Apparatus for producing polyurethane foam

Claim 2

Apparatus for producing a continuous strand of polymeric foam from a mixture of liquid foam reactants, which comprises a. a vessel in which liquid foam reactants may expand upwardly; b. means for supplying liquid foam reactants to the bottom of said vessel; c. weir means so arranged adjacent the upper portion of said vessel that the foam which rises by expansion in said vessel flows over said weir means; and d. open-topped channel-shaped conveyor means for conveying foam away from said weir means.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said vessel comprises a trough having a length dimension in a direction parallel with said weir means which corresponds with the width of the foam strand to be produced.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the width of said trough increases with trough height.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including at least one baffle plate arranged in the lower part of the trough for dividing the trough into a plurality of sections.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said reactant supplying means is operable to supply reactants separately and simultaneously to each of said trough sections.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further including means for adjusting the horizontal cross-sectional configuration of said vessel.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said conveyor means comprises a pair of parallel spaced vertical side wall sheets and a bottom wall sheet arranged to define a channel configuration, each of said side and bottom wall sheets being supplied from a separate supply roll, respectively.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said conveyor means further includes an endless belt conveyor the conveying reach of which moves in a direction away from said vessel in supporting engagement with said bottom sheet, said bottom sheet being drawn from its supply roll upwardly past said vessel by said belt conveyor.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said weir means includes a horizontal roller arranged above an upper lip portion of said vessel, said bottom sheet extending from its supply roll successively over said roller and onto the conveyor reach of said endless belt conveyor means, whereby said bottom sheet constitutes a portion of said weir structure.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, and further including a downwardly inclined fall plate intermediate said weir means and the conveying reach of said belt conveyor means, said bottom sheet being supported by and moving down said fall plate prior to reaching the belt conveyor.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 10, and further including means for adjusting the angle of inclination of said fall plate.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 11, and further including means for adjusting the surface contour of said fall plate.

Claim 14

Apparatus for producing a continuous strand of polymeric foam from a mixture of liquid foam reactants, comprising a. a vessel in which liquid foam reactants may expand upwardly; b. means for supplying liquid foam reactants to the bottom of said vessel; c. weir means so arranged adjacent the upper portion of said vessel that the foam which rises by expansion in said vessel flows over said weir means, said weir means including a horizontal roller adjacent an upper lip portion of said vessel; d. open-topped channel-shaped conveyor means for conveying foam away from said weir structure, said conveyor means including a pair of parallel spaced vertical side wall sheets and a bottom wall sheet arranged to define a channel configuration, each of said side and bottom wall sheets being supplied from a separate supply roll, respectively, said bottom sheet extending successively from its supply roll over said roller and away from said weir means; e. and means for controlling the amount of foam flowing at different points along said weir means, thereby to control the top surface shape oF the expanded foam in said channel-shaped conveyor means.

Claim 15

Apparatus for producing a continuous strand of polymeric foam from a mixture of liquid foam reactants, comprising a. a vessel in which liquid foam reactants may expand upwardly; b. means for supplying liquid foam reactants to the bottom of said vessel; c. weir means so arranged adjacent the upper portion of said vessel that the foam which rises by expansion in said vessel flows over said weir means, said weir means including a horizontal roller adjacent an upper lip portion of said vessel; d. open-topped channel-shaped conveyor means for conveying foam away from said weir structure, said conveyor means including a pair of parallel spaced vertical side wall sheets and a bottom wall sheet arranged to define a channel configuration, each of said side and bottom wall sheets being supplied from a separate supply roll, respectively, said bottom sheet extending successively from its supply roll over said roller and away from said weir means; e. and means for controlling the amount of foam flowing at different points along said weir means, thereby to control the top surface shape oF the expanded foam in said channel-shaped conveyor means.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said foam flow control means comprises a boom connected with said vessel lip portion and extending parallel with said weir means, said boom being shaped along its length so as to produce a varying distribution of foam flow along the length of said boom.

Claim 17

Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said foam flow control means comprises an apron of sheet material attached to said vessel lip and overlying said bottom sheet, the free edge of said apron being contoured to produce varying degrees of restraint of foam flow across said apron.

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the upstream end of said belt conveyor is adjacent an upper lip portion of said vessel, said bottom sheet extending from its supply roll adjacent said lip portion, around the upstream end of the belt conveyor and in supported engagement with said belt conveyor, whereby the upstream end of the belt conveyor and the region of the bottom sheet overlying said end constitute said weir means.

Claim 19

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said vessel comprises a trough supported within said channel-shaped conveyor means with minimum clearance from the bottom sheet portion thereof, said trough including an elevated lip portion, and a downwardly-directed fall plate portion extending from said lip portion to a position adjacent the conveyor bottom, said lip portion constituting said weir structure.

Claim 20

Apparatus as defined in claim 17, and further including an apron of sheet material attached to said trough and extending downstream of the conveyor beneath the lower edge of said fall plate and overlying the conveyor bottom, said apron serving to restrain flow of foam from the fall plate onto the conveyor.

Claim 21

Apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the free edge of said apron is contoured to produce varying degrees of restraint on foam across said apron.

Claim 22

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said vessel has an overhanging lip which comprises a portion of said weir means, and further including a horizontal roller arranged beneath and spaced from said overhanging lip, said bottom sheet passing from said supply roll through the space between said roller and said overhanging lip and being entrained over said roller prior to being supported by said belt conveyor.