Apparatus for foaming elongated segments of strands of foamable styrene polymer compositions

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR INDIVIDUALLY FOAMING ELONGATED SEGMENTS OF STRANDS OF A NORMALLY SOLID EXPANSIBLE STYRENE POLYMER COMPOSITION CONTAINING A VOLATILE ORGANIC FLUID FOAMING AGENT BOILING BELOW THE HEAT DISTORTION TEMPERATURE OF A STYRENE POLYMER, WHICH APPARATUS COMPRISES IN COMBINATION, A FRAME, A ROTATABLE FEEDER COMPRISING A FACE PLATE HAVING A CENTRAL FEED INLET, A BACK PLATE IN FIXED ATTACHMENT TO ONE END OF A CENTRALLY POSITIONED SHAFT PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN A BEARING ATTACHED TO SAID FRAME, SAID FACE PLATE AND BACK PLATE BEING HELD IN FIXED SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP BY FIXED PERIPHERAL ATTACHMENT TO A SCREEN TO ALLOW PASSAGE OF INDIVIDUAL ELONGATED SEGMENTS OF SAID EXPANSIBLE STYRENE POLYMER THERETHROUGH WHEN SAID FEEDER IS ROTATED AND TO CONTAIN SAID ELONGATED SEGMENTS THEREON WHEN SAID FEEDER IS STATIONARY, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID FEEDER, A HOPPER MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME BENEATH THE SCREEN OF SAID FEEDER, A CONTINUOUS SCREEN BELT MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND POSITIONED BENEATH SAID HOPPER FOR RECEIVING THE ELONGATED SEGMENTS PASSING THROUGH THE MESH OF THE SCREEN OF SAID FEEDER, AND FOR TRANSPORTING THEM INTO AND THROUGH A HEATING ZONE, SAID HEATING ZONE COMPRISING A HOUSING MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME SURROUNDING A TOP PORTION OF SAID SCREEN BELT, MEANS FOR CONTACTING SAID SEGMENTS ON SAID SCREEN BELT WHILE WITHIN SAID HOUSING WITH A HEATED NON-SOLVENT FLUID, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BELT THROUGH SAID HOUSING AND MEANS FOR REMOVING THE EXPANDED POLYMER SEGMENTS FROM SAID BELT.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR INDIVIDUALLY FOAMING ELONGATED SEGMENTS OF STRANDS OF A NORMALLY SOLID EXPANSIBLE STYRENE POLYMER COMPOSITION CONTAINING A VOLATILE ORGANIC FLUID FOAMING AGENT BOILING BELOW THE HEAT DISTORTION TEMPERATURE OF A STYRENE POLYMER, WHICH APPARATUS COMPRISES IN COMBINATION, A FRAME, A ROTATABLE FEEDER COMPRISING A FACE PLATE HAVING A CENTRAL FEED INLET, A BACK PLATE IN FIXED ATTACHMENT TO ONE END OF A CENTRALLY POSITIONED SHAFT PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN A BEARING ATTACHED TO SAID FRAME, SAID FACE PLATE AND BACK PLATE BEING HELD IN FIXED SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP BY FIXED PERIPHERAL ATTACHMENT TO A SCREEN TO ALLOW PASSAGE OF INDIVIDUAL ELONGATED SEGMENTS OF SAID EXPANSIBLE STYRENE POLYMER THERETHROUGH WHEN SAID FEEDER IS ROTATED AND TO CONTAIN SAID ELONGATED SEGMENTS THEREON WHEN SAID FEEDER IS STATIONARY, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID FEEDER, A HOPPER MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME BENEATH THE SCREEN OF SAID FEEDER, A CONTINUOUS SCREEN BELT MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND POSITIONED BENEATH SAID HOPPER FOR RECEIVING THE ELONGATED SEGMENTS PASSING THROUGH THE MESH OF THE SCREEN OF SAID FEEDER, AND FOR TRANSPORTING THEM INTO AND THROUGH A HEATING ZONE, SAID HEATING ZONE COMPRISING A HOUSING MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME SURROUNDING A TOP PORTION OF SAID SCREEN BELT, MEANS FOR CONTACTING SAID SEGMENTS ON SAID SCREEN BELT WHILE WITHIN SAID HOUSING WITH A HEATED NON-SOLVENT FLUID, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BELT THROUGH SAID HOUSING AND MEANS FOR REMOVING THE EXPANDED POLYMER SEGMENTS FROM SAID BELT.