US3704970A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus for reinforced plastic molding
Assignee: LITEWATE TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT C
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Filing: 1970-05-12
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Granted: 1972-12-05
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Expires: 1990-05-12
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for molding insulated reinforced plastic structures for use as refrigerated cargo containers and truck or trailer bodies. The insulated reinforced plastic structures have substantially parallel opposed sides and are molded as a unitary structure in a single molding operation. Glass fiber reinforcing materials, which include an insulating core material, are placed in the bottom of a female mold and up against the sides. A somewhat loose fitting mandrel braced vertically but which may later be expanded laterally, is lowered down in between the materials at the sides and on top of materials at the bottom. Further glass fiber reinforcing materials, including a core material, are placed on top of the mandrel. A male mold is lowered in place on top of these materials but somewhat short of full final closing. A free flowing liquid plastic resin is pumped within the space defined by the male and female molds and the mandrel. The free flowing liquid plastic resin impregnates the glass fiber reinforcing and wets the surfaces of the core material. The male mold is closed fully downward and the mandrel expanded fully laterally, compressing the glass fiber reinforcing and compacting the entire material assembly in its final form. The liquid plastic resin then hardens, the molds are opened, and the molding is removed from the mold.
Inventors
- 👤 John F Reeves
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 17:27
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25D; F25D23/00; F25D23/06; F25D23/062; F25D23/064; B; B29; B29C; B29C33/00; B29C33/44; B29C33/48; B29C33/485; B29C70/00; B29C70/04; B29C70/06; B29C70/10; B29C70/28; B29C70/40; B29C70/42; B29C70/46; B29C70/68; B29C70/86; B29D; B29D22/00; B29D99/00; B29D99/001; B29D99/0021; B62; B62D; B62D33/00; B62D33/04; B62D33/048; B65; B65D; B65D90/00; B65D90/02; B65D90/022; E; E04; E04C; E04C2/00; E04C2/02; E04C2/10; E04C2/20; E04C2/205; B29K; B29K2105/00; B29K2105/04; B29K2105/06; B29K2105/08; B29K2105/0809; B29K2995/00; B29K2995/0012; B29K2995/0015; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/30; B29L2031/3055; B29L2031/712; B29L2031/7126; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S220/00; Y10S220/902
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
In an apparatus for producing unitary reinforced plastic moldings from a lay-up impregnated with a liquid thermo-setting resin, a female mold cavity forming an upwardly open cavity and a movable male mold adapted to be inserted within and moved downwardly into said female mold cavity to a predetermined final closed position defining a molding enclosure space having opposed substantially parallel side walls and an end wall, against which walls said lay-up is adapted to be disposed, and an expandable mandrel within said lay-up covered mold cavity and having relatively rigid side walls substantially parallel to said side walls defining said mold cavity and a relatively rigid end wall substantially parallel to said end wall of said mold cavity, said mandrel including means to expand outwardly at least a pair of its walls to bring them in closer proximity to the lay-up covered walls defining the cavity of said mold.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
149 words
In an apparatus for producing unitary reinforced plastic moldings from a lay-up impregnated with a liquid thermo-setting resin, a female mold cavity forming an upwardly open cavity and a movable male mold adapted to be inserted within and moved downwardly into said female mold cavity to a predetermined final closed position defining a molding enclosure space having opposed substantially parallel side walls and an end wall, against which walls said lay-up is adapted to be disposed, and an expandable mandrel within said lay-up covered mold cavity and having relatively rigid side walls substantially parallel to said side walls defining said mold cavity and a relatively rigid end wall substantially parallel to said end wall of said mold cavity, said mandrel including means to expand outwardly at least a pair of its walls to bring them in closer proximity to the lay-up covered walls defining the cavity of said mold.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the expandable walls of said mandrel include at least a pair of said opposed side walls and said end wall of said mandrel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means to expand outwardly said walls of said mandrel comprise outwardly extensible jack members which are mechanically actuatable to expand said mandrel walls outward.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means to expand said walls of said mandrel comprise a plurality of outwardly extensible jack members arranged along the length of said mandrel between said opposed side walls and between said end wall and an internal support member in said mandrel, said plurality of jack members being arranged along at least two different elevations within said mandrel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means to expand said walls of said mandrel outwardly comprises means to initiate hydraulic expansion of said walls.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
130 words
An apparatus for molding a lay-up, impregnated with a liquid thermo-setting resin, into a unitary reinforced plastic molded structure, said apparatus comprising a female mold cavity having spaced opposing side walls, a bottom wall, an end wall, against which said lay-up is adapted to be disposed, and an opening opposite said end wall, expandable means insertable within said lay-up covered mold cavity and having relatively rigid side walls substantially parallel to said cavity side walls and an end wall substantially parallel to said cavity end wall to define top and end wall molding passages for said liquid resin, said expandable means including means to displace said relatively rigid side walls of said expandable means into closer proximity to said cavity walls whereby said mold passages may be reduced in thickness.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
130 words
An apparatus for molding a lay-up, impregnated with a liquid thermo-setting resin, into a unitary reinforced plastic molded structure, said apparatus comprising a female mold cavity having spaced opposing side walls, a bottom wall, an end wall, against which said lay-up is adapted to be disposed, and an opening opposite said end wall, expandable means insertable within said lay-up covered mold cavity and having relatively rigid side walls substantially parallel to said cavity side walls and an end wall substantially parallel to said cavity end wall to define top and end wall molding passages for said liquid resin, said expandable means including means to displace said relatively rigid side walls of said expandable means into closer proximity to said cavity walls whereby said mold passages may be reduced in thickness.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said expandable means includes means for displacing said end wall of said expandable means into closer proximity to said end wall of said cavity wall.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
80 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said female cavity includes an opening disposed opposite said bottom wall, male mold means disposed in said opening parallel to and spaced from said bottom wall to provide a top wall and wherein said expandable means includes a top wall and a bottom wall spaced in parallel relationsHip to said top wall defined by said wall mold and said female cavity mold means respectively to define top and bottom wall molding passages.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said male mold is movably mounted for movement toward said bottom wall of said cavity whereby said top and bottom wall molding passages may be decreased in thickness.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said expandable means is self-centering is said female cavity when said molding passages are filled with a liquid plastic.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said top and bottom walls of said expandable means are rigidly braced to maintain a fixed spaced relationship therebetween.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said means to displace said side walls of said expandable means comprises fluid operated means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said means to displace said side walls and said end walls of said expandable means includes jack members.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention as defined in claim 13 wherein said jack members are disposed along at least two different elevations.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-12-05 | 1976-06-05 | 1976-12-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-12-05 | 1980-06-05 | 1980-12-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-12-05 | 1984-06-05 | 1984-12-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |