Monsanto Company

Charles L Chin

Joseph R Reilly

L John Berggren

Jon D Yonko

John M Butler

William R Wiggins

Three-dimensional laminates having improved ductility and resistance to cracking at low temperatures are produced by subjecting the formed laminates to high energy ionizing radiation to preferentially promote crosslinking in at least one layer of the laminate which layer per se has poor low temperature properties. In the preferred form a laminate useful in producing spray reducing rain flaps for vehicle tires is provided by irradiating a fusion bonded laminate comprising a three-dimensional grasslike layer of high melt index, low density polyethylene and a high density polyethylene substrate at an average dose of at least about 10 and preferably about 30 megarads. The resulting rain flap remains ductile at temperatures down to at least about minus 20.degree. F. (minus 29.degree. C.) and preferably minus 40.degree. F. (minus 40.degree. C.).

Method for irradiation of polymeric laminates and product

Apparatus for temperature-conditioning workpieces comprises a series of bar assemblies for supporting a number of elongated molded parts in side-by-side relationship, heat transfer assemblies including horizontally spaced panels extending along a chamber, means for conveying the parts supported in the bar assemblies through the chamber between the panels and rotating means operatively interconnected with the conveying means and bar assemblies for turning the parts. Infeed means sequentially release loaded bar assemblies at regular intervals to the chamber while metering means preferably driven through downstream equipment continuously release bar assemblies to the discharge end of the chamber. Reciprocable gate means allow temperature-conditioned parts to drop out of the bar assemblies to collection equipment. Process improvements include (a) varying parts conditioning time by varying the number of bar assemblies in the fixed length chamber; (b) maintaining a temperature gradient between circumferentially uneven thick and thin sections of a preform wall to be reshaped into a molecularly oriented article in order to even out wall thickness reductions occurring during stretching in the article forming step.

Method for temperature conditioning parts

Apparatus for temperature-conditioning workpieces comprises a series of bar assemblies for supporting a number of elongated molded parts in side-by-side relationship, heat transfer assemblies including horizontally spaced panels extending along a chamber, means for conveying the parts supported in the bar assemblies through the chamber between the panels and rotating means operatively interconnected with the conveying means and bar assemblies for turning the parts. Infeed means sequentially release loaded bar assemblies at regular intervals to the chamber while metering means preferably driven through downstream equipment continuously release bar assemblies to the discharge end of the chamber. Reciprocable gate means allow temperature-conditioned parts to drop out of the bar assemblies to collection equipment. Process improvements include a.) varying parts conditioning time by varying the number of bar assemblies in the fixed length chamber; b.) maintaining a temperature gradient between circumferentially uneven thick and thin sections of a preform wall to be reshaped into a molecularly oriented article in order to even out wall thickness reductions occurring during stretching in the article forming step.

Method and apparatus for temperature conditioning parts

Apparatus for feeding workpieces to and discharging formed articles from a blow mold station generally comprising base means reciprocally movable above a blow mold having one or more pairs of feed and discharge openings and including stop means for temporarily obstructing passage of a workpiece through said feed opening, means for limiting the movement of said stop means and further resilient means associated with said base means to allow continued movement of the portion of the base means containing said opening after said stop means has stopped so as to remove the obstruction at said feed opening provided by said stop means and thereby allow the workpiece to continue through the opening into the blow mold.

Growing community of inventors

Avon, CT, United States of America

Charles L Chin