Back-to-back valve gate system
First Claim
1. In combination,a housing,first means for providing a flow of fluid into the housing for a flow of the fluid through the housing,first passages communicating with the first means,pairs of second passages, each pair being in communication with an individual one of the first passages,second means for heating the fluid as the fluid flows through the passages in the housing,pistons movable in the housing, first ones of the pistons being movable in first and second opposite directions in the housing and second ones of the pistons being respectively movable in the housing in the second and first opposite directions simultaneously with the movements of the first pistons in the first and second opposite directions,third means associated with the pistons for applying a pneumatic pressure to the pistons to move the first ones of the pistons in the first and second opposite directions and to move the second ones of the pistons respectively in the second and first opposite directions simultaneously with the movements of the first ones of the pistons in the first and second opposite directions, andfourth means associated with the pistons and having first and second operative relationships with the movements of the pistons in the first and second opposite directions and operative in the first relationship to provide for the flow of the heated fluid through the first passages and the second passages in the housing and operative in the second relationship to prevent the flow of the fluid through the passages in the housing and responsive to the pressure of the pneumatic fluid from the third means for providing a change in the disposition of the pistons between the first and second relationships.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A manifold is disposed within a pair of abutting pre-load mold plates in a pre-load relationship. Fluid flowing through the manifold is heated by a first heater. The fluid is then divided into a plurality of passages in the manifold. Pairs of passages have a back-to-back in-line relationship. A cylinder between each pair of the in-line passages holds a pair of pistons in the in-line relationship. Each piston in the pair has piston units in an interdigitated relationship with piston units on the other piston in the pair. Each pair of pistons is movable by pressurized fluid (e.g. air) between first and second positions. In the first position, each piston provides for the fluid (e.g. resin melt) flow through one of the passages to a pair of runners in the manifold. In the second position, each piston prevents the resin melt flow through the passages. A first heater heats the resin melt flowing through the passages. A second heater heats the resin melt flowing through the runners. Resin melt is prevented from leaking between the manifold and the mold plates even with temperature changes in the manifold as a result of the heating of the resin melt. This is accomplished by a pair of tongues, one rigid and the other resilient, extending from the manifold to the mold plate. In this way, fluid flowing into the manifold through one inlet exits through a plurality (e.g. 8) of gates without leakage after being heated at the passages and at the runners.
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Citations
57 Claims
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1. In combination,
a housing, first means for providing a flow of fluid into the housing for a flow of the fluid through the housing, first passages communicating with the first means, pairs of second passages, each pair being in communication with an individual one of the first passages, second means for heating the fluid as the fluid flows through the passages in the housing, pistons movable in the housing, first ones of the pistons being movable in first and second opposite directions in the housing and second ones of the pistons being respectively movable in the housing in the second and first opposite directions simultaneously with the movements of the first pistons in the first and second opposite directions, third means associated with the pistons for applying a pneumatic pressure to the pistons to move the first ones of the pistons in the first and second opposite directions and to move the second ones of the pistons respectively in the second and first opposite directions simultaneously with the movements of the first ones of the pistons in the first and second opposite directions, and fourth means associated with the pistons and having first and second operative relationships with the movements of the pistons in the first and second opposite directions and operative in the first relationship to provide for the flow of the heated fluid through the first passages and the second passages in the housing and operative in the second relationship to prevent the flow of the fluid through the passages in the housing and responsive to the pressure of the pneumatic fluid from the third means for providing a change in the disposition of the pistons between the first and second relationships.
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4. In a combination,
a housing, first means for providing a flow of fluid into and through the housing, second means for heating the fluid as the fluid flows through the housing, pistons movable in the housing, first ones of the pistons being movable in a first direction in the housing and second ones of the pistons being movable in a second direction opposite to the first direction, third means associated with the pistons for applying a pneumatic pressure to the pistons to move the first ones of the pistons in the first direction and to move the second ones of the pistons in the second direction, and fourth means associated with the pistons and having first and second operative relationships with the movements of the pistons in the first and second directions and operative in the first relationship to provide for the flow of the heated fluid through the housing and operative in the second relationship to prevent the flow of the fluid from the housing and responsive to the pressure of the pneumatic fluid from the third means for providing a change in the disposition of the pistons between the first and second relationships, the housing being formed from a plurality of separable portions, fifth means for holding the separable portions of the housing in an abutting relationship, and sixth means associated with the housing for preventing the fluid from leaking between the different portions of the housing with changes in temperature resulting from the flow of the heated fluid through the housing.
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5. In combination,
housing means, first means disposed in the housing means for providing for the passage of fluid into the housing means, first passages in the housing means for the movement of the fluid through the housing means, each of the first passages having an in- line relationship with another of the first passages, second means disposed in the housing means for heating the fluid flowing through the first passages, second passages in the housing means for the movement of the fluid through the housing means, the second passages being paired, each pair of the second passages communicating with an individual one of the first passages, third means disposed in the housing means for heating the fluid passing through the second passages, each pair of the second passages being disposed in-line in the housing means with an individual one of the pairs of the second passages, a plurality of piston means each disposed in the housing means and each associated with an individual one of the second passages and each having first and second operative relationships and each movable to a first position for operation in the first relationship and each movable to a second position for operation in the second relationship, fourth means associated with the piston means for providing for the flow of the fluid through the associated one of the second passages in the first operative relationship of the piston means and for preventing the flow of fluid through the associated one of the second passages in the second operative relationship of the piston means, and fifth means disposed in the housing means for applying a pneumatic pressure to the piston means to obtain a controlled movement of the piston means to the first and second operative relationships, the piston means associated with each pair of the second passages being movable to the first and second positions in an opposite direction from the movement to the first and second positions of the pistons associated with the in-line pair of the second passages.
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11. In combination,
housing means, first means disposed in the housing means for providing for the passage of fluid into the housing means, second means disposed in the housing means for defining passages for the flow of the fluid through the housing, each of the passages having an in-line relationship with another of the passages, third means disposed in the housing means for heating the fluid flowing through the housing, piston means each disposed in the housing means and each associated with an individual one of the passages and each having first and second operative relationships and each movable to a first position for operation in the first relationship and each movable to a second position for operation in the second relationship, fourth means associated with the piston means for providing for the flow of the fluid through the associated one of the passages in the first operative relationship of the piston means and for preventing the flow of fluid through the passages in the second operative relationship of the piston means, fifth means disposed in the housing means for applying a pneumatic pressure to the piston means to obtain a controlled movement of the piston means to the first and second operative relationships, and sixth means disposed in the housing means for preventing fluid from leaking from the housing means with changes in the temperature of the fluid flowing through the housing means.
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12. In combination,
first means disposed in abutting relationship to define a housing, second means disposed in the housing and defining a pair of first passages in a back-to back in-line relationship, third means disposed in the housing and defining pairs of additional passages, each pair of additional passages communicating with an individual one of the first pair of passages and such pair of the additional passages being in-line with another pair of the additional passages, fourth means each disposed in the housing and having first and second operative relationships for providing in the first operative relationship for a flow of fluid from the second means through an individual one of the additional passages and for preventing in a second operative relationship the flow of fluid from the second means through such individual one of the additional passages, the fourth means including pairs of pistons each disposed in the in-line relationship with the other one of the piston means in the pair and movably disposed in a back-to-back relationship to provide the operation of such fourth means in the first and second operative relationships, fifth means disposed in the housing for heating the fluid flowing through the passages, and sixth means for producing pneumatic forces on the fourth means to obtain an operation of the fourth means in the individual ones of the first and second operative relationships.
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22. In combination,
mold plate means, manifold means disposed in a pre-loaded abutting relationship against the mold plate means, first means disposed relative to the mold plate means and the manifold means for providing a path for the flow of fluid through the mold plate means and the manifold means, second means for heating the fluid passing through the manifold means, and third means disposed relative to the first means and the mold plate means and responsive to changes in the temperature of the fluid flowing through the mold plate means and the manifold means for maintaining the pre-loaded abutting relationship between the mold plate means and the manifold means.
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28. In combination,
mold plate means formed from a pair of portions in a separable relationship, manifold means disposed within the mold plate means and formed from separable portions, a hollow body disposed in the manifold means, a pair of piston means disposed in the hollow body in a back-to-back in-line relationship and movable in opposite directions in the in-line relationship in the hollow body, first means disposed relative to the piston means in the pair for providing a simultaneous movement of the piston means in the opposite directions between first and second positions in the in-line relationship, second means for providing for a flow of fluid into the manifold means, third means for defining passages for the flow of fluid through the manifold means, fourth means for heating the fluid flowing through the passages in the manifold means, fifth means for exerting a pneumatic force on the piston means in the pair to obtain a movement of the piston means simultaneously in the opposite directions in the in-line relationship to first and second positions to open the passages simultaneously for the flow of fluid through the passages in the first position of the piston means and to block the passages simultaneously in the second position against the flow of fluid, and sixth means for preventing the piston means in the in-line relationship from rotating relative to one another during such movement of the piston means in the in-line relationship.
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36. In combination,
manifold means, first means disposed in the manifold means for providing an inlet for fluids, second means disposed in the manifold means for dividing the fluid from the first means into pairs of first passages, each pair of the first passages having a back-to-back in-line relationship, third means disposed in the manifold means for dividing the fluid in each of the first passages for the flow of the fluid through a pair of second passages, each of the second passages in communication with one of the first passages in a pair being back-to-back and in-line with one of the second passages in communication with the other one of the first passages in the pair, a plurality of hollow bodies each associated with an individual pair of the back-to-back in-line second passages, piston means disposed in pairs, the piston means in each pair being disposed in an individual one of the hollow bodies in a back-to-back in-line relationship with the piston means in another pair and being movable in opposite in-line directions in the hollow bodies between first and second positions in a back-to-back relationship with respect to the piston means in the other pair to provide for a flow of fluid through the passages in the first positions and to prevent the flow of fluid through the passages in the second positions, fourth means for applying a pneumatic pressure against the piston means in each pair to move the piston means between the first and second positions in the back-to-back in-line relationship, and fifth means for heating the fluid during the flow of fluid through the passages, and a plurality of nozzles disposed in pairs, each nozzle in each pair being associated with an individual one of the second passages for receiving the fluid flowing through the individual one of the second passages.
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44. In combination,
housing means, first means disposed in the housing means for providing for the passage of fluid into the housing means, second means disposed in the housing means for defining passages for the flow of the fluid through the housing means, each of the passages in the housing means having an in-line relationship with another of the passages in the housing means, third means disposed in the housing means for heating the fluid flowing through the passages in the housing means, piston means each disposed in the housing means and each associated with an individual one of the passages in the housing means and each having first and second operative relationships and each movable to a first position for operation in the first relationship and each movable to a second position for operation in the second relationship, fourth means associated with the piston means for providing for the flow of the fluid through the associated one of the passages in the first operative relationship of the piston means and for preventing the flow of fluid through the passages in the second operative relationship of the piston means, and fifth means disposed in the housing means for applying a pneumatic pressure to the piston means to obtain a controlled movement of the piston means to the positions of the first and second operative relationships, the housing means including a pair of separable mold plates, each of the piston means including a piston, each of the pistons being individually removable from the housing means, when the mold plates are separated, without affecting the positioning of the other elements in the combination.
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50. In combination for use with mold cavities to pass fluid into the mold cavities,
a pair of mold plates disposed in a separable and abutting relationship, manifold means disposed in a pre-loaded abutting relationship against the mold plates, inlets extending through the mold plates into the manifold means for passing the fluid into the manifold means, first means disposed in the manifold means for providing passages for the flow of the fluid from the inlets through the manifold means, nozzles for passing the fluid from the passages into the mold cavities, piston means disposed in the manifold means and having first and second operative relationships and operative in the first relationship to provide for the flow of the fluid through the passages into the nozzles and operative in the second relationship to prevent the flow of the fluid through the passages into the nozzles, second means for heating the fluid flowing through the passages, and third means disposed relative to the nozzles and the mold plates for preventing fluid from leaking from the nozzles through the mold plates with changes in the temperature of the fluid flowing through the passages.
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55. In combination,
mold plate means formed from a pair of portions in a separable relationship, manifold means disposed within the mold plate means and formed from separable portions, a hollow body disposed in the manifold means, a pair of piston means disposed in the hollow body in a back-to-back in-line relationship and movable in opposite directions in the in-line relationship in the hollow body, first means disposed relative to the piston means in the pair for providing a simultaneous movement of the piston means in the opposite directions between first and second positions in the in-line relationship, second means for providing for a flow of fluid into the manifold means, third means for heating the fluid in the manifold means, fourth means for defining passages for the flow of fluid through the manifold means, and fifth means for exerting a pneumatic force on the piston means in the pair to obtain a movement of the piston means simultaneously in the opposite directions in the in-line relationship to first and second positions to open the passages simultaneously for the flow of fluid through the passages in the first positions of the piston means and to block the passages simultaneously in the second positions against the flow of fluid, the piston means being disposed in the hollow body to be removable from the hollow cylinder body, without affecting any of the other elements in the combination, when the pair of portions in the mold plate means are separated from each other.
Specification