Abstract: A processing line forms a desired end product for a plastic extrusion machine by supplying raw plastic material to a shredder. The shredder forms partially-fused, irregularly-shaped chunks of the raw plastic. The use of the shredder eliminates the requirement of extraneous matter separation prior to feeding of the shredder. The output of the shredder is conveyed to a ram feeder after passing material separators, such as a magnet and/or a metal detector or the like. The ram feeder forces the chunks to an extruder which ultimately supplies liquified plastic to a pelletizer to form pellets. The pellets are transferred to a storage vat for reuse.

Abstract: Device for the fabrication of concrete blocks having thin through holes for the drainage of water (perforated blocks), the fabrication taking place in at least one mold filled with concrete, which mold is supported on a mold table, and at least one male die for the compaction of the concrete. In order to create the thin holes, core pins are arranged in the region of the male dies or of the mold table or of the mold, which core pins are introduced inside the mold before the compaction of the concrete. Afterward, the concrete is compacted, the core pins are removed from the region of the mold, the compacted concrete blocks are completely demolded, and the concrete blocks are cured.

Abstract: A concrete form molding is formed of a molding body of closed cell extruded polystyrene material. The molding body includes at least one molding face comprising an extruded molding face formed in the polystyrene material extrusion process. The concrete form molding may also include one or more cut molding faces that are formed after the material is extruded. Each cut molding face is also made up of substantially all closed polystyrene cells. The apparatus of the invention includes an arrangement for precisely supporting a sheet of closed cell extruded polystyrene material vertically and horizontally with respect to a series of laterally spaced apart forming elements. The apparatus also includes structure for advancing the sheet through the forming elements so that the forming elements make contact with the polystyrene material and melt the material. The molten polystyrene material closes substantially all of the cells intersected by the forming elements to form the cut molding faces.

Abstract: A quantitative flour feeding unit of a noodle making machine which can easily be exchanged with another one for making a different kind of noodle using a different kind of flour including a support platform on which a hopper and a rotational driving mechanism are mounted to quantitatively feeding the flour stored in the hopper to a flour kneading unit. The support platform is removably mounted on a housing of the noodle making machine by a position determining unit to enable the exchange with the position determining unit including a V-shaped groove formed at one corner of the support platform and a stationary knob disposed on the support platform at another diametrically located platform corner. The noodle making machine has a unit for transmitting the power generated by a motor to the rotational driving mechanism and a unit for setting and indicating what kind of flour is being used at present.

Abstract: In order to guarantee substantially trouble-free operation when manufacturing sandwich elements on a double conveyor belt installation having a downstream cross cutter and cleaning device, the cleaning device disposed on a transport carriage i) is returned to the carriage of the cross cutter to pick up the next sandwich element, is braked and is then re-accelerated to a speed higher than the production speed, ii) is, after reaching a desired distance.

Abstract: An apparatus for thermoforming plastic sheet material which has a frame and complementary mold halves mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from one another. The apparatus has an indexing means which moves along a vertical path to pull the plastic material through the mold and a clamping means disposed between the mold halves which operates with the mold to clamp the plastic sheet around the edges of the forming tool of one mold half. The indexing means and clamping means operate to reduce sag of the plastic material and improve uniformity of the finished article. Operation of the apparatus is enhanced by the use of air pressure, vacuum and cooling during molding and release.

Abstract: Glass fiber mats are made for subsequent use in preforming for an RTM or SRIM molding process, for example, such that the binder applied to the mat has two distinct curing stages. In the first stage, a partial cure is provided by visible light upon a free radical generation in response to a photoinitiator mixed in the binder in an exact ratio to give a predictable increase in viscosity to that of a semi-solid so that the fibers are sufficiently bound for subsequent handling, but not sufficient to complete a cure, while leaving a second stage ready for a final cure which is achieved by the use of a cationic-type second photoinitiator which is sensitive to ultraviolet light. During the second curing stage, the mat is formed into a three-dimensional shape of a desired end product and cured with ultraviolet radiation while still in the mold, to obtain a rigid three-dimensional preform structure.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing filling material includes guide structure wherein a tow of filling and binding fiber is continuously guided through a heating zone in which the binding fiber becomes fused to the filling fiber at least at the surface of the tow, the tow is then continuously guided through a cooling zone in which at least a surface-consolidated tow is formed, and the consolidated tow is then continuously guided into a heated cutting means and cut and fused into tufts.

Abstract: An apparatus for the production of sushi and sushi products comprises a housing member and a first pair of contiguous cylindrical rotatable drums and a second pair of contiguous cylindrical rotatable drums mounted to the housing member and operably engageable with one another. A sheet forming drum is operably engaged to the first and the second pair of contiguous cylindrical rotatable drums and a plurality of rollers is positioned transversely to the sheet forming drum and in operable contact with the sheet forming drum. A plurality of flanges are secured to the housing member and project adjacent to the sheet forming drum allowing for removal and transfer of nori and rice from the sheet forming drum. A first and a second hopper are secured to the housing member for holding and feeding food particles and articles to the drums. The rotation of the drums may be powered and controlled by a motor, or alternatively by a hand-operated crank arm.

Abstract: An apparatus in which toner fines are recovered from a recirculating liquid transporting toner pellets cut from extruded toner. The recirculating liquid cleans the pellet cutter and forms a mixture of liquid and toner fines. The recovery unit is positioned between the pellet cutter and a station discharging the pellets. In this way, clean liquid flows into the pellet cutter during each cycle. The recovery unit has a housing defining a chamber having two sections. A sloping screen is located in the chamber covering one of the chamber sections. The mixture of toner fines and liquid is dispensed onto the screen. The liquid passes through the screen and is recirculated. Toner fines collect on the screen. A backwash system washes the toner fines from the screen into the other section of the chamber. The mixture of toner fines and liquid is pumped from the other chamber section into a separator. The toner fines are separated from the liquid and re-used in the extruder.

Abstract: Used foils made of polyethylene are shredded and, in a solvent bath containing an organic solvent, subjected under intensive motion, for example through mechanical stirring, to a frictional surface cleaning, and simultaneously to an extraction without dissolving the plastic material. By the extraction, ingredients added to the foils and PE waxes are separated from the shreds, and the printing inks are removed especially through the frictional surface cleaning.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing concrete panels by continuously pressing and an apparatus for carrying out the method. The concrete panels are successively manufactured by continuously feeding pallets onto a conveyor, feeding a concrete material onto the pallets, continuously pressure frames against the concrete material from the upper side and both lateral sides of the concrete material while imparting vibrations to the pressure frames, forming hollows in the concrete material by thrusting a rotary screw-type core rod therethrough to provide a panel shape hollow molding, and cutting the molded concrete material into a length corresponding to the length of each pallet. In the manufacture process, an organic or inorganic fiber material may be incorporated into the concrete material for the purpose of reinforcement of the finished products.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming a continuous ribbon of connected dish-shaped sequins including a punch-and-die system for receiving a continuous ribbon of moldable material, a power source coupled to the continuous ribbon of moldable material to move the ribbon through the punch-and-die system incrementally to discrete spaced positions; and forming a score line at a first discrete position of the ribbon, punching a hole at a second discrete position of the ribbon, shaping the sequin at third and fourth discrete positions of the ribbon, forming the dish-shaped face at a fifth discrete position of the ribbon and accomplishing the formation of the score line, the hole, the outer shape of the sequin and the dish-shaped face on each sequin simultaneously by the punch-and-die system.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting and dispensing segments of thermoplastic material into receptacles such as crowns includes a conveyor for conveying the crowns through a passageway at predetermined speeds, an extruder for extruding thermoplastic material through a discharge opening, a rotary knife having blades for cutting the extruded material into segments and depositing the segments into the receptacles as they are conveyed through the passage, and an adjustable belt drive system for rotating the blade in response to the conveying of the receptacles. The belt drive system includes a drive and driven pulley, two pairs of fixed idler pulleys, and a third pair of idler pulleys which are coupled to a laterally shiftable carrier.

Abstract: A system for handling of cheese in the green state particularly directed for handling natural cheese types such as cheddar and colby in a manner so that they can be conveniently sub-divided and individually packaged, on the same day of manufacturing, into a variety of finished consumer and cheese market sized portions. The system includes the handling of green cheese immediately as it is formed through the processes of batch or continuous cheese making equipment and cheese towers to provide, preferably, 40 to 45 or other selected pound blocks of green cheese. The cheese blocks are immediately handled after forming to eliminate the normally utilized bulk block aging or curing systems. The green cheese blocks are selectively handled and may be placed into temporary bulk block pouches and packaged for future handling or are directed to trimming and cutting devices which will trim and cut the blocks into the consumer, market size units.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing extruded and cut products (70) containing a first material (20), resistant to being severed or sensitive to being severed, and an easily severed second material (16). Includes an extruder apparatus (10) with a first conduit (14) disposed to accept the first material, and a second conduit (18) disposed to accept the second material. And diverter cylinders (22) and (24), opening into the conduits to cyclicly extract or inject the materials from the conduits, producing intermittent flows within the conduits (14) and (18) out of phase of each other, next the materials alternately fill a transverse section of a confluence (42) to form a transversely layered extrusion (35). A conventional cutter is timed to transversely sever the transversely layered extrusion when a transverse layer of easily severed material (16) is exiting.

Abstract: An extrusion die is used for producing ceramic honeycomb materials. It is particularly useful in producing such extrudates in sheet form by configuring the die in the form of a cylinder and providing a cutting device proximate to the exterior of the cylinder so that when relative rotation is imparted between the cutter and the cylinder, a honeycomb sheet is removed. A cover can be provided over the exterior surface of the cylindrically-shaped die to permit formation of honeycomb extrudates in pellet form.

Abstract: A dough-processing system for dividing a dough sheet into multiple separate portions and transporting each portion in a predetermined direction. A rotary cutter, having a multiplicity of cutting dies affixed thereon, divides the dough sheet. The cutting dies have an exterior peripheral cutting edge for cutting the linear dough sheet into two or more linear portions for further processing on standard conveyor systems and an interior peripheral cutting edge for cutting an interior portion from the snack-piece dough. The rotary cutter includes an internal helical auger rigidly affixed to an external cylindrical mandrill having first and second ends and having a multiplicity of cutting dies affixed thereon. The rotary cutter has an ever-increasing diameter funnel path for transporting the interior cut portion of the snack-piece dough into the interior of the rotary cutter and thereupon the helical auger transports it out to the side of the rotary cutter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for extruding a Bingham plastic-type material through a die having an auger rotationally mounted therein.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming pellets in which a medium to be pelletized is delivered to a distribution box, the distribution box intermittently expelling discrete portions of the medium outwardly to form droplets. A conveyor moves the droplets away from the distribution box, the droplets solidifying into pellets as they travel along the conveyor.

Abstract: A method that comprises continuously depositing fillings on a sheet of bread dough and winding up the sheet with the deposited fillings from one of its sides into a bar of bread dough, with the fillings centered. This simple method serves to reduce production labor.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing various shapes of bread that includes a device for forming a continuous sheet of bread dough, a roller for winding up the sheet of bread dough traveling on a horizontal conveyor from one of its sides into a bar of bread dough, the conveyor causing the bar to fall from its downstream end, and a cutter for cutting the falling dough body into dough pieces by squeezing it with flat surfaces of the cutter, according to its preset weight or length.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming shaped material from a raw material employs a substantially cylindrical housing 3 with a screw shaft 2 arranged in it. A frontal end surface of the housing, located at the downstream end is closed by a counter-pressure member 9 which, together with the housing 3, limits a discharge opening. The counter-pressure member is held against conveyed material by a force of predetermined magnitude acting opposite the conveying direction. Surprisingly, this results in a high compactness and a good stability of shape of the shaped material, and also facilitates a starting of such an apparatus. Removable teeth define an orifice.

Abstract: For the purpose of mass-producing sheet pallets made of a synthetic resin with a high productivity and without difficulty, an apparatus for manufacturing sheets is provided, which apparatus includes a process (1001) to feed sheet materials in a predetermined shape and having corner portions, a process (1002) to form sheets of a desired shape by cutting at least the corner portions of said sheet materials and a process (280) to stack said sheets

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel eyeplate apparatus which permits logs to be extruded in a dual extrusion process whereby the aesthetic quality of the inner and outer log faces of the extruded logs is comparable. In a preferred embodiment, the eyeplate is used in combination with upper and lower eyeplate baffles in the nosecone of a plodder.

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.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) and method for the production of sterile, pelleted feed products is provided which includes an extruder device (12) equipped with a pelleting head (14) adjacent the outlet end of the extruder barrel (17). The pelleting head (14) includes an annular die section (52) having die openings (58) therethrough which is secured to the extruder barrel (17), forming an extension thereof; a rotatable, multiple-vane plate (66) is secured to the screw (42) of the device (12) and cooperates with the die section (52) to form final pellets. A rotatable knife (16) serves to cut emerging extrudate so as to size the pellets. In an alternative embodiment, the plate (66) is separately powered for rotation independent of the extruder screw (17), preferably by means of a prime mover (102) coupled with a short extruder screw section (100) which supports the plate (66). Preferably, the extruder device (12) is equipped with an upstream preconditioner (40) serving to moisturize and uniformly mix dry feed ingredients.

Abstract: The method and apparatus for producing members (4) of extrudable material, for example a ceramic or synthetic plastic material, use a nozzle (2) composed of a plurality of segments (21 to 25) abutting without gaps and having extrusion ducts (28), segments (21, 22) of the nozzle being moved relative to one another, for example transversely relative to the direction of extrusion. With this method and apparatus it is possible to produce in a single operation members of which the structures, such as open ducts (40), change their relative positions and cross one another.

Abstract: A screw-type front extrusion granulating apparatus for forming moistened powdered raw material such as chemicals for use in the agriculture, pharmaceutical, or food industries into granules, has a conveying screw in axial alignment with a semi-spherical die, the die having a plurality of die openings formed therein. The conveying screw has an extrusion blade mounted to its forward end to project into the confines of the semi-spherical die, the contour of the extrusion blade generally conforming to the inner surface of the die. In operation, the moistened powdered material is transported forwardly under pressure by the screw and extruded through the die utilizing the pressure of the screw and the scraping action of the extrusion blade.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for treating contaminated plastics waste, comprising densifying contaminated plastics waste by causing the waste to pass through a heating zone to produce molten contaminated plastics, and causing the molten contaminated plastics to flow continuously out of the heating zone under the influence of gravity.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for continuously dividing bread dough. The apparatus consists of a dough hopper, vertical conveyors mounted on the side walls of the hopper, a dough outlet provided at the bottom of the hopper located under the vertical conveyors, a divider having cutting knives for dividing the dough, a weighing conveyor provided under the divider for weighing the dough discharged through the weighing conveyor, and a control means for controlling the timing in the discharging operation of the weighing conveyor according to the weight of the dough. The weight of the divided dough is instantly and successively weighed, while the period to keep the outlet open is controlled so that a belt-like sheet of dough, with sections of a uniform weight, is continuously produced.

Abstract: The apparatus includes molding a plurality of recesses on a layer of foam material which is laid on a laying surface and moved forward. These recesses include a base open on the laying surface and are subsequently cross-linked by introducing steam under pressure through the bases of the recesses into cavities of the recesses formed during the molding step. The apparatus includes a conveyor element in which a plurality of plates disposed side-by-side are provided with protuberances corresponding to the recesses to be formed in the foam layer. The protuberances are open at their bases to enable introduction of steam into an inner space within each of the protuberances.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for cutting an enveloped body, which consists of an assembly having at least three circumferentially disposed cutting members, each cutting member having at least two sliding surfaces. The cutting members are assembled in sliding contact with each other such that the sliding surfaces of adjacent cutting members are slidable along each other so as to form or close a central opening surrounded by the cutting members. The opening is opened and closed for cutting the enveloped body passing therethrough. One sliding surface of a cutting member forms a convex surface, and the other sliding surface forms a concave surface complementary to the convex surface, so that the convex surface of a cutting member slides on the concave surface of an adjacent cutting member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing quick cooking and precooked filled pasta products by preconditioning a blend of a starch material with steam and small amounts of an internal lubricant to produce a semi-moist and partially cooked blend which is cooked and cooled under controlled conditions in a co-rotating twin screw extruder with low shear screw configuration and then co-extruded into the final filled pasta product by extruding the blend through a die, and cutting the extrudate, which may then be dried or otherwise processed.

Abstract: A method and system for producing extruded edible ice products wherein an extruded string is conveyed unbroken through a continuous freezing zone, with only constrictions or notches being provided in the string by transversely movable tools while the ice substance is still formable. After a hard freezing of the extruded string, single bodies are separated from the extruded string by a simple successive breaking action on a front end of the string, and a desired distance between individual severed bodies can be produced by permitting the bodies to fall onto a conveyor moving at a speed which is higher than a conveying speed of the extruded string.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for quantitatively dividing bread dough. The apparatus includes a hopper having vertical side walls. The internal space surrounded by the walls has the same horizontal sectional area at any position along the vertical walls. The apparatus also includes a pair of vertical conveyors extending along the side walls. A dough outlet is formed in the bottom wall of the hopper. A dividing device is located in close proximity to the dough outlet. When the dough is continuously and quantitatively divided by the dividing device into small pieces, the vertical conveyors are driven at a speed of X m/min. in line with the speed of the dough flowing downward on its same level. Each of the dough pieces is then conveyed toward the shaping station. Thus the dough can be quantitatively divided so that a high quality dough is obtained without the gel structure of the gluten being destroyed.

Abstract: Systems for and methods of generating three-dimensional objects from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, whereby sheets of medium corresponding to cross-sectional layers of the three-dimensional object are dispensed from a source, the dispensed sheets then being selectively exposed to synergistic stimulation thereby forming a layer of the three-dimensional object, the areas not exposed to synergistic stimulation being removed, and whereby successive sheets corresponding to successive cross-sectional layers are dispensed and selectively exposed to synergistic stimulation and integrated together with preceding layers to provide substantially a layer by layer buildup of the three-dimensional object, thereby forming the three-dimensional object.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for cutting and shaping a spherical body of a sticky material, composed of an assembly consisting of a number of rotary polygonal members for collectively forming an enclosure at the center thereof to cut and shape the material passing through the enclosure, each of the members with curved side surfaces being associated such that the enclosure is confined through the exposed part of the curved side surfaces of the polygonal members which pivotally swing to open and close the enclosure, and that the tip of each of the polygonal members tracks the exposed curved side surface of the adjacent polygonal member to scrape off the material adhering thereto, and each of the polygonal members having a uniform thickness that is thick enough to preclude the member from wedging into the material and that decreases toward the tip thereof, so that substantially spherical products can be continuously produced without generating any difficulty caused by the material adhering to the cutting members or by

Abstract: Process for obtaining three-dimensional objects, according to which process a sheet (2A, 2B, 2C) is prepared, which sheet is composed of a material, the solubility of which varies when it is subjected to a specific radiation, and of fibers or of a screen for reinforcement, the sheet having a sufficient rigidity to be handled and being capable of adhering on a similar sheet. The sheet is subjected to said radiation (18) in a defined zone, and then a new sheet is fixed onto it and the passing of radiation is recommenced, and then the stack is subjected to a selective dissolving which causes the desired object (31) to appear.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for manufacturing a frame with a groove such as a molding for use with a panel such as a windshield of an automobile. The process includes the steps of preparing a dummy panel having an outer configuration and a thickness equal to those of the panel, and continuously moving an extrusion port of a molding die means along the peripheral edge of the dummy panel so that a molding product is continuously formed along the peripheral edge of the dummy panel. The molding product is stripped from the peripheral edge of the dummy panel to obtain the frame with a groove. The groove is closely engageable with the peripheral edge of the panel. The apparatus includes a dummy panel having an outer configuration and a thickness equal to those of the panel, molding die means having an extrusion port, and moving means for moving the extrusion port of the molding die means relative to the peripheral edge of the dummy panel.

Abstract: A device for cooling, drying, and granulating molten strands issuing from nozzles with an outlet channel, the upper end of which is located below the nozzles, a device, generating a current of cooling liquid over the outlet channel, a granulator arranged downstream of the outlet channel and with a dehydrating section that is arranged upstream of the granulator and in which the strands rest on a support provided with orifices for the unrestricted passage of the cooling liquid. The outlet channel in the region following the dehydrating section is provided with inlet nozzles that inject a current of fluid and that are so close together and arranged over such a length in its bottom that the strands are guided with respect to the bottom virtually without friction along the outlet channel in the granulator arranged at its lower end and with a degree of dehydration that enables immediate further processing.

Abstract: This invention relates to an extruder having a granulating head for the granulation of a plastic molding compound which does not flow under gravity, more particularly an enzyme concentrate suitable for detergents, to granules having a particle size of at most 1 mm and, more particularly, at most 0.8 mm. To obtain uniform distribution of the molding compound to be processed over the entire cross-section of the molding plate, the granulating head has an externally arranged die plate support carrying perforated disks, a displacement cone arranged behind the die plate support and a preliminary distributor in the form of a perforated plate arranged between the die plate support and the displacement cone.

Abstract: In order to prevent solidification of melt in the openings in an orifice plate of an underwater granulator during start-up, the water discharged from the housing of the granulator is diverted to a low pressure outlet so that during start-up a ring of water is formed on the inner surface of the housing. Thereby, melt strands from the orifice plate are cut in air and after the throughout of the melt becomes sufficiently high, the water discharged from the granulator is no longer diverted but is supplied to a post-treatment station and the housing becomes filled with water due to higher back pressure whereupon underwater granulation takes place.

Abstract: An apparatus for spacing and orienting croissant dough pieces has a dough-spacing device located at the position where the dough pieces are transferred from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor, which dough-spacing device places the dough pieces apart from one another in the feeding direction on the downstream conveyor in a staggered manner, and a reorienting device for turning the dough pieces, with one side of each dough piece at right angles to the feeding direction of the downstream conveyor. The dough pieces are thus spaced apart from one another without increasing the conveyor width. The dough pieces are also fed to a downstream rolling-up apparatus after ensuring that the relevant side of each of the dough pieces is perpendicular to the feeding direction.

Abstract: A device for producing pellets from film. A cradle is rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis of rotation to a main frame. An axle arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis holds one or more rolls of film. A plurality of drive rollers pull the film from the rolls while the rolls are rotated on the longitudinal axis twisting the film into a strand. An oven located between the rolls and drive rollers heats the strand to permanently set the twist thereon. A pelletizer located aft of the drive rollers cuts the strand into individual pellets. In a modified version, glass roving is extended through the holder past the roll and wrapped with the film into a single strand. In an alternate embodiment, the roll of film is mounted to an axle having a longitudinal axis extending in the same direction as the axis of rotation. The film is pulled axially off the roll and twisted into a strand.

Abstract: Apparatus for separating plural molded parts from a web of thermoplastics material, including a lower cutting and trimming die having a plural mandrels each adapted to support a separate part and an zipper die having plural first and second spaced cutting edges movable relative to the mandrels to leave a flange surrounding each pot.

Abstract: A constraining structure for an open tube apparatus for continuously producing a rotating elongate strip of material is disclosed. The constraining structure controls expansion of an extruded blown film tube to a desired outer diameter range after the tube is formed. The constraining structure includes a casing positionable around the tube, and an annular sleeve in the casing having a generally cylindrical central passageway adapted to receive the tube to permit movement of the tube along its longitudinal axis in a downline direction. The casing and the sleeve walls define a gas chamber with pressurized gas separate from the passageway. The gas layer along the inner surface of the sleeve is at a sufficiently large pressure to constrain the tube to the desired outer diameter while the tube solidifies and to prevent the tube from contacting the sleeve.

Abstract: An apparatus to cool and granulate strands discharged in a molten state from nozzles, particularly strands formed of plastics materials, includes a feeder trough having at its receiving end a collecting region disposed below the nozzles and a granulator at the opposite end thereof. The feeder trough includes over its entire length, a collecting region and a transport region, a longitudinally grooved perforated plate or screen material in which only a single strand is conducted along each groove, the strands being borne and guided along the grooves of the feeder trough by a gas current that passes through the plate material, aided by longitudinally directed gas current that may be blown along the grooves from a source disposed at the receiving end of the trough ahead of the collecting region.

Abstract: A rotating blade is passed beneath an extruder nozzle and employed to cut tails of viscous materials which have been extruded.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for cutting and shaping a spherical material, which is composed of an assembly consisting of a number of rotary polygonal members for forming an opening at their center to cut and shape the material passing through the opening. Each of the members with curved side surfaces that are opposite each other is associated with each other such that when the members make a pivotal movement, the curved surface of each member slides over the curved surface of an adjacent member, and each of the members has a uniform thickness except for the area near the tip, where the thickness nonequiangularly decreases toward the tip so that substantially spherical products completely covered by an outer cover of a uniform thickness can be produced.