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US 4,392,807 AGranted
Apparatus for closing tubes
OwnerDonald J. Greenspaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bottom in a tube having an open end is formed by heating the tube and a supporting mandrel and advancing a sleeve over the end of the tube which flares outwardly after heating so as to collapse the flared end. The collapsed end of the tube is closed by contacting the collapsed end with a mold which cooperates with the sleeve to form the bottom.
Claims51
Apparatus for manufacturing a plastic tube having a bottom from an open-ended tube without using additional material for forming the bottom comprising:
- a mandrel for extending longitudinally into said tube and supporting said tube thereon, said mandrel comprising a first portion and a second portion, said second portion extending inwardly of said first portion to form the end of said mandrel;
- a sleeve surrounding said mandrel with a space therebetween for receiving said tube, said sleeve adapted to move relative to said mandrel to collapse the end of said tube to be closed;
- a mold adapted to cooperate with said sleeve and said mandrel for closing the collapsed end of said tube to form said bottom;
- means for heating said mandrel without heating said mold;
- and
- means for controlling the relative position of said sleeve and said mandrel such that the end of said first portion of said mandrel is substantially aligned with the end of said sleeve during said heating prior to movement of said sleeve with respect to said mandrel.
3 more elements
Apparatus for manufacturing a plastic tube having a bottom from an open-ended tube without using additional material for forming the bottom comprising:
- a mandrel for extending longitudinally into said tube and supporting said tube thereon;
- means for heating said mandrel and said tube, whereby an end of said tube is flared outwardly;
- a sleeve surrounding said mandrel with a space therebetween for receiving said tube, said sleeve adapted to move relative to said mandrel to collapse said flared end to be closed;
- a mold adapted to cooperate with said sleeve and said mandrel for closing the collapsed end of said tube to form said bottom;
- and
- means for controlling said means for heating said mandrel and said tube such that said means for heating said mandrel and said tube continue said heating during the collapsing of said flared end.
3 more elements
An apparatus for manufacturing a plastic tube having a closed end from an open-ended tube without using additional material to form said closed end, comprising:
- a mandrel including a molding surface at one end thereof, said mandrel adapted to fit within and support said tube;
- heating means for heating an open end of said open-ended tube so as to cause said open end to flare outwardly;
- a sleeve disposed generally concentrically about said mandrel and sized to permit fitting of said plastic tube between said sleeve and said mandrel;
- means for controlling the moving of said sleeve relative to said mandrel whereby the end of said sleeve is substantially aligned with the molding surface of said mandrel during the heating of said tube which causes its end to flare outwardly;
- means for moving said sleeve relative to said mandrel and said tube to contact and cause the flared end of said tube to collapse inwardly;
- and
- mold means adapted to cooperate with said molding surface of said mandrel and with the collapsed end of said tube to shape the exterior surface of said closed end of said tube.
4 more elements
Apparatus for manufacturing a plastic tube having a bottom formed from an open-ended tube without using additional material for forming the bottom comprising:
- a mandrel for supporting the open-ended tube;
- a sleeve disposed around said mandrel and said tube;
- said sleeve and said mandrel being movable relative to one another;
- means for heating said mandrel, said sleeve and said tube simultaneously so as to flare the end of the open-ended tube outwardly away from the heated mandrel;
- means for controlling the relative position of said mandrel with respect to said sleeve such that the end of the mandrel is separated from the end of said sleeve a distance substantially less than the maximum cross-sectional dimension of the tube during said heating;
- said sleeve surrounding said open-ended tube and said mandrel being telescopically movable relative thereto so as to collapse said flared end by contact;
- mold means for closing said collapsed, previously flared end to form said bottom by contacting said collapsed end;
- means for separating said mold from said formed bottom and said mandrel;
- and
- means for separating said mandrel from said tube after said mold has been separated from said bottom and said mandrel.
7 more elements
Apparatus for manufacturing a plastic tube having a bottom formed from an open-ended tube without using additional material for forming the bottom comprising:
- a mandrel comprising a first portion and a second portion, said second portion extending inwardly of said first portion to form the end of said mandrel;
- a sleeve disposed generally about said mandrel, telescopically movable with respect to said mandrel and sized so as to permit supporting of a tube on said mandrel within said sleeve, the end of said sleeve being substantially aligned with the end of the first portion of said mandrel;
- means for heating said mandrel, said sleeve and said tube simultaneously so as to flare the end of the open-ended tube outwardly away from the heated mandrel, the tube being flared outwardly a distance substantially greater than the thickness of the sleeve;
- means for controlling the relative position of said sleeve and said mandrel such that the ends of said sleeve and of said first portion of said mandrel are substantially aligned during said heating, and said sleeve being thereafter moved to collapse said flared end by contact with said sleeve surrounding said open-ended tube and said mandrel;
- mold means for closing said collapsed previously flared end to form said bottom by contacting said collapsed end;
- means for separating said mold from said formed bottom of said mandrel;
- and
- means for separating said mandrel from said tube after said mold has been separated from said bottom and said mandrel.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.