Method and apparatus for forming and filling hollow plastic articles

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF FORMING AND FILLING HOLLOW PLASTIC ARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES: (A) EXTRUDING MOLDABLE PLASTIC IN UNCONFINED, CONTINUOUS, TUBULAR FORM FROM AN EXTRUDER NOZZLE WHILE SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF OPEN MOLD HALVES, IN CONTINGUOUS END-TO-END RELATIONSHIP, ARE MOVED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER; (B) IN SUCCESSION AXIALLY ALIGNING EACH PAIR OF SAID OPEN MOLD HALVES WITH SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE TO RECEIVE IN THE OPENED CAVITY OF SAID MOLD HALVES AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL BEING EXTRUDED THEREFROM; (C) IN SUCCESSION CLOSING EACH PAIR OF SAID MOLD HALVES TOGETHER WHEREBY AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE IS ENCLOSED WITHIN A MAJOR PORTION O THE MOLD CAVITY AND SAID TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL CONTAINED WITHIN A MINOR PORTION OF THE MOLD CAVITY IS ENCLOSED BY THE BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS OF SAID MOLD HALVES AND SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE; THE CLOSING OF EACH OF SAID PAIR OF MOLD HALVES EFFECTING (1) CLOSING AND SEALING OF THE END OF TUBULAR MATERIAL SPACED FROM SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE IN THE MOLD CAVITY CONTAINING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND )2) CLOSING AND SEALING OF THE OPEN END OF A PREVIOUSLY FORMED AND FILLED PLASTIC ARTICLE IN TJE CONTIGUOUS MOLD CAVITY WHICH PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED THE TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL AS HERETOFORE DESCRIBED AND UPON WHICH THE FOLLOWING STEPS (D) AND (E) WERE CARRIED OUT THEREON; (D) INTRODUCING A FLUENT MATERIAL INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL TO EXPAND SAME INTO MOLDING CONTACT WITH SAID PAIR OF MOLD HALVES, WHILE EXTRUDING TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL FROM SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND MOVING SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND PAIR OF MOLD HALVES WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER AT A SPEED SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALING THE EXTRUSION SPEED, SUCH THAT THE RELATIVE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID PAIR OF MOLD HALVES WITH RESPECT TO SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE IS THE SAME AS THE DIRECTION OF EXTRUSION, THE FLUENT MATERIAL BEING INTRODUCED INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL AT A RATE SUCH THAT THE TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL IS EXPANDED AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME RATE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND BOTTOM WALL OF THE MOLD CAVITY IS INCREASED BY THE OF MOLD HALVES; RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND PAIR (E) TERMINATING THE INTRODUCTION OF SAID FLUENT MATERIAL BEFORE THE TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL IS EXPANDED BEYOND THE TOP OF THE PAIR OF MOLD HALVES; (F) COOLING THE FORMED AND FILLED PLASTIC ARTICLE SO THAT SAME WILL SUBSTANTIALLY RETAIN ITS MOLDED FORM; (G) OPENING THE PAIR OF MOLD HALVES CONTAINING THE FILLED AND FORMED PLASTIC ARTICLE AND REMOVING SAME FROM SAID PAIR OF MOLD HALVES.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF FORMING AND FILLING HOLLOW PLASTIC ARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES: (A) EXTRUDING MOLDABLE PLASTIC IN UNCONFINED, CONTINUOUS, TUBULAR FORM FROM AN EXTRUDER NOZZLE WHILE SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF OPEN MOLD HALVES, IN CONTINGUOUS END-TO-END RELATIONSHIP, ARE MOVED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER; (B) IN SUCCESSION AXIALLY ALIGNING EACH PAIR OF SAID OPEN MOLD HALVES WITH SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE TO RECEIVE IN THE OPENED CAVITY OF SAID MOLD HALVES AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL BEING EXTRUDED THEREFROM; (C) IN SUCCESSION CLOSING EACH PAIR OF SAID MOLD HALVES TOGETHER WHEREBY AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE IS ENCLOSED WITHIN A MAJOR PORTION O THE MOLD CAVITY AND SAID TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL CONTAINED WITHIN A MINOR PORTION OF THE MOLD CAVITY IS ENCLOSED BY THE BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS OF SAID MOLD HALVES AND SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE; THE CLOSING OF EACH OF SAID PAIR OF MOLD HALVES EFFECTING (1) CLOSING AND SEALING OF THE END OF TUBULAR MATERIAL SPACED FROM SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE IN THE MOLD CAVITY CONTAINING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND )2) CLOSING AND SEALING OF THE OPEN END OF A PREVIOUSLY FORMED AND FILLED PLASTIC ARTICLE IN TJE CONTIGUOUS MOLD CAVITY WHICH PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED THE TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL AS HERETOFORE DESCRIBED AND UPON WHICH THE FOLLOWING STEPS (D) AND (E) WERE CARRIED OUT THEREON; (D) INTRODUCING A FLUENT MATERIAL INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL TO EXPAND SAME INTO MOLDING CONTACT WITH SAID PAIR OF MOLD HALVES, WHILE EXTRUDING TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL FROM SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND MOVING SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND PAIR OF MOLD HALVES WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER AT A SPEED SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALING THE EXTRUSION SPEED, SUCH THAT THE RELATIVE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID PAIR OF MOLD HALVES WITH RESPECT TO SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE IS THE SAME AS THE DIRECTION OF EXTRUSION, THE FLUENT MATERIAL BEING INTRODUCED INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL AT A RATE SUCH THAT THE TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL IS EXPANDED AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME RATE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND BOTTOM WALL OF THE MOLD CAVITY IS INCREASED BY THE OF MOLD HALVES; RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID EXTRUDER NOZZLE AND PAIR (E) TERMINATING THE INTRODUCTION OF SAID FLUENT MATERIAL BEFORE THE TUBULAR PLASTIC MATERIAL IS EXPANDED BEYOND THE TOP OF THE PAIR OF MOLD HALVES; (F) COOLING THE FORMED AND FILLED PLASTIC ARTICLE SO THAT SAME WILL SUBSTANTIALLY RETAIN ITS MOLDED FORM; (G) OPENING THE PAIR OF MOLD HALVES CONTAINING THE FILLED AND FORMED PLASTIC ARTICLE AND REMOVING SAME FROM SAID PAIR OF MOLD HALVES.