Machine for drawing extruded plastic tubing or rod from an extruder

Claim 1

A machine for pulling elongated plastic material from extruding apparatus, said machine comprising: a. a pair of endless track devices, said track devices being flattened, of substantially identical dimensions and disposed adjacent and parallel to each other and each of said devices being displaceable at each end from its parallel disposition in relation to the other device; b. motive means to move the track of one of said endless tracks in a predetermined direction and at a predetermined speed, and to move the track of the other of said track devices in the opposite direction at the same speed; c. rigid support means to support said tracks in proper orientation relative to the extruding apparatus so that the area between the pair of tracks where both tracks are turning around toward each other is disposed to receive the material extruded from said apparatus and to draw the same through the spacing between said tracks in substantially the same direction as the material is being extruded; d. a pair of double acting piston-cylinder means, each of said means being fluid actuated, having a shaft driven by its piston, and having its cylinder or its piston-driven shaft fixedly secured to said support means and the other of said cylinder or shaft being operatively linked to one pair of the two opposed displaceable ends of said track devices, whereby the movement of said piston in its said cylinder displaces said opposed displaceable ends of each said track device by substantially identical distances from their parallel dispositions relative to such other; and each said pistoncylinder means being controllable by fluid pressure applied on each side of the piston, said pressure being such as normally to dispose the opposed ends of the track devices to which said piston-cylinder means is linked closely adjacent and parallel to each other, but said pressure being responsive to any force developed between the said track devices by the presence of any plastic material moving into the entrance area between the pair of tracks, to displace said opposed ends of the track device away from each other by only such distance as may be required to eliminate said force so developed between said pair of devices.

Claim 7

An apparatus for pulling an elongated element through a pair of endless track devices, said devices being supported in a rigid frame, their tracks moving in opposite directions, said devices being disposed parallel to, but spaced apart by a predetermined distance from each other, means to vary the spacing between opposed ends of said devices in reaction to force developed between such ends by the presence of said element or an element of greater or lesser thickness than that which has been previously pulled through said devices, said means comprising: a. a first bellcrank, said bellcrank being pivotable about one of its ends and having its other end linked to one end of a first one of said endless track devices in such manner that the pivoting of said bellcrank about its one end in a first direction, displaces said one end of said first device in a direction away from the opposed end of the second one of said devices, and the pivoting of said bellcrank about its end in the opposite direction displaces said end of the first device in the opposite direction toward said opposed end of the second device; b. a second bellcrank, said bellcrank being pivotable about one of its ends and having its other end linked to the opposed end of the second said device in such manner that the pivoting of said second bellcrank about its one end displaces the end of said second device to which it is linked in a direction away from the opposed end of the first said device, and the pivoting of said second bellcrank about its end in the opposite direction displaces said end of the second device in the opposite direction toward said opposed end of the first device; c. rotatable means, said rotatable means being linked to each of said first and second bellcranks whereby when said rotatable means is rotated in one direction each of said bellcranks is pivoted about its one end to displace the device end linked thereto in its respective first direction, while rotation of said rotatable means in the opposite direction effects the pivoting of each of said bellcranks to displace the device end linked thereto in its respective second direction; d. a plurality of fluid-actuated double-acting piston-cylinders, one of each of said piston-cylinders being connected to rotate one of said rotatable means in both directions; and e. valve control means for each of said piston-cylinders, the last said means providing fluid under predetermined pressure on at least one side of the piston to effect a predetermined disposition of the piston in the cylinder, but upon the application of any force upon the piston in a first direction, such piston may be moved in the direction of such force against said fluid under pressure until no further force is applied to the piston; whereby, when any force is developed between either pair of opposed ends of said devices by the presence of an object therebetween, such force is transmitted through said first and second bellcranks, the rotatable means and their respective linkages to their respective piston-cylinders to cause the latter to rotate said rotatable means and pivot said bellcrank to displace said opposed pair of ends of said devices away from each other, until such object no longer exerts any force between said opposed pair of ends of said devices, or is removed from a disposition between such opposed ends of said devices, whereupon the pistons are returned to their original respective disposition by the predetermined fluid pressure.

Claim 8

An apparatus for pulling an elongated element through a pair of endless track devices, said devices being supported in a rigid frame, their tracks moving in opposite directions, said devices being disposed parallel to, but spaced apart by a predetermined distance from each other, means to vary the spacing between opposed ends of said devices in reaction to force developed between such ends by the presence of said element or an element of greater or lesser thickness than that which has been previously pulled through said devices, said means comprising: a. a first bellcrank, said bellcrank being pivotable about one of its ends and having its other end linked to one end of a first one of said endless track devices in such manner that the pivoting of said bellcrank about its one end in a first direction, displaces said one end of said first device in a direction away from the opposed end of the second one of said devices, and the pivoting of said bellcrank about its end in the opposite direction displaces said end of the first device in the opposite direction toward said opposed end of the second device; b. a second bellcrank, said bellcrank being pivotable about one of its ends and having its other end linked to the opposed end of the second said device in such manner that the pivoting of said second bellcrank about its one end displaces the end of said second device to which it is linked in a direction away from the opposed end of the first said device, and the pivoting of said second bellcrank about its end in the opposite direction displaces said end of the second device in the opposite direction toward said opposed end of the first device; c. rotatable means, said rotatable means being linked to each of said first and second bellcranks whereby when said rotatable means is rotated in one direction each of said bellcranks is pivoted about its one end to displace the device end linked thereto in its respective first direction, while rotation of said rotatable means in the opposite direction effects the pivoting of each of said bellcranks to displace the device end linked thereto in its respective second direction; d. a plurality of fluid-actuated double-acting piston-cylinders, one of each of said piston-cylinders being connected to rotate one of said rotatable means in both directions; and e. valve control means for each of said piston-cylinders, the last said means providing fluid under predetermined pressure on at least one side of the piston to effect a predetermined disposition of the piston in the cylinder, but upon the application of any force upon the piston in a first direction, such piston may be moved in the direction of such force against said fluid under pressure until no further force is applied to the piston; whereby, when any force is developed between either pair of opposed ends of said devices by the presence of an object therebetween, such force is transmitted through said first and second bellcranks, the rotatable means and their respective linkages to their respective piston-cylinders to cause the latter to rotate said rotatable means and pivot said bellcrank to displace said opposed pair of ends of said devices away from each other, until such object no longer exerts any force between said opposed pair of ends of said devices, or is removed from a disposition between such opposed ends of said devices, whereupon the pistons are returned to their original respective disposition by the predetermined fluid pressure.

Claim 9

An apparatus for pulling a longitudinal element through two pairs of endless track devices, each pair being disposed normally with respect to the other about a common axis, said devices being supported in a rigid frame, the tracks of each pair moving in opposite directions, and each said device being disposed parallel to, but spaced apart by a predetermined distance from, the other device of its pair, means to vary the spacing between opposed ends of each pair of said devices in reaction to force, developed between such ends by the presence of said element or an element of greater or lesser thickness than that which has been previously pulled through said devices, said means comprising: a. a first bellcrank, said bellcrank being pivotable about one of its ends and having its other end linked to one end of a first one of said endless track devices in such manner that the pivoting of said bellcrank about its one end in a first direction, displaces said one end of said first device in a direction away from the opposed end of the second one of said devices, and the pivoting of said bellcrank about its end in the opposite direction displaces said end of the first device in the opposite direction toward said opposed end of the second device; b. a second bellcrank, said bellcrank being pivotable about one of its ends and having its other end linked to the opposed end of the second said device in such manner that the pivotIng of said second bellcrank about its one end displaces the end of said second device to which it is linked in a direction away from the opposed end of the first said device, and the pivoting of said second bellcrank about its end in the opposite direction displaces said end of the second device in the opposite direction toward said opposed end of the first device; c. a rotatable means, said rotatable means being linked to each of said first and second bellcranks whereby when said rotatable means is rotated in one direction each of said bellcranks is pivoted about its one end to displace the device end linked thereto in its respective first direction, while rotation of said rotatable means in the opposite direction, effects the pivoting of each of said bellcranks to displace the device end linked thereto in its respective second direction; d. a plurality of fluid-actuated double-acting piston-cylinders, one of each of said piston-cylinders being connected to rotate one of said rotatable means in both directions; and e. valve control means for each of said piston-cylinders, the last said means providing fluid on both sides of the piston to create a state of equilibrium in a predetermined disposition of the piston in the cylinder, but upon the application of any force upon the piston in either direction, such piston reacts to move in the direction of such force until no further force is applied to the piston, whereupon equilibrium on both sides of the piston is reestablished; whereby, when any force is developed between either pair of opposed ends of said devices by the presence of an object therebetween, such force is transmitted through said first and second bellcranks, the rotatable means and their respective linkages to their respective piston-cylinder to cause the latter to rotate said rotatable member and pivot said bellcranks to displace the opposed pair of ends of said devices away from each other, until such object no longer exerts any force between said opposed pair of ends of said devices, or is removed from a disposition between such opposed ends of said devices, whereupon the piston returns to its original equilibrium disposition.

Claim 10

An apparatus for pulling a longitudinal element through two pairs of endless track devices, each pair being disposed normally with respect to the other about a common axis, said devices being supported in a rigid frame, the tracks of each pair moving in opposite directions, and each said device being disposed parallel to, but spaced apart by a predetermined distance from, the other device of its pair, means to vary the spacing between opposed ends of each pair of said devices in reaction to force, developed between such ends by the presence of said element or an element of greater or lesser thickness than that which has been previously pulled through said devices, said means comprising: a. a first bellcrank, said bellcrank being pivotable about one of its ends and having its other end linked to one end of a first one of said endless track devices in such manner that the pivoting of said bellcrank about its one end in a first direction, displaces said one end of said first device in a direction away from the opposed end of the second one of said devices, and the pivoting of said bellcrank about its end in the opposite direction displaces said end of the first device in the opposite direction toward said opposed end of the second device; b. a second bellcrank, said bellcrank being pivotable about one of its ends and having its other end linked to the opposed end of the second said device in such manner that the pivotIng of said second bellcrank about its one end displaces the end of said second device to which it is linked in a direction away from the opposed end of the first said device, and the pivoting of said second bellcrank about its end in the opposite direction displaces said end of the second device in the opposite direction toward said opposed end of the first device; c. a rotatable means, said rotatable means being linked to each of said first and second bellcranks whereby when said rotatable means is rotated in one direction each of said bellcranks is pivoted about its one end to displace the device end linked thereto in its respective first direction, while rotation of said rotatable means in the opposite direction, effects the pivoting of each of said bellcranks to displace the device end linked thereto in its respective second direction; d. a plurality of fluid-actuated double-acting piston-cylinders, one of each of said piston-cylinders being connected to rotate one of said rotatable means in both directions; and e. valve control means for each of said piston-cylinders, the last said means providing fluid on both sides of the piston to create a state of equilibrium in a predetermined disposition of the piston in the cylinder, but upon the application of any force upon the piston in either direction, such piston reacts to move in the direction of such force until no further force is applied to the piston, whereupon equilibrium on both sides of the piston is reestablished; whereby, when any force is developed between either pair of opposed ends of said devices by the presence of an object therebetween, such force is transmitted through said first and second bellcranks, the rotatable means and their respective linkages to their respective piston-cylinder to cause the latter to rotate said rotatable member and pivot said bellcranks to displace the opposed pair of ends of said devices away from each other, until such object no longer exerts any force between said opposed pair of ends of said devices, or is removed from a disposition between such opposed ends of said devices, whereupon the piston returns to its original equilibrium disposition.

Claim 14

An apparatus for pulling a longitudinal element through two pairs of endless track devices, each pair being disposed normally with respect to the other about a common axis, said devices being supported in a rigid frame, the tracks of each pair moving in opposite directions, and each said device being disposed parallel to, but spaced apart by a predetermined distance from, the other device of its pair, means to vary the spacing between opposed ends of each pair of said devices in reaction to force, developed between such ends by the presence of said element or an element of greater or lesser thickness than that which has been previously pulled through said devices, said means comprising: a. a first bellcrank, said bellcrank being pivotable about one of its ends and having its other end linked to one end of a first one of said endless track devices in such manner that the pivoting of said bellcrank about its one end in a first direction, displaces said one end of said first device in a direction away from the opposed end of the second one of said devices, and the pivoting of said bellcrank about its end in the opposite direction displaces said end of the first device in the opposite direction toward said opposed end of the second device; b. a second bellcrank, said bellcrank being pivotable about one of its ends and having its other end linked to the opposed end of the second said device in such manner that the pivoting of said second bellcrank about its one end displaces the end of said second device to which it is linked in a direction away from the opposed end of the first said device, and the pivoting of said second bellcrank about its end in the opposite direction displaces said end of the second device in the opposite direction toward said opposed end of the first device; c. a pair of rotatable means, each of said rotatable means being secured to one of said first and second bellcranks to that any rotation of the rotatable means effects a pivoting of its bellcrank about its one end, and both of said rotatable means being connected to each other to rotate simultaneously but in opposite directions, whereby when, each of said rotatable means is rotated in one direction and the other rotatable means connected thereto is rotated in the opposite direction, the ends of each pair of endless track devices linked to the first and second bellcranks are displaced in either the first or second direction and when each of said rotatable means is rotated in the opposite direction, the said ends are displaced in the opposite direction, d. a plurality of fluid-actuated double-acting piston-cylinders, one of each of said piston-cylinders being connected to rotate one of said rotatable means in both directions; and e. valve control means for each of said piston-cylinders, the last means providing fluid on both sides of the piston to create a state of equilibrium in a predetermined disposition of the piston in the cylinder, but upon the application of any force upon the piston in either direction, such piston reacts to move in the direction of such force until no further force is applied to the piston, whereupon equilibrium on both sides of the piston is reestablished; whereby, when any force is developed between either pair of opposed ends of said devices by the presence of an object therebetween, such force is transmitted through said first and second bellcranks, the rotatable means and their respective linkages to their respective piston-cylinder to cause the latter to rotate said rotatable member and pivot said bellcranks to displace the opposed pair of ends of said devices away from each other, until such object no longer exerts any force between said opposed pair of ends of said devices, or is removed from a disposition between such opposed ends of said devices, whereupon the piston returns to its original equilibrium disposition.

Claim 15

An apparatus for pulling a longitudinal element through two pairs of endless track devices, each pair being disposed normally with respect to the other about a common axis, said devices being supported in a rigid frame, the tracks of each pair moving in opposite directions, and each said device being disposed parallel to, but spaced apart by a predetermined distance from, the other device of its pair, means to vary the spacing between opposed ends of each pair of said devices in reaction to force, developed between such ends by the presence of said element or an element of greater or lesser thickness than that which has been previously pulled through said devices, said means comprising: a. a first bellcrank, said bellcrank being pivotable about one of its ends and having its other end linked to one end of a first one of said endless track devices in such manner that the pivoting of said bellcrank about its one end in a first direction, displaces said one end of said first device in a direction away from the opposed end of the second one of said devices, and the pivoting of said bellcrank about its end in the opposite direction displaces said end of the first device in the opposite direction toward said opposed end of the second device; b. a second bellcrank, said bellcrank being pivotable about one of its ends and having its other end linked to the opposed end of the second said device in such manner that the pivoting of said second bellcrank about its one end displaces the end of said second device to which it is linked in a direction away from the opposed end of the first said device, and the pivoting of said second bellcrank about its end in the opposite direction displaces said end of the second device in the opposite direction toward said opposed end of the first device; c. a pair of rotatable means, each of said rotatable means being secured to one of said first and second bellcranks to that any rotation of the rotatable means effects a pivoting of its bellcrank about its one end, and both of said rotatable means being connected to each other to rotate simultaneously but in opposite directions, whereby when, each of said rotatable means is rotated in one direction and the other rotatable means connected thereto is rotated in the opposite direction, the ends of each pair of endless track devices linked to the first and second bellcranks are displaced in either the first or second direction and when each of said rotatable means is rotated in the opposite direction, the said ends are displaced in the opposite direction, d. a plurality of fluid-actuated double-acting piston-cylinders, one of each of said piston-cylinders being connected to rotate one of said rotatable means in both directions; and e. valve control means for each of said piston-cylinders, the last means providing fluid on both sides of the piston to create a state of equilibrium in a predetermined disposition of the piston in the cylinder, but upon the application of any force upon the piston in either direction, such piston reacts to move in the direction of such force until no further force is applied to the piston, whereupon equilibrium on both sides of the piston is reestablished; whereby, when any force is developed between either pair of opposed ends of said devices by the presence of an object therebetween, such force is transmitted through said first and second bellcranks, the rotatable means and their respective linkages to their respective piston-cylinder to cause the latter to rotate said rotatable member and pivot said bellcranks to displace the opposed pair of ends of said devices away from each other, until such object no longer exerts any force between said opposed pair of ends of said devices, or is removed from a disposition between such opposed ends of said devices, whereupon the piston returns to its original equilibrium disposition.