Apparatus for forming a stackable container

Abstract

Abstract A UNITARY, STACKABLE CONTAINER IS FORMED FROM MOLDABLE MATERIAL AND HAS INTEGRAL TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS INTERCONNECTED BY A HOLLOW, TUBULAR BODY AND FURTHER COMPRISES A STACKING INDENTATION IN THE BOTTOM MEMBER, A PAIR OF RIDGES UPSTANDING FROM THE TOP MEMBER AND BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE STACKING INDENTATION IN THE BOTTOM MEMBER OF A SIMILAR CONTAINER WHEN THE CONTAINERS ARE STACKED, THE TOP MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF THREADED, FLANGED APERTURES LOCATED ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE MEMBER, A HANDLE INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH THE TOP MEMBER AND HAVING ITS LONG AXIS POSITIONED IN A NORMAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AXIS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURES. THE METHOD OF FORMING THE ABOVE CONTAINER INCLUDES THE STEPS OF SUSPENDING A TUBE OF PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING ONE CLOSED END AND ONE OPEN END BETWEEN A PAIR OF SEPARATED MOLD HALVES, INTRODUCING AIR INTO THE TUBE THROUGH THE OPEN END FOR PARTIALLY EXPANDING THE TUBE, ENCLOSING THE PARTIALLY EXPANDED TUBE IN A CAVITY OF THE MOLD BY BRINGING THE MOLD HALVES INTO MATING REGISTRY, COMPLETING THE EXPANSION OF THE TUBE BY INTRODUCING AIR INTO THE TUBE AT A LOCATION OTHER THAN THE OPEN THEREBY CAUSING THE TUBE TO ASSUME THE CONFIGURATION OF THE CAVITY, MAINTAINING SAID EXPANDED TUBE UNDER INTERNAL AIR PRESSURE FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME, EXHAUSING AIR FROM THE EXPANDED TUBE, AND SEPARATING THE MOLD HALVES FOR REMOVAL OF THE ARTICLE FORMED. THE APPARATUS FOR FORMING THE CONTAINER COMPRISES A PAIR OF MOLD HALVES MOVABLE RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER INTO MATING REGISTRY, A PAIR OF ARTICLE BOTTOM FORMING PLATES POSITIONED ABOVE THE MOLD HALVES AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER AND INTO CONTACTING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE MOLD HALVES, A PAIR OF ARTICLE TOP FORMING PLATES LOCATED BELOW THE MOLD HALVES MOVABLE INTO MATING REGISTRY WITH ONE ANOTHER AND HAVING CAVITIES FOR FORMING THREADED, FLANGED APERTURES AND A HANDLE IN THE TOP MEMBER OF THE CONTAINER.

Inventors

• 👤 Wolfgang Liebertz
• 👤 Anthony J Starr

Bibliographic Details