Patents Examined by Suzanne E. McDowell
  • Patent number: 7101506
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for transferring hollow blow molded articles from a vertically disposed wheel blow molding machine to a horizontally-disposed takeaway conveyor. Each mold on the wheel releases multiple blown articles at the six o'clock position on the wheel such that the articles fall freely from the wheel. An inclined end of a takeaway conveyor is located directly underneath the six o'clock position in order to receive the free falling blown articles and transport them to a horizontal transporting section of the takeaway conveyor. Flanges which extend upwardly from the conveying surface of the takeaway conveyor in combination with a powered endless positioning belt which extends a spaced distance along the inclined receiving end are utilized to confine the blown articles on the receiving end and uniformly position the blown articles on the takeaway conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Graham Packaging Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Gregory D. Taylor, Matthew A. Crider, Bernd Klingenmaier, Jeffery C. Enfield
  • Patent number: 7097446
    Abstract: A blow-molded plastic container and reinforced lid are simultaneously produced in a blow mold. A lid is reinforced by having a portion of the lid formed by blow molding techniques and another portion of the lid formed by compression molding techniques. The container and lid combination, a method for making the combination and apparatus for making the combination are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Graham Packaging Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Matthew A. Crider
  • Patent number: 7090791
    Abstract: A molding process is disclosed in which an extruded column of plastic is introduced into a mold cavity having a predetermined surface profile. A region of negative air pressure is created inside the mold cavity, exterior to the extruded column. The negative air pressure is applied to the exterior of the extruded column to draw the extruded column into contact with the entire surface profile of the mold cavity, to produce a molded article. The invention can also include a step of co-extruding multiple types of plastic resulting in an extruded column having multiple layers, to produce a molded article having multiple layers. The present method also includes a step of internally inserting a component into the extruded column at a predetermined position so that it will end up at a predetermined position of the molded article after the molding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: ISPA, Inc
    Inventors: Richard A. Weiland, Sing-Lit Jim, Roger Wang
  • Patent number: 7074358
    Abstract: Methods and materials used to make detailed cast objects are disclosed. The cast objects are formed in mold created from a photosensitive laminate. The mold is formed by selectively removing portions of the photosensitive laminate. The invention is particularly well suited to make thin molded articles, but can also be used to make thicker molded articles by using multiple photosensitive layers or laminates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Inventors: Alexander Sergeievich Gybin, Toshifumi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 7029609
    Abstract: The invention relates to a composition which can be foamed from pressurized containers. Said composition is based on an aqueous plastic dispersion containing an aqueous dispersion of at least one film-forming plastic material consisting of 30% to 80% by weight of a film-forming plastic material, a propellant gas amounting between 3% to 25% by weight in relation to the entire composition and one or more ionic foam stabilizers amounting between 0.3 and 6% by weight in relation to the entire composition. The foamed compositions can he used as scaling, damping and insulating materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Rathor AG
    Inventor: Heinrich Sommer
  • Patent number: 7025925
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the manufacture of shaped articles by extrusion blow molding comprising the steps of (1) extruding a copolyester through a die to form a tube of molten copolyester; (2) positioning a mold having the desired finished shape around the tube of molten copolyester; and (3) introducing a gas into the tube of molten copolyester, causing the extrudate to stretch and expand to fill the mold; wherein the copolyester is a linear, copolyester having an inherent viscosity (IV) of at least about 0.7 dL/g measured at a temperature of 25° C. at 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
    Inventors: Thomas Joseph Pecorini, Sam Richard Turner, Gary Wayne Connell
  • Patent number: 7011787
    Abstract: A molded seat assembly comprises an insert having an upper and a lower surface, a peripheral edge, and a ridge disposed adjacent to the peripheral edge. A seat portion comprised of a plastic material is molded directly to the insert whereby the plastic material contacts the peripheral edge, the ridge, the upper surface melts or softens the peripheral edge, the ridge and the upper surface forming both a cohesive bond and a locking engagement between the seat portion and the insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Moeller Marine Products
    Inventor: Ovie Clarence Huse
  • Patent number: 7001566
    Abstract: An apparatus for blow-molding a parison, the apparatus comprising a mold defining a cavity into which a parison may be introduced for blow-molding, a die for extruding the parison into said cavity, and means for blowing a gas around the outside of the parison in said cavity, the means for blowing a gas around the parison comprising (a) a distributor located at the entrance of the mold cavity for emitting gas around the circumference of the parison and (b) means for injecting gas directly into said distributor, wherein during use the die is separated from the distributor by unenclosed space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Etimex Technical Components GmbH
    Inventors: Udo Gaumann, Guenther Wenger
  • Patent number: 7001565
    Abstract: A composite seal face ring has an inner ring (60) made of material with good tribological properties, the inner ring (60) being pre-compressed by an outer ring (64) with a high tensile strength and a thermal coefficient of expansion substantially equal to that of the inner ring (60). The seal face ring is assembled by compressing the inner ring (60) and/or expanding the outer ring (64) by fluid under pressure, before inserting the inner ring (60) into the outer ring (64).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: John Crane UK LImited
    Inventors: Paul Phelan, Nicholas Derek Quarmby
  • Patent number: 7001541
    Abstract: The present invention provides a solution to the needs described above through a method for forming multiply patterned optical articles. The method comprises providing a micromold having a pre-patterned surface structure, disposing a photorecording medium comprising a matrix precursor and a photoactive monomer on a holder surface, moving the micromold to the photorecording medium on the holder surface such that the pre-patterned surface structure contacts the photorecording medium, wherein the photorecording medium conforms to the pre-patterned surface structure of the micromold, at least partially curing the photorecording medium adherent while the micromold pre-patterned surface structure contacts the photorecording medium, and further patterning the photorecording medium by irradiating the photorecording medium with laser light to polymerize the photoactive monomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: InPhase Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Lisa Dhar
  • Patent number: 7001564
    Abstract: A one-piece integrally molded container includes a finish having a deck and a pair of outlet openings surrounded by associated annular walls. A peripheral ring extends upwardly from the deck, and has a radial lip that helps retain the container in the mold tooling during the forming operation. The finish has a radial bead over which a bead on the inside diameter of a closure skirt snaps to secure the closure to the container. Annular walls on the closure surrounding the closure dispensing openings are received in plug sealing engagement within the annular walls surrounding the outlet openings on the container finish deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Graham Packaging Plastic Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory A. Geisinger
  • Patent number: 6994822
    Abstract: A non-planar wall of a refrigerated container is thermally insulated by covering the wall with an air tight liner, drawing a vacuum on the internal volume of the liner and then sealing the compartment to maintain the vacuum. The liner is installed by first constructing a thermoplastic liner with a portion which approximates the non-planar shape of the wall, and then pressurizing the liner and applying heat thereto so as to cause it to thereby partially liquify, and expand into any openings that would otherwise cause leakage and to thereby adhere to the metal and form a monolithic air tight structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventor: James W. Otter
  • Patent number: 6991760
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for vulcanizing tires are provided. An unvulcanized tire is transferred and loaded onto a lower mold member when a plurality of arcuate sector mold members aligned along the peripheral direction locate at the radially outermost positions as well as upper ends of the sector mold members incline radially outwards about their lower ends. An upper mold member moves toward the lower mold member while the sector mold members are swung about their lower ends to straightly stand the sector mold members, and the sector mold members are then synchronously displaced radially inwards, so that the unvulcanized tire is hermetically enclosed in a mold space formed by these mold members. The unvulcanized tire is vulcanized within the mold space to give a vulcanized tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Oobayashi, Tatsuo Matsuo, Michihiko Nishimura
  • Patent number: 6986863
    Abstract: A container is made in two stages from thermoplastics material. In the first stage a preform (1) is injection moulded, the mould parts easily releasing a tubular body (2) with a closed end and an outwardly projecting rim (3) at the open end. In the second stage the still heated preform (1) is blow moulded, possibly with some preliminary mechanical stretching, with the blow pin (13) seated in the open end of the body (2) and the preform (1) held by the other part (7) of its rim. The wall of the body (2) is expanded, and immediately below the open end it is stretched outwardly to meld with the underside of the inner part (5) of the rim. The resultant container thus has a mouth defined by an inset lip. It may be of paint tin form, with a drip groove (9) around the mouth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Inventor: Charles Jonathan Britton
  • Patent number: 6986856
    Abstract: The object of this invention is the method of manufacture of a symmetric element of a round ring and cone-shaped ring applicable in serial production. The application area of the invention is particularly the prefabrication of ceramic coating elements, which match together and which are assembled in straight walls, a surface coating containing cylinder rings and cone-shaped rings. Good application objects are for example the cyclones and the ducts of circulating bed boilers, carburetor plants, etc. various combustion chambers and high temperature devices. The concerned elements have special conditions concerning their tightness, so that their seam surfaces must be shaped so that they are profile surfaces differing from plane surfaces, profile surfaces having the capacity to resist to leakage through seam better than straight surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Suomen Muuraustyo SMT Oy
    Inventor: Veijo Olavi Pitkanen
  • Patent number: 6986862
    Abstract: A vulcanization mold (2) includes several segments (8a, 8b; 10a, 10b; 12a, 12b; 14a, 14b) which define two end profiles (8, 10) and two inner profile shells (12, 14) having concave surfaces. With synchronous movement sequences, which take place via linear controls from both ends, the segments (8a, 8b; 10a, 10b; 12a, 12b; 14a, 14b) are moved together under simultaneous shaping pressure. The outer profile shells (8, 10) pass through twice the distance as the inner profile shells (12, 14). The forming of the work blank (20) is completed via the shaping pressure when the mold (2) has reached the closed position. Preferably the upper profile half shells (8a, 10a, 12a, 14a) and the lower profile segments (8b, 10b, 12b, 14b) are operatively connected to each other via toothed racks (40a, 46a, 48a, 54a; 40b, 46b, 48b, 54b) and gear wheels (42a, 44a, 50a, 52a; 42b, 44b, 50b, 52b) including additional sets of teeth (42a?, 50a?; 42b?, 50b?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: ContiTech Luftfedersysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Gnirk, Manfred Degenhardt, Joachim Muth
  • Patent number: 6984354
    Abstract: A new process for making a labeled container using a stretch blow molding process wherein a label sleeve is positioned over at least a portion of the exterior surface of a preform to produce a sleeved preform and the sleeved preform is stretch blow molded to produce a labeled container having a snug-fit label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
    Inventors: Marcus David Shelby, Michael Eugene Donelson
  • Patent number: 6964749
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a nonwoven substrate, and specifically to a nonwoven substrate imparted with a three-dimensional image, wherein the three-dimensional nonwoven substrate is particularly suited as a support substrate for a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and similar application. By the utilization of a hydroentangled, three-dimensionally imaged support substrate impregnated with a durable resinous matrix, PCB's, and similar applications, can be imparted with unique and useful performance properties, to improve structural performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Polymer Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry Zucker, Nick Mark Carter
  • Patent number: 6962670
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for measuring the thickness, or non-uniformity of thickness, of one or more layers of a film or article such as a preform. At least one layer contains a known concentration and a substantially uniform distribution of fluorophores. The fluorophores are added to the one or more layers in sufficient quantity to impart fluorescence capable of detection by a detector when exposed to electromagnetic radiation at absorbing wavelengths. The layers of the invention may be made from polymeric material, non-polymeric material, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
    Inventors: Scott Arnold Hanson, Gregory Wayne Nelson, Michael Eugene Donelson
  • Patent number: 6958127
    Abstract: Coated moldings coated, on surfaces of moldings, with paint constituted of a thermoplastic resin having affinity for a thermoplastic resin used as a main constituent of the moldings. Method and apparatus for recycling the coated moldings are also described in which the coated moldings are crushed by means of a crusher and the crushed moldings are molded in a mold to provide fresh moldings, followed by coating, by means of a coating device, the fresh moldings on surfaces thereof with a paint constituted of a thermoplastic resin having affinity for the thermoplastic resin for the moldings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignees: Suzuka Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., Tohpe Corporation, Kowa Tokyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Suzuki, Hidetoshi Oido, Keiri Umezawa