Coating apparatus – Solid member or material acting on coating after application – Running length work
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-25
2003-08-26
Lamb, Brenda A. (Department: 1734)
Coating apparatus
Solid member or material acting on coating after application
Running length work
C118SDIG001, C118S420000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06610146
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a die for wirecoating a continuous strand. More particularly, the present invention relates to a die with portions that are movable with respect to each other to facilitate the threading of a strand in the die. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a wirecoated strand using the die. The invention is particularly useful in the production of wirecoated strands, which may be utilized in a subsequent process, such as the production of molded plastic articles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A continuous strand can be covered with a sheath of material, which is referred to as wirecoating the strand. A strand can be wirecoated for several reasons, including to protect the strand from external elements, to strengthen the strand, and to provide a particular material on the strand for subsequent processing. A wirecoated strand may be chopped into pellets for use in a subsequent molding process.
Wirecoating involves the application of a sheath of resin on the outer surface of a strand as it passes through a die. Strands are typically wirecoated using a die which supplies the sheath of resin circumferentially about the strand. A continuous strand is attenuated through the die. The pressure coating of strands eliminates gaps or voids in the coating. When the strand breaks, the wirecoating process is interrupted and the strand must be rethread in the die.
Some conventional dies are unitary piece dies with a central aperture through which the strand is threaded. When the strand breaks, it is difficult to rethread the strand into the die and draw the strand out the outlet of the die to continue the operation.
Some coating assemblies include die halves that move relative to each other. Examples of such coating assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,958 to Roba and U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,515 to Rosebrooks.
Roba discloses a nozzle for the application of a protective resin to an optical fiber. The nozzle includes blocks A and B that are slidably interconnected by a set of four guide rods F
1
-F
4
surrounded by respective coil springs
10
that are partly received in recesses
11
formed in the confronting block faces. A yoke
12
has a pair of legs C, D whose extremities are received in lateral notches of block A, to which they are secured by screws
14
, and which engage in similar notches
15
of block B. A screw E is threaded into a neck
16
of yoke
12
and has a captive end retained in block B so that its rotation causes the blocks to approach each other against the resistance of springs
10
. The nozzle body is produced by sliding the two aluminum blocks together. The arrangement relies on the operation of the springs
10
to separate the nozzle blocks.
Rosebrooks discloses a split coating head assembly for coating elongated strands. The head assembly includes mounting blocks
2
,
32
that are movable together about an optical fiber. The mounting blocks
2
,
32
are mounted opposite to each other on a platen
20
. The platen
20
includes a screw
50
in a block
52
for retaining the mounting blocks
2
,
32
in a tightly abutting relationship. The screw
50
is adapted to impinge upon the second mounting block
32
, which is movable. When the mounting blocks are moved together, protrusions
24
on the first block enter bores
44
on the second block to accurately align the two half-die sets. The mounting blocks
2
,
32
slide together around the fiber.
A need exists for an economical way to manufacture a wirecoated strand. Similarly, a need exists for a die in which a strand may be easily rethread to reduce the down time in the wirecoating process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The shortcomings of the prior art are overcome by the disclosed dies which facilitate the threading of a strand in the dies. Each die embodiment includes portions that move relative to each other to allow access to the area between the portions.
One embodiment of a die embodying the principles of the invention includes an upper portion and a lower portion. Each die portion includes components corresponding to substantially half of a wirecoating die. Accordingly, when the die portions are adjacent each other, they form a complete wirecoating die. In the preferred embodiment, the upper portion is moveable relative to the lower portion, which is fixed.
Each portion is coupled to a support by a conduit through which resin can be supplied to the particular die portion. The upper portion is pivotally mounted to the support for movement between an upper position in which the die is open and a lower position in which the die is closed.
This die is used in an in-line wirecoating process in which a strand is wirecoated downstream from a bushing during a fiber forming process.
Another embodiment of a die embodying the principles of the invention is a sealable-slot die. This die embodiment includes a body and a nozzle disposed in the body. The nozzle and the die body have slots which are in fluidic communication with the exterior of the die. The slots are sized to permit a strand to be thread through them and into the interior of the nozzle.
A plate with an extension is placed on the die so that the extension seals the slots after a strand is thread in the die. This die is typically used in a low pressure system, such as a string binder wirecoating process.
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Miller Thomas Scot
Peng Hong
Thomason James Laurence
Barns Stephen W.
Eckert Inger H.
Gasaway Maria C.
Lamb Brenda A.
Owens--Corning Fiberglas Technology, Inc.
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