Method of molding an elongate foamed resin article from expandable thermoplastic resin beads

Claim 1

A method of molding an elongate article from expandable thermoplastic resin beads, comprising the steps of: (a) introducing the expandable thermoplastic resin beads into a mold defining a mold cavity having first end and an opposite second end; (b) introducing steam into the mold cavity to expand and bond said beads in the mold cavity; (c) starving the beads of steam in an end zone at the first end of the mold cavity so that said beads in said end zone are not fully expanded and not fully bonded to each other; (d) allowing the beads in the mold cavity to partly expand and coalesce to form a partly formed article in the mold cavity; (e) moving the partially formed article in a direction of the second end of the mold cavity with an end face of the article which carries the partially expanded beads forming a wall in the mold cavity at a contact zone of the mold cavity intermediate the first and second ends of the mold cavity; (f) introducing fresh expandable thermoplastic resin beads into the mold cavity and into contact with the partially expanded beads in the contact zone of the mold cavity; (g) again introducing steam into the mold cavity to fully expand and fully bond the partially expanded beads and the fresh beads in the contact zone as well as remaining fresh beads in the mold cavity with the exception of fresh beads in the end zone of the mold cavity adjacent the first end of the mold cavity which are starved of steam so that the fresh beads in the end zone of the mold cavity are only partially expanded and partially bonded; and (h) repeating steps (a) to (g) until the article has reached a desired length.

Claim 2

A method of molding an elongate article from expandable thermoplastic resin beads, comprising the steps of: (a) introducing the expandable thermoplastic resin beads into a mold defining a mold cavity having first end and an opposite second end; (b) introducing steam into the mold cavity to expand and bond said beads in the mold cavity; (c) starving the beads of steam in an end zone at the first end of the mold cavity so that said beads in said end zone are not fully expanded and not fully bonded to each other; (d) allowing the beads in the mold cavity to partly expand and coalesce to form a partly formed article in the mold cavity; (e) moving the partially formed article in a direction of the second end of the mold cavity with an end face of the article which carries the partially expanded beads forming a wall in the mold cavity at a contact zone of the mold cavity intermediate the first and second ends of the mold cavity; (f) introducing fresh expandable thermoplastic resin beads into the mold cavity and into contact with the partially expanded beads in the contact zone of the mold cavity; (g) again introducing steam into the mold cavity to fully expand and fully bond the partially expanded beads and the fresh beads in the contact zone as well as remaining fresh beads in the mold cavity with the exception of fresh beads in the end zone of the mold cavity adjacent the first end of the mold cavity which are starved of steam so that the fresh beads in the end zone of the mold cavity are only partially expanded and partially bonded; and (h) repeating steps (a) to (g) until the article has reached a desired length.

Claim 4

An apparatus for molding elongated articles from expandable thermoplastic resin beads, comprising: an elongate mold wall defining a mold cavity; a steam jacket surrounding the mold wall over a length of mold wall; the mold wall having a plurality of steam ports therethrough communicating the steam ports being evenly spaced in the mold wall over one end and an intermediate portion of a length of the jacket with the steam port being spaced by a greater amount at an end zone at an opposite end of the length of the jacket so that steam supplied to the jacket will enter the mold cavity to a lesser extend adjacent the end zone than in remaining areas of the mold cavity; means for introducing expandable particulate plastic beads into the mold cavity; and means for introducing steam into the steam jacket.

Claim 5

An apparatus for molding elongated articles from expandable thermoplastic resin beads, comprising: an elongate mold wall defining a mold cavity; a steam jacket surrounding the mold wall over a length of mold wall; the mold wall having a plurality of steam ports therethrough communicating the steam ports being evenly spaced in the mold wall over one end and an intermediate portion of a length of the jacket with the steam port being spaced by a greater amount at an end zone at an opposite end of the length of the jacket so that steam supplied to the jacket will enter the mold cavity to a lesser extend adjacent the end zone than in remaining areas of the mold cavity; means for introducing expandable particulate plastic beads into the mold cavity; and means for introducing steam into the steam jacket.