Apparatus having plural mold members for producing shaped articles of foamed thermoplastic resin

Claim 1

An apparatus for producing a shaped article of foamed thermoplastic resin, said apparatus comprising, in combination: a machine stand; first and second stationary frames mounted in vertical relation on said stand at opposite ends thereof; a first stationary mold member secured to said first frame; a second stationary mold member secured to said second frame; a plurality of supporting rods in substantially parallel relation with said stand and having both ends fixed to said pair of frames; first and second movable frames disposed around and slidably mounted on said supporting rods; a slidable cylinder having a piston rod, the outer end of said piston rod being secured to said first movable frame and the rearward end of said cylinder being secured to said second movable frame; a first movable mold member secured to the end of said piston rod through said first movable frame; a second movable mold member secured to the rearward end of said cylinder through said second movable frame; and first and second locking devices for fixing said first and second movable frames to said machine stand, each of said locking devices comprising a slidable stopper provided on said machine stand, a cylinder having at least one piston rod and secured to each of said movable frames and locking rods secured to both ends of said piston rod for tight engagement with said stopper, wherein: said first movable mold member is engageable with said first stationary mold member to form a first mold cavity which is chargable with granules of a foamable thermoplastic resin and adapted to form a foamed shaped article from said granules by exerting pressure on said cylinder so as to eject said piston rod while fixing said second movable frame to said machine stand under the action of said second locking device, and said first movable mold member being adapted to be separated from first stationary mold member to remove said article by releasing pressure from said cylinder so as to retract said piston rod into said cylinder while fixing said second movable frame to said machine stand under the action of said second locking device; and said second movable mold member is engageable with said second stationary mold member to form a second mold cavity that is chargable with granules of a foamable thermoplastic resin and adapted to form a foamed shaped article made from said granules by exerting pressure on said cylinder so as to slide said cylinder on the periphery of said piston rod in the direction of said second stationary frame while fixing said first movable frame to said machine stand under the action of said first locking device, and said second movable mold member is separable from said second stationary mold member to remove said article by releasing pressure from said cylinder so as to slide said cylinder on the periphery of said piston rod in a direction opposite to said second stationary frame while fixing said first movable frame under the action of said first locking device.

Claim 2

An apparatus for producing a shaped article of foamed thermoplastic resin, said apparatus comprising, in combination: a machine stand; first and second stationary frames mounted in vertical relation on said stand at opposite ends thereof; a first stationary mold member secured to said first frame; a second stationary mold member secured to said second frame; a plurality of supporting rods in substantially parallel relation with said stand and having both ends fixed to said pair of frames; first and second movable frames disposed around and slidably mounted on said supporting rods; a slidable cylinder having a piston rod, the outer end of said piston rod being secured to said first movable frame and the rearward end of said cylinder being secured to said second movable frame; a first movable mold member secured to the end of said piston rod through said first movable frame; a second movable mold member secured to the rearward end of said cylinder through said second movable frame; and first and second locking devices for fixing said first and second movable frames to said machine stand, each of said locking devices comprising a slidable stopper provided on said machine stand, a cylinder having at least one piston rod and secured to each of said movable frames and locking rods secured to both ends of said piston rod for tight engagement with said stopper, wherein: said first movable mold member is engageable with said first stationary mold member to form a first mold cavity which is chargable with granules of a foamable thermoplastic resin and adapted to form a foamed shaped article from said granules by exerting pressure on said cylinder so as to eject said piston rod while fixing said second movable frame to said machine stand under the action of said second locking device, and said first movable mold member being adapted to be separated from first stationary mold member to remove said article by releasing pressure from said cylinder so as to retract said piston rod into said cylinder while fixing said second movable frame to said machine stand under the action of said second locking device; and said second movable mold member is engageable with said second stationary mold member to form a second mold cavity that is chargable with granules of a foamable thermoplastic resin and adapted to form a foamed shaped article made from said granules by exerting pressure on said cylinder so as to slide said cylinder on the periphery of said piston rod in the direction of said second stationary frame while fixing said first movable frame to said machine stand under the action of said first locking device, and said second movable mold member is separable from said second stationary mold member to remove said article by releasing pressure from said cylinder so as to slide said cylinder on the periphery of said piston rod in a direction opposite to said second stationary frame while fixing said first movable frame under the action of said first locking device.

Claim 3

An apparatus for producing a shaped article of a foamed thermoplastic resin, comprising, in combination, a machine stand; first and second stationary frames mounted in vertical relation on said stand at opposite ends thereof; a first stationary mold member secured to one of said frames; a second stationary mold member secured to the other frame; a plurality of supporting rods in substantially parallel relation with said stand and having both ends fixed to said pair of frames; first and second movable frames disposed around and slidably mounted on said supporting rods; a pluralitY of slidable cylinders, each having a piston rod, the outer end of each piston rod being secured to said first movable plate and the rearward ends of said cylinders being secured to said second movable frame; a first movable mold member secured to the ends of said piston rods through said first movable frame; a second movable mold member secured to the rearward ends of said cylinders through said second movable frame; and first and second locking devices for fixing said first and second movable frames to said machine stand, each of said locking devices comprising a slidable stopper provided on said machine stand, a cylinder having at least one piston rod and secured to each of said movable frames and locking rods secured to both ends of said piston rod for tight engagement with said stopper, wherein: said first movable mold member is engageable with said first stationary mold member to form a first mold cavity that is chargable with granules of a foamable thermoplastic resin and adapted to form a foamed shaped article made from said granules by exerting pressure on said cylinder so as to eject said piston rod while fixing said second movable frame to said machine stand under the action of said second locking device, and said first movable mold member is separable from first stationary mold member to remove said article by releasing pressure from said cylinder so as to retract said piston rod into said cylinder while fixing said second movable frame to said machine stand under the action of said second locking device; and said second movable mold member is engageable with said second stationary mold member to form a second mold cavity that is chargable with granules of a foamable thermoplastic resin therein and adapted to form a foamed shaped article made from said granules by exerting pressure on said cylinder so as to slide said cylinder on the periphery of said piston rod in the direction of said second stationary frame while fixing said first movable frame to said machine stand under the action of said first locking device, and said second movable mold member is separable from said second stationary mold member to remove said article by releasing pressure from said cylinder so as to slide said cylinder on the periphery of said piston rod in a direction opposite to said second stationary frame while fixing said first movable frame under the action of said first locking device.

Claim 4

An apparatus for producing a shaped article of a foamed thermoplastic resin, comprising, in combination, a machine stand; first and second stationary frames mounted in vertical relation on said stand at opposite ends thereof; a first stationary mold member secured to one of said frames; a second stationary mold member secured to the other frame; a plurality of supporting rods in substantially parallel relation with said stand and having both ends fixed to said pair of frames; first and second movable frames disposed around and slidably mounted on said supporting rods; a pluralitY of slidable cylinders, each having a piston rod, the outer end of each piston rod being secured to said first movable plate and the rearward ends of said cylinders being secured to said second movable frame; a first movable mold member secured to the ends of said piston rods through said first movable frame; a second movable mold member secured to the rearward ends of said cylinders through said second movable frame; and first and second locking devices for fixing said first and second movable frames to said machine stand, each of said locking devices comprising a slidable stopper provided on said machine stand, a cylinder having at least one piston rod and secured to each of said movable frames and locking rods secured to both ends of said piston rod for tight engagement with said stopper, wherein: said first movable mold member is engageable with said first stationary mold member to form a first mold cavity that is chargable with granules of a foamable thermoplastic resin and adapted to form a foamed shaped article made from said granules by exerting pressure on said cylinder so as to eject said piston rod while fixing said second movable frame to said machine stand under the action of said second locking device, and said first movable mold member is separable from first stationary mold member to remove said article by releasing pressure from said cylinder so as to retract said piston rod into said cylinder while fixing said second movable frame to said machine stand under the action of said second locking device; and said second movable mold member is engageable with said second stationary mold member to form a second mold cavity that is chargable with granules of a foamable thermoplastic resin therein and adapted to form a foamed shaped article made from said granules by exerting pressure on said cylinder so as to slide said cylinder on the periphery of said piston rod in the direction of said second stationary frame while fixing said first movable frame to said machine stand under the action of said first locking device, and said second movable mold member is separable from said second stationary mold member to remove said article by releasing pressure from said cylinder so as to slide said cylinder on the periphery of said piston rod in a direction opposite to said second stationary frame while fixing said first movable frame under the action of said first locking device.