Rotary molding machine

Claim 2

A rotary molding machine for producing articles comprising a rotary frame of a shape similar to that of a Rhonwheel having a pair of parallel substantially vertical wheel rims and means connecting said rims to each other, supporting rollers underneath and rotatably supporting said rims, means for rotating said frame about a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary table adapted to have a mold detachably mounted thereon, means for rotatably mounting said rotary table between said rims, means for driving saId rotary table together with said mold relative to said frame about an axis extending at an angle to said horizontal axis, and means provided on said rotary frame for selectively heating and cooling said mold.

Claim 3

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 1, in which said driving means for said rotary frame are connected to at least one of said supporting rollers for rotating the same and for thus also rotating said frame.

Claim 4

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 1, in which said driving means for said rotary frame comprise at least one of an endless belt or a chain adapted to run over the outer periphery of at least one of said wheel rims and to take along said rim.

Claim 5

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 1, in which each of said wheel rims has a central hublike member having a large round central aperture, and spokes connecting each of said hublike members to the associated wheel rim for reinforcing the same.

Claim 6

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising a tubular bushing having a large inner diameter secured to one side of said rotary table and extending coaxially thereto for rotatably mounting said table within said rotary frame.

Claim 7

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 5, in which said driving means for said rotary table comprise a sprocket-wheel rim secured to said bushing, a sprocket wheel rotatably mounted on one of said wheel rims, and a driving chain connecting said sprocket wheel to said sprocket-wheel rim.

Claim 8

A rotary molding machine for producing plastic articles comprising a rotary frame of a shape similar to that of a Rhonwheel having a pair of parallel substantially vertical wheel rims and means connecting said rims to each other, supporting rollers underneath and rotatably supporting said rims, means for rotating said frame about a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary table rotatably mounted between said rims and adapted to have a mold mounted thereon, and means for driving said rotary table together with said mold relative to said frame about an axis extending at an angle to said horizontal axis comprising a motor mounted on one of said wheel rims, and a slip ring coaxial with one of said hublike members for connecting said motor to a source of current at the outside of said rotary frame.

Claim 9

A rotary molding machine for producing plastic articles comprising a rotary frame of a shape similar to that of a Rhonwheel having a pair of parallel substantially vertical wheel rims and means connecting said rims to each other, supporting rollers underneath and rotatably supporting said rims, means for rotating said frame about a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary table rotatably mounted between said rims and adapted to have a mold mounted thereon, and means for driving said rotary table together with said mold relative to said frame about an axis extending at an angle to said horizontal axis comprising a motor mounted on one of said wheel rims, and a slip ring coaxial with one of said hublike members for connecting said motor to a source of current at the outside of said rotary frame.

Claim 10

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 7, in which a weight is mounted on said wheel rim carrying said motor at a position diametrically opposite to said motor for balancing the weight thereof.

Claim 11

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for selectively heating and cooling include a furnace chamber surrounding said mold and having heat-insulated walls, said bushing extending through the bottom wall of said furnace chamber, said driving means for said rotary table being disposed outside of said furnace chamber.

Claim 12

A rotary molding machine for producing plastic articles comprising a rotary frame of a shape similar to that of a Rhonwheel having a pair of parallel substantially vertical wheel rims and means connecting said rims to each other, supporting rollers underneath and rotatably supporting said rims, drive means for rotating said rotary frame about a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary table rotatably mounted between said rims and adapted to have a mold mounted thereon, said mold having single walls and means for driving said rotary table together with said mold relative to said frame about an axis extending at an angle to said horizontal axis, a furnace chamber within said rotary frame and surrounding said mold and having heat-insulated walls, said walls of said furnace chamber, extending vertically and perpendicularly to said horizontal axis and being opposite to one another, placed in the plane and in the interior of the respective wheel rim and reinforcing the same, around said horizontal axis said vertical walls of said furnace chamber having large apertures to serve as an inlet and outlet for a flowing medium blown into the interior of Said furnace chamber and flowing around said mold for heating and cooling said mold, and a tubular bushing extending through the bottom wall of said furnace chamber, said driving means for rotary table being disposed outside of said furnace chamber.

Claim 13

A rotary molding machine for producing plastic articles comprising a rotary frame of a shape similar to that of a Rhonwheel having a pair of parallel substantially vertical wheel rims and means connecting said rims to each other, supporting rollers underneath and rotatably supporting said rims, drive means for rotating said rotary frame about a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary table rotatably mounted between said rims and adapted to have a mold mounted thereon, said mold having single walls and means for driving said rotary table together with said mold relative to said frame about an axis extending at an angle to said horizontal axis, a furnace chamber within said rotary frame and surrounding said mold and having heat-insulated walls, said walls of said furnace chamber, extending vertically and perpendicularly to said horizontal axis and being opposite to one another, placed in the plane and in the interior of the respective wheel rim and reinforcing the same, around said horizontal axis said vertical walls of said furnace chamber having large apertures to serve as an inlet and outlet for a flowing medium blown into the interior of Said furnace chamber and flowing around said mold for heating and cooling said mold, and a tubular bushing extending through the bottom wall of said furnace chamber, said driving means for rotary table being disposed outside of said furnace chamber.

Claim 14

A rotary molding machine for producing plastic articles comprising a rotary frame of a shape similar to that of a Rhonwheel having a pair of parallel substantially vertical wheel rims and means connecting said rims to each other, supporting rollers underneath and rotatably supporting said rims, means for rotating said frame about a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary table rotatably mounted between said rims and adapted to have a mold mounted thereon, means for driving said rotary table together with said mold relative to said frame about an axis extending at an angle to said horizontal axis, a tubular bushing having a large inner diameter secured to one side of said rotary table and extending coaxially thereto for rotatably mounting said table within said rotary frame, and a furnace chamber within said rotary frame and surrounding said mold and having heat-insulated walls, said walls of said furnace chamber extending vertically and perpendicularly to said horizontal axis and being opposite one another, said bushing extending through the bottom wall of said furnace chamber, said driving means for said rotary table being disposed outside of said furnace chamber, the opposite vertical walls of said furnace chamber around said horizontal axis being provided with large apertures to serve as an inlet and outlet for a flowing medium for selectively heating and cooling said mold, the wall of at least one of said apertures having a diffuserlike shape and substantially forming one side wall of said furnace chamber and increasing conically in diameter substantially to the upper and lower walls of said furnace chamber.

Claim 15

A rotary molding machine for producing plastic articles comprising a rotary frame of a shape similar to that of a Rhonwheel having a pair of parallel substantially vertical wheel rims and means connecting said rims to each other, supporting rollers underneath and rotatably supporting said rims, means for rotating said frame about a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary table rotatably mounted between said rims and adapted to have a mold mounted thereon, means for driving said rotary table together with said mold relative to said frame about an axis extending at an angle to said horizontal axis, a tubular bushing having a large inner diameter secured to one side of said rotary table and extending coaxially thereto for rotatably mounting said table within said rotary frame, and a furnace chamber within said rotary frame and surrounding said mold and having heat-insulated walls, said walls of said furnace chamber extending vertically and perpendicularly to said horizontal axis and being opposite one another, said bushing extending through the bottom wall of said furnace chamber, said driving means for said rotary table being disposed outside of said furnace chamber, the opposite vertical walls of said furnace chamber around said horizontal axis being provided with large apertures to serve as an inlet and outlet for a flowing medium for selectively heating and cooling said mold, the wall of at least one of said apertures having a diffuserlike shape and substantially forming one side wall of said furnace chamber and increasing conically in diameter substantially to the upper and lower walls of said furnace chamber.

Claim 16

A rotary molding machine for producing plastic articles comprising a rotary frame of a shape similar to that of a Rhonwheel having a pair of parallel substantially vertical wheel rims and means connecting said rims to each other, supporting rollers underneath and rotatably supporting said rims, means for rotating said frame about a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary table mounted between said rims and adapted to have a mold mounted thereon, means for driving said rotary table together with said mold relative to said frame about an axis extending at an angle to said horizontal axis, a tubular bushing having a large inner diameter secured to one side of said rotary table and extending coaxially thereto for rotatably mounting said table with said rotary frame, at least one temperature measuring instrument on the outer end of said bushing and rotatable therewith, primary measuring elements connected to said instrument and extending through said rotary table into said mold for measuring at least the temperature within said mold, and at least one wireless transmitter for transmitting the temperature values measured by said measuring elements and said instrument to a point remote from said instrument.

Claim 17

A rotary molding machine for producing plastic articles comprising a rotary frame of a shape similar to that of a Rhonwheel having a pair of parallel substantially vertical wheel rims and means connecting said rims to each other, supporting rollers underneath and rotatably supporting said rims, means for rotating said frame about a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary table mounted between said rims and adapted to have a mold mounted thereon, means for driving said rotary table together with said mold relative to said frame about an axis extending at an angle to said horizontal axis, a tubular bushing having a large inner diameter secured to one side of said rotary table and extending coaxially thereto for rotatably mounting said table with said rotary frame, at least one temperature measuring instrument on the outer end of said bushing and rotatable therewith, primary measuring elements connected to said instrument and extending through said rotary table into said mold for measuring at least the temperature within said mold, and at least one wireless transmitter for transmitting the temperature values measured by said measuring elements and said instrument to a point remote from said instrument.

Claim 18

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 9, further comprising quick-action coupling means for quickly securing said mold to said rotary table and for quickly releasing it therefrom from a position at the outer side of said bottom wall of said furnace chamber.

Claim 19

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 1, in which said rotary table for supporting said mold is rotatably mounted radially outside of said wheel rims, and further comprising a frame secured to and extending radially outwardly from said wheel rims and bearing means on said frame for rotatably mounting said table.

Claim 20

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising bearing means mounted on said rotary frame diametrically opposite to said rotary table and within the axis of rotation thereof for rotatably supporting the end of said mold opposite to the end which is supported on said table.

Claim 21

A rotarY molding machine as defined in claim 10, in which said driving means for said rotary frame comprise at least one of an endless belt or a chain adapted to run over the outer periphery of at least one of said wheel rims and to take along said rim.

Claim 22

A rotary molding machine according to claim 10, wherein one hublike member of one of said wheel rims has a gear rim and said driving means for said rotary frame includes a chain engaging said gear rim.

Claim 23

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 10, in which said driving means for said rotary table comprises a sprocket-wheel rim secured to said bushing, a sprocket wheel rotatably mounted on one of said wheel rims, and a driving chain connecting said sprocket wheel to said sprocket-wheel rim.

Claim 24

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 10, in which said means for driving said rotary table comprises a motor mounted on one of said wheel rims, and a slip ring coaxial with said rotary frame for connecting said motor to a source of current at the outside of said rotary frame.

Claim 25

A rotary molding machine as defined in claim 10, further comprising at least one temperature measuring instrument on the outer end of said bushing rotatable therewith, primary measuring elements connected to said instrument and extending through said rotary table into said mold for measuring at least the temperature within said mold, and at least one wireless transmitter for transmitting the temperature values measured by said measuring elements and said instrument to a point remote from said instrument.

Claim 26

A rotary molding machine according to claim 10, wherein the dimensions of said mold are much larger than the diameter of the wheel rim, said rotary table for supporting said mold is rotatable mounted radially outside the diameter of said wheel rim and a frame is secured to and extends radially outwardly from said wheel rims and bearing means are provided on said frame for rotatably mounting said table.

Claim 27

A rotary molding machine for producing plastic articles comprising a rotary frame of a shape similar to that of a Rhonwheel having a pair of parallel substantially vertical wheel rims and means connecting said rims to each other, supporting rollers underneath and rotatably supporting said rims, driving means for rotating said frame about a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary table rotatably mounted between said rims and adapted to have a hollow mold mounted thereon, said hollow mold being provided with double walls between which a heating and cooling liquid is conducted, and means for driving said rotary table together with said mold relative to said frame about an axis extending at an angle to said horizontal axis, each of said wheel rims having a central hublike member having a large round central aperture, and connecting means for connecting each of said hublike members to the associated wheel rim for reinforcing the same, said rotary table including a tubular bushing having a large inner diameter secured to one side of said rotary table and extending coaxially thereto for rotatably mounting said table within said rotary frame.

Claim 28

A rotary molding machine for producing plastic articles comprising a rotary frame of a shape similar to that of a Rhonwheel having a pair of parallel substantially vertical wheel rims and means connecting said rims to each other, supporting rollers underneath and rotatably supporting said rims, driving means for rotating said frame about a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary table rotatably mounted between said rims and adapted to have a hollow mold mounted thereon, said hollow mold being provided with double walls between which a heating and cooling liquid is conducted, and means for driving said rotary table together with said mold relative to said frame about an axis extending at an angle to said horizontal axis, each of said wheel rims having a central hublike member having a large round central aperture, and connecting means for connecting each of said hublike members to the associated wheel rim for reinforcing the same, said rotary table including a tubular bushing having a large inner diameter secured to one side of said rotary table and extending coaxially thereto for rotatably mounting said table within said rotary frame.

Claim 29

A rotary molding machine according to claim 22, wherein the dimensions of said mold are much larger than the diameter of the wheel rim, said rotary table for supporting said mold is rotatably mounted radially outside the diameter of said wheel rims and a frame is secured to and extends radially outwardly from said wheel rims and bearing means are provided on said frame for rotatably mounting said table.