Die holder member for use in cross head die apparatus

Abstract

A novel die holder member for use in co-extrusion cross-head die apparatus for applying two coating materials in inner and outer layers to an electrical wire, or the like. A body member has a through, axial bore in which a tip and die members, with respective tip and die holders, are positioned. A pair of radial bores, with which sources of two flowable coating materials communicate, extend from the exterior of the body member to the axial bore. The first coating material flows forwardly of the apparatus through a first flow passage, the second coating material flows rearwardly through a second flow passage, and the two materials flow forwardly, in superposed relation, through a third flow passage from a confluence of the first and second passages to an orifice in the die member where they are deposited in uniform, inner and outer layers, on the wire. The die holder member of the invention has frustoconical external and internal surfaces with a first, annular groove extending to and 360.degree. around the external surface. A second groove extends into and 180.degree. around the external surface and communicates through grooves at each of its ends with the first groove. A plurality of spaced openings about the periphery of the first groove communicate between the first groove and the internal surface, whereby coating material deposited in the second groove flows into and around the first groove and through the openings therein to the interior of the die holder.