Method and apparatus for producing molded articles
AssigneeGlobal Total Office
InventorValery Krassilnikov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A molding station has a housing support and a housing. The housing has a generally horizontal axis, a plurality of mold cavity enclosures and a plurality of sides. The housing is rotatably mounted to the housing support about the generally horizontal axis. The mold cavity enclosures are circumferentially positioned about the axis in at least some of the sides. Each mold cavity enclosure defines at least one mold cavity.
Claims46
A molding station comprising:
- (a) a housing support;
- and,
- (b) a housing having a generally horizontal axis, a plurality of mold cavity enclosures and a plurality of sides, the housing being rotatably mounted to the housing support about the generally horizontal axis, the mold cavity enclosures being circumferentially positioned about the axis in at least some of the sides, each of the mold cavity enclosures defining at least one mold cavity.
A molding station comprising:
- (a) a plurality of housings, each housing having a generally horizontal axis and a plurality of mold cavity enclosures circumferentially positioned about the axis, each of the housings is rotatable about its axis between a plurality of feeding positions wherein in each of the feeding positions at least one of the mold cavity enclosures is adapted to be filled from above;
- and,
- (b) an overhead feeding system, the overhead feeding system including a molding material transport conduit, the molding material transport conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being connectable to a source of molding material, the outlet being selectively positionable above each of the housings.
A method of molding articles from a feed material, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a plurality of housings, each of the housing having a plurality of mold cavity enclosures and a generally horizontal axis;
- (b) opening a first of the mold cavity enclosures in a first of the housings and providing the first mold cavity enclosure with the feed material from a feeder;
- (c) closing the first mold cavity enclosure and providing a first mold cavity enclosure of a second housing with the feed material from the feeder;
- and,
- (d) rotating the first housing about the generally horizontal axis so as to position a second mold cavity enclosure of the first housing for receiving feed material.
A molding station comprising:
- (a) housing means rotatably mounted about a generally horizontal axis and having a plurality of mold cavity means and a plurality of sides, the mold cavity means being circumferentially positioned about the axis in at least some of the sides;
- and,
- (b) temperature control means in thermal communication with at least some of the mold cavity means.
A molding station comprising:
- (a) a plurality of housing means rotatably mounted about a generally horizontal axis and having a plurality of mold cavity means and a plurality of sides, the mold cavity means being circumferentially positioned about the axis in at least some of the sides;
- and,
- (b) an overhead feeding means for filling a mold cavity means when the mold cavity means is open.
A mold cavity enclosure comprising:
- (a) a first mold cavity portion;
- (b) a second mold cavity portion, the first and second mold cavity portions being movable between a first position wherein the first and second mold cavity portions mate together to define the mold cavity enclosure and a second position wherein the first and second mold portions are open whereby a molded article is removable from the mold cavity;
- and,
- (c) the mold cavity enclosure having at least one slot, the mold cavity enclosure is substantially enclosed by the mold cavity portions except the atleast one slot where the mold cavity enclosure is open to the atmosphere during curing of molding material in the mold cavity enclosure.
A cassette configured to receive a plurality of mold cavity enclosures, the mold cavity enclosures comprising a first mold cavity portion;
- a second mold cavity portion, the first and second mold cavity portions being movable between a first position wherein the first and second mold cavity portions mate together to define the mold cavity enclosure and a second position wherein the first and second mold portions are open whereby a molded article is removable from the mold cavity;
- and, the mold cavity enclosure having at least one slot, the mold cavity enclosure is substantially enclosed by the mold cavity portions except the atleast one slot where the mold cavity enclosure is open to the atmosphere during curing of molding material in the mold cavity enclosure, the cassette comprising:
- (a) a support shelf;
- (b) a plurality of upstanding dividers mounted on said support shelf, wherein each pair of adjacent dividers defines a slot for receiving one of the mold cavity enclosures in an upright orientation with the opening facing upwards.
A molding station for receiving a plurality of cassettes, each cassette configured to receive a plurality of mold cavity enclosures, the cassettes comprising a support shelf and a plurality of upstanding dividers mounted on said support shelf, wherein each pair of adjacent dividers defines a slot for receiving one of the mold cavity, wherein the molding station comprises:
- (a) a housing support;
- and,
- (b) a housing having a generally horizontal axis, the housing being rotatably mounted to the housing support about the generally horizontal axis, the housing having a plurality of sides, a plurality of shelves, each shelf being adapted for supporting one of the cassettes, the shelves being circumferentially positioned about the axis in at least some of the sides, the housing including locking means for retaining the cassettes on the shelves during rotation of the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.