Patent ID: 7070404

Claim:
A compounding extruding and blending apparatus, comprising: a blending system comprising a closed-loop auger feeder, responsive to a computer system; wherein said blending system further comprises a vacuum loader and thermoplastic dryer, and includes dual paths which either incorporate or bypass said dryer and the choice of said paths can be made through said computer; an extrusion system for forming a charge from the output of said blending system, comprising a screw, barrel, and knife, said extrusion system also responsive to said computer system; wherein said extrusion system further comprises a low shear barrier screw inside a heated barrel, said screw being retractable and movable in both horizontal directions within said barrel and responsive to head pressure generated by a melt stream that is conveyed toward one end of said barrel against a knife, wherein said knife acts as a barrier to the flow of materials produced by the natural pumping action of said screw.