 or 56) or substantially nonvertical ramped barrier flight geometry (not shown). The largest energy input for melting is directly provided by thermal conductivity, via electrical resistance heating elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1990
    Inventors: George J. Galic, Steven M. Maus