Control apparatus and methods for molding machinery

Claim 2

Molding machinery comprising barrel means provided with discharge means for discharging plasticized material from said barrel means, screw means rotatably in said barrel means operable for causing plasticized material to be discharged from said barrel means through said discharge means, heater means for heating the interior of at least a portion of said barrel means, sensing means for sensing the temperature of plasticized material discharged through said discharge means, control means responsive to said sensing means for controlling said heater means, second control means operable for controlling said heater means, and switch means for causing said control means and said second control means to, alternatively, control said heater means.

Claim 3

Molding machinery according to claim 1, wherein said sensing means comprises means for directly sensing the temperature of the discharged plasticized material.

Claim 4

Molding machinery according to claim 1, wherein said sensing means is located in said discharge means to be directly exposed to plasticized material passing therethrough.

Claim 5

Molding machinery according to claim 1, wherein said heater means extends around the portion of said barrel means adjacent to said discharge means for heating such portion of said barrel means.

Claim 6

Molding machinery according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of other heater means operatively associated with other portions of said barrel means for heating such other portions thereof, individual controlling means for said other heater means, and a single control device for controlling said controlling means.

Claim 7

Molding machinery according to claim 1, wherein said screw means comprises an injection screw axially movable in said barrel means, and further comprising means for rotatably driving said screw, means for axially driving said screw towards said discharge opening to cause said screw to discharge plasticized material through said barrel means, said screw axial driving means permitting said screw to be axially driveN away from said discharge means by plasticized material while yieldably resisting such screw movement, and a single control device for causing a predetermined resistance to be maintained on said screw by said screw axial driving means during said screw movement away from said discharge means and for also controlling the driven rotation of said screw by said screw rotating means.

Claim 8

Molding machinery comprising barrel means provided with discharge means for discharging plasticized material from said barrel means, said discharge means comprising nozzle means, screw means rotatably in said barrel means operable for causing plasticized material to be discharged from said barrel means through said discharge means, heater means for heating the interior of at least a portion of said barrel means, said heater means being operatively associated with the portion of said barrel means adjacent to said discharge means for heating such portion of said barrel means, sensing means for directly sensing the temperature of plasticized material discharged through said discharge means, said sensing means being in said nozzle means to be directly exposed to plasticized material passing therethrough, control means responsive to said sensing means for controlling said heater means, second control means operable for controlling said heater means, and switch means for causing said control means and said second control means to, alternatively, control said heater means.

Claim 9

Molding machinery comprising barrel means provided with discharge means for discharging plasticized material from said barrel means, said discharge means comprising nozzle means, screw means rotatably in said barrel means operable for causing plasticized material to be discharged from said barrel means through said discharge means, heater means for heating the interior of at least a portion of said barrel means, said heater means being operatively associated with the portion of said barrel means adjacent to said discharge means for heating such portion of said barrel means, sensing means for directly sensing the temperature of plasticized material discharged through said discharge means, said sensing means being in said nozzle means to be directly exposed to plasticized material passing therethrough, control means responsive to said sensing means for controlling said heater means, second control means operable for controlling said heater means, and switch means for causing said control means and said second control means to, alternatively, control said heater means.

Claim 10

Molding machinery according to claim 7, wherein said screw means comprises an injection screw axially movable in said barrel means, and further comprising means operatively associated with said control means for presetting said control means with a predetermined temperature, a plurality of other heater means operatively associated with other portions of said barrel means for heating the interior of such other portions thereof, separate controlling means operatively associated with said other heater means for controlling said other heater means, a single control device operatively associated with said separate controlling means for controlling said separate controlling means, means for rotatably driving said screw, means for axially driving said screw towards said discharge opening to cause said screw to discharge plasticized material through said discharge means, said screw axial driving means permitting said screw to be axially driven away from said discharge means by plasticized material while yieldably resisting such screw movement, and a single control device for causing a predetermined resistance to be maintained on said screw by said screw axial driving means during said screw movement away from said discharge means and for also controlling the driven rotation of said screw by said screw rotating means.

Claim 11

Molding machinery according to claim 8, wherein each of said control devices comprises dial means adapted to be preset with a predetermined value.

Claim 12

Molding machinery comprising a barrel provided with discharge means for discharging plasticized material from one end of said barrel, a screw movably in said barrel for plasticizing material therein and causing the plasticized material to be discharged from said barrel through said discharge means, heater means operatively associated with said one end of said barrel for heating the interior of such end of said barrel, sensing means independent of said screw and located to be directly exposed to plasticized material discharged from said barrel through said discharge means for sensing the temperature of such plasticized material, first control means responsive to said sensing means for controlling said heater means, second control means operable for controlling said heater means independently of said sensing means, and means for causing said first and second control means to, alternatively, control said heater means.

Claim 13

Molding machinery comprising a barrel provided with discharge means for discharging plasticized material from one end of said barrel, a screw movably in said barrel for plasticizing material therein and causing the plasticized material to be discharged from said barrel through said discharge means, heater means operatively associated with said one end of said barrel for heating the interior of such end of said barrel, sensing means independent of said screw and located to be directly exposed to plasticized material discharged from said barrel through said discharge means for sensing the temperature of such plasticized material, first control means responsive to said sensing means for controlling said heater means, second control means operable for controlling said heater means independently of said sensing means, and means for causing said first and second control means to, alternatively, control said heater means.

Claim 14

Molding machinery according to claim 10, wherein said discharge means comprises a nozzle communicating with said one end of said barrel, and saiD sensing means is located in said nozzle to be directly exposed to plasticized material passing therethrough.

Claim 15

Molding machinery according to claim 10, wherein said screw is an injection screw axially movable in said barrel, and further comprising a plurality of other heater means operatively associated with other portions of said barrel for heating the interior of such other portions thereof, separate controlling means operatively associated with said other heater means for controlling said other heater means, a single control device operatively associated with said controlling means for controlling said controlling means, means for rotatably driving said screw, means for axially driving said screw towards said discharge opening to cause said screw to discharge plasticized material through said discharge means, said screw axial driving means permitting said screw to be axially driven away from said discharge means by plasticized material while resisting such screw movement, means for presetting said first control means with a predetermined temperature, and a single control device for causing a predetermined resistance to be maintained on said screw by said screw axial driving means during said screw movement away from said discharge means and for also controlling the driven rotation of said screw by said screw rotating means.

Claim 16

Molding machinery according to claim 12, wherein each of said control devices comprises dial means adapted to be preset with a predetermined value.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 14, wherein said temperature of said plasticized material is sensed during the discharge of the material from said barrel by sensing means directly exposed to the discharging plasticized material.

Claim 20

The method according to claim 14, wherein only the temperature to which the portion of said barrel adjacent to the discharge of the plasticized material is heated is so controlled.

Claim 21

The method according to claim 14, wherein the temperature to which said portion of said barrel is heated is controlled independently of said sensing during warm-up and in accordance with said sensing during normal operation.

Claim 22

The method according to claim 14, wherein a single control device is employed to control the temperatures in a plurality of other positions of said barrel.

Claim 23

The method according to claim 14, wherein said screw is an injection screw rotatably and axially driven in said barrel, said screw being movable away from said discharge means by plasticized material intermediate said screw and said discharge means while pressure is maintained on said screw yieldably resisting such movement, and further comprising the step of employing a single control device to control both the driven rotation of said screw and also said resistence on said screw.

Claim 26

The method according to claim 20, wherein said presetting of each of said controls is accomplished by the employment of reference codes establishing settings of the controls predetermined to be capable of providing the intended result.

Claim 27

The method according to claim 20, further comprising presetting a predetermined temperature of plasticized material discharged from the barrel.

Claim 28

The method according to claim 20, wherein the temperature to which said portion of said barrel to which is controlled independently of said sensing during warm-up and in accordance with said sensing during normal operation.