Processing of polymers and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR FABRICATING POWDERED, HEAT-SENSITIVE THERMOPLASTIC RESINOUS MATERIAL COMPRISING APPLYING A POWDERED, HEAT-SENSITIVE THERMOPLASTIC RESINOUS MATERIAL TO A FIRST HEATED ROTATING CONFIGURATION, MAINTAINING A SYNTHETIC RESINOUS MATERIAL ON THE SURFACE OF THE ROTATING CONFIGURATION FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD TO RENDER IT THERMOPLASTIC, ROTATING A SECOND CONFIGURATION ADJACENT THE FIRST CONFIGURATION IN A LIKE DIRECTION; CAUSING THE HEAT PLASTIFIED RESINOUS MATERIAL TO FORM A ROLLING BANK IN A SPACE DEFINED BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND ROTATING CONFIGURATIONS, AND REMOVING THE HEAT PLASTIFIED RESINOUS MATERIAL IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE ROLLING BANK AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE SURFACE OF THE CONFIGURATIONS, THE MATERIAL BEING IN THE FORM OF AT LEAST ONE CONTINUOUS STRAND.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR FABRICATING POWDERED, HEAT-SENSITIVE THERMOPLASTIC RESINOUS MATERIAL COMPRISING APPLYING A POWDERED, HEAT-SENSITIVE THERMOPLASTIC RESINOUS MATERIAL TO A FIRST HEATED ROTATING CONFIGURATION, MAINTAINING A SYNTHETIC RESINOUS MATERIAL ON THE SURFACE OF THE ROTATING CONFIGURATION FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD TO RENDER IT THERMOPLASTIC, ROTATING A SECOND CONFIGURATION ADJACENT THE FIRST CONFIGURATION IN A LIKE DIRECTION; CAUSING THE HEAT PLASTIFIED RESINOUS MATERIAL TO FORM A ROLLING BANK IN A SPACE DEFINED BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND ROTATING CONFIGURATIONS, AND REMOVING THE HEAT PLASTIFIED RESINOUS MATERIAL IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE ROLLING BANK AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE SURFACE OF THE CONFIGURATIONS, THE MATERIAL BEING IN THE FORM OF AT LEAST ONE CONTINUOUS STRAND.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR THE PROCESSING OF HEAT SENSITIVE PARTICULATE SYNTHETIC RESINOUS MATERIAL COMPRISING IN COOPERATIVE COMBINATION A FIRST DRUM, A SECOND DRUM, A PARTICULATE RESIN SUPPLY MEANS, A STRAND TAKEAWAY MEANS; THE FIRST AND SECOND DRUMS BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED AND HAVING THEIR AXES OF ROTATION GENERALLY PARALLEL; EACH OF THE DRUMS HAVING AN EXTERNAL SURFACE OF ROTATION, THE SURFACES OF THE DRUMS BEING DISPOSED IS CLOSELY SPACED ADJACENT RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER, THE RESIN SUPPLY MEANS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED SO AS TO SUPPLY PARTICULATE RESIN TO THE SURFACE OF THE FIRST DRUM, MEANS TO HEAT THE FIRST DRUM TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO HEAT PLASTIFY A PARTICULATE RESIN, MEANS TO ROTATE THE FIRST DRUM AND THE SECOND DRUM IN LIKE DIRECTIONS ABOUT THEIR AXES, AND MEANS TO REMOVE A CONTINUOUS STRANDULAR ARTICLE FROM A SPACE DEFINED BY THE SURFACE OF THE FIRST DRUM AND THE SECOND DRUM, THE MEANS ADAPTED TO REMOVE A STRANDULAR ARTICLE IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXES OF ROTATION AND THE ADJACENT SURFACES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND DRUMS WHILE MAINTAINING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE ARTICLE GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXES OF THE DRUMS.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR THE PROCESSING OF HEAT SENSITIVE PARTICULATE SYNTHETIC RESINOUS MATERIAL COMPRISING IN COOPERATIVE COMBINATION A FIRST DRUM, A SECOND DRUM, A PARTICULATE RESIN SUPPLY MEANS, A STRAND TAKEAWAY MEANS; THE FIRST AND SECOND DRUMS BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED AND HAVING THEIR AXES OF ROTATION GENERALLY PARALLEL; EACH OF THE DRUMS HAVING AN EXTERNAL SURFACE OF ROTATION, THE SURFACES OF THE DRUMS BEING DISPOSED IS CLOSELY SPACED ADJACENT RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER, THE RESIN SUPPLY MEANS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED SO AS TO SUPPLY PARTICULATE RESIN TO THE SURFACE OF THE FIRST DRUM, MEANS TO HEAT THE FIRST DRUM TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO HEAT PLASTIFY A PARTICULATE RESIN, MEANS TO ROTATE THE FIRST DRUM AND THE SECOND DRUM IN LIKE DIRECTIONS ABOUT THEIR AXES, AND MEANS TO REMOVE A CONTINUOUS STRANDULAR ARTICLE FROM A SPACE DEFINED BY THE SURFACE OF THE FIRST DRUM AND THE SECOND DRUM, THE MEANS ADAPTED TO REMOVE A STRANDULAR ARTICLE IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXES OF ROTATION AND THE ADJACENT SURFACES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND DRUMS WHILE MAINTAINING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE ARTICLE GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXES OF THE DRUMS.