Abstract: A first outer container is formed with a side wall and a bottom wall. The bottom of the first container has a support structure or raised area to define a water reservoir in the bottom of the container. An overflow drain is provided in the container and preferably in the raised area to limit the depth of the water reservoir. A second inner container including a drain hole and having a live plant is placed in the first container at or above the water level in the first container. The water in the first container has a depth to inhibit excessive root growth from the drain hole of the second container. Roots which grow through the drain of the second inner container contact the standing water in the reservoir and die and rot at the point where the roots contact the water to limit growth in the first container. The water in the first container is particularly effective in controlling root growth from the inner container through the drain holes in the first outer container.

Abstract: An article, such as a container, includes a bottom wall, a sidewall and rim around a top end to strengthen the sidewall and to provide a handle for lifting the article. The rim includes a first lip extending radially outward with respect to the container to provide strength and rigidity to the rim and sidewall. The first lip is formed by two substantially parallel layers of material that can be spaced apart or bonded together. A second flexible lip extends radially from the rim and is axially spaced from the first lip. The second lip forms a continuous open channel enabling the second lip to be gripped from the inside of the article. The second lip has a radial dimension greater than the first lip to limit contact of the first lip with an adjacent object. An article is made by a blow molding process and apparatus having moving segment molds. A thermoplastic parison is inflated to contact the mold surfaces. The moving mold segments then compress a portion of the plastic to form the first lip.

Abstract: A dryer densifier includes a hopper for receiving wet, dry and/or flaky thermoplastic waste material. The hopper feeds an auger barrel which is heated and insulated whereby material passing therethrough may be dried and fused together with other material. The auger barrel and screw are configured to leave sufficient space therebetween whereby heated vapors may pass along the length of the auger and exit to the atmosphere at the discharge end, and whereby the heated vapor may be collected by a vapor collecting hood. The material is discharged from the auger onto a shaker screen table where the fused and unfused materials are separated by the vibrating screen conveyor of the table. The unfused material is returned to the receiving hopper for further densification and the fused material is conveyed to a granulator, whereupon the dried and densified material is granulated.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing blow-molded containers having thickened flanges. The apparatus utilizes movable mold halves having separable side and end components and a stationary central mold element disposed between the movable mold halves to form containers having thickened radial flanges. The movable mold halves and stationary central mold elements together enclose a mold chamber. After the parison of thermoplastic material has been blow-molded to conform to the mold chamber but while the material is still moldable, the movable mold halves simultaneously move together along the axis of the mold chamber to press the material against the stationary central mold element and thereby fold and bond the material onto itself, forming a thickened radial flange on each container. The flanges are each substantially twice as thick as a single layer of blow-molded material. The thickened flanges may also be formed to each include a thickened axial lip of material extending down from the respective radial flanges.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing blow-molded containers having thickened flanges. The apparatus utilizes major mold halves and a plurality of minor mold components disposed within the mold halves to form containers having thickened flanges. The minor mold components allows formation of flanges which are turned down relative to the longitudinal axis of the container. By allowing the mold halves to remain substantially still during the blow-molding process, the tab of material formed at the junction of the mold halves opposite to the feed end of the blow-molding chamber is preserved, thereby facilitating post-processing handling of the container. The thickened flange is formed by pressing together and fusing two layers of blow-molded material. The two layers of the thickened flange may enclose void space, thereby reducing the weight and manufacturing cost of the containers.

Abstract: A process for producing blow-molded containers having thickened flanges. The process utilizes movable mold halves having separable side and end components and a stationary central mold element disposed between the movable mold halves to form containers having thickened radial flanges. The movable mold halves and stationary central mold elements together enclose a mold chamber. After the parison of thermoplastic material has been blow-molded to conform to the mold chamber but while the material is still moldable, the movable mold halves simultaneously move together along the axis of the mold chamber to press the material against the stationary central mold element and thereby fold and bond the material onto itself, forming a thickened radial flange on each container. The flanges are each substantially twice as thick as a single layer of blow-molded material. The thickened flanges may also be formed to each include a thickened axial lip of material extending down from the respective radial flanges.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing blow-molded containers having thickened flanges. The apparatus utilizes major mold halves and a plurality of minor mold elements disposed within the mold halves to form containers having thickened flanges. The minor mold elements move radially relative to the mold halves and the joined pair of containers. While the blow-molded material is still moldable, the minor mold elements move radially inward to fold and bond the material onto itself, forming a pair of thickened radial flanges on each container. The flanges are each substantially twice as thick as a single layer of blow-molded material. Longitudinally-oriented reinforcing ribs are formed at the interstices of the minor mold elements which link the two thickened flanges and further strength the containers.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing individual containers, for example flower pots, from a nested stack of containers. The apparatus may be used to dispense rows of individual containers into a larger container, for example, a tray. The apparatus includes a first extendable arm for holding the stack of containers in an elevated position within a hollow column adapted to hold the stack of containers vertical, a second extendable arm for wedging the stack of containers, with the exception of the bottom container in the stack, against the side of the column and a third extendable arm for contacting the bottom container in the stack, thereby causing the bottom container to separate from the stack and fall into the tray. The apparatus also includes a wedge disposed within the column, opposite to the second extendable arm for facilitating the exposure of the lip of the bottom container.