초록

An extruder system for extruding material through a die/extrude insert in an opening in an extruder plate.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A cutting assembly for cutting a material extruded from an extruder plate, the assembly comprising: a) an extruder plate that includes an inner face and a front face and including a plurality of die openings;b) a plurality of die/extruder inserts, single die/extruder insert positioned in each of

1. A cutting assembly for cutting a material extruded from an extruder plate, the assembly comprising: a) an extruder plate that includes an inner face and a front face and including a plurality of die openings;b) a plurality of die/extruder inserts, single die/extruder insert positioned in each of said die openings, said die/extruder insert having a body that includes a front face, a back face, a side and a plurality of continuous openings from said front face to said back face, said die/extruder insert including one or more structures selected from the group consisting of i) a positioning tab positioned at or closely adjacent to said front face and extending outwardly from said side, said positioning tab designed to properly orient said die/extruder insert when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening of said die plate and ii) a friction tab positioned on said side and extending outwardly from said side of said die/extruder insert, said friction tab designed to maintain said die/extruder insert in said die opening of said extruder plate; and,c) a feed arrangement designed to feed said material toward said inner face of said extruder plate to cause said material to at least partially pass through said continuous opening while said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening of said die plate. 2. A cutting assembly for cutting a material extruded from an extruder plate, the assembly comprising: a) an extruder plate that includes an inner face and a front face and including a die opening;b) a die/extruder insert positioned in said die opening, said die/extruder insert having a body that includes a front face, a back face, a side and a continuous opening from said front face to said back face, said die/extruder insert including one or more structures selected from the group consisting of i) a positioning tab positioned at or closely adjacent to said front face and extending outwardly from said side, said positioning tab designed to properly orient said die/extruder insert when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening of said die plate and ii) a friction tab positioned on said side and extending outwardly from said side of said die/extruder insert, said friction tab designed to maintain said die/extruder insert in said die opening of said extruder plate, said die/extruder insert includes said friction tab; and,c) a feed arrangement designed to feed said material toward said inner face of said extruder plate to cause said material to at least partially pass through said continuous opening while said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening of said die plate. 3. The cutting assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said die/extruder insert includes a plurality of friction tabs. 4. The cutting assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said friction tab is at least partially tapered. 5. The cutting assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said die/extruder insert includes said positioning tab, said die opening of said die plate including a plate orientation structure designed to at least partially receive said positioning tab when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening. 6. The cutting assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said die/extruder insert includes said positioning tab, said die opening of said die plate including a plate orientation structure designed to at least partially receive said positioning tab when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening. 7. The cutting assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein said die/extruder insert includes said positioning tab, said die opening of said die plate including a plate orientation structure designed to at least partially receive said positioning tab when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening. 8. The cutting assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said feed arrangement includes an auger. 9. The cutting assembly as defined in claim 1, including a wiper blade designed to be connect to an auger or a rotating member, said wiper blade designed to be disposed adjacent said extruder plate, said wiper including at least one radially disposed blade, said blade designed to direct material into said die/extruder insert located in said die opening of said die plate. 10. An extruder system comprising of extruder plate and a plurality of die/extruder insert, said extruder plate including a front face, a back face and a plurality of die openings that pass through the extruder plate, each of said die openings designed to telescopically receive at least a majority of one of said die/extruder inserts, each of said die/extruder inserts including a body having a front face, a back face, a side and a plurality of holes that pass through said body, said plurality of holes designed to allow material to be extruded through said body, said body having a configuration designed to be at least partially telescopically inserted into one of said die openings of said extruder plate, said die/extruder insert including one or more structures selected from the group consisting of i) a positioning tab positioned at or closely adjacent to said front face and extending outwardly from said side, said positioning tab designed to properly orient said die/extruder insert when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening of said die plate and ii) a friction tab positioned on said side and extending outwardly from said side of said die/extruder insert, said friction tab designed to maintain said die/extruder insert in said die opening of said extruder plate. 11. An extruder system comprising of an extruder plate and a die/extruder insert, said extruder plate including a front face, a back face and at least one die opening that passes through the extruder plate, said die opening designed to telescopically receive at least a majority of said die/extruder insert, said die/extruder insert including a body having a front face, a back face, a side and a hole that passes through said body, said hole designed to allow material to be extruded through said body, said body having a configuration designed to be at least partially telescopically inserted into said die opening of an extruder plate, said die/extruder insert including one or more structures selected from the group consisting of i) a positioning tab positioned at or closely adjacent to said front face and extending outwardly from said side, said positioning tab designed to properly orient said die/extruder insert when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening of said die plate and ii) a friction tab positioned on said side and extending outwardly from said side of said die/extruder insert, said friction tab designed to maintain said die/extruder insert in said die opening of said extruder plate, said die/extruder insert includes said friction tab. 12. The extruder system as defined in claim 11, wherein said die/extruder insert includes a plurality of friction tabs. 13. The extruder system as defined in claim 11, wherein said friction tab is at least partially tapered. 14. The extruder system as defined in claim 10, wherein said die/extruder insert includes said positioning tab, said die opening of said die plate including a plate orientation structure designed to at least partially receive said positioning tab when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening. 15. The extruder system as defined in claim 11, wherein said die/extruder insert includes said positioning tab, said die opening of said die plate including a plate orientation structure designed to at least partially receive said positioning tab when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening. 16. The extruder system as defined in claim 13, wherein said die/extruder insert includes said positioning tab, said die opening of said die plate including a plate orientation structure designed to at least partially receive said positioning tab when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening. 17. An extruder system comprising of an extruder plate and a die/extruder insert, said extruder plate including a front face, a back face and at least one die opening that passes through the extruder plate, said die opening designed to telescopically receive at least a majority of said die/extruder insert, said die/extruder insert including a body having a front face, a back face, a side and a hole that passes through said body, said hole designed to allow material to be extruded through said body, said body having a configuration designed to be at least partially telescopically inserted into said die opening of an extruder plate, said die/extruder insert including one or more structures selected from the group consisting of i) a positioning tab positioned at or closely adjacent to said front face and extending outwardly from said side, said positioning tab designed to properly orient said die/extruder insert when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening of said die plate and ii) a friction tab positioned on said side and extending outwardly from said side of said die/extruder insert, said friction tab designed to maintain said die/extruder insert in said die opening of said extruder plate, said orientation structure is positioned on or closely adjacent to only one face of said extruder plate. 18. An extruder system comprising of an extruder plate and a die/extruder insert, said extruder plate including a front face, a back face and at least one die opening that passes through the extruder plate, said die opening designed to telescopically receive at least a majority of said die/extruder insert, said die/extruder insert including a body having a front face, a back face, a side and a hole that passes through said body, said hole designed to allow material to be extruded through said body, said body having a configuration designed to be at least partially telescopically inserted into said die opening of an extruder plate, said die/extruder insert including one or more structures selected from the group consisting of i) a positioning tab positioned at or closely adjacent to said front face and extending outwardly from said side, said positioning tab designed to properly orient said die/extruder insert when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening of said die plate and ii) a friction tab positioned on said side and extending outwardly from said side of said die/extruder insert, said friction tab designed to maintain said die/extruder insert in said die opening of said extruder plate, said orientation structure includes a recess that only partially traverses said die plate. 19. The extruder system as defined in claim 10, wherein said die opening has a varying cross-sectional area along a length of said die opening. 20. An extruder system comprising of an extruder plate, said extruder plate including a front face, a back face and at least one die opening that passes through the extruder plate, said die opening designed to telescopically receive at least a majority of a body of a die/extruder insert, said front face including a recess located adjacent to said die opening, said recess designed to receive a positioning tab on the die/extruder insert when the die/extruder insert is fully positioned in said die opening so as to ensure a proper orientation of the die/extruder insert in said die opening, said recess that only partially traverses said die plate. 21. An extruder system comprising of a die/extruder insert designed to be inserted into a die opening in an extruder plate, said die/extruder insert including a body having a front face, a back face, a side and a plurality of holes that pass through said body along a longitudinal axis of said die/extruder insert, said plurality of holes designed to allow material to be extruded through said body, said body having a configuration designed to be at least partially telescopically inserted into the die opening of an extruder plate, said die/extruder insert including one or more structures selected from the group consisting of i) a positioning tab positioned at or closely adjacent to said front face and extending outwardly from said side, said positioning tab designed to properly orient said die/extruder insert when said die/extruder insert is positioned in the die opening of the die plate, said positioning tab only extending partially along a longitudinal axis of said die/extruder insert and ii) a friction tab positioned on said side and extending outwardly from said side of said die/extruder insert, said friction tab designed to maintain said die/extruder insert in the die opening of the extruder plate. 22. An extruder system comprising of an extruder plate, said extruder plate including a front face, a back face and at least one die opening that pass through the extruder plate, said die opening designed to telescopically receive at least a portion of a body of a die/extruder insert, said die opening having a triangular shape or parallelogram shape. 23. The extruder system as defined in claim 22, including a plurality of said die openings, each of said die openings have a triangular shape or parallelogram shape. 24. The extruder system as defined in claim 22, wherein at least one of said die openings including a plate orientation structure designed to at least partially receive a positioning structure on the die/extruder insert when the die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening. 25. The extruder system as defined in claim 24, wherein said positioning structure only partially traverses said die plate. 26. An extruder system comprising of a die/extruder insert designed to be inserted into a die opening in an extruder plate, said die/extruder insert including a body having a front face, a back face, a side and a plurality of holes that pass through said body along a longitudinal axis of said die/extruder insert, said plurality of holes designed to allow material to be extruded through said body, said body having a configuration designed to be at least partially telescopically inserted into the die opening of an extruder plate, said body at least partially having a triangular shape or parallelogram shape. 27. An extruder system as defined in claim 26, wherein a majority of said body of said die/extruder insert has a triangular shape or parallelogram shape. 28. The extruder system as defined in claim 26, wherein said die/extruder insert including one or more structures selected from the group consisting of i) a positioning tab positioned at or closely adjacent to said front face and extending outwardly from said side, said positioning tab designed to properly orient said die/extruder insert when said die/extruder insert is positioned in the die opening of the die plate, said positioning tab only extending partially along a longitudinal axis of said die/extruder insert and ii) a friction tab positioned on said side and extending outwardly from said side of said die/extruder insert, said friction tab designed to maintain said die/extruder insert in the die opening of the extruder plate. 29. The cutting assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein at least two of said die openings having a triangular shape or parallelogram shape and at least a portion of said body of at least two of said die/extruder inserts having a triangular shape or parallelogram shape to enable said body of said die/extruder insert to at least partially fit into said triangular shaped or parallelogram shaped die opening. 30. The extruder system as defined in claim 10, wherein said at least one die opening has a triangular shape or parallelogram shape and at least a portion of said body of at least one of said die/extruder inserts has a triangular shape or parallelogram shape to enable said body of said die/extruder insert to at least partially fit into said triangular shaped or parallelogram shaped die opening.