Apparatus for making biaxially stretched tubular films

Claim 1

An apparatus for producing a biaxially stretched tubular plastic film that includes means to extrude the raw plastic film into the form of a tube, means to increase the diameter of the extruded tube form its extruded diameter to an enlarged maximum diameter by the introduction of inflation air into the interior of said tube, and a film take up means, means for passing heated air over the exterior surface of said extruded tube, the improvement consisting of a flexible flow guide arrangement for guiding said heated air uniformly over the exterior of said extruded tube over that area of the tube where the diameter is changing from its extruded diameter to its enlarged maximum diameter, said flexible flow guide arrangement comprising in combination: (a) a circular hood extending annularly around said tube, (b) a plurality of spaced apart roller supports fixed around the circumference of said hood and extending in the same direction as the direction of film movement, a roller attached to the tip end of each support, each roller being positioned to contact the bubble adjacent to the point where the extruded tube is first inflated to its maximum diameter, said roller supports having sufficient elasticity to permit said rollers to swing in a radial direction relative to the central axis of the extruded tube but being resistant to distortion in a circumferential direction, and (c) a flexible and expandable cylindrical sheet of flexible material extending between said hood and locations on said roller supports that are close to said rollers, whereby the distance between the exterior surface of the extruded sheet adjacent its point of maximum diameter and the interior of said flexible and expandable cylindrical sheet is maintained at an approximately constant and uniform value so as to thereby provide a uniform flow of heated air over the exterior surface of the extruded tube over that area of the tube where the diameter is changing from its extruded diameter to its enlarged maximum diameter.

Claim 2

An apparatus for producing a biaxially stretched tubular plastic film that includes means to extrude the raw plastic film into the form of a tube, means to increase the diameter of the extruded tube form its extruded diameter to an enlarged maximum diameter by the introduction of inflation air into the interior of said tube, and a film take up means, means for passing heated air over the exterior surface of said extruded tube, the improvement consisting of a flexible flow guide arrangement for guiding said heated air uniformly over the exterior of said extruded tube over that area of the tube where the diameter is changing from its extruded diameter to its enlarged maximum diameter, said flexible flow guide arrangement comprising in combination: (a) a circular hood extending annularly around said tube, (b) a plurality of spaced apart roller supports fixed around the circumference of said hood and extending in the same direction as the direction of film movement, a roller attached to the tip end of each support, each roller being positioned to contact the bubble adjacent to the point where the extruded tube is first inflated to its maximum diameter, said roller supports having sufficient elasticity to permit said rollers to swing in a radial direction relative to the central axis of the extruded tube but being resistant to distortion in a circumferential direction, and (c) a flexible and expandable cylindrical sheet of flexible material extending between said hood and locations on said roller supports that are close to said rollers, whereby the distance between the exterior surface of the extruded sheet adjacent its point of maximum diameter and the interior of said flexible and expandable cylindrical sheet is maintained at an approximately constant and uniform value so as to thereby provide a uniform flow of heated air over the exterior surface of the extruded tube over that area of the tube where the diameter is changing from its extruded diameter to its enlarged maximum diameter.