Plasticizing and working machine

Claim 1

In combination, a plasticizing apparatus including a housing having an opening formed therein, plasticizing rotor means rotatably disposed within said opening and cooperating with said housing for plasticizing particulate plastic material primarily due to the generation of frictional heat energy, drive means for causing relative rotation between said rotor means and said housing, and feed means for supplying particulate plastic material to the rotor means for permitting frictional heating and plastification of said material, wherein the improvement comprises: said plasticizing rotor means including a tapered rotor portion which diverges in the direction of material flow, the tapered rotor portion being surrounded by the housing to define a first annular zone therebetween in which particulate plastic material is frictionally heated; said feeding means including a movable feed member for supplying particulate plastic material to the inlet end of said first annular zone; second drive means drivingly connected to said movable feed member for moving said feed member relative to and independently of the plasticizing rotor means for imposing a positive pressure on the plastic material within said first annular zone which is independent of the relative rotation between the rotor means and the housing; and means for generating additional frictional heat energy for at least additionally plasticizing and mixing the plastic material after it has passed through the first annular zone, said last-mentioned means including a first portion of the rotor means and a second portion on the housing in surrounding relationship to said first portion and defining a second axially elongated annular zone therebetween, said second annular zone being coaxially aligned and in communication with the discharge end of said first annular zone; one of said first and said second portions including a plurality of separate, axially spaced annular ridges defining a plurality of axially spaced annular grooves therebetween, the grooves and ridges defining a substantially smooth and continuous undulating peripheral surface located downstream of the tapered portion of the rotor means for permitting the plastic material to be additionally frictionally heated, mixed and plasticized.