Side mounted temperature probes for pressware die sets
AssigneeFort James Corporation
InventorsAlbert D. Johns, Mircea T. Sofronie, Mark B. Littlejohn
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Abstract
In a temperature controlled segmented die for forming pressed containers such as plates, trays, bowls or the like including a die segment with a forming surface and an outer movable annular die member there is provided a side mounted temperature probe which extends laterally around the movable annular die member and toward the forming surface of the die segment. The apparatus is particularly useful for forming pressed paperboard containers such as paper plates.
Claims24
In a temperature controlled, segmented die for forming pressed containers mounted about an axis of reciprocation and being provided with an outer annular die member and a die segment with a forming surface, said outer annular die member being moveable along said axis of reciprocation with respect to said die segment and forming surface along a stroke length proximate to said forming surface;
- a side-inserted flexible temperature probe provided with a sensor tip inserted laterally into a side of said segmented die, outside of said stroke length of said annular die member, said flexible temperature probe extending laterally into said segmented die in a first direction over a portion of its length and being angled toward said forming surface in a second direction over a portion of its length such that an inflection in the probe internal to the segmented die is defined between the first and second directions and wherein said sensor tip is within from about ½ to about {fraction (1/32)} inch of said forming surface of said die segment.
A temperature controlled segmented die for forming pressed containers mounted about an axis of reciprocation comprising:
- (a) a die segment defining a forming surface;
- (b) means for heating said die segment;
- (c) an outer annular die member movably mounted along said axis of reciprocation with respect to said die segment and forming surface along a stroke length proximate to said forming surface;
- (d) a flexible temperature probe with a sensor tip;
- (e) a temperature controller coupled to said means for heating said base plate and said flexible temperature probe;
- and
- (f) means for securing said flexible temperature probe to said segmented die such that said flexible temperature probe is inserted laterally into the side of said segmented die outside of said stroke length of said outer annular die member and extends laterally inwardly over a portion of its length in a first direction and said flexible temperature probe is angled toward said forming surface of said base plate in a second direction over a portion of its length such that an inflection in the probe internal to the segmented die is defined between the first and second directions and wherein said sensor tip is with from about {fraction (1/32)} to about ½ inch from said forming surface of said die segment.
In a temperature controlled, segmented die for forming pressed containers mounted about an axis of reciprocation and being provided with an outer annular die member and a die segment with a forming surface, said outer annular die member being moveable along said axis of reciprocation with respect to said die segment and forming surface along a stroke length proximate to said forming surface;
- a side-inserted flexible temperature probe that may be replaced without removing the die from its mounting, the probe being provided with a sensor tip inserted laterally into a sidewall of said segmented die, outside of said stroke length of said annular die member, said flexible temperature probe extending laterally into said segmented die in a first direction over a portion of its length and being angled toward said forming surface in a second direction over a portion of its length by way of a channel in the die segment angled toward the forming surface of the die segment such that an inflection in the probe internal to the segmented die is defined between the first and second directions and wherein said sensor tip is within from about ½ to about {fraction (1/32)} inch of said forming surface of said die segment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.