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US 4,151,247 AGranted
Injection blow molding apparatus
AssigneeEthyl Corporation
InventorRobert X. Hafele
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An injection blow molding machine for the production of thermoplastic containers is disclosed. The apparatus is a multistation apparatus with a preform being injection molded at one station, prior formed preforms being heat treated at optional heat treating stations and the heat treated preforms being blown at a blow mold station. An automatic removal station may be utilized subsequent to the blow mold station for removing the blown article from a carrying apparatus which is utilized to carry the preform from the injection station through the heat treatment stations to the blow mold stations and then to the optional removal stations.
Claims21
A multi-station apparatus for injection blow molding a thermoplastic material which apparatus comprises:
- a. an injection molding station, for forming a thermoplastic preform, said molding station having,
- i. a split injection mold defining a preform cavity, an injection mold carrier cavity and an injection nozzle cavity, said preform cavity being between said injection mold carrier cavity and said nozzle cavity,
- ii. power means engaged with said split injection mold for opening and closing said split injection mold,
- iii. a movable preform pin,
- iv. an injection nozzle which nests into said injection nozzle cavity when said split injection mold is closed, and
- v. injection power means for injecting, under pressure, thermoplastic material through said injection nozzle into a preform recess formed at least partially by said preform pin being positioned with said preform cavity;
- b. a blow molding station having,
- i. a split blow mold defining a blow mold cavity and a blow mold carrier cavity,
- ii. power means engaged with said split blow mold for opening and closing said split blow mold, and
- iii. a movable blow pin, said blow pin supplying pressurized gas to inflate the preform formed at said injection station;
- c. moving means for moving a preform carrier from station to station, said moving means being adjacent to but free from attachment to said stations,
- said preform carrier having a portion to achieve attachment of said preform to said preform carrier when said preform is formed by said injection of thermoplastic material in said preform recess and having another portion which is in mounted relationship with said moving means at the time said attachment is achieved, and said preform carrier being
- i. receivable into said injection mold carrier cavity and said blow mold carrier cavity, and
- ii. hollow to allow passage through said preform carrier of said preform pin and to allow nesting of said blow pin in said preform carrier.
11 more elements
An apparatus for injection blow molding hollow plastic articles comprising:
- a. a support table rotatable in incremental steps about its central axis;
- b. means in powered relationship with said support table for rotating said support table;
- c. an injection molding assembly positioned adjacent to, but free from attachment to, said table, including a support frame, a vertically oriented, hollow, split preform injection mold, one-half of which is fixedly attached to said frame and the other half of which is movably mounted on said frame, a vertical preform pin movably mounted on said frame above said injection mold, and separate power means for moving said movable mold half into the open and the closed positions and moving said preform pin into and out of said injection mold when said mold is in the closed position;
- d. a neck mandrel having an axial bore therethrough adapted to receive said preform pin, and its lower portion adapted to be received in a cavity provided in the upper end of said split injection mold;
- e. at least one neck mandrel support mechanism carried by said support table, said support mechanism including a support plate having an opening for receiving said neck mandrel, support means coupling said support plate to said support table for horizontal movement of said support plate relative to said support table, biasing means for urging said support plate outwardly from said support table, and said movable injection mold half having means to engage said support plate and to move it inwardly to position said neck mandrel within the hollow of said injection mold when said injection mold is in the closed position;
- f. means for injecting thermoplastic material into a cavity formed by said closed split injection mold, said preform pin, and said neck mandrel to form a plastic preform that is attached and movable with said neck mandrel while said neck mandrel is being carried by said support table;
- g. a blow molding assembly positioned adjacent to but free from attachment to said table, including a support frame, a vertically oriented, hollow split blow mold, one-half of which is fixedly attached to said frame and the other half of which is movably mounted on said frame, said movable mold half having means to engage said support plate and to move it inwardly to position said neck mandrel and attached plastic preform within the hollow of said blow mold when said blow mold in in the closed position;
- and
- h. means to inflate said plastic preform to the shape of the hollow interior of said blow mold to form said hollow plastic article.
6 more elements
In a process for injection blow molding hollow plastic bodies, the steps comprising:
- a. positioning a hollow neck mandrel between a vertically oriented open split injection mold, one of which mold halves is fixedly positioned and the other half of which is movable horizontally;
- b. simultaneously moving said movable injection mold half and said neck mandrel transversely toward said fixed injection mold half until said mold halves are closed and said neck mandrel is received at least partially within said closed mold;
- c. vertically inserting a preform pin through said neck mandrel into a cavity provided within said closed injection mold;
- d. injecting thermoplastic material into a hollow space defined by said cavity in said injection mold, preform pin and said neck mandrel to form a plastic preform in said hollow space;
- e. cooling said plastic preform to a temperature at which it will maintain its basic shape when removed from said injection mold;
- f. retracting said movable injection mold half and said neck mandrel and attached plastic preform simultaneously from said fixed mold half until said neck mandrel and plastic are clear of the front face of said fixed mold half;
- g. stopping the movement of said neck mandrel and plastic preform and movable mold half until the front face of said mold half is clear of said neck mandrel and plastic preform;
- and
- h. horizontally moving said neck mandrel and attached plastic parison from between said open injection mold halves.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.