US4470796A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus for molding hollow plastic articles
Assignee: SIPA Industrializzazione Progettazione e Automazione SpA
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Filing: 1982-09-30
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Granted: 1984-09-11
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Expires: 2002-09-30
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus of making hollow plastic articles are disclosed in which the preforms or other articles are sequentially molded from a continuous stream of plasticized resin supplied by an extruder. The preforms are formed sequentially in a plurality of molds and immediately transferred from the molds to blowing apparatus where they are blown into plastic articles. The molds are disposed in sets of two or more molds each, and the number of blowing apparatus units is equal to the number of sets of molds, with at least two sets of molds being provided. After the preform is formed in one mold of a set of molds, it is transferred while it is still hot to the corresponding blowing apparatus for that set while the extruded stream of plasticized resin is fed into the other molds to form other preforms. The method continuously utilizes the stream of plasticized resin from an extruder and provides the most efficient use of blowing apparatus by providing a number of blowing stations less than the number of total preform molds. The method also results in energy efficiency and avoids plastic degradation by minimizing the length of time at which the plastic resin is at an elevated temperature.
Inventors
- 👤 John F. Stroup
- 👤 Harold J. Robins
- 👤 Michael Teeple
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 00:36
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C49/00; B29C49/42; B29C49/4205; B29C45/00; B29C45/03; B29C45/12; B29C45/125; B29C45/17; B29C45/46; B29C45/57; B29C49/02; B29C49/06; B29C49/061; B29C49/28; B29C2049/023; B29C2049/065; B29C49/006; B29C49/0062; B29C49/0064; B29K; B29K2105/00; B29K2105/25; B29K2105/253
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
140 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles from a thermoplastic resin material which comprises: an extruder for producing a stream of plasticized resin material; a runner system extending from the extruder for containing the stream of plasticized resin material at an elevated temperature; a plurality of preform molds connected to the runner system for forming preforms from the plasticized material received through the runner system, the molds being disposed in two or more sets each having at least two molds; valve means in the runner system for directing the flow of the stream of plasticized resin sequentially into the preform molds; means for blowing the preforms into plastic articles, a separate blowing means being provided for each set of molds; and means for transferring the preforms while they are warm from each of the sets of molds to the corresponding blowing means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
140 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles from a thermoplastic resin material which comprises: an extruder for producing a stream of plasticized resin material; a runner system extending from the extruder for containing the stream of plasticized resin material at an elevated temperature; a plurality of preform molds connected to the runner system for forming preforms from the plasticized material received through the runner system, the molds being disposed in two or more sets each having at least two molds; valve means in the runner system for directing the flow of the stream of plasticized resin sequentially into the preform molds; means for blowing the preforms into plastic articles, a separate blowing means being provided for each set of molds; and means for transferring the preforms while they are warm from each of the sets of molds to the corresponding blowing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 1, wherein a transferring means is provided for each blowing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 1, wherein the extruder is a continuously operating extruder.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 1, wherein each blowing means includes means for temperature conditioning uniformly the preforms and stretching the preforms prior to blowing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus for making articles as in claim 1, wherein each preform mold has a plurality of cavities each of which is adapted for forming a preform.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
193 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles from a thermoplastic resin material which comprises: (a) an extruder having means for heating and extruding plasticized resin; (b) at least two first molds for forming a preform; (c) at least two second molds for forming a preform, the number of second molds being equal to the number of first molds, each second mold being associated with one of the first molds to form a set of molds; (d) a runner system extending from the extruder for feeding the plasticized resin into the first and second molds; (e) valve means connected to the runner system for allowing the plasticized resin material to be fed sequentially into the first and second molds; (f) at least two apparatus units each of which includes means for uniformly temperature conditioning the preforms, means for stretching and orienting the preforms, and means for blowing the preforms into the plastic articles, the number of apparatus units being equal to the number of sets of first and second molds; and (g) means for transferring the preforms while they are warm from each set of the first and second molds to one of the apparatus units.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
193 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles from a thermoplastic resin material which comprises: (a) an extruder having means for heating and extruding plasticized resin; (b) at least two first molds for forming a preform; (c) at least two second molds for forming a preform, the number of second molds being equal to the number of first molds, each second mold being associated with one of the first molds to form a set of molds; (d) a runner system extending from the extruder for feeding the plasticized resin into the first and second molds; (e) valve means connected to the runner system for allowing the plasticized resin material to be fed sequentially into the first and second molds; (f) at least two apparatus units each of which includes means for uniformly temperature conditioning the preforms, means for stretching and orienting the preforms, and means for blowing the preforms into the plastic articles, the number of apparatus units being equal to the number of sets of first and second molds; and (g) means for transferring the preforms while they are warm from each set of the first and second molds to one of the apparatus units.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus for making articles as in claim 6, wherein the extruder has means for extruding plasticized resin.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus for making articles as in claim 6, wherein each apparatus unit also includes means for ejecting the plastic articles therefrom.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
110 words
Apparatus for making hollow plastic articles from a thermoplastic resin material, which comprises: means for extruding plasticized resin in a hot stream; means for forming preform comprising a plurality of preform molds disposed in at least two sets of molds having two or more molds in each set; means for directing the stream of resin sequentially into the preform molds; means for blowing the preforms into plastic articles comprising a plurality of blowing apparatus, there being a separate blowing apparatus for each set of molds; and means for transferring the preforms while they are warm sequentially from each mold of each set of molds to one of the blowing apparatus.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
110 words
Apparatus for making hollow plastic articles from a thermoplastic resin material, which comprises: means for extruding plasticized resin in a hot stream; means for forming preform comprising a plurality of preform molds disposed in at least two sets of molds having two or more molds in each set; means for directing the stream of resin sequentially into the preform molds; means for blowing the preforms into plastic articles comprising a plurality of blowing apparatus, there being a separate blowing apparatus for each set of molds; and means for transferring the preforms while they are warm sequentially from each mold of each set of molds to one of the blowing apparatus.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus for making hollow plastic articles as in claim 9, wherein the extruding means includes means for continuously extruding resin.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus for making hollow plastic articles as in claim 9, wherein the blowing means includes means for uniformly temperature conditioning the preforms prior to the blowing of the preforms into plastic articles.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
140 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles from a thermoplastic resin material which comprises: an extruder for continuously extruding plasticized resin material in a continuous stream of hot plasticized material; a plurality of preforms molds for sequentially forming a plurality of preforms, the molds disposed in at least two sets of molds having two or more molds in each set; means for sequentially feeding the continuous stream of plasticized material to the plurality of preform molds; at least two blowing apparatus for blowing the preforms into the plastic articles, there being a separate blowing apparatus for each set of molds; and means for transferring each of the preforms from the molds to the blowing apparatus for that set of molds before the preforms cool substantially, including means for transferring the preforms from each set of molds directly to a single blowing apparatus.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
140 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles from a thermoplastic resin material which comprises: an extruder for continuously extruding plasticized resin material in a continuous stream of hot plasticized material; a plurality of preforms molds for sequentially forming a plurality of preforms, the molds disposed in at least two sets of molds having two or more molds in each set; means for sequentially feeding the continuous stream of plasticized material to the plurality of preform molds; at least two blowing apparatus for blowing the preforms into the plastic articles, there being a separate blowing apparatus for each set of molds; and means for transferring each of the preforms from the molds to the blowing apparatus for that set of molds before the preforms cool substantially, including means for transferring the preforms from each set of molds directly to a single blowing apparatus.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
135 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles from a thermoplastic resin material, which comprises: means for extruding hot plasticized resin; a plurality of preform molds for forming preforms, the molds disposed in at least two sets of two or more molds each; means for feeding the plasticized resin sequentially into alternate molds of the plurality of preform molds; at least two blowing apparatus for blowing the preforms into plastic articles, there being a separate blowing apparatus for each set of two or more molds; means for transferring the preforms while they are still warm sequentially from each mold of one set of molds directly to one of the blowing apparatus; and means for transferring the preforms while they are still warm sequentially from each mold of each other set of molds directly to each other blowing apparatus.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
135 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles from a thermoplastic resin material, which comprises: means for extruding hot plasticized resin; a plurality of preform molds for forming preforms, the molds disposed in at least two sets of two or more molds each; means for feeding the plasticized resin sequentially into alternate molds of the plurality of preform molds; at least two blowing apparatus for blowing the preforms into plastic articles, there being a separate blowing apparatus for each set of two or more molds; means for transferring the preforms while they are still warm sequentially from each mold of one set of molds directly to one of the blowing apparatus; and means for transferring the preforms while they are still warm sequentially from each mold of each other set of molds directly to each other blowing apparatus.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 13, wherein the extruding means includes means for extruding continuously.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
72 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 13, wherein each set of molds comprises a pair of molds, the feeding means feeds the plasticized resin to at least two pairs of preform molds, preforms are formed in one of each pair of molds, and each of the transferring means transfers the preforms sequentially from each mold of each pair of molds directly to the blowing apparatus for that pair of molds.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 13, wherein each of the blowing apparatus includes means for temperature conditioning uniformly the preforms prior to the blowing of the preforms into plastic articles.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 13, wherein the blowing apparatus blows each preform into a plastic article within one minute after it is formed.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
121 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles, which comprises: means for extruding a stream of hot plasticized resin; a plurality of preform molds disposed in at least two sets of molds with each set comprising two or more molds; means for directing the stream sequentially into the preform molds to form a preform in each mold; means for blowing the preforms into plastic articles, comprising a separate blowing apparatus for each set of two or more molds; and means for removing the preforms from each mold in one of the sets of molds and for transferring them directly to the blowing apparatus for that set of molds before the preforms cool substantially, the preforms being transferred sequentially from each mold of the set.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
121 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles, which comprises: means for extruding a stream of hot plasticized resin; a plurality of preform molds disposed in at least two sets of molds with each set comprising two or more molds; means for directing the stream sequentially into the preform molds to form a preform in each mold; means for blowing the preforms into plastic articles, comprising a separate blowing apparatus for each set of two or more molds; and means for removing the preforms from each mold in one of the sets of molds and for transferring them directly to the blowing apparatus for that set of molds before the preforms cool substantially, the preforms being transferred sequentially from each mold of the set.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 18, wherein the extruding means includes means for extruding the resin as a continuous stream.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 18, wherein the blowing means includes means for temperature conditioning the preforms uniformly prior to blowing the preforms into plastic articles.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 18, wherein the blowing means blows each preform into a plastic article within one minute after it is formed.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 21, wherein the blowing means blows each preform into a plastic article within 30 seconds after it is formed.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 18, wherein there are c molds and c is an integer of 4 or more, any one of the molds forms a preform every X seconds, and the blowing apparatus blows the preforms into plastic articles in a cycle of an aliquot portion of X seconds.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 23, wherein the plurality of molds together forms one preform every X/c seconds.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 23, wherein all of the blowing apparatus blow preforms into plastic articles every X/c seconds.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus for making plastic articles as in claim 23, wherein the directing means substantially fills each mold during a period of X/c seconds.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-09-11 | 1988-03-12 | 1988-09-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-09-11 | 1992-03-12 | 1992-09-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-09-11 | 1996-03-12 | 1996-09-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |