APPARATUS FOR FORMING CONTAINERS BY MOLDING

• US 3,661,489 A
• Filed: 07/07/1970
• Issued: 05/09/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deacon Machinery Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lawrence A. Moore
• Inventors: Moore, Lawrence A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flint, Jr., J. Howard
• Application Number:
  US05/052,812
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 18/4C,4P,4S,4V,4R,5BH,5BT,2B,2H,19F
• US Class Current: 425/236
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0822 using IR radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/36 rotatable about one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/22 rotatable about an axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/421 of preforms, specially adapted for thermoforming preheating sheets in general B29B13/023; B29C51/427 takes precedence

Abstract

Preforms preferably of a suitable plastic material, are heated and then placed into a container mold where they are formed into containers. The applicable heating oven depends on the shape of the preform when it is heated. A rotary oven with an outwardly spiralling path may be used for flat or partially preshaped preforms. An elongated oven may be used for heating an elongated strip, from which flat preforms are cut after heating. The container mold assembly is constituted by a plurality of individual molds, all rotatable together about an axis of the container mold assembly, the individual molds arriving successively at a loading station for receiving heated preforms.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making containers comprising:

a covered oven means for receiving container preforms and heating the same to a forming temperature, said oven being arranged for continuous movement of said preforms into said oven at a first location, through the oven to heat the preforms, and out of the oven at a second location, said oven means including a rotating table, and moving means for moving preforms through the oven along an outwardly spiralling path about the center of the turntable, a transfer device, a container forming means for forming said preforms into containers, said transfer device including means for transferring said preforms from said oven means to said forming means, and said forming means including a plurality of individual molds mounted for successive register with said transfer device such that successive heated preforms passing through the transfer device enter successive ones of said molds.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, including feed means for feeding preforms onto said turntable.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transfer device comprises a housing arranged to receive preforms at the outer periphery of the turntable and to provide a path to the mold, and a means for impelling the preform through the housing to the mold.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said preforms are in the shape of generally flat discs, and wherein the feed means includes a hopper for feeding the discs into the oven at a point half-way between the center of the turntable and the outer periphery thereof.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2 including a fixed cover and wherein said moving means includes a non-rotationally mounted spiral frame extending downwardly from the cover to a level just above the turntable to provide an outwardly spiralling path, and wherein said feed means feeds the preforms to the oven at the inner end of the spiral path, whereby rotation of the turntable and engagement of the preforms with the spiral frame cause the preforms to follow an outwardly spiralling path to the outer periphery of the turntable.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, including means for lifting and lowering the cover and the spiral frame relative to the turntable.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said forming means comprises a rotatable frame, said plurality of individual molds are mounted on the frame for rotation about a common axis, each mold including means for holding the preforms to convert the preform into a container.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each mold includes a pair of mold halves closable onto each other on a plane passing through the said axis, and pair of clamping arms extending outwardly from a pivot point, one arm connected to each mold half, means for moving the clamping arms toward and away from each other to close and open the mold, respectively.

9. An apparatus for making containers comprising:

a covered oven means for receiving container preforms and heating the same to a forming temperature, said oven being arranged for continuous movement of said preforms into said oven at a first location, through the oven to heat the preforms, and out of the oven at a second location, a transfer device, a container forming means for forming said preforms into containers, said transfer device including means for transferring said preforms from said oven means to said forming means, said forming means including a plurality of individual molds mounted for successive resistor with said transfer device such that successive heated preforms passing through the transfer device enter successive ones of said molds, said oven being an elongated oven including an elongated passageway for receiving a strip of preform material, means at the outlet end of said oven for punching discs from said strip, and said transferring means including a rod mounted to engage said discs on a side thereof at the location at which the discs are punched and to move the discs at an angle to the direction of movement of the strip to push each punched-out disc through the transfer device to successive ones of said molds.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, said disc punching means being a fluid operated punching device, and means for collecting the waste strip around the punched discs.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said forming means comprises a rotatable frame, said plurality of individual molds are mounted on the frame for rotation about a common axis, each mold including means for holding the preforms to convert the preform into a container.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein each mold includes a pair of mold halves closable onto each other on a plane passing through the said axis, and a pair of clamping arms extending outwardly from a pivot point, one arm connected to each mold half, means for moving the clamping arms toward and away from each other to close and open the mold, respectively.