Plastic blow molding machine

Claim 2

Blow molding machine for forming hollow plastic articles, comprising a fixed platen, an opposite end plate, and a vertically slidable movable platen, a pair of tie rods passing through the end portions of all the foregoing and being rigidly secured to the fixed platen and the end plate and passing through the movable platen which has slidable fit thereon, and at least one turntable mounted between the movable platen and the fixed platen with a tie rod passing through it, the turntable being slidable and rotable on the tie rod.

Claim 3

Machine of claim 1 in which two turntables are provided, one on each of two tie rods.

Claim 4

Machine of claim 1 in which the turntable bears four sets of core rods, in quadrature, at its outer edges.

Claim 5

Machine of claim 1 in which the axis of the rod is the axis of rotation of the turntable; the fixed platen bears first mold halves arranged at right angles relative to said axis, the movable platen bears second mold halves similarly arranged at right angles and correspondingly positioned to mate with the first ones, which mold halves come together by reciprocation as the movable platen moves up and down, the turntable being arranged to rotate around the tie rod between the fixed and movable platens, and bearing sets of core rods which fit in between the first and lower mold halves at each of the step-wise rotative positions of the turntable.

Claim 6

Blow molding machine for forming hollow plastic articles comprising a fixed platen, an end plate, a movable platen therebetween, a pair of tie rods passing through all the foregoing and secured to the fixed platen and the end plate, a hydraulic cylinder mounted on the outside of the end plate and having a piston and a piston rod, said rod extending through said end plate and operatively connected with said movable platen for moving same; pivot anchors being provided at the opposing faces of said end plate and movable platen; and a pair of toggle arms are pivoted thereto and to each other, one toggle is provided on each side of said piston rod and the piston rod is operatively connected to said toggles; said piston rod being connected to a crosshead, whose ends are operatively connected to said toggles; the parts being so proportioned that the toggle arms are approximately straight when the movable platen is fully seated against the fixed platen; and a frame secured to and extending froM the end plate at its inner face carries guide rods that interfit slidably with the crosshead to guide same in its excursion away from the end plate.

Claim 7

Blow molding machine for forming hollow plastic articles comprising a fixed platen, an end plate, a movable platen therebetween, a pair of tie rods passing through all the foregoing and secured to the fixed platen and the end plate, a hydraulic cylinder mounted on the outside of the end plate and having a piston and a piston rod, said rod extending through said end plate and operatively connected with said movable platen for moving same; pivot anchors being provided at the opposing faces of said end plate and movable platen; and a pair of toggle arms are pivoted thereto and to each other, one toggle is provided on each side of said piston rod and the piston rod is operatively connected to said toggles; said piston rod being connected to a crosshead, whose ends are operatively connected to said toggles; the parts being so proportioned that the toggle arms are approximately straight when the movable platen is fully seated against the fixed platen; and a frame secured to and extending froM the end plate at its inner face carries guide rods that interfit slidably with the crosshead to guide same in its excursion away from the end plate.

Claim 8

Blow molding machine for forming hollow plastic articles comprising a fixed platen, an end plate, a movable platen therebetween, a pair of tie rods passing through all the foregoing and secured to the fixed platen and the end plate, a pair of turn-tables, disposed between said movable platen and said fixed platen, and movable with respect to one of said tie rods passing therethrough, and a hydraulic cylinder mounted on the outside of the end plate and having a piston and a piston rod, said rod extending through said end plate and operatively connected with said movable platen for moving same.

Claim 9

Blow molding machine for forming hollow plastic articles comprising a fixed platen, an end plate, a movable platen therebetween, a pair of tie rods passing through all the foregoing and secured to the fixed platen and the end plate, a pair of turn-tables, disposed between said movable platen and said fixed platen, and movable with respect to one of said tie rods passing therethrough, and a hydraulic cylinder mounted on the outside of the end plate and having a piston and a piston rod, said rod extending through said end plate and operatively connected with said movable platen for moving same.

Claim 10

Machine of claim 6 in which pivot anchors are provided at the opposing faces of the end plate and movable platen, and toggle arms are pivoted thereto and to each other, and the piston rod is operatively connected to the toggle, the parts being so proportioned that said toggle is approximately straight when the movable platen is fully seated against the fixed platen.

Claim 11

Machine of claim 7 in which there are two toggles, one to each side of the piston rod, and a crosshead is provided, the piston rod being connected to the crosshead, whose ends are operatively connected to the toggles.

Claim 12

Machine of claim 8 in which within each pair of toggle arms the one closer to the end plate is J-shape, with the pivot to the other toggle arm in its heel, and a short crosshead link connects the crosshead to a pivot in the toe of the J-shape toggle arm.

Claim 13

Blow molding machine for forming hollow plastic articles comprising two turntables approximately tangent and each bearing a plurality of sets of core rods arranged at equal angular distances about its edge and projecting out therefrom, a common feed station at the region of approximate tangency, other operating stations forming a FIG. 8, and sets of upper and lower mold halves vertically movable relative to the turntable for repetitively closing said molds about said core rods and opening same.

Claim 14

Blow molding machine for forming hollow plastic articles comprising two turntables approximately tangent and each bearing a plurality of sets of core rods arranged at equal angular distances about its edge and projecting out therefrom, a common feed station at the region of approximate tangency, other operating stations forming a FIG. 8, and sets of upper and lower mold halves vertically movable relative to the turntable for repetitively closing said molds about said core rods and opening same.

Claim 15

Machine of claim 10 in which lifting mechanism is provided for raising the upper mold halves, and the core rod turntables are arranged to be free of such lifting mechanism until the upper mold halves have completed a significant fraction of their excursion, core rod lifter projecting adjuncts arranged for contacting said core rod turntables and lifting same when said mechanism for lifting the upper mold halves has traveled a further distance, for lifting said core rods out of said mold lower halves.

Claim 16

In a machine for blow molding hollow objects: a fixed platen, an upwardly and downwardly movable platen opposite same, at least one upwardly and downwardly movable core rod holder therebetween, a plurality of core rod holder lifters depending from the movable platen and having projections under portions of the core rod holder and a clear path for a distance therebelow, and a stop below the core rod holder at such height as to permit same to travel down with the platen for part only of the platen''s stroke, whereby the core rod holder is lifted and lowered by the movable platen during the upper portion of its stroke, stays at a rest location while the movable platen completes its downward stroke and is picked up again and raised during the course of the movable platen''s up stroke.

Claim 17

In a machine for blow molding hollow objects: a fixed platen, an upwardly and downwardly movable platen opposite same, at least one upwardly and downwardly movable core rod holder therebetween, a plurality of core rod holder lifters depending from the movable platen and having projections under portions of the core rod holder and a clear path for a distance therebelow, and a stop below the core rod holder at such height as to permit same to travel down with the platen for part only of the platen''s stroke, whereby the core rod holder is lifted and lowered by the movable platen during the upper portion of its stroke, stays at a rest location while the movable platen completes its downward stroke and is picked up again and raised during the course of the movable platen''s up stroke.

Claim 18

Machine of claim 12 in which there are lower mold halves on the fixed platen and upper mold halves on the movable platen and the bottom of the down stroke of the movable platen occurs at the fitting together of the upper and lower mold halves.

Claim 19

Machine of claim 13 in which the rest position of the core rod holder occurs where the core rods have fit with the lower mold halves.

Claim 20

Machine of claim 12 in which the rest position of the core rod holder occurs where the core rods have fit with the lower mold halves.

Claim 21

Machine of claim 12 in which bores are provided in the core rod hoLder which the core rod holder lifters pass slidably through.

Claim 22

Machine of claim 16 in which there are recess bores in the fixed platen, which the lower ends of the core rod holder lifters enter in the lower portion of their downstroke.

Claim 23

Machine of claim 17 in which enlarged heads are provided at the bottom ends of the core rod holder lifters, and upwardly hollow cups ring the core rod holder lifters and have the bottom surface engaged by the enlarged head during the upstroke of the movable platen and rest on the lower platen about its recess bores during the final portion of the downstroke of the movable platen.

Claim 24

In a machine for blow molding hollow objects: a fixed platen, an upwardly and downwardly movable platen, at least one upwardly and downwardly movable core rod holder therebetween, press feet borne by the movable platen at its side toward the core rod holder,and resilient force means that resiliently press those feet against the core rod holder when the movable platen approaches its position that is closest to the fixed platen.

Claim 25

In a machine for blow molding hollow objects: a fixed platen, an upwardly and downwardly movable platen, at least one upwardly and downwardly movable core rod holder therebetween, press feet borne by the movable platen at its side toward the core rod holder,and resilient force means that resiliently press those feet against the core rod holder when the movable platen approaches its position that is closest to the fixed platen.

Claim 26

The machine of claim 19, in which a press foot includes a cylinder and a piston, a first of which is attached to the underside of the movable platen, and the other of which is movable on the first.

Claim 27

In a machine for blow molding hollow objects, a fixed platen, an end plate, an upwardly and downwardly movable platen therebetween, and at least one rotable core rod holder turntable therebetween, a tie rod passing through the movable platen and the turntable and secured to the fixed platen, a collar secured to the movable platen against any substantial movement relative thereto in the direction of the tie rod and rotable about the tie rod and positioned between the movable platen and the turntable and connected to the turntable to impart rotation thereto when it rotates.

Claim 28

In a machine for blow molding hollow objects, a fixed platen, an end plate, an upwardly and downwardly movable platen therebetween, and at least one rotable core rod holder turntable therebetween, a tie rod passing through the movable platen and the turntable and secured to the fixed platen, a collar secured to the movable platen against any substantial movement relative thereto in the direction of the tie rod and rotable about the tie rod and positioned between the movable platen and the turntable and connected to the turntable to impart rotation thereto when it rotates.

Claim 29

Machine of claim 21 in which a drive mechanism is mounted on the movable platen on the side opposite to the collar and a drive connection extends down therefrom and engages the collar assembly to rotate same.

Claim 30

Machine of claim 22 in which the collar assembly includes a ring gear around the tie rod, and the drive connection comprises a shaft extending down through the movable platen and bearing a pinion gear which meshes with said ring gear.

Claim 31

Machine of claim 23 in which the drive train includes a switch that stops the drive when the turntable rotates a predetermined angular distance.

Claim 32

In a machine for blow molding hollow objects: a fixed platen, a tie rod secured thereto and extending perpendicular thereto, a movable platen slidable on said tie rod, and a core rod holder turntable between the two platens and slidable and rotatable on said tie rod, air conduit holes extending through said turntable at a plurality of positions corresponding to each other but angularly separated and a plurality of air supply terminals being positioned at the side of the fixed platen toward the turntable and corresponding to the air conduit holes in the turntable, whereby a given air supply terminal makes operative connections with successive air conduit holes in the turntable as the turntable goes through stepwise rotation.

Claim 33

In a machine for blow molding hollow objects: a fixed platen, a tie rod secured thereto and extending perpendicular thereto, a movable platen slidable on said tie rod, and a core rod holder turntable between the two platens and slidable and rotatable on said tie rod, air conduit holes extending through said turntable at a plurality of positions corresponding to each other but angularly separated and a plurality of air supply terminals being positioned at the side of the fixed platen toward the turntable and corresponding to the air conduit holes in the turntable, whereby a given air supply terminal makes operative connections with successive air conduit holes in the turntable as the turntable goes through stepwise rotation.

Claim 34

Machine of claim 25 in which individual air supply terminals include a plurality of air connections, and each rotative step position of the turntable has a corresponding plurality of air conduit holes therethrough.

Claim 35

Machine of claim 26 in which the air conduit holes in the turntable are bores extending through the turntable and the openings of the air supply terminals bear small gaskets around the several terminal outlets which the turntable will bear against at the end of its reciprocating stroke.

Claim 36

Machine of claim 27 in which the air supply terminals include slidable sleeves resiliently urged in the direction toward the turntable and resiliently capable of being pushed back to some extent when the turntable is brought down closest to the fixed platen.