Apparatus for treating elastomeric materials

Claim 1

An improved screw press apparatus for continuous processing of elastomeric material and for mixing of a fluid into the material during the processing operation, comprising wall means defining an elongated chamber, means dividing said chamber into first and second stages each having an entrance and a discharge end, conveying and working means including a shaft rotatably mounted within said chamber and adapted to be power driven and a plurality of successive collars and worm bodies having flights thereon and mounted on said shaft with at least said worm bodies connected for rotation with said shaft, stationary breaker lugs extending between said worm flights for cooperating with said flights to provide a shearing and working action on the material, said conveying and working means having in each of said stages progressively increased size to decrease progressively the surrounding volume of the chamber in each of the stages for increasing toward the end of each stage the pressure on the material conveyed therethrough, drainage openings formed through said wall means in each of said stages of decreasing size along said stage in the same direction as the flow of the elastomeric material through said chamber of the press, said wall means being imperforate in said first stage immediately upstream of said expansion section, means forming an expansion section at said discharge end of said first stage and between said stages in which pressure on the material is effectively decreased, said expansion section also having drainage openings provided for escape of moisture and/or vapor released from the material, and means for injecting a compounding liquid into the region surrounded by the imperforate wall means for mixing of the liquid into the material.