Method and apparatus for producing shaped polyurethane foam strip

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF SHAPED POLYURETHANE FOAM STRIP, WHICH COMPRISES: (A) PREPARING A POLYURETHANE FOAM-FORMING COMPOSITION OF FLOWABLE CONSISTENCY; (B) CONTINUUOUSLY DIRECTING SAID COMPOSITION UPWARDLY THROUGH A SHAPING VESSEL HAVING A VERTICALLY DIRECTED PASSAGEWAY OF UPWARDLY INCREASING CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA PASSING THERETHROUGH, THE RATE OF FLOW OF SAID COMPOSITION BEING ADJUSTED TO PERMIT FOAM FORMATION THROUGH REACTION OF THE COMPONENTS THEREOF DURING PASSAGE OF SAID COMPOSITION THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY AND SAID PASSAGEWAY HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION AT ITS OUTLET CORRESPONDING TO THE DESIRED CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION OF THE FOAM STRIP, WHEREBY A POLYURETHANE FOAM STRIP OF SAID DESIRED SHAPE CONTINUOUSLY EMERGES FROM THE SHAPING VESSEL; (C) HEATING THE FOAM STRIP EMERGING FROM THE SHAPING VESSEL TO ACCELERATE REACTION BETWEEN THE COMPONENTS THEREOF AND HEREBY DEVELOP APPRECIABLE TENSILE STRENGTH; (D) SUBSEQUENTLY APPLYING A DRIVING FORCE TO SAID FOAM STRIP TO ADVANCE IT AT A RATE PROPORTIONATE TO THE RATE OF FLOW OF THE FOAM-FORMING COMPOSITION TO THE SHAPING VESSEL SO THAT THE CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION OF THE FOAM TRIP EMERGING FROM THE SHAPING VESSEL IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THAT OF THE PASSAGEWAY AT ITS OUTLET; AND (E) CONTINUOUSLY COLLECTING THE SHAPED POLYURETHANE FOAM STRIP.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF SHAPED POLYURETHANE FOAM STRIP, WHICH COMPRISES: (A) PREPARING A POLYURETHANE FOAM-FORMING COMPOSITION OF FLOWABLE CONSISTENCY; (B) CONTINUUOUSLY DIRECTING SAID COMPOSITION UPWARDLY THROUGH A SHAPING VESSEL HAVING A VERTICALLY DIRECTED PASSAGEWAY OF UPWARDLY INCREASING CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA PASSING THERETHROUGH, THE RATE OF FLOW OF SAID COMPOSITION BEING ADJUSTED TO PERMIT FOAM FORMATION THROUGH REACTION OF THE COMPONENTS THEREOF DURING PASSAGE OF SAID COMPOSITION THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY AND SAID PASSAGEWAY HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION AT ITS OUTLET CORRESPONDING TO THE DESIRED CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION OF THE FOAM STRIP, WHEREBY A POLYURETHANE FOAM STRIP OF SAID DESIRED SHAPE CONTINUOUSLY EMERGES FROM THE SHAPING VESSEL; (C) HEATING THE FOAM STRIP EMERGING FROM THE SHAPING VESSEL TO ACCELERATE REACTION BETWEEN THE COMPONENTS THEREOF AND HEREBY DEVELOP APPRECIABLE TENSILE STRENGTH; (D) SUBSEQUENTLY APPLYING A DRIVING FORCE TO SAID FOAM STRIP TO ADVANCE IT AT A RATE PROPORTIONATE TO THE RATE OF FLOW OF THE FOAM-FORMING COMPOSITION TO THE SHAPING VESSEL SO THAT THE CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION OF THE FOAM TRIP EMERGING FROM THE SHAPING VESSEL IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THAT OF THE PASSAGEWAY AT ITS OUTLET; AND (E) CONTINUOUSLY COLLECTING THE SHAPED POLYURETHANE FOAM STRIP.