Rotational molding apparatus

Claim 2

Rotational molding apparatus comprising an oven defining a substantially totally enclosed heating chamber, said oven having a door in one of its sides, means for supporting said oven for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a mold-carrying frame in said oven mounted for rotation with said oven about the oven axis and for rotation relative to said oven about a second axis disposed at a substantial angle relative to the oven axis, means for rotating the oven, mold-carrying frame, and a mold carried thereby about the oven axis, means for rotating said frame about said second axis, means for circulating a fluid through said chamber, and means spaced outwardly from said heating chamber for heating such fluid prior to such fluid being circulated through said chamber.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for circulating fluid comprises a fluid inlet duct on the oven opening into said chamber, a fluid outlet duct on the oven exiting from the chamber, conduit means interconnecting said inlet and outlet ducts, and a blower in said conduit means.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the oven and conduit means are rotatable relative to said heating means and which further comprises a rotatable hollow coupling through which heated fluid may pass connecting said heating means to the conduit means.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for rotating the oven and mold-carrying frame comprises a reversible motor operable selectively to rotate the oven and mold frame in either of reverse directions about the oven axis.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said motor is operable at selectively variable speeds.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for rotating said mold-carrying frame about said second axis comprises a reversible motor operable selectively to rotate the frame in either of reverse directions about said second axis.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said motor is operable at selectively variable speeds.

Claim 9

Rotational molding apparatus comprising an oven mountd for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said oven having a door in one of its sides to provide an entry into said oven and being rotatable to a position in which the door faces outwardly in one direction from said oven, a mold-working station spaced laterally of said oven in said one direction, a mold-carrying frame, mounting means mounting said frame for rotation about a first axis paralleling the axis for the oven and a second axis disposed at a substantial angle relative to said first axis, and transport means connected to said mounting means operable to move said mounting means and frame along a substantially continuous path between a first position at said mold-working station and a second position wherein said frame is received through said entry and in said oven with its first axis coinciding with the axis for the oven.

Claim 10

Rotational molding apparatus comprising an oven mountd for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said oven having a door in one of its sides to provide an entry into said oven and being rotatable to a position in which the door faces outwardly in one direction from said oven, a mold-working station spaced laterally of said oven in said one direction, a mold-carrying frame, mounting means mounting said frame for rotation about a first axis paralleling the axis for the oven and a second axis disposed at a substantial angle relative to said first axis, and transport means connected to said mounting means operable to move said mounting means and frame along a substantially continuous path between a first position at said mold-working station and a second position wherein said frame is received through said entry and in said oven with its first axis coinciding with the axis for the oven.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said transport means comprises a track extending from a position adjacent said station to a position adjacent said oven and a carriage mounted on said track for movement therealong.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said oven door faces substantially horizontally outwardly from the oven when the oven is in said position, and wherein said transport means comprises a track along which the mold-carrying frame may be moved in a substantially horizontal, continuous path between said first and second positions.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said oven defines a substantially totally enclosed heating chamber, and which further comprises means for circulating a fluid through said chamber and means spaced outwardly from said heating chamber for heating such fluid prior to such fluid being circulated through said chamber.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said means for circulating fluid comprises a fluid inlet duct opening into said chamber, a fluid outlet duct exiting from the chamber, conduit means on the oven interconnecting said inlet and outlet ducts, and a blower in said conduit means.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the oven and conduit means are rotatable relative to said heating means, and which further comprises a rotatable hollow coupling through which heated fluid may pass connecting the heating means and the conduit means.

Claim 16

Rotational molding apparatus comprising an oven mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and having a door in one of its sides openable to provide an entry into the oven, said oven being rotatable to a position where the door faces outwardly in one direction from the oven, a mold-working station spaced laterally of said oven in said one direction, a track extending from said mold-working station toward said oven, a carriage mounted for movement on said track along a substantially continuous path between a first position at said station and a second position adjacent said oven, a first frame rotatably joined to said carriage for movement therewith between said first and second positions, said frame being so positioned on the carriage that at least a portion of the frame enters the oven through said entry and is received in the oven when the carriage is moved to its said second position, said frame being rotatable relative to said carriage about a first frame axis which coincides with the oven axis when in said second position, a second frame, means mounting said second frame on said first frame for rotation relative thereto about a second frame axis which extends at a substantial angle relative to the first frame axis, said second frame being mounted on said portion of the first frame which is received in said oven when the carriage is moved to its second position, and power-operated means for rotating the oven, first frame, and second frame about their respective axes when said portion of said first frame and said second frame are received in said oven.

Claim 17

Rotational molding apparatus comprising an oven mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and having a door in one of its sides openable to provide an entry into the oven, said oven being rotatable to a position where the door faces outwardly in one direction from the oven, a mold-working station spaced laterally of said oven in said one direction, a track extending from said mold-working station toward said oven, a carriage mounted for movement on said track along a substantially continuous path between a first position at said station and a second position adjacent said oven, a first frame rotatably joined to said carriage for movement therewith between said first and second positions, said frame being so positioned on the carriage that at least a portion of the frame enters the oven through said entry and is received in the oven when the carriage is moved to its said second position, said frame being rotatable relative to said carriage about a first frame axis which coincides with the oven axis when in said second position, a second frame, means mounting said second frame on said first frame for rotation relative thereto about a second frame axis which extends at a substantial angle relative to the first frame axis, said second frame being mounted on said portion of the first frame which is received in said oven when the carriage is moved to its second position, and power-operated means for rotating the oven, first frame, and second frame about their respective axes when said portion of said first frame and said second frame are received in said oven.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said track is substantially horizontal.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 14, which further comprises power-operated means for moving said carriage along said track between said first and second positions.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means for rotating said second frame comprises a motor mounted on said carriage and drive means on said first frame operatively interconnecting said motor and second frame for producing rotation of the latter on operation of the former.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means for rotating said second frame comprises a reversible variable speed motor operable to produce rotation of said second frame in either of reverse directions about the second frame axis at selectively variable speeds.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means for rotating the oven comprises a reversible variable speed motor operable to rotate said oven in either of reverse directions at selectively variable speeds.

Claim 23

Rotational molding apparatus comprising an oven mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and having a door in one of its sides openable to provide an entry into the oven, said oven being rotatable to a position where the door faces outwardly in one direction from the oven, a mold-working station spaced laterally of said oven in said one direction, a track extending from said mold-working station toward said oven, a carriage mounted for movement along said track between a first position at said station and a second position adjacent said oven, a first frame mounted on said carriage for movement therewith between said first and second positions and being so positioned on the carriage that at least a portion of the frame is received in the oven through said entry when the carriage is moved to its said second position, said first frame comprising an elongate arm portion spaced laterally of said track and journaled for rotation adjacent one of its ends on the carriage about a first frame axis which coincides with the oven axis when in said second position, a joining portion secured to and projecting laterally from said arm portion away from said track in a region spaced from the journal connection between the arm and carriage, and a yoke portion secured to said joining portion and spaced laterally of said arm portion, a second frame, means mounting said second frame on the yoke portion of said first frame for rotation relative thereto about a second frame axis which extends at a substantial angle relative to the first frame axis, and power-operated means for rotating the oven, first frame, and second frame about their respective axes.

Claim 24

Rotational molding apparatus comprising an oven mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and having a door in one of its sides openable to provide an entry into the oven, said oven being rotatable to a position where the door faces outwardly in one direction from the oven, a mold-working station spaced laterally of said oven in said one direction, a track extending from said mold-working station toward said oven, a carriage mounted for movement along said track between a first position at said station and a second position adjacent said oven, a first frame mounted on said carriage for movement therewith between said first and second positions and being so positioned on the carriage that at least a portion of the frame is received in the oven through said entry when the carriage is moved to its said second position, said first frame comprising an elongate arm portion spaced laterally of said track and journaled for rotation adjacent one of its ends on the carriage about a first frame axis which coincides with the oven axis when in said second position, a joining portion secured to and projecting laterally from said arm portion away from said track in a region spaced from the journal connection between the arm and carriage, and a yoke portion secured to said joining portion and spaced laterally of said arm portion, a second frame, means mounting said second frame on the yoke portion of said first frame for rotation relative thereto about a second frame axis which extends at a substantial angle relative to the first frame axis, and power-operated means for rotating the oven, first frame, and second frame about their respective axes.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 8, which further comprises power-operated means for rotating said oven and frame about the oven axis and for rotating said frame about said second axis when the frame is received in the oven.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said oven has a notch formed therein adjacent said door through which said joining portion may extend, with said arm portion outside the oven and the yoke portion inside the oven.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 22, wherein one side of said notch is closed off by the oven door when the same is closed, and is opened up when the door is opened.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said yoke portion is adapted to be received in said oven when the yoke is disposed in a preselected position relative to said oven, and wherein said oven further includes means for maintaining the yoke in said preselected position relative to the oven as the oven and frame are rotated about the oven axis.

Claim 29

Rotational molding apparatus comprising an oven mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said oven having a door in one of its sides and being rotatable to a position in which the door faces outwardly in one direction from the oven, a mold-working station spaced laterally of the oven in said direction, a mold-carrying frame, means mounting said frame for rotation about a pair of divergent axes, and transport means for moving said mounting means and mold-carrying frame along a substantially continuous path between a first position at said station and a second position wherein said frame is received in said oven with one of said axes for the frame coinciding with the oven axis.

Claim 30

Rotational molding apparatus comprising an oven mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said oven having a door in one of its sides and being rotatable to a position in which the door faces outwardly in one direction from the oven, a mold-working station spaced laterally of the oven in said direction, a mold-carrying frame, means mounting said frame for rotation about a pair of divergent axes, and transport means for moving said mounting means and mold-carrying frame along a substantially continuous path between a first position at said station and a second position wherein said frame is received in said oven with one of said axes for the frame coinciding with the oven axis.

Claim 31

Rotational molding apparatus comprising an oven mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said oven having a door in one of its sides and being rotatable to a first position where the door faces outwardly in one direction from the oven and a second position in which the door faces outwardly in a second direction from the oven, said door being openable when the oven is in either of said positions to provide an entry into the oven, means for stopping said oven in a selected one of said positions, a first mold-working station spaced laterally of the oven in one of said directions, a second mold-working station spaced laterally of the oven in said second direction, a mold-carrying frame, means mounting said frame for rotation about a first axis paralleling the axis for the oven and for rotation about a second axis disposed at a substantial angle relative to said first axis, and transport means for moving said mounting means and mold-carrying frame along a substantially continuous path between a first position at one of said stations and a second position wherein said frame is received in said oven with the first axis for the frame coinciding with the axis of the oven.

Claim 32

Rotational molding apparatus comprising an oven mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said oven having a door in one of its sides and being rotatable to a first position where the door faces outwardly in one direction from the oven and a second position in which the door faces outwardly in a second direction from the oven, said door being openable when the oven is in either of said positions to provide an entry into the oven, means for stopping said oven in a selected one of said positions, a first mold-working station spaced laterally of the oven in one of said directions, a second mold-working station spaced laterally of the oven in said second direction, a mold-carrying frame, means mounting said frame for rotation about a first axis paralleling the axis for the oven and for rotation about a second axis disposed at a substantial angle relative to said first axis, and transport means for moving said mounting means and mold-carrying frame along a substantially continuous path between a first position at one of said stations and a second position wherein said frame is received in said oven with the first axis for the frame coinciding with the axis of the oven.

Claim 33

The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said transport means comprises track means extending from said station to a region adjacent said oven and a carriage mounted on said track means for movement therealong.

Claim 34

The apparatus of claim 26, which further comprises a second mold-carrying frame, means mounting said second frame for rotation about a first axis paralleling the axis of the oven and for rotation about a second axis disposed at a substantial angle relative to said first axis, and second transport means for moving said second mold-carrying frame along a substantially continuous path between the other of said mold-working stations and a position wherein said frame is received in said oven with the first axis for said second frame coinciding with the axis of the oven.