Patent ID: 8342118
Filing Date: 2013-01-01
Classification: B05C,B29C

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for extrusion forming a sheet product, the apparatus having upstream and downstream ends and comprising: an extruder assembly comprising a sheet die through which a flowable material is delivered; and a roll stand assembly comprising a roll stack sub-assembly and a sheet take-off sub-assembly, the roll stack sub-assembly comprising first and second rolls between which a nip location is defined at which flowable material from the sheet die is delivered to define a first sheet layer, the sheet take-off sub-assembly configured to produce a force upon a first sheet component made up of at least the first sheet layer that advances the sheet component downstream towards a point of use, the roll stand assembly further comprising a coating system for applying a coating component to at least one of two oppositely facing surfaces on at least one sheet component advancing through the apparatus, the roll stand assembly constructed to be reconfigured thereby to change a path traveled by the at least one sheet component and facilitate selective application of the coating component to the at least one sheet component, wherein the roll stand assembly can be reconfigured selectively between: a) a bypass state wherein neither of the two oppositely facing surfaces on the one sheet component can have the coating component applied thereto by the coating system; and b) a first coating state wherein at least one of: i) the coating component can be applied to one of the two oppositely facing surfaces on the one sheet component; and ii) the coating component can be applied to both of the two oppositely facing surfaces on the one sheet component, wherein the coating system comprises a tank for a supply of the coating component and: i) with the roll stand assembly in the bypass state the at least one sheet component does not move through a supply of the coating component in the tank; and ii) with the roll stand assembly in the first coating state the at least one sheet component moves through a supply of the coating component in the tank so that the coating component is thereby applied to both of the two oppositely facing surfaces on the at least one sheet component, wherein the sheet take-off sub-assembly comprises third and fourth rolls that cooperatively engage the at least one sheet component so as to produce the force upon the at least one sheet component that advances the at least one sheet component towards the point of use and, with the roll stand assembly in the first coating state, performs a squeegee function to strip excess of the coating component from the at least one sheet component, wherein no other roll on the apparatus engages the at least one sheet component to perform either a squeegee function or exert an advancing force upon the at least one sheet component downstream of where the at least one sheet component advances through the tank between the tank and the third and fourth rolls.