Patent ID: 8236376

Claim:
A process for coating the exterior surface of a continuous strand with a powdered material, comprising the steps of: supplying the strand at a fixed speed from a supply reel; applying a coating of a hot polymer resin to said strand; admitting the resin-coated strand to an outermost chamber having an inlet aperture and an exit aperture, said inlet and outlet apertures of said outermost chamber fitting closely around said resin-coated strand; admitting the resin-coated strand to an intermediate chamber within said outermost chamber, said intermediate chamber having an inlet aperture and an exit aperture, said inlet and outlet apertures of said intermediate chamber fitting closely around said resin-coated strand; admitting the resin-coated strand to an innermost spray assembly within said intermediate chamber; spraying the powdered material onto the resin-coated strand from at least three spray nozzle assemblies disposed along the length of the spray assembly and disposed radially therearound, so that powder is sprayed onto said resin-coated strand from at least three different directions; drawing the resin-coated, powder sprayed strand in succession from within said innermost spray assembly, intermediate chamber, and outermost chamber; allowing the resin to solidify; and collecting the powder-sprayed strand on a reel.