Importance

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Abstract

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.

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First Claim