Processing method and device of synthetic resin sheet

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY PROCESSING THERMOPLASTIC RESIN SHEETS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF ENDLESS STEEL BELTS TRAINED AROUND RESPECTIVE PAIRS OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED IDLER ROLLERS, SAID BELTS HAVING CO-DIRECTIONAL INNER RUNS EXTENDING IN CLOSELY SPACED PARALLEL RELATION TO RECEIVE SAID SHEETS THEREBETWEEN AT A MATERIAL ENTRY END OF SAID STEEL BELT; A PAIR OF ENDLESS SLAT-TYPE CONVEYORS TRAINED AROUND RESPECTIVE PAIRS OF ROLLERS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE LONGITUDINAL SPACING OF SAID IDLER ROLLERS, EACH SLAT-TYPE CONVEYOR BEING ARRANGED WITHIN A RESPECTIVE STEEL BELT AND SAID SLATTYPE CONVEYORS HAVING CO-DIRECTIONAL INNER RUNS EACH IN DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE INNER RUN OF ITS ASSOCIATED STEEL BELT; THE INNER RUNS OF SAID SLATTYPE CONVEYORS PRESSING THE ENGAGED STEEL BELT PORTIONS TOWARD EACH OTHER; PRESSING AND HEATING MEANS POSITIONED IN OPERATIVE RELATION WITH SAID STEEL BELTS LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN SAID SLAT-TYPE CONVEYORS AND THE MATERIAL ENTRY END OF SAID STEEL BELTS TO HEAT AND SOFTEN THERMOPLASTIC RESIN SHEETS PASSING BETWEEN SAID STEEL BELTS; PRESSING AND COOLING MEANS POSITIONED IN OPERATIVE RELATION WITH SAID STEEL BELTS AT THEIR PORTIONS THEREOF ENGAGED BY SAID SLATTYPE CONVEYORS TO COOL AND SET THE THERMOPLASTIC RESIN SHEETS PASSING BETWEEN SAID STEEL BELTS; AND CAMPARTMENT MEANS ENCLOSING SAID PRESSING AND HEATING MEANS TO THERMALLY ISOLATE SAID PRESSING AND HEATING MEANS FROM SAID PRESSING AND COOLING MEANS; EACH COMPARTMENT MEANS INCLUDING FIRST ADN SECOND WALLS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY FO SAID STEEL BELTS AND SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL THERETO, EACH WITH AND EDGE SUBSTANTIALLY ENGAGING THE ASSOCIATED STEEL BELT; THE FIRST WALL OF EACH COMPARTMENT MEANS BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE ENTRY END OF SAID PRESSING AND HEATING MEANS AND THE ADJACENT IDLER ROLLER OF THE RESPECTIVE STEEL BELT; THE SECOND WALL OF EACH COMPARTMENT MEANS BEING DISPOSED CLOSELY ADJACENT THE EXIT END OF SAID PRESSING AND HEATING MEANS; EACH COMPARTMENT MEANS INCLUDING A THIRD WALL EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE ASSOCIATED STEEL BELT AND INTERCONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND WALLS AND DISPOSED BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATED PRESSING AND HEATING MEANS AND THE OUTER RUN OF THE ASSOCIATED STEEL BELT.