Manufacturing apparatus for flexible plastic tubes

Process for manufacturing flexible tubes having a skirt and a head provided with a neck and a shoulder connecting the neck to the skirt, wherein the skirt, head, and shoulder are of a plastic material, the method comprising the following steps:

• a first step wherein skirts are driven by a continuous motion using a first transfer means;
• a second step wherein the skirts are loaded using loading means onto punches associated with a third transfer means driven by a continuous motion synchronized with the first transfer means, wherein one of the ends of the skirts extends slightly beyond the punches;
• a third step wherein the flexible tubes are made by moulding the heads by welding to one end of the skirts, wherein the heads are obtained by compression moulding of preforms by moving the punches fitted with the skirts and matrices closer to each other, wherein the punches and the matrices defining when they are placed side by side moulding cavities in which the ends of the skirts are trapped, wherein the punches and the matrices are driven by a continuous overall motion corresponding to the motion of the third transfer means;
• and
• a fourth step wherein the tubes are unloaded using unloading means onto a second transfer means driven by a continuous motion synchronised with the third transfer means, wherein the preforms are obtained by extrusion of a plastic material then taken off and deposited before compression using a fourth transfer means driven by a continuous motion synchronised with the third transfer means in the space between the matrices and the punches in such a way that during compression the plastic material of the preforms comes into contact with the end of the skirts and that the plastic material of the preforms and of the skirts are closely welded to each other without any further addition of heat or material, and wherein the extrusion is carried out with an immobile extruder, and wherein the fourth transfer means transfers in continuous motion intermediary receptacles that collect the preforms wherein the extrudate is cut as it exits from the extruder by blades to obtain the said preforms, said blades being integral with said intermediary receptacles that collect the preforms.