Utilizing Positive Charging Means Patents (Class 425/449)
  • Patent number: 6045345
    Abstract: An installation for producing a three-dimensional shaped plastic foam part, comprises a plurality of tanks respectively receiving plastic foam granules and a liquid primary material, a device for reducing the plastic foam granules to a predetermined size, conduits connecting the reducing device to respective tanks receiving the plastic foam granules, a weighing tank having an inlet arranged to receive the plastic foam granules from the reducing device and an outlet, a device for mixing the plastic foam granules with the liquid primary material, further conduits connecting the mixing device to respective tanks receiving the liquid primary material and to the outlet of the reducing device, an intermediate storage tank comprising a weighing device and arranged to receive the plastic foam granules mixed with the liquid primary material, a mold having a mold cavity, and a supply line connecting the intermediate storage tank to the mold cavity, the supply line comprising a conveying device having an inlet and a con
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: C.A. Greiner & Sohne Gesellschaft m.b.H.
    Inventors: Bernhard Eder, Franz Reitinger, Hans-Michael Sulzbach, Horst Klahre
  • Patent number: 6042754
    Abstract: The present invention relates to making optical articles such as opthalmic lenses by molding and, in particular, to using a continuous extrusion-compression molding method to make plastic lenses whereby a polymer melt is fed from an extruder or melting apparatus to a first die of a plurality of rotating or conveyed sequentially processed compression die sets comprising a first die and a second die. The die sets are positioned on die supports on a rotating turntable or conveying system, the lenses formed by compressing the die sets with pressing means associated with each die support, the lenses separated from the dies and the dies recycled to die loading and the melt feed step of the process and the process repeated until the desired number of lenses or other optical articles such as compact disk substrates are produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Optima, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhou Yang, Yinghui Wu
  • Patent number: 6027326
    Abstract: In a rapid prototyping system, a part is formed by depositing a bead of slurry that has a sufficient high concentration of particles to be pseudoplastic and almost no organic binders. After deposition the bead is heated to drive off sufficient liquid to cause the bead to become dilatant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Cesarano, III, Paul D. Calvert
  • Patent number: 5993188
    Abstract: An extruder for paste-like food substances including a barrel provided at one end with an outlet from which the paste-like food substance can be extruded in either measured amounts or in a steady flow, a rotatable screw is located within the barrel and is capable of being rotated and moved vertically within the barrel, a clutch located within a housing is capable of engaging the screw to ensure measured amounts of paste-like food are extruded or capable of being disengaged from the screw to permit the screw to be freely rotated and moved vertically within the barrel to permit the paste-like food substance to be extruded from the outlet in a steady flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Inventor: King Biu Mak
  • Patent number: 5993627
    Abstract: The present invention provides an integrated, fully automated, high-throughput system for two-dimensional electrophoresis comprised of gel-making machines, gel processing machines, gel compositions and geometries, gel handling systems, sample preparation systems, software and methods. The system is capable of continuous operation at high-throughput to allow construction of large quantitative data sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Large Scale Biology Corporation
    Inventors: N. Leigh Anderson, Norman G. Anderson, Jack Goodman
  • Patent number: 5980228
    Abstract: A food patty molding machine of the type utilizing a linearly reciprocable mold plate utilizes a direct rotary actuator drive which provides virtually direct linear transfer of the drive force to the ends of the linear drive shafts which support the mold plate. This results in the virtual elimination of high wear lateral loads. An encoder is directly linked to the rotary actuator drive shaft to provide accurate mold plate position signals which are utilized to control the operation of completely independently driven knock-out devices and to control operation of the feed ram during the feed stroke. Servo valve control of the hydraulic power unit which drives the rotary actuator and the feed ram cylinders also responds to suitably processed encoder signals to provide a wide range of speed and position control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Progressive Technology of Wisconsin, Inc.
    Inventor: James L. Soper
  • Patent number: 5945135
    Abstract: A pressurized feed shoe for delivering particulate materials to fill a die cavity is provided. The feed shoe includes a feed shoe body comprising a vessel for receiving a quantity of particulate material. The feed shoe body has at least one bottom egress opening for registering with the die cavity and a top ingress opening for receiving particulate material. A pressure generator for generating supra-atmospheric pressures within the vessel and the die cavity is also provided. The pressure generator communicates with the vessel via a conduit sealingly engaged thereto. A shuttle selectively moves the feed shoe body to and from a position whereby the bottom egress opening registers with the die cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Materials Innovation, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn L. Beane, David S. Lashmore
  • Patent number: 5916494
    Abstract: A rotational indexing base curve deposition array for assembling contact lens base curves and front curves with a prescribed and programmable angular orientation to produce a contact lens having a selected axis placement therein, such as a toric axis for a toric contact lens. An array of front curve molds are arranged in a support pallet with a dosed amount of monomer mixture deposited into each of the front curve molds. An array of deposition tubes, positioned in a support plate and coupled to a vacuum source, is used to pick up and support an array of base curve molds. Each of the deposition tubes is then angularly rotated in to the support plate to a selected angularly indexed position therein. A common angular rotational drive is coupled to each of the deposition tubes in the array to angular index each of the deposition tubes to a precise angular position in the support plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael F. Widman, Henri A. Dagobert, Edmund C. Rastrelli
  • Patent number: 5895668
    Abstract: A dough divider is operable within a mixer bowl to divide the dough into preset weights (e.g., for bread, loaves, buns). A pendulum assembly has a retractable divider to cut a charge of dough, which is compressed by a piston. The charge of dough is expelled into a scaling die cylinder and causes a scaling die piston to be retracted until a preset weight of dough is in the scaling die cylinder. As the divider moves out of alignment with the scaling die cylinder, any excess dough is cut off and the preset weight of dough is then expelled by the scaling die piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Willett Versatile Equipment Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: Paul Eaton Willett
  • Patent number: 5891489
    Abstract: The fish bait molder is a two element mold in which one mold element is inserted into the other in a manner that the fish bait molder may be opened and closed. Each mold element has a portion of a mold cavity such that when the two mold elements are closed together a mold cavity is formed. An access port is contained in one of the two mold elements to allow insertion of a fish hook and removal of a baited fish hook. A slot is provided to allow a fish line to protrude out of the fish bait molder. There is a bait holder with a bait cavity attached to one of the mold elements. The bait cavity is filled with fish bait and a piston slides in the bait cavity to force the fish bait through an inlet passage into the mold cavity and around the fish hook. The piston can be operated by rotating the bait holder into a fish bait container having a threaded lid or rotating a rotational injector with a piston attached into the bait cavity. A ratchet mechanism may also be used to force the piston into the bait cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Inventor: Kirk Rockwell
  • Patent number: 5885625
    Abstract: A pressurized feed shoe for delivering particulate materials to fill a die cavity is provided. The feed shoe includes a feed shoe body including a vessel for receiving a quantity of particulate material. The feed shoe body has at least one bottom egress opening for registering with the die cavity and a top ingress opening for receiving particulate material. A pressure generator for generating supra-atmospheric pressures within the vessel and the die cavity is also provided. The pressure generator communicates with the vessel via a conduit sealingly engaged thereto. A shuttle selectively moves the feed shoe body to and from a position whereby the bottom egress opening registers with the die cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Materials Innovation, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn L. Beane, David S. Lashmore
  • Patent number: 5866176
    Abstract: A moulding system for moulding a mass with a pasty or dough-like composition, such as a mass of meat, for example for moulding hamburgers, includes a housing having a chamber which is delimited by internal walls of the housing. The chamber emerges on the outside of the housing. A displaceable mould plate, which is formed in a manner corresponding to the chamber, fits with a small degree of play into the chamber and has at least one mould cavity. The housing has a feed opening, which opens into the chamber, for the mass to be moulded, such that, in the position in which the mould plate has been slid into the housing, the mould cavity is in communication with the feed opening and, in the position in which the mould plate has been slid out of the housing, the mould cavity is situated outside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Koppens B.V.
    Inventors: johannes Antonius Barbara Maria Baars, Jacobus Johannes Maria Van Der Laak, Johannes Gertrudes Simon Driessen
  • Patent number: 5855927
    Abstract: An extruder for the plastification and extrusion of a rubber mixture in the form of two cold material strips through two inlet passages (4, 5) has in a housing (1) two gears (2, 3) meshing with one another in the manner of a gear pump. The inlet passages (4, 5) are provided each in an insert (8, 9) which is held replaceably in the housing (1). In this manner it becomes possible, by exchanging the inserts (8, 9) to adapt to various materials to be worked by the extruder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Uth GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Joachim Uth, Thomas Menz
  • Patent number: 5853654
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for making a ceramic article, especially pipes and tubes of ceramic material such as silicon carbide, in which the article is formed by projecting a ceramic powder mixture comprising refractory particles and combustible particles against a smooth-surface metal former which is heated to a temperature of at least 850.degree. C. where in the presence of an oxygen-rich gas the combustible particles react exothermically to produce from the refractory particles and the reaction product of the combustible particles a coherent refractory article in the shape of the former.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: Glaverbel
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Meynckens, Jean-Pierre Robert
  • Patent number: 5798128
    Abstract: This plant for manufacturing fiber-reinforced thermoplastic structural components, especially for motor vehicles, is characterized in that it includes:means (1) of continuous production of a dough of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic compound, receiving as input, on the one hand, the thermoplastic (4) and, on the other hand, the reinforcing fibers (6);means (14) of accumulation and of temporary storage of the dough produced; andmeans (26) of removing the dough from the accumulation and temporary-storage means (14) and of introducing this removed dough into a mould (29) for forming the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: ECIA--Equipements Et Composants Pour L'Industrie Automobile
    Inventors: Philippe Dumazet, Daniel Ougier, Gerard Gropelier
  • Patent number: 5792484
    Abstract: An automated feeder for concrete pipe making machines used to produce concrete pipes that have round as well as box-shaped, elliptical and other non-round shapes. The feeder has a concrete storage hopper mounted over a fixed pivot, and the hopper charges the concrete onto a belt-type conveyor the input end of which turns on the same pivot as the hopper for movement along a radial track. The discharge end of the feeder conveyor discharges the concrete into a rotatable chute that distributes the concrete into the cavity of the pipe mold. Encoders are combined with the motors driving the chute and the radial movement of the feeder conveyor so as to monitor the position and speed of the radial movement of the conveyor and position and speed of rotation of the chute. Information from the encoders is inputted into a computer which is programmed to control the speed and position of these components of the feeder depending upon the selected size and shape of the concrete form to be filled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Hawkeye Concrete Products Co.
    Inventor: Ronald D. Schmidgall
  • Patent number: 5783225
    Abstract: An apparatus for plasticizing thermoplastic synthetic plastics material includes a screw (13) which rotates within a housing (12) and plasticizes the synthetic plastics material which is supplied by a supply mechanism (27) through an intake opening (10) of the housing (12) of the screw (13). The housing (12) of the screw (13) is provided on its inner wall with at least two wide pockets (23,24). These pockets (23,24) extend in longitudinal direction of the screw (13) and are separated from each other by ribs (25,26) which are narrow, when compared with the width of the pockets. One pocket (24) is open towards the intake opening (10), the other pockets (23) are closed by at least one rib (25,26) of the housing (12) of the screw (13) with respect to the intake opening (10). In order to improve filling of the screw (13), the supply mechanism (27) for the synthetic plastics material to be treated cooperates with the screw (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Inventors: Helmut Bacher, Helmuth Schulz, Georg Wendelin
  • Patent number: 5782460
    Abstract: In a process for the manufacture of mouldings, especially optical lenses, specifically contact lenses (CL), a starting material that is crosslinkable by the impingement of suitable energy is introduced into a mould (1) having a cavity (15), which mould is at least partially permeable to the energy concerned. The starting material is introduced into the cavity in a still at least partially uncrosslinked state, the mould cavity determining the shape of the moulding (CL) to be produced. By means of impingement of the energy concerned, the starting material is crosslinked to an extent sufficient for it to be possible for the moulding (CL) to be released from the mould. The filling of the mould cavity is carried out in the starting material that is still at least partially in the uncrosslinked state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: CIBA Vision Corporation
    Inventors: Otto Kretzschmar, Sharla Borghorst, John Golby, Peter Hagmann, Peter Herbrechtsmeier, Bernhard Seiferling, Beat Muller
  • Patent number: 5660635
    Abstract: A nozzle for application of fluent material to a receiving surface. The nozzle allows for introduction of compressed air at locations along the length of the nozzle via multiple sets of plural air conduits. Individual conduits are angled toward a nozzle outlet. Further disclosed is the nozzle in an automated finish material delivery system capable of multi-dimensional translation along the receiving surface. The System nozzle can also be angled With respect to the receiving surface. A controller manages the operation of the delivery system. A tracked vehicle carries the controller, an air compressor, a pump, a generator, and a hoist. A number of sensors provide feedback regarding the operating condition of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Inventor: Carol Jacques
  • Patent number: 5599563
    Abstract: A loudspeaker cone assembly having a generally conical cone body and an annular flexible suspension rim. In making the cone assembly, a cone body having an outer free edge is placed within a female mold having an annular channel configured to form the suspension rim with the free outer edge of the cone exposed to the channel. A predetermined quantity of liquid plastic foam is deposited into the channel which is then substantially closed by a male die so as to seal off the cone body adjacent its outer free edge. The foam is then expanded and cured so that the resulting annular rim is integrally impregnated into the free outer edge of the cone body and forms high density closed-cell outer skin surfaces on opposite sides of a low density closed-cell inner core to provide a suspension rim having improved flexibility, strength and durability. A color coating may be applied to selective exposed surface areas of the suspension rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1997
    Inventor: Fred D. Yocum
  • Patent number: 5585122
    Abstract: A recycling apparatus in which high density polyethylene, thermal polyolfin, or coated or non-coated oriented polypropylene and rubber are mixed into a batch and converted to useful molded products. The apparatus includes a first mixer, a second mixer, a conveyor belt system, a deflector sheet, a first ram, a second ram, a conduit system, and a mold. The first and second mixers alternately provide a batch to the conveyor belt system. The conveyor belt system alternately transports the batches to a first and second ram. Each ram having an opening, an outlet, and a ram piston. A deflector sheet or flip plate permits a first batch on the conveyor belt to be deposited into the opening of the first ram in a first position and alternately permits a second batch on the conveyor belt to be deposited into the opening of the second ram in a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Reconversion Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Drum, David Lewer, Vernon Havemann
  • Patent number: 5573788
    Abstract: An improved dough divider is provided which has a measuring cup assembly for dividing a mass of dough into uniform smaller slugs. The apparatus is adjustable so that size of the dough slugs can be increased or decreased. The dough divider has a piston-cylinder arrangement for supplying a flow of dough. The measuring cup assembly has a cylindrical housing which has a central axis. A plunger aligned on the axis so that it can reciprocate axially within the housing. An elongated stud is threaded through the housing so that the stud is aligned axially with a stem of the plunger. The plunger slides in said housing when dough is pressed against the plunger face, such that the plunger stem can contact the stud to limit the sliding of the plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Assignee: AM Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas A. Atwood
  • Patent number: 5567446
    Abstract: A slip supply system for supplying slip to one or more casting molds includes a slip supply pipe 2 to which the base ends of pouring hoses 3 each having a pouring valve 4 are connected. The ends of the pouring hoses 3 are detachably connected to casting molds 1. A slip discharge pipe 20 having communicating holes 22 is laid in the vicinity of the slip supply pipe 2. The ends of the pouring hoses 3 are removed from the casting molds 1 and connected to the communicating ports 22 before supplying slip to the casting molds 1. Slip is fed in this condition, so that the solid matters attached to the interior of the slip supply pipe 2 and the interiors of the pouring hoses 3 are washed away to the slip discharge pipe 20. Thereafter, the ends of the pouring hoses 3 are connected to the casting molds 1 to feed slip to the casting molds 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Enomoto, Toshiya Abe, Hironobu Murakami, Shinichi Hiraki
  • Patent number: 5547357
    Abstract: An apparatus for hot-briquetting iron sponge includes a gravity feeder which has a feed shaft and a regulating tongue which supplies material in a dosed quantity to a moulding gap of a roller press, in such a way that the apparatus can also be used for pressing hot iron sponge at temperatures of up to 1000.degree. C. for obtaining high-density briquettes of good quality. The regulating tongue is provided with a heat-reducing insulating layer and cooling system. The feed shaft and a feed hopper also may have a heat-insulation layer and a cooling system. A flow-rate control is provided for gravity feeders where bulk material or flowable material is supplied by at least one regulator through a feed shaft to a moulding gap formed between at least two rolls and is processed by the rolls. At least one of the rolls is motor-driven. The material is supplied to the moulding gap by the regulating tongue in response to a driven roll torque sensed by a torque detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Koppern GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Hans-Georg Bergendahl
  • Patent number: 5529471
    Abstract: An additive fabrication apparatus using a fluid construction material which can be solidified, and including a fluid material extrusion assembly including trowels defining first and second surfaces, a first nozzle for delivering fluid material to a predetermined location, a first control for moving the extrusion assembly along a predetermined path defining an enclosed area, a first supply for delivering fluid material to the extrusion assembly to extrude the material from the first nozzle in a layer as the first nozzle is moved along the path, with the first and second surfaces moving with the first nozzle to produce a wall of the extruded material forming the enclosed area with a shaped outer surface and a shaped top surface, a second nozzle for delivering fluid material to the enclosed area, a second control for moving the second nozzle to position the second nozzle at the enclosed area, and a second supply for delivering fluid material to the second nozzle to fill in the enclosed area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: University of Southern California
    Inventor: Behrokh Khoshevis
  • Patent number: 5505604
    Abstract: A rotary plastic molding apparatus having internal packing space is featured. A nozzle is divided into channels equal to the number of casting device disks. Grooves are disposed in casting disks for supplying the melt. The grooves are displaced relative to each other and slots are provided between them to introduce packing lintels. The mold is divided into sections. In each section, an accumulator and sockets for molding articles are provided. The components communicate among themselves and can be oriented at definite angles. The accumulator is disposed before the molds. Holes are provided to supply the melt from the accumulator to the molds. Certain holes can be closed to get a certain article drawing. The transition section of the accumulator is divided into sections for uniform division of the melt. The number of sections is equal to the number of sockets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Inventor: Iosif N. Khibnik
  • Patent number: 5435951
    Abstract: A process for producing a slab of stony material by filling of a mold (42) with a mixture of stony material for the realization of a slab of the material, supplying the mixture with a volumetric distributor with rotating blades (92) and moving the volumetric distributor from a first end to the other end of the mold (42) and then returning the distributor to the first end with the blades (92) in a swinging motion or angle widening motion, and stopping the distributor for a prefixed period of time at each end, during which time the blades (92) are given a limited rotation in the direction of the stopped end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Inventor: Luca Toncelli
  • Patent number: 5378133
    Abstract: A device for feeding dough is provided which has a hopper for receiving dough and directing the dough downwardly to a housing which contains a first rotatable member for engaging and urging the dough downwardly toward a pair of opposed second rotatable members. The second rotatable members have a gap therebetween to receive the dough therethrough and they rotate in opposite directions to urge the dough downwardly therebetween. Both the first and second rotatable members have a surface configuration which enhances engagement between the rollers and the dough. An orifice is provided in the housing below the second rotatable members for receiving the dough from the second rotatable rollers. The dough thus leaves the housing in the form of a continuous cylinder having a diameter of the same size as the orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: AM Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Harold Atwood, Thomas A. Atwood
  • Patent number: 5368459
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to a device for preparing and feeding a monolithic ceramic mass into a metallurgical melting vessel, including a mixer 30 and a feeding device 32, characterized in that the mixer 30 and the feeding device 32 are designed as a compact unit 28 for arrangement above the metallurgical vessel, wherein the mixer 30 and/or the feeding device 32 are arranged relative to one another and movably such that the mass prepared in the mixer 30 can be directly introduced at any desired point of the metallurgical vessel via the feeding device 32.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: Veitscher Magnesitwerke-Actien-Gesellschaft
    Inventors: Alexander Retschnig, Manfred Slamenik
  • Patent number: 5362427
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for supporting at least a portion of an article while the article is being formed. A source of self-adhering particles is directed by a particle jetting device, or the like, to a predetermined position in a controlled environment to form the article. A support structure is carried in the controlled environment for substantially rigidly supporting at least a portion of the article during the formation of the article (by build-up of the self-adhering particles). The support structure is a fluid which changes state to a solid responsive to an electrical charge and reverts back to a fluid responsive to removal of the electrical charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Inventor: Porter H. Mitchell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5356280
    Abstract: A rotary channel pump apparatus for compressing solids that have an initial bulk density which is substantially lower than their structural density; the apparatus comprises a flow channel having an inlet and an outlet and includes: (i) an annular drag flow channel segment (L1) formed between a stationary outer wall member and a rotating circular inner wall member; and (ii) a straight channel segment (L2) formed between a first planar and stationary wall portion and a second planar and stationary wall portion; no axial cross-section of the flow channel between the inlet and the outlet is smaller than the axial cross-section at the inlet; a rotary feeder is connected to the flow channel near the inlet thereof for precompacting the particulate solid which is then passed through the flow channel to substantially increase the bulk density and to avoid melting and/or thermal degradation of the particulate solid when passing through the flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: GPW Machine S.a.S. di Giuseppe Ponzielli & C.
    Inventor: Giuseppe Ponzielli
  • Patent number: 5354526
    Abstract: To eliminate the fluctuations in the precision of the material distribution which could not be avoided when manufacturing pipes in the centrifugal moulding process with the prior art installations, a new process and an installation for carrying out the process is proposed. This has at least two cylindrical centrifugal drums (1) serving as moulds and an injection carriage (12) which is displaceable in two directions perpendicular to each other, with a feed arm (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Hobas Engineering AG
    Inventors: Ralf Jost, Reinhart Ratheiser
  • Patent number: 5350230
    Abstract: A batch mixer includes a mixing chamber in which polymeric material such as plastics and rubber is heated and mixed. The material is fed to the mixing chamber through a hopper. The hopper has a door which is swung open and closed by a fluid-actuated cylinder. A locking mechanism is provided to enable the door to be swung only slightly open by excessive pressure build-ups in order to vent the pressure without permitting an appreciable amount of molten material to escape through the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1994
    Assignee: O'Sullivan Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy L. Ray
  • Patent number: 5338179
    Abstract: An apparatus for carrying out the filling of a mold (42) with a mixture of stony material to produce a slab formed of the stony material. A volumetric distributor having rotating blades (92) for supplying the mixture is moved forward from one end to the other of the mold (42) and is then returned to the one end with the blades (92) in a swinging motion. The distributor is stopped for a prefixed period of time at each end, during which the blades (92) are given a limited rotation in the direction of the interested end. A series of fixed rods (54) is provided above the mold (42) extending transversely in the sense of forward motion of the distributor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Inventor: Toncelli Luca
  • Patent number: 5284431
    Abstract: A filling apparatus for filling foamed particles of a thermoplastic resin into a mold. The apparatus includes a weigh hopper equipped with a weighing means, a foamed particle feeder adapted to control the amount of the foamed particles of the thermoplastic resin to be fed to the weigh hopper according to the weight of the foamed particles contained in the weigh hopper, a particle feed hopper adapted to temporarily keep a fixed weight of the foamed particles, which have been weighed in the weigh hopper, a holding hopper which acts as a pressurized tank, and a filling machine for filling the foamed particles into a mold. The filling apparatus allows for the successive weighing and pressurized containment of the foamed particles prior to being fed into the mold cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1994
    Assignee: JSP Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Kuwabara, Hidehiro Sasaki, Satoru Shioya
  • Patent number: 5252054
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing batches of a mouldable, fibre-reinforced thermoplastic material matched to a moulding to be produced and accompanied by heating, wherein a free-flowing initial product of fibres and thermoplastic material-containing binders are heated as a strand and a matched batch is separated from the strand and supplied to batch further processing. The apparatus includes a melting device with a melting channel, through which the material to be processed is pressed as a continuous strand, as well as a cooling station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1993
    Assignee: Menzolit GmbH
    Inventors: Gerd Ehnert, Manfred Ehlers, Rolf von Paumgartten
  • Patent number: 5240719
    Abstract: An apparatus for molding a cap (16) including a base portion (18) and peripheral skirt (20) extending axially from and about the base portion (18) includes an outer surface forming mold (44) for forming an outer surface of the base portion (18) and the peripheral skirt (20) and an inner surface forming mold (46) seatable within the outer surface forming mold (44) for forming an inner surface of the base portion (18) and the peripheral skirt (20). The outer surface forming mold (44) is retractable from seated engagement with inner surface forming mold (46) for exposing the moded cap (16) therebetween. The inner surface forming mold (46) includes a core portion (52) and lug forming mold portions (54) disposed radially peripherally thereabout, the lug forming mold portions (54) being able to project axially from and retract radially inwardly relative to the central core portions (52) for releasing and ejecting the molded cap (16)from the inner surface forming mold ( 46).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1993
    Assignee: Caran Engineering
    Inventor: Peter Hedgewick
  • Patent number: 5131831
    Abstract: A frame is swingably mounted to a stationary support above an indexing mold tray conveyor. Mounted to the frame is a clay supply device comprising an extruder and a pair of mutually facing belts having vertical runs. Lumps of clay are extruded and deposited by the facing belts in the tray cavities on the tray conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: Beheermaatschappij De Boer Nijmegen B.V.
    Inventor: Rudy Peeters
  • Patent number: 5098628
    Abstract: A centrifugal molding method which can smooth the inner surface of the resin concrete layer of a resin concrete pipe or of a composite pipe having a resin concrete layer even without using any special sand conditioning mechanism and which is high in productivity includes producing a composite pipe having a resin concrete layer or producing a resin concrete pipe by moving an arm member of a pipe material feeding device forward and backward axially through a pipe forming outer mold rotating about an axis thereof and by feeding pipe materials from a discharge port formed in a front end of the arm member. The resin concrete layer is formed by feeding resin and aggregate to a mixing portion provided at the front end of the arm member through separate feed routes, mixing the two in the mixing portion and discharging the resulting mixed resin concrete material from the discharge port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Okamoto, Takaaki Kawano, Toshiyuki Tsujiuchi, Hidenori Katayama
  • Patent number: 5078937
    Abstract: A method for producing a blank of a slab-like product, in which method a fibrous material such as chips or the like is mixed with a binder material such glue, cement or the like, and the mixture is fed into a blank-forming apparatus. The method is implemented by feeding the mixture of fibrous and binder materials from the blank-forming apparatus to a conveyor or similar platform in order to form a blank, after which one or more layers of blank-separating material is dispersed layer by layer onto the blank, and finally a second blank is laid onto the layers of blank-separating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Rauma-Repola Oy
    Inventor: Harri Eela
  • Patent number: 5068226
    Abstract: Cyclodextrins and especially ionic cyclodextrin derivatives facilitate the iontophoretic delivery of pharmaceutically active agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1991
    Assignee: Cyclex, Inc.
    Inventors: Ned M. Weinshenker, William P. O'Neill
  • Patent number: 5059111
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing unvulcanized rubber utilizing intermeshing grooved rollers. To obtain rubber material having an optimally jagged surface, at least the cutting disks of one of the grooved rollers are additionally provided with teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1991
    Assignee: Continental Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jurgen Mossinger, Siegfried Stein, Max Stephan, Ralf Feierabend
  • Patent number: 5044911
    Abstract: Molds for making metallic nuclear fuel rods are provided which present reduced risks to the environment by reducing radioactive waste. In one embodiment, the mold is consumable with the fuel rod, and in another embodiment, part of the mold can be re-used. Several molds can be arranged together in a cascaded manner, if desired, or several long cavities can be integrated in a monolithic multiple cavity re-usable mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Bobby R. Seidel, Donald B. Tracy, Vernon Griffiths
  • Patent number: 5035593
    Abstract: A pressurized slurry casting machine is provided which includes a feed tank with an agitator, a vertical conduit extending from the feed tank to a mold. The machine operates by creating pressure in the feed tank with the agitator propeller whereby the ceramic slurry will be forced to move up the straight conduit into the mold so as to be formed into the desired article. The respective connections of the conduit to the mold and the feed tank are each air-tight connections such that no air bubble-like contamination will result in the finished ceramic product. There is also provided a vacuum system capable of producing a negative pressure in the feed tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Liang Y. Huang, San Y. Chen
  • Patent number: 5022838
    Abstract: Multi-axis rotational polymeric mixture distributing apparatus includes a raw material supplying portion, a supporting portion, a raw material mixing portion, a polymeric mixture distributing portion, a polymeric mixture accepting portion and a control portion. The raw material supplying portion includes a plurality of reservoirs, each connected independently with the mixing portion. The supporting portion includes a plurality of driven frame members each with a large open central area being disposed between parallel spaced upstanding end sections and rotatably supported thereon, each being progressively smaller in size than the next larger frame member and disposed within the open central area thereof. Alternate frame members are rotatable about aligned axes with frame members therebetween rotatable about axes generally perpendicular thereto. The smallest frame member includes rotatable holding sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1991
    Inventor: LeRoy Payne
  • Patent number: 4925381
    Abstract: A plasticized resin is extruded from an extruding machine into an accumulator into which the resin is stored by an amount exceeding the amount required for one resin molding operation. The stored resin, in operation, is fed through a flexible hose towards a gear pump under controlled pressure conditions. The resin is measured by the gear pump and the displacement and the rotational speed of the gear pump are controlled by a suitable controller such as microcomputer to exactly measure the plasticized resin to be charged into the mold cavity in a predetermined distributing mode. The clamping of the mold can be effected by a clamping force less than that required by a conventional press-molding machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: Chisso Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Aoki, Tsutomu Moteki, Kazuhiro Kimura
  • Patent number: 4921417
    Abstract: A molding apparatus for molding a clay pigeon includes a bypass tube having a tip disposed in a blow orifice communicating with a cavity of a metal mold in the form of the clay pigeon. The bypass tube has a diameter smaller than that of the blow orifice and compressed air, which leads molding material in the blow orifice, passes therethrough in order to supply the molding material mixture of at least sand and hardening agent to the cavity, whereby corners and details of the cavity are satisfactorily filled with the molding material supplied to the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Sato Factory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akiyoshi Sato
  • Patent number: 4894000
    Abstract: A multifunctional assembly for use in various plastic forming processes includes a housing conformed for selective partition to receive an incandescent light assembly as a source of heat and selectively positioned pneumatic cylinders for compressing heated plastic into forms and extrusion dies. An air pump selectively connected by manifolds may then be used for generating vacuum and pneumatic pressure both for the forming processes and for the pneumatic cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Inventor: Richard C. Coates, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4776497
    Abstract: An apparatus for quantitatively extruding food material is provided. At least one introducing means such as a driven roller having a vane adapted to protrude from it propels the food material into a cylindrical food forming device, which comprises a longitudinal groove and a cylinder having a rectangular opening on a side thereof and encloses the food material for a piston to extrude it from the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1988
    Assignee: Rheon Automatic Machiner Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Torahiko Hayashi, Yasunori Tashiro
  • Patent number: 4734021
    Abstract: A machine for building a dome or sphere has an extruder that extrudes part of a wall of a dome or sphere from fluid material which hardens on extrusion as the extruder travels around a center axis. A ramp allows the extruder to gradually ride up onto the initial wall so that another partial wall of the sphere can be formed. The extruder continuously moves along its own produced track in a spiral path to ultimately form a dome or sphere, as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Inventor: Paul T. Maddock