Corrugation apparatus

Claim 2

In apparatus for the continuous longitudinal corrugation of hot sheets of thermoplastic material having a predetermined speed and direction of movement along a flow path through the apparatus, the improvement comprising, in combination: a. first and second tray means arranged opposite one another and having corrugating fingers arranged in an interdigitating manner for defining a predetermined longitudinal corrugation in a sheet moving longitudinally along the flow path through the apparatus; and b. means associated with each of said tray means and arranged for movement in the direction of movement of the sheets of thermoplastic material at a speed substantially the same as the speed of the sheets of Material and being a plurality of endless elements formed of metallic wires fastened together end-to-end.

Claim 3

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said tray means is mounted for selective movement toward and away from the other of said tray means.

Claim 4

In apparatus for the continuous corrugation of hot sheets of thermoplastic material having a predetermined speed and direction of movement along a flow path through the apparatus, the improvement comprising, in combination: a. first and second tray means arranged opposite one another and mounted for selective movement toward and away from each other, each tray means having corrugating fingers formed by a plurality of U-shaped shells and arranged in an interdigitating manner for defining a predetermined corrugation in a sheet moving along the flow path through the apparatus; b. means associated with each of said tray means and arranged for movement in the direction of movement of the sheets of thermoplastic material at a speed substantially the same as the speed of the sheets of material and being a plurality of endless elements formed of metallic wires fastened together end-to-end; and c. movable endless chains, with said U-shaped shells mounted on said endless chains and each having a pair of legs each of which defines a notch dimensioned to receive and hold a respective one of said endless elements and arranged to put said endless elements in contact with the sheets of thermoplastic material.

Claim 5

In apparatus for the continuous corrugation of hot sheets of thermoplastic material having a predetermined speed and direction of movement along a flow path through the apparatus, the improvement comprising, in combination: a. first and second tray means arranged opposite one another and mounted for selective movement toward and away from each other, each tray means having corrugating fingers formed by a plurality of U-shaped shells and arranged in an interdigitating manner for defining a predetermined corrugation in a sheet moving along the flow path through the apparatus; b. means associated with each of said tray means and arranged for movement in the direction of movement of the sheets of thermoplastic material at a speed substantially the same as the speed of the sheets of material and being a plurality of endless elements formed of metallic wires fastened together end-to-end; and c. movable endless chains, with said U-shaped shells mounted on said endless chains and each having a pair of legs each of which defines a notch dimensioned to receive and hold a respective one of said endless elements and arranged to put said endless elements in contact with the sheets of thermoplastic material.

Claim 6

An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said endless elements and said shells have return paths and the return paths of said endless elements are different from the return paths of said shells and have radiuses of curvature dimensioned to maintain the stresses in said endless elements below the limit of elasticity of the metallic material from which said endless elements are made.

Claim 7

An apparatus as defined in claim 4, further including means arranged adjacent the beginning and the end of the return path of each of said endless elements for guiding said endless elements and for directly arranging said endless elements in said notches.

Claim 8

An apparatus as defined in claim 5, further including means arranged adjacent the end of the return path of each of said endless elements for heating said endless elements.

Claim 9

An apparatus as defined in claim 6, further including means for cooling the corrugated sheet and said endless elements and arranged after the point where the sheet of thermoplastic material is completely brought to the corrugated desired form.