Extrusion apparatus and method

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR EMBOSSING SURFACE PATTERNS IN EXTRUSIONS AS THEY ARE CONTINUOUSLY FED FROM AN EXTRUSION DIE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION WITH AN EXTRUDER INCLUDING MEANS FOR EXPRESSING A MATERIAL THEREFROM TO A PREDETERMINED SHAPE, MEANS FOR COATING THE EXTERIOR OF SAID EXTRUSION WITH A MATERIAL HAVING DIFFERENT COLOR THAN THE MATERIAL COMPRISING THE BASE OF THE EXTRUSION, AN EMBOSSING MEANS DISPOSED FOR RECEIVING THE EXTRUSION, SAID EMBOSSING MEANS HAVING AT LEAST TWO ROLLS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL AREAS OF THE OPPOSITE FACES OF SAID EXTRUSION AND TO EXERT EQUAL PRESSURES THEREON SO AS NOT TO AXIALLY DEFORM THE EXTRUSION IN PASSING BETWEEN SAID ROLLS, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ROLLS HAVING A SURFACE SHAPED FOR EMBOSSING THE SURFACE OF SAID EXTRUSION AND MEANS FOR POWER ROTATING SAID EMBOSSING ROLL AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SPEED AS THE SPEED OF SAID EXTRUSION FOR OPERATING SAID ROLL TO SEPARATE THE COATING MATERIAL IN AN EMBOSSED PATTERN SO THAT THE COLOR OF THE BASE EXTRUSION SHOWS THROUGH THE COATING MATERIAL.