Nomacorc LLC

Nomaco Inc.

Nmc of North America, Inc.

Eduardo Lauer

Michael W Allman

Randal Lee Henderson

Gert Noel

Michael P Laughner

Julian Thomas Young

Bangshu Cao

Daniel Robert Bartholomew

Mark Stearly

Jeremy Fetvedt

Randal Henderson

Marco Josef Kirch

Marco Josef Otto Kirch

By providing a high speed welding system for fusing adjacent foam profiles in a continuous manufacturing operation, a unique, integrated, foam welding and profile manufacturing system is attained which is capable of producing virtually any desired foam product from foam extrusions without requiring the use of expensive molds or forming components, and which significantly reduces expensive scrap found in prior art construction systems. In accordance with the teaching of the present invention, any desired cross-sectional shape or configuration is capable of being manufactured in fully automated, high-volume, rapid production conditions, with virtual ease and simplicity. Furthermore, by employing the present invention, foam profiles which previously were unattainable due to their structural configurations, are quickly and easily constructed in a mass production operation.

Foam welding and profile manufacturing system

By achieving an extruded, foamed core formed from plastic material peripherally surrounded and integrally bonded with a plurality of cooperating synthetic, plastic, extruded, outer layers, a unique, multi-component, multi-layer synthetic closure is provided which may be employed as a bottle closure or stopper for any desired product, whether the product is a liquid, a viscous material, or a solid distributed in a bottle or container and dispensed through the open portal of the container neck. The present invention achieves a mass producible, resilient, synthetic bottle closure which is employable for any desired bottle, including wine. By employing the present invention, a multi-component or multi-layer synthetic closure is attained which possesses physical properties substantially equal to or better than the physical properties found in cork material, which has caused such cork material to be the principal closure material for wine bottles.

Synthetic closure

By providing an elongated profile which incorporates a plurality of indentations formed therein, a load bearing/cushioning/supporting element is realized. By employing this construction, the element accommodates large strain under force, and shows good resiliency and repeated recovery. The element can be produced from a continuous extrusion process with immediate manipulation to re-shape the extrusion profile, or secondary thermal forming process which follows the extrusion process, or blow molding process, or injection molding process.

Load bearing or cushioning elements and method of manufacture

A plastic foamed synthetic closure for use with liquid bearing containers which closely simulates natural cork products is realized by incorporating color concentrates into the polymer melt and forming the color concentrates into elongated streaks. The desired emulation is further enhanced by arcuately pivoting the foamed plastic material during the production to form curved or sinusoidal-shaped streaks. This invention also provides manufacturing methods for mass producing individual products in a continuous motion casting system wherein fully complete products are formed in polymer casting members, which receive foam material exiting from the die and allow the foamed material to be formed in a continuous operation in the casting members. Finally, the present invention also teaches a unique system for maintaining and delivering carbon dioxide in its supercritical phase for use as a blowing agent.

Synthetic closure and manufacturing process thereof

By achieving an extruded, foamed core formed from plastic material peripherally surrounded and integrally bonded with a cooperating synthetic, plastic, extruded, outer layer, a unique, multi-component, multi-layer synthetic closure is provided which may be employed as a bottle closure or stopper for any desired product, whether the product is a liquid, a viscous material, or a solid distributed in a bottle or container and dispensed through the open portal of the container neck. The present invention achieves a mass producible, resilient, synthetic bottle closure which is employable for any desired bottle, including wine. By employing the present invention, a multi-component or multi-layer synthetic closure is attained which possesses physical properties substantially equal to or better than the physical properties found in cork material, which has caused such cork material to be the principal closure material for wine bottles.

In the present invention, hollow thermoplastic foam tubes of any desired diameter are easily achieved as well as large sheets or planks of thermoplastic foam material in any width and thickness desired by spirally wrapping and fusing a thermoplastic foam profile having a desired size and shape. By employing a thermoplastic foam extruder to produce a profile having a desired cross-sectional shape or configuration, and advancing the profile onto a rotating support member for being wrapped peripherally surrounding the rotating support and continuously bonding the abutting edges of the profile as the profile is spirally wound, a unique spiral forming and product manufacturing procedure and system is realized. By employing this unique spiral forming process, a hollow cylindrical thermoplastic foam tube is formed on a continuous basis, with the length thereof being controlled only by the needs of the customer. In addition, any desired diameter can be formed, by employing one or more cooperating rotating support members having a desired diameter, with the thickness of the tube being controlled by the thickness of the profile formed by the extrusion equipment.

Spiral formed products and method of manufacture

By employing a unique manufacturing process, unique manufacturing equipment, or a unique combination of materials, a fully integrated, multilayer foamed thermoplastic or elastomeric member or profile having a core member peripherally surrounded by an outer protective layer is attained which is virtually incapable of being removed from said core member. By effectively melting the adjacent surfaces of the foamed layers being interengaged, a core member having any desired cross-sectional shape is produced and is peripherally surrounded with an outer layer integrally bonded thereto. In one aspect of the present invention, metallocene catalyzed plastic material is employed in forming the core member to impart desirable physical attributes thereto. In an alternate aspect of the present invention, a manufacturing method or processing equipment are employed for assuring the integral bonded engagement of the outer protective layer to the core member, on a mass produced basis, which assures secure, affixed, bonded interengagement of the protective layer to the core member.

Integrally bonded, multilayer foamed product

By providing a multi-layered, self-sealing, adhesive system constructed for being laminated directly to a thermoplastic or elastomeric elongated tube, a highly effective, easily employed, closure system for securely sealing the elongated slit of elongated, thermoplastic or elastomeric tubes is obtained. In the preferred embodiment, the multi-layered, self-adhering, sealing system of this invention is manufactured in a substantially continuous elongated strip and incorporates a laminating film layer and a film support layer. In this way, secure, integral bonded affixation of the sealing system to the elongated tube is attained in a unique cost-effective, highly efficient manufacturing process. In addition, by integrally affixing the laminating film layer and the film support layer along both sides of the elongated slit of the tube, an adhesive engaging surface is provided for assuring secure, leak-free sealed closure of the elongated tube.

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Zebulon, NC, United States of America

Eduardo Lauer