James W Fogarty

6432337, Aug 13, 2002

Sep 5, 2000

09/654807

James D. Fogarty - Boca Raton FL, 33428

B29C 4420

264 51, 264 53

A foam extrusion assembly having a melt region which receives and melts a plurality of material pellets, an agent addition assembly which adds a foaming agent to the melted material pellets, and a mixing assembly which substantially mixes the melted material pellets and the foaming agent with one another. The mixing assembly includes a generally elongate barrel through which the melted material pellets and the foaming agent are urged generally from an inlet to an outlet of the barrel. Furthermore, the mixing assembly includes a mixing plug in disposed in the barrel and structured to define at least two sequentially disposed flow passages along a length thereof, the flow passages, which are structured and disposed to receive the melted material pellets and the foaming agent therethrough so as to define a flow path past the mixing plug, each have at least one substantially small transverse dimension so as to restrict amounts of the melted material pellets and the foaming agent which enter the flow passage at one time, and are generally short in length so as to minimize a duration of a flow restriction at the flow passages. As a result a well homogenized extrusion mixture is provided and is passed at an extrusion temperature through a die which forms the extruded foam product.

6609818, Aug 26, 2003

Oct 16, 2000

09/688890

James D. Fogarty - Boca Raton FL, 33428

B29B 742

366 81, 366 90

A foam extrusion assembly having a melt region wherein a plurality of material pellets are melted and mixed by a mixing assembly with a blowing agent introduced via an agent addition assembly. The foam extrusion assembly further includes a heat extraction region structured to extract excess heat from the mixture of melted material pellets and blowing agent such that the mixture achieves an extrudable temperature. The heat extraction region includes an elongate barrel having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the inlet being structured to receive the extrusion mixture therethrough for passage into the barrel wherein a heat extraction structure cooperatively disposed with the barrel draws heat therefrom. An extrusion screw is disposed in the barrel and includes at least one screw flight structured to rotate within the barrel and urge the extrusion mixture towards the outlet of the barrel where a die is disposed in order to form the finished product. Moreover, the screw flight includes at least one circulation channel defined therein and structured to receive quantities of the extrusion mixture therethrough upon rotation of the extrusion screw, thereby circulating the extrusion mixture towards the barrel for more effective and uniform cooling of the extrusion mixture to an extrudable temperature prior to passage through the die.

60627182, May 16, 2000

Aug 27, 1999

9/384870

James D. Fogarty - Boca Raton FL

B29B 746
B29B 782

366 81

A thermoplastic extrusion assembly having a melt region wherein a plurality of material pellets are melted and mixed by a mixing assembly with a foaming agent, in the case of a thermoplastic foam extrusion assembly, introduced via an agent addition assembly. The thermoplastic extrusion assembly further includes a heat extraction region structured to extract excess heat from the mixture of melted material pellets such that the mixture achieves an extrudable temperature. The heat extraction region includes an elongate barrel having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the inlet being structured to receive the extrusion mixture therethrough for passage into the barrel wherein a heat extraction structure cooperatively disposed with the barrel draws heat therefrom. An extrusion screw is disposed in the barrel and includes at least one screw flight structured to rotate within the barrel and urge the extrusion mixture towards the outlet of the barrel where a die is disposed in order to form the finished product. Moreover, the screw flight includes at least one circulation channel having an asymmetrical, at least partially inwardly tapered inlet area defined therein and structured to receive quantities of the extrusion mixture therethrough upon rotation of the extrusion screw, thereby circulating the extrusion mixture towards the barrel for more effective and uniform cooling of the extrusion mixture prior to passage through the die.

60152273, Jan 18, 2000

May 26, 1998

9/085316

James Fogarty - Boca Raton FL

B29B 742

366 81

A foam extrusion assembly having a melt region wherein a plurality of material pellets are melted and mixed by a mixing assembly with a blowing agent introduced via an agent addition assembly. The foam extrusion assembly further includes a heat extraction region structured to extract excess heat from the mixture of melted material pellets and blowing agent such that the mixture achieves an extrudable temperature. The heat extraction region includes an elongate barrel having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the inlet being structured to receive the extrusion mixture therethrough for passage into the barrel wherein a heat extraction structure cooperatively disposed with the barrel draws heat therefrom. An extrusion screw is disposed in the barrel and includes at least one screw flight structured to rotate within the barrel and urge the extrusion mixture towards the outlet of the barrel where a die is disposed in order to form the finished product. Moreover, the screw flight includes at least one circulation channel defined therein and structured to receive quantities of the extrusion mixture therethrough upon rotation of the extrusion screw, thereby circulating the extrusion mixture towards the barrel for more effective and uniform cooling of the extrusion mixture to an extrudable temperature prior to passage through the die.

61133752, Sep 5, 2000

Nov 9, 1998

9/188753

James Fogarty - Boca Raton FL

B29C 4764

425 4C

A foam extrusion assembly having a melt region which receives and melts a plurality of material pellets, an agent addition assembly which adds a foaming agent to the melted material pellets, and a mixing assembly which substantially mixes the melted material pellets and the foaming agent with one another. The mixing assembly includes a generally elongate barrel through which the melted material pellets and the foaming agent are urged generally from an inlet to an outlet of the barrel. Furthermore, the mixing assembly includes a mixing plug disposed in the barrel and structured to define at least two sequentially disposed flow passages along a length thereof, the flow passages, which are structured and disposed to receive the melted material pellets and the foaming agent therethrough so as to define a flow path past the mixing plug, each have at least one substantially small transverse dimension so as to restrict amounts of the melted material pellets and the foaming agent which enter the flow passage at one time, and are generally short in length so as to minimize a duration of a flow restriction at the flow passages. As a result a well homogenized extrusion mixture is provided and is passed at an extrusion temperature through a die which forms the extruded foam product.

61320773, Oct 17, 2000

Aug 27, 1999

9/384872

James D. Fogarty - Boca Raton FL

B29B 782

366144

A method of cooling a foam extrusion mixture to an extrudable temperature as the foam extrusion mixture passes through an elongate barrel including the steps of drawing heat from a perimeter surface of the barrel, while urging the extrusion mixture through the barrel towards an outlet of the barrel, and also circulating at least some quantities of the extrusion mixture disposed a spaced apart distance from the perimeter surface of the barrel away from the outlet of the barrel and towards the perimeter surface of the barrel by passing at least some of the extrusion mixture through at least one circulation channel defined in the screw flight a spaced apart distance from the perimeter surface of the barrel, and having an asymmetrical, partially tapered inlet area that is smaller than its outlet area, thereby maximizing the quantity and flow velocity of said extrusion mixture which enters said circulation channel and disrupting a flow pattern of the extrusion mixture through the circulation channel in order to achieve substantially uniform cooling and homogenization of the extrusion mixture.