초록 ▼

A continuous process and apparatus are disclosed for forming products from thermoplastic polymeric material having three-dimentional patterns and surface textures on one or both faces that may be similar or dissimilar with or without a continuously changing profile and with or without shaped edges,

A continuous process and apparatus are disclosed for forming products from thermoplastic polymeric material having three-dimentional patterns and surface textures on one or both faces that may be similar or dissimilar with or without a continuously changing profile and with or without shaped edges, such as shake shingle panels, board and batten panels, rough barn board panels, wainscoting panels, brick panels, stone panels, patterned door panels, similar structural wall panels, roofing or siding panels, ribbed soffits, fascia board, flooring reinforced with egg crate ribs, forms for pouring contoured concrete structures, and other three-dimensional pattern and surface textured plastic products which may extend in widths up to 4 feet or more and in lengths up to 20 feet or more.

대표청구항 ▼

A continuous impression molding process for making three-dimensional patterns on thermoplastic polymeric material comprising the steps of: continuously providing a heated ribbon of substantially uniform thickness of said material in a plastic state at a temperature above its glass transiton temperat

A continuous impression molding process for making three-dimensional patterns on thermoplastic polymeric material comprising the steps of: continuously providing a heated ribbon of substantially uniform thickness of said material in a plastic state at a temperature above its glass transiton temperature, initially pressing opposed endless flexible belt molds, at least one of which has a three-dimensional rubber pattern form with abrupt changes in profile extending longitudinally of the belt and in surface contour extending transversely of the belt, against opposite sides of said heated ribbon while its temperature is above its glass transition temperature, so as to displace at least a portion of said ribbon in a continuous progressive localized pinching nip action with sufficient initial pressure for impressing a three-dimensional pattern on the heated material of said ribbon, moving said opposed flexible belt molds and carrying said impressed material along between said opposed molds while exerting sufficient pressure against opposite sides of the material to retain said three-dimensional pattern therein, cooling said moving opposed molds for cooling said impressed material down to a temperature in its memory retention state to cause said cooled material to retain said three-dimensional pattern, and removing the cooled impressed material from between the opposed molds. A continuous thermoplastic product made by the process of claim 1 having a three-dimensional pattern including abrupt changes in profile extending longitudinally of the product and in contour extending transversely of the product.