Patent ID: 6187237
Filing Date: 2001-02-13
Classification: B29C,B29K,B29L,B32B,F16L

Abstract:
An extruder comprising:(a) rotor means and stator means for collectively defining at least first and second conical feed gaps disposed one within the other in a radial direction of the extruder, said rotor means comprising at least one rotatable rotor, said stator means comprising at least one stator, said first and second feed gaps being disposed either (i) with the first feed gap between the at least one rotor and the at least one stator and the second feed gap between the at least one rotor and a second stator or (ii) with the first feed gap between the at least one stator and the at least one rotor and the second feed gap between the at least one stator and a second rotatable rotor;(b) first supply conduit means, including a first supply conduit, for feeding material to be extruded through the first supply conduit to the first feed gap, said first supply conduit means including first adjustable means for regulating flow of the material such that the material can be caused to flow through the first supply conduit to the first feed gap at any of a plurality of different rates;(c) second supply conduit means, including a second supply conduit, for feeding the material through the second supply conduit to the second feed gap, said second supply conduit means including second adjustable means for regulating flow of the material such that the material can be caused to flow through the second supply conduit to the second feed gap at any of a plurality of different rates; said first and second adjustable means being separately adjustable; and(d) means for adjusting a speed at which the at least one rotor rotates, whereby the speed at which the at least one rotor rotates and the respective rates at which the material flows through the first and second conduits are each adjustable to regulate a temperature of the material in the extruder.