US3748075A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Molding apparatus
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-07-29
•
Granted: 1973-07-24
•
Expires: 1991-07-29
Abstract
Abstract An improved apparatus for molding thermosetting material, such as strips of uncured mill rubber or other thermosetting elastomers, includes a preheater assembly which preheats the thermosetting material to a temperature which is below its curing temperature. A movable pot receives at least a portion of a charge of the preheated strip material at a loading station. The pot is then moved to a discharge or unloading station where a ram assembly is extended to force the thermosetting material from the pot into a mold. The ram assembly is then retracted and the pot is returned to the loading station. The pot is then filled so as to contain a charge which includes both preheated strip material and thermosetting material which was not forced into the mold on the previous cycle of operation. The pot is cooled at the loading station to maintain thermosetting material in the pot at a temperature below its curing or setting temperature. As the pot is being loaded, a slide block applies pressure against the mold and heats the thermosetting material in the mold to a temperature above its setting temperature.
Inventors
- 👤 D Taylor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 01:10
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C45/00; B29C45/02; B29C2045/027; B29C2045/028
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 44
Claim 1
Independent Claim
134 words
An apparatus for forming molded articles from an elongated strip of material, said apparatus comprising preheater means for preheating at least a portion of the elongated strip of material, pot means spaced from said preheater for receiving a charge of preheated strip material from said preheater means, said pot means having at least one discharge opening through which preheated material may pass from said pot means into a mold, means for loading at least a portion of a charge of preheated strip material from said preheater means into said pot means, and means spaced from said preheater means for pressurizing a charge of preheated material in said pot means to force at least a portion of the charge of preheated material to flow from said pot means through said discharge opening into the mold.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
134 words
An apparatus for forming molded articles from an elongated strip of material, said apparatus comprising preheater means for preheating at least a portion of the elongated strip of material, pot means spaced from said preheater for receiving a charge of preheated strip material from said preheater means, said pot means having at least one discharge opening through which preheated material may pass from said pot means into a mold, means for loading at least a portion of a charge of preheated strip material from said preheater means into said pot means, and means spaced from said preheater means for pressurizing a charge of preheated material in said pot means to force at least a portion of the charge of preheated material to flow from said pot means through said discharge opening into the mold.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
64 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said preheater means includes means for heating at least a portion of an elongated strip of material, said means for loading a charge of preheated strip material into said pot means including means for severing a preheated end portion from the strip of material and for loading the severed end portion into said pot means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
100 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pot means includes wall means for defining a cavity for holding a charge of preheated strip meterial, said means for loading a charge of preheated strip material into said pot means including feed means for positioning a preheated end portion of the strip of material across said cavity, piston means cooperable with said wall means to sever the preheated end portion from the strip of material, and means for effecting relative movement between said wall means and piston means to sever the preheated end portion from the strip of material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said preheater means includes a purality of flat elongated surfaces, heater means for heating said surfaces, and means for pressing said surfaces against opposite sides of a portion of the strip of material to heat the portion of the strip of material engaged by said surfaces.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said preheater means further includes means for moving the heated portion of the strip of material from said preheater means to said means for loading a charge of preheated strip material into said pot means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said means for moving the heated portion of the strip of material includes drive means for moving said surfaces relative to said means for loading a charge of preheated strip material into said pot means.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
206 words
An apparatus for forming molded articles from strip material, said apparatus comprising preheater means for preheating the strip material, pot means for receiving a charge of preheated strip material, said pot means having at least one discharge opening through which preheated material may pass from said pot means into a mold, means for loading at least a portion of a charge of a preheated strip material from said preheater means into said pot means, means for pressurizing a charge of preheated material in said pot means to force at least a portion of the charge of preheated material to flow from said pot means through said dIscharge opening into the mold, and means for moving said pot means between a loading station at which the discharge opening in said pot means is spaced from an entrance opening to the mold and an unloading station at which the discharge opening in said pot means is disposed adjacent to the entrance opening to the mold, said means for loading a charge of preheated strip material from said preheater means into said pot means being located at said loading station, said means for pressurizing a charge of strip material in said pot means being located at said unloading station.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
206 words
An apparatus for forming molded articles from strip material, said apparatus comprising preheater means for preheating the strip material, pot means for receiving a charge of preheated strip material, said pot means having at least one discharge opening through which preheated material may pass from said pot means into a mold, means for loading at least a portion of a charge of a preheated strip material from said preheater means into said pot means, means for pressurizing a charge of preheated material in said pot means to force at least a portion of the charge of preheated material to flow from said pot means through said dIscharge opening into the mold, and means for moving said pot means between a loading station at which the discharge opening in said pot means is spaced from an entrance opening to the mold and an unloading station at which the discharge opening in said pot means is disposed adjacent to the entrance opening to the mold, said means for loading a charge of preheated strip material from said preheater means into said pot means being located at said loading station, said means for pressurizing a charge of strip material in said pot means being located at said unloading station.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
171 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said pot means includes wall means defining an open cavity, said means for pressurizing a charge of strip material in said pot means including ram means which is disposed in axial alignment with said cavity when said pot means is at the unloading station and means for effecting relative movement between said ram means and said pot means to extrude at least a portion of the charge of preheated strip material from said pot means to the mold, said means for moving said pot means between the loading and unloading stations including piston and cylinder means operatively connected with said pot means and means for effecting operation of said piston and cylinder means to move said pot means between the loading station in which the open cavity in said pot means is offset to one side of said ram means and the unloading station at which the open cavity in said pot means in disposed in axial alignment with said ram means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
97 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 further including movable heater means for applying heat to material in the mold, said means for moving said pot means between the loading and unloading stations including means for moving said heater means from an inactive position disposed to one side of the mold to the unloading station simultaneously with movement of said pot means from the unloading station to the loading station to enable said heater means to heat material in the mold while a charge of material is loaded into said pot means at the loading station.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 9 further including cooling means for maintaining the temperature of material in said pot means below a predetermined temperature during heating of the material in the mold by said heater means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
68 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 further including retainer means for applying pressure to the mold, said means for moving said pot means between the loading and unloading stations including means for moving said retainer means from an inactive position disposed to one side of the mold to the unloading station simultaneously with movement of said pot means from the unloading station to the loading station.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
76 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 further including heater means for applying heat to the material in the mold, said heater means being mounted on said retainer means for movement therewith from the inactive position to the unloading station simultaneously with movement of said pot means from the unloading station to the loading station to enable said heater means to heat material in the mold while said retainer means applies pressure to the mold.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
221 words
An apparatus for use in molding a material, said apparatus comprising a mold assembly defining an entrance opening to a mold cavity, said mold assembly including a plurality of relatively movable parts, movable pot means for holding a charge of the material, said pot means having at least one discharge opening through which the material may pass from said pot means to the entrance opening to the mold cavity, means for moving said pot means between a loading position in which the discharge opening is spaced from the entrance opening to the mold cavity and an unloading position in which the discharge opening is adjacent to the entrance opening to the mold cavity, said pot means being effective at the unloading position to apply pressure to said mold assembly to retain the parts of said Mold assembly against movement relative to each other, means for forcing at least a portion of a charge of material from said pot means into the cavity in said mold assembly when said pot means is at the unloading position, and means for applying pressure to said mold assembly after movement of said pot means from the unloading position to the loading position to retain the parts of said mold assembly against movement relative to each other during a setting of material in said mold assembly.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
221 words
An apparatus for use in molding a material, said apparatus comprising a mold assembly defining an entrance opening to a mold cavity, said mold assembly including a plurality of relatively movable parts, movable pot means for holding a charge of the material, said pot means having at least one discharge opening through which the material may pass from said pot means to the entrance opening to the mold cavity, means for moving said pot means between a loading position in which the discharge opening is spaced from the entrance opening to the mold cavity and an unloading position in which the discharge opening is adjacent to the entrance opening to the mold cavity, said pot means being effective at the unloading position to apply pressure to said mold assembly to retain the parts of said Mold assembly against movement relative to each other, means for forcing at least a portion of a charge of material from said pot means into the cavity in said mold assembly when said pot means is at the unloading position, and means for applying pressure to said mold assembly after movement of said pot means from the unloading position to the loading position to retain the parts of said mold assembly against movement relative to each other during a setting of material in said mold assembly.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein the material is a thermosetting material and wherein the apparatus further includes means for applying heat to the thermosetting material in the mold cavity when said pot means is at the loading position.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 further including preheater means for preheating a charge of the thermosetting material prior to loading of the charge of thermosetting material into said pot means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 further including cooling means for maintaining any material remaining in said pot means at a temperature below the setting temperature of the material when said pot means is at the loading position.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
62 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said preheater means includes strip conveyor means for moving and heating a strip of the thermosetting material, said apparatus further including means for severing an end portion from a heated strip of the thermosetting material and loading the severed end portion into said pot means when said pot is at the loading position.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said mold assembly includes flash limiting means for limiting the formation of flash as the material is forced from said pot means into the mold cavity.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
53 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said pot means and said means for applying pressure to said mold assembly are interconnected and define a surface means which is maintained in continuous engagement with said mold assembly upon movement of said pot means from the unloading position to the loading position.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
144 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said pot means includes a surface which is disposed in pressure engagement with said mold assembly when said pot means is in the unloading position, said surface of said pot means defining the discharge opening through which the material passes from said pot means into the mold assembly, said means for applying pressure to said mold assembly including a pressure element having a surface which forms a continuation of said surface of said pot means, said means for moving said pot means between said loading and unloading positions being effective to move said surface of said pressure element into engagement with said mold assembly and to simultaneously therewith move said surface of said pot means out of engagement with said mold assembly as said pot means moves from said unloading position to said loading position.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
221 words
An apparatus for use in molding thermosetting material, said apparatus comprising movable pot means for holding a charge of the thermosetting material, said pot means having at least one discharge opening through which the thermosetting material may pass from said pot means into a mold, means for moving said pot means between a loading position at which the discharge opening in said pot means is spaced from an entrance opening to the mold and an unloading position at which the discharge opening in said pot means is adjacent to the entrance opening to the mold, means for forcing at least a portion of a charge of thermosetting material from said pot means into the mold when said pot means is at the unloading position, and movable heater means for applying heat to the thermosetting material in the mold, said means for moving said pot means between the loading and unloading positions including means for moving said heater means from an inactive position disposed to one side of the entrance to the mold to an active position adjaCent to the entrance to the mold simultaneously with movement of said pot means from the unloading position to the loading position to enable said heater means to heat the material in the mold while a charge of material is loaded into said pot means.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
221 words
An apparatus for use in molding thermosetting material, said apparatus comprising movable pot means for holding a charge of the thermosetting material, said pot means having at least one discharge opening through which the thermosetting material may pass from said pot means into a mold, means for moving said pot means between a loading position at which the discharge opening in said pot means is spaced from an entrance opening to the mold and an unloading position at which the discharge opening in said pot means is adjacent to the entrance opening to the mold, means for forcing at least a portion of a charge of thermosetting material from said pot means into the mold when said pot means is at the unloading position, and movable heater means for applying heat to the thermosetting material in the mold, said means for moving said pot means between the loading and unloading positions including means for moving said heater means from an inactive position disposed to one side of the entrance to the mold to an active position adjaCent to the entrance to the mold simultaneously with movement of said pot means from the unloading position to the loading position to enable said heater means to heat the material in the mold while a charge of material is loaded into said pot means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 21, further including cooling means for maintaining the temperature of thermosetting material in said pot means below a predetermined temperature when said pot means is at the loading position.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
54 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 21 wherein said heater means includes a heater block, a heating element supported by said heater block, and means for connecting said heater block with said pot means to move said heater block relative to the mold upon movement of said pot means relative to the mold.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 23 wherein said heater block includes means for applying pressure to the mold after movement of said pot means from the unloading position to the loading position.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
69 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 21 further including preheater means for heating at least a portion of a strip of the thermosetting material to a temperature below the temperature to which the thermosetting material in the mold is heated by said heater means, and means for loading a preheated portion of the strip of thermosetting meterial into the mold when the mold is at the loading position.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
207 words
An apparatus for use in molding thermosetting material, said apparatus comprising movable pot means for holding a charge of the thermosetting material, said pot means having at least one discharge opening through which the thermosetting material may pass from said pot means into a mold, means for moving said pot means between a loading station at which the discharge opening in said pot means is spaced from an entrance opening to the mold and an unloading station at which the discharge opening in said pot means is adjacent to the entrance opening to the mold, loader means at said loading station for loading said pot means with at least a portion of a charge of the thermosetting material, means at said unloading station for forcing at least a portion of a charge of thermosetting material from said pot means into the mold, heater means for heating the thermosetting material in the mold to a temperature above the setting temperature of the thermosetting material, and cooling means at said loading station for maintaining thermosetting material loaded into said pot means by said loader means at a temperature below the setting temperature of the thermosetting material during heating of the thermosetting material in the mold by said heater means.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
207 words
An apparatus for use in molding thermosetting material, said apparatus comprising movable pot means for holding a charge of the thermosetting material, said pot means having at least one discharge opening through which the thermosetting material may pass from said pot means into a mold, means for moving said pot means between a loading station at which the discharge opening in said pot means is spaced from an entrance opening to the mold and an unloading station at which the discharge opening in said pot means is adjacent to the entrance opening to the mold, loader means at said loading station for loading said pot means with at least a portion of a charge of the thermosetting material, means at said unloading station for forcing at least a portion of a charge of thermosetting material from said pot means into the mold, heater means for heating the thermosetting material in the mold to a temperature above the setting temperature of the thermosetting material, and cooling means at said loading station for maintaining thermosetting material loaded into said pot means by said loader means at a temperature below the setting temperature of the thermosetting material during heating of the thermosetting material in the mold by said heater means.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 26 further including preheater means for preheating the thermosetting material to a temperature below its setting temperature prior to loading of the thermosetting material into said pot means by said loader means.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
63 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 27 wherein said means for moving said pot means includes means for moving said heater means from an inactive position disposed to one side of the entrance to the mold to an active position adjacent to the entrance to the mold simultaneously with movement of said pot means from the unloading station to the loading station.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
142 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for pressurizing a charge of preheated strip material in said pot means includes means for forcing a portion of a charge of preheated material to flow from said pot means through said discharge opening into the mold and for enabling another portion of the charge to remain in said pot means, said apparatus further including means for detecting when the portion of a charge of preheated material remaining in said pot means after previous operation of said apparatus and the preheated strip material added to said pot means by said means for loading preheated strip material equals a charge of a predetermined magnitude and for interrupting operation of said means for loading preHeated strip material in response to the detecting of a charge of the predetermined magnitude in said pot means.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
127 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pot means includes wall means defining an open cavity, said means for pressurizing a charge of preheated material in said pot means including a ram member and means for effecting relative movement between said ram member and said pot means to extrude at least a portion of the charge of preheated strip material from said pot means to the mold, said apparatus further including movable heater means for applying heat to material in the mold and means for moving said heater means between an inactive position in which said heater means is disposed to one side of the mold and an active position in which said heater means is disposed between the mold and said ram member.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 30 further including cooling means for maintaining the temperature of the material in said pot means below a predetermined temperature during heating of the material in said mold by said heater means.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
220 words
An apparatus for forming molded articles from strip material, said apparatus comprising preheater means for preheating the strip material, said preheater means including a plurality of flat elongated surfaces, heater means for heating said surfaces, and means for pressing said surfaces against opposite sides of a portion of the strip of material to heat the portion of the strip of material engaged by said surfaces, pot means spaced from said preheater means for receiving a charge of preheated strip material, said pot means having at least one discharge opening through which preheated material may pass from said pot means into a mold, means for loading at least a portion of a charge of a preheated strip material from said preheater means into said pot means, said preheater means further including drive means for moving said flat elongated surfaces relative to said means for loading a charge of preheated material into said pot means to thereby move a heated portion of the strip material from said preheater means to said means for loading a charge of preheated strip material into said pot means, and means for pressurizing a charge of preheated material in said pot means to force at least a portion of the charge of preheated material to flow from said pot means through said discharge opening into the mold.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
220 words
An apparatus for forming molded articles from strip material, said apparatus comprising preheater means for preheating the strip material, said preheater means including a plurality of flat elongated surfaces, heater means for heating said surfaces, and means for pressing said surfaces against opposite sides of a portion of the strip of material to heat the portion of the strip of material engaged by said surfaces, pot means spaced from said preheater means for receiving a charge of preheated strip material, said pot means having at least one discharge opening through which preheated material may pass from said pot means into a mold, means for loading at least a portion of a charge of a preheated strip material from said preheater means into said pot means, said preheater means further including drive means for moving said flat elongated surfaces relative to said means for loading a charge of preheated material into said pot means to thereby move a heated portion of the strip material from said preheater means to said means for loading a charge of preheated strip material into said pot means, and means for pressurizing a charge of preheated material in said pot means to force at least a portion of the charge of preheated material to flow from said pot means through said discharge opening into the mold.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
57 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 32 wherein said preheater means further includes at least one conveyor belt defining one of said flat elongated surfaces, said drive means being operable to move said conveyor belt along a continuous path with a longitudinally extending run of said conveyor belt disposed in abutting engagement with the strip material.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
46 words
An apparatus set forth in claim 32 wherein said preheater means further includes a pair of conveyor belts defining said flat elongated surfaces, said drive means being operable to effect movement of each of said conveyor belts along a continuous path having a longitudinally extending run.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 34 wherein said means for pressing said surfaces against opposite sides of a portion of the strip material includes means for urging said longitudinally extending runs of said conveyor belts toward each other.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
131 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 21 further including loader means for loading at least a portion of a charge of the thermosetting material into said pot means at the loading poistion, said means for forcing at least a portion of a charge of thermosetting material from said pot means into the mold including means for enabling a portion of the charge to remain in said pot means, and means for detecting when the portion of a charge of thermosetting material remaining in said pot means and the thermosetting material added to said pot means by said loader means equals a charge of a predetermined magnitude and for interrupting operation of said loader means in response to the detecting of a charge of the predeterminEd magnitude in said pot means.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
118 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 26 wherein said means for forcing at least a portion of a charge of the thermosetting material from said pot means into the mold includes means for enabling another portion of the charge to remain in said pot means, said apparatus further including means for detecting when the portion of a charge of the thermosetting material remaining in said pot means after previous operation of said apparatus and the thermosetting material added to said pot means by said loader means equals a charge of a predetermined magnitude and for interrupting operation of said loader means in response to the detecting of a charge of the predetermined magnitude in said pot means.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
86 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 26 further includes means applying pressure to the mold during the application of heat to the thermosetting material in the mold by said heater means, said means for moving said pot means between said loading and unloading stations also including means for moving said means for applying pressure from an inactive position disposed to one side of said unloading station to said unloading station simultaneously with movement of said pot means from the unloading station to the loading station.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2883704A
Cited
US3674391A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-07-23 | 1977-01-22 | 1977-07-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-07-23 | 1981-01-22 | 1981-07-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-07-23 | 1985-01-22 | 1985-07-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |