Continuous 3-D forming machine for forming three-dimensional products from thermoplastic materials

A continuous 3-D forming machine for forming three-dimensional products from thermoplastic material having upper and lower carriages defining an entry and an exit located at opposite ends of the machine and having two upper and two lower cylindrical, drum-shaped pulleys rotatably mounted respectively at entry and exit ends of the upper carriage and at entry and exit ends of the lower carriage and having upper and lower endless, flexible, mold belts removably mountable on and revolvable respectively around the upper and lower carriages and having drive means for revolving the upper and lower mold belts respectively around the upper and lower carriages with said upper and lower mold belts being juxtaposable along a pass line between said carriages for defining at least one travelling mold channel continuously moving from said entry to said exit for continuous three-dimensional forming of heated thermoplastic material introduced into said entry with resultant 3-D formed products proceeding out from said exit, said machine comprising:

• an exit end portion of the upper carriage which is extendable and retractable in a direction toward and away from a main portion of the upper carriage, said direction of extension and retraction being parallel with the pass line;
• said exit end portion of the upper carriage having said upper exit pulley rotatably mounted thereon;
• an exit end portion of the lower carriage which is extendable and retractable in a direction toward and away from a main portion of the lower carriage, said direction of extension and retraction being parallel with the pass line;
• said exit end portion of the lower carriage having said lower exit pulley rotatably mounted thereon;
• said upper carriage is movable upwardly and downwardly relative to said lower carriage;
• said main portion of the lower carriage has a plurality of mounting positions along a top of a rear side and along a top of a front side of said main portion of the lower carriage;
• a plurality of spacers are removably mountable at said mounting positions for interacting with a rear side and a front side of said main portion of the upper carriage for limiting downward motion of the upper carriage toward the lower carriage;
• and
• said spacers and their mounting positions are coordinated with configurations of shoulders extending along margins of both mold belts when shoulders on the revolving upper mold belt are in engaged relation with opposed shoulders on the revolving lower mold belt along the pass line for defining at least one travelling mold channel between the engaged shoulders of the revolving upper and lower mold belts for preventing flash of heated thermoplastic material between the engaged shoulders while avoiding undue pressure such as might cause undesired compression distortion of engaged shoulders of the revolving upper and lower mold belts.

A continuous 3-D forming machine for forming three-dimensional products from thermoplastic material having upper and lower carriages defining an entry and an exit located at opposite ends of the machine and having two upper and two lower cylindrical, drum-shaped pulleys rotatably mounted respectively at entry and exit ends of the upper carriage and at entry and exit ends of the lower carriage and having upper and lower endless, flexible, mold belts removably mountable on and revolvable respectively around the upper and lower carriages and having drive means for revolving the upper and lower mold belts respectively around the upper and lower carriages with said upper and lower mold belts being juxtaposable along a pass line between said carriages for defining at least one travelling mold channel continuously moving from said entry to said exit for continuous three-dimensional forming of heated thermoplastic material introduced into said entry with resultant 3-D formed products proceeding out from said exit, said machine comprising:

• an exit end portion of the upper carriage which is extendable and retractable in a direction toward and away from a main portion of the upper carriage, said direction of extension and retraction being parallel with the pass line;
• said exit end portion of the upper carriage has said upper exit pulley rotatably mounted thereon;
• an exit end portion of the lower carriage which is extendable and retractable in a direction toward and away from a main portion of the lower carriage, said direction of extension and retraction being parallel with the pass line;
• said exit end portion of the lower carriage has said lower exit pulley rotatably mounted thereon;
• said machine includes a lower exit pulley stabilizer, in which:
• an elongated guide member extends in a direction parallel with the pass line;
• said elongated guide member is rigidly attached to one of said portions of the lower carriage with said elongated guide member projecting toward the other portion of the lower carriage;
• and
• guide means mounted on said other portion of the lower carriage continually engage said elongated guide member in all extended and retracted positions of said exit end portion for stabilizing said exit end portion of the lower carriage relative to said main portion of the lower carriage in all extended and retracted positions.

A continuous 3-D forming machine for forming three-dimensional products from thermoplastic material having upper and lower carriages defining an entry and an exit located at opposite ends of the machine and having two upper and two lower cylindrical, drum-shaped pulleys rotatably mounted respectively at entry and exit ends of the upper carriage and at entry and exit ends of the lower carriage and having upper and lower endless, flexible, mold belts removably mountable on and revolvable respectively around the upper and lower carriages and having drive means for revolving the upper and lower mold belts respectively around the upper and lower carriages with said upper and lower mold belts being juxtaposable along a pass line between said carriages for defining at least one travelling mold channel continuously moving from said entry to said exit for continuous three-dimensional forming of heated thermoplastic material introduced into said entry with resultant 3-D formed products proceeding out from said exit, said machine comprising:

• a removable lower spanning bridge;
• said lower spanning bridge is insertable between said exit end portion of the lower carriage in an extended position and said main portion of the lower carriage for guiding a revolving lower mold belt;
• said machine includes an electric screw jack mounted within said main portion of the lower carriage;
• a feedscrew extends from said electric screw jack to said exit end portion of the lower carriage;
• a distal end of said feedscrew is connected to said exit end portion of the lower carriage;
• said electric screw jack is energizable for extending and retracting said exit end portion of the lower carriage;
• sensor means are provided for sensing presence of a lower spanning bridge between the exit end portion of the lower carriage in an extended position and the main portion of the lower carriage;
• and
• said sensor means are electrically associated with said electric screw jack for preventing inadvertent energization of said electric screw jack in a retraction direction whenever a lower spanning bridge is in said location.

A continuous 3-D forming machine for forming three-dimensional products from thermoplastic material having upper and lower carriages defining an entry and an exit located at opposite ends of the machine and having two upper and two lower cylindrical, drum-shaped pulleys rotatably mounted respectively at entry and exit ends of the upper carriage and at entry and exit ends of the lower carriage and having upper and lower endless, flexible, mold belts removably mountable on and revolvable respectively around the upper and lower carriages and having drive means for revolving the upper and lower mold belts respectively around the upper and lower carriages with said upper and lower mold belts being juxtaposable along a pass line between said carriages for defining at least one travelling mold channel continuously moving from said entry to said exit for continuous three-dimensional forming of heated thermoplastic material introduced into said entry with resultant 3-D formed products proceeding out from said exit, said machine in which:

• said upper and lower carriages have front and rear sides;
• said upper and lower endless, flexible mold belts each have front and rear edges;
• rear upper edge-guide rollers are mounted in first predetermined positions at spaced intervals along the rear side of the upper carriage for rolling guidance of the rear edge of the upper mold belt in revolving around the upper carriage;
• at least one rear upper edge-guide roller is mounted on a rear side of the exit end portion of the upper carriage;
• rear lower edge-guide rollers are mounted in second predetermined positions at spaced intervals along the rear side of the lower carriage for rolling guidance of the rear edge of the lower mold belt in revolving around the lower carriage;
• at least one rear lower edge-guide roller is mounted on a rear side of the exit end portion of the lower carriage;
• front upper edge-guide rollers are removably mounted at spaced intervals along the front side of the upper carriage for rolling guidance of the front edge of the upper mold belt in revolving around the upper carriage;
• at least one front upper edge-guide roller is removably mounted on a front side of the exit end of the upper carriage;
• front lower edge-guide rollers are removably mounted at spaced intervals along the front side of the lower carriage for rolling guidance of the front edge of the lower mold belt in revolving around the lower carriage;
• at least one front lower edge-guide roller is removably mounted on a front side of the exit end of the lower carriage;
• said front upper and front lower edge-guide rollers are removable from the front sides of the upper and lower carriages for facilitating removal of the upper and lower mold belts from the upper and lower carriages;
• the machine includes a drawer frame which is movable outwardly from its operating position and which is movable inwardly to its operating position;
• said drawer frame in its operating position is located below the lower belt revolving around the lower carriage;
• said drawer frame includes a plurality of support rollers arranged for supporting the lower belt in a region below the lower carriage as the lower belt revolves around the lower carriage;
• at least one rear lower edge-guide roller is mounted on a rear side member of said drawer frame;
• and
• at least one removable front lower edge-guide roller is mounted on a front side member of said drawer frame.

A continuous 3-D forming machine for forming three-dimensional products from thermoplastic material having upper and lower carriages defining an entry and an exit located at opposite ends of the machine and having two upper and two lower cylindrical, drum-shaped pulleys rotatably mounted respectively at entry and exit ends of the upper carriage and at entry and exit ends of the lower carriage and having upper and lower endless, flexible, mold belts removably mountable on and revolvable respectively around the upper and lower carriages and having drive means for revolving the upper and lower mold belts respectively around the upper and lower carriages with said upper and lower mold belts being juxtaposable along a pass line between said carriages for defining at least one travelling mold continuously moving from said entry to said exit for continuous three-dimensional forming of heated thermoplastic material introduced into said entry with resultant 3-D formed products proceeding out from said exit, said machine comprising:

• an exit end portion of the upper carriage extendable and retractable in a direction toward and away from a main portion of the upper carriage, said direction of extension and retraction being parallel with the pass line;
• said exit end portion of the upper carriage having said upper exit pulley rotatably mounted thereon;
• an exit end portion of the lower carriage extendable and retractable in a direction toward and away from a main portion of the lower carriage, said direction of extension and retraction being parallel with the pass line;
• said exit end portion of the lower carriage having said lower exit pulley rotatably mounted thereon;
• an upper spanning bridge;
• a lower spanning bridge;
• said upper spanning bridge being removably insertable between said exit end portion of the upper carriage and said main portion of the upper carriage for guiding an upper mold belt revolving around the upper carriage when said exit end portion of the upper carriage is extended;
• and
• said lower spanning bridge being removably insertable between said exit end portion of the lower carriage and said main portion of the lower carriage for guiding a lower mold belt revolving around the lower carriage when said exit end portion of the lower carriage is extended.

A continuous 3-D forming machine for forming three-dimensional products from thermoplastic material having upper and lower carriages defining an entry and an exit located at opposite ends of the machine and having two upper and two lower cylindrical, drum-shaped pulleys rotatably mounted respectively at entry and exit ends of the upper carriage and at entry and exit ends of the lower carriage and having upper and lower endless, flexible, mold belts removably mountable on and revolvable respectively around the upper and lower carriages and having drive means for revolving the upper and lower mold belts respectively around the upper and lower carriages with said upper and lower mold belts being juxtaposable along a pass line between said carriages for defining at least one travelling mold continuously moving from said entry to said exit for continuous three-dimensional forming of heated thermoplastic material introduced into said entry with resultant 3-D formed products proceeding out from said exit, in which:

• an exit end portion of the upper carriage extendable and retractable in a direction toward and away from a main portion of the upper carriage, said direction of extension and retraction being parallel with the pass line;
• said exit end portion of the upper carriage having said upper exit pulley rotatably mounted thereon;
• an exit end portion of the lower carriage extendable and retractable in a direction toward and away from a main portion of the lower carriage, said direction of extension and retraction being parallel with the pass line;
• said exit end portion of the lower carriage having said lower exit pulley rotatably mounted thereon;
• the upper carriage is movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the lower carriage;
• an electric screw jack raises and lowers the upper carriage;
• the upper mold belt has shoulders extending along its rear and front margins;
• the lower mold belt has shoulders extending along its rear and front margins;
• said electric screw jack raises the upper carriage for enabling removal of the upper and lower mold belts from the upper and lower carriages when said exit end portions of the upper and lower carriages are retracted;
• said electric screw jack lowers the upper carriage for placing the rear and front shoulders of the upper and lower mold belts in juxtaposed relationship;
• and
• positioning mechanisms for the upper carriage when the upper carriage is in its lowered position hold the upper carriage in accurately spaced parallel relation with the lower carriage for pressing together the rear margins of the upper and lower mold belts and for pressing together the front margins of the upper and lower mold belts with sufficient pressure between the contacting rear shoulders and with sufficient pressure between the contacting front shoulders for preventing hot thermoplastic material in the travelling mold from flashing out between the contacting rear shoulders and for preventing hot thermoplastic material in the travelling mold from flashing out between the contacting front shoulders.