The Procter Gamble Company

Thomas R Ballard

Eugene R Sorensen

Paul R Louis

Apparatus for texturing a running ribbon of thermoplastic sheet material or film. The apparatus causes a ribbon of such film to be forwarded from a supply such as a roll of thermoplastic material, thence about a circumferentially extending portion of a rotating texturing cylinder, and then downstream where the textured film may be further processed or where it may be wound on a spool to form a roll thereof. The texturing cylinder comprises a tubular member having a coating of spheroidal particles adhered to the surface thereof. While the film is in contact with the texturing cylinder, it is both heated and urged against the texturing cylinder, causing the film to assume the textured image of the texturing cylinder. The apparatus may further control tension in the film both upstream and downstream of the texturing cylinder at predetermined constant levels. A method of making the texturing cylinder is also disclosed in which an epoxy film having spheroidal particles dispersed therein is electrostatically coated onto the radially outwardly facing surface of the texturing cylinder.

Apparatus for texturing a thermoplastic film

A method of and apparatus for texturing a running ribbon of thermoplastic sheet material or film. The apparatus causes a ribbon of such film to be forwarded from a supply such as a roll of thermoplastic material, then about a circumferentially extending portion of a rotating texturing cylinder, and then downstream where the textured film may be further processed or where it may be wound on a spool to form a roll thereof. The texturing cylinder comprises a tubular member having a coating of spheroidal particles adhered to the surface thereof. While the film is in contact with the texturing cylinder, it is both heated and urged against the texturing cylinder, causing the film to assume the textured image of the texturing cylinder. The apparatus may further control tension in the film both upstream and downstream of the texturing cylinder at predetermined constant levels. A method of making the texturing cylinder is also disclosed in which an epoxy film having spheroidal particles dispersed therein is electrostatically coated onto the radially outwardly facing surface of the texturing cylinder.

Growing community of inventors

Sycamore Township, OH, United States of America

Thomas R Ballard