Abstract: A child-resistant dispensing closure includes a base having a deck, a dispensing opening in the deck and a peripheral skirt extending from the deck. A lid is integrally hinged to the base for movement between a closed position overlying the deck and an open position spaced from the deck. The base has an opening in the deck adjacent to the peripheral skirt and opposite from the hinge, and a tab extends from the skirt adjacent to the opening. The lid has a lug for snap-coupling over an exterior of the tab in the closed position of the lid. The peripheral skirt is resiliently flexibly moveable into the opening to move the tab out of engagement with the lug on the lid skirt and thereby permit movement of the lid to the open position.

Abstract: A compression molding machine, for compression molding a closure shell having a base wall with an opening and in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, includes a male mold section and a female mold section having associated surfaces that oppose each other to form a cavity for compression molding the base wall of the closure shell. An annular bead on one of these surfaces cooperates with the opposing other surface to compression mold a disk connected to the base wall by a thin frangible web. The disk and the shell are stripped separately from the mold so that the shell emerges from the machine with the opening formed in the shell base wall by removal of the disk within the machine.

Abstract: A closure for dispensing product from a container having a film seal across the mouth of the container finish includes a base having a deck that is adapted to overlie the film seal on the container finish and a dispensing opening in the deck. A lid is secured by a hinge to an edge of the base for overlying the deck. A spud is aligned with the dispensing opening and secured to the cover by one or more frangible elements. The spud is adapted, after rupture of the frangible elements, to move into the dispensing opening in the deck either directly or through an intervening spout, to pierce the film seal, and thereafter to function as a plug seal when the lid is closed.

Abstract: A fluid dispensing closure includes a closure base having a deck, a skirt for securement to a container finish and a recess in the deck. The recess includes a first annular wall extending from the deck within the skirt, a second annular wall extending radially inwardly from the first annular wall at a position spaced from the deck, and a third annular wall extending toward the deck from an inner periphery of the second annular wall. A dispensing valve of flexible resilient elastomeric construction has a peripheral portion captured in compression between a collar and the third annular wall, and a concave central portion with at least one dispensing slit.

Abstract: An apparatus for placing mold charges into a mold of a compression molding machine includes at least one mold charge pick-up cup for receiving a severed charge of molten plastic, a vacuum source for applying a vacuum to the pick-up cup to retain the mold charge in the cup, and a source of gas (such as air) under pressure for periodically applying gas to the cup to release the mold charge from the cup. In one exemplary embodiment, the vacuum source applies a continuous vacuum to the cup, and the source of gas under pressure periodically applies gas to the cup to overcome the continuous vacuum at the cup. In another exemplary embodiment, vacuum and gas under pressure, are alternately applied to the cup. The vacuum source preferably includes a vacuum generator coupled to the source of gas under pressure for generating the vacuum to be applied to the cup. The vacuum source preferably includes a vacuum pump coupled to the source of gas under pressure for generating the vacuum to be applied to the cup.

Abstract: A compression molding machine includes a wheel mounted for rotation around a horizontal axis and a plurality of angularly spaced molds disposed around the wheel. Each of the molds includes a first mold segment and a second mold segment disposed radially outwardly of the first mold segment. Each of the second mold segments is movable radially with respect to the associated first mold segment between a radially inner closed position with the first mold segment for compression molding a plastic article, and a radially outer open position spaced from the associated first mold segment for removing a molded article from the mold and placing a mold charge into the mold.

Abstract: An apparatus for inverting the stop flange on a tamper-indicating closure, from an axially outwardly oriented position as molded to an axially inwardly oriented position for use, includes a support base for supporting the closure such that the stop flange as molded is spaced from and oriented away from the support base. A pedestal is movably carried by the support base at a position spaced from the support base. A locator ring is carried by the pedestal and movable with the pedestal to engage the stop flange on a closure carried by the support base and to bend the stop flange radially inwardly. An inversion ring moves through the locator ring to engage and invert the stop flange that is bent radially inwardly by the locator ring.

Abstract: An apparatus for severing mold charges of molten plastic exiting an orifice along an orifice axis includes a motor system that provides a rotary output around an axis offset from the orifice axis. A blade arm is eccentrically coupled to the rotary output of the motor system for motion in a plane at an angle to the orifice axis, preferably perpendicular to the orifice axis. A knife blade is coupled to the blade arm and disposed to oscillate in a closed path, preferably an elliptical path, that intersects the orifice axis so that the knife blade engages and severs molten plastic exiting the orifice along the orifice axis. A control arm preferably is pivotally coupled to the blade arm and to a point that is fixed with respect to the orifice axis to control motion of the blade arm and the knife blade. The motor system preferably is mounted on a base, and has an output shaft that extends through the base and a hub coupled to the output shaft.

Abstract: A dispensing closure includes a base having a lid integrally connected to the base by a hinge. The base has a deck with a central portion, a dispensing opening in the in the central portion, and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion. The peripheral portion includes a raised wall partially surrounding the central portion, and having a greatest height adjacent to the hinge and decreasing in height around the central portion. The wall has an inner surface that blends with the central portion of the deck to form a concave channel surrounding the central portion of the deck. The channel surface has a base that is angled with respect to the peripheral portion down and away from the raised wall.

Abstract: A compression molding machine includes a support mounted for rotation around an axis and a plurality of angularly spaced molds disposed around the support. Each of the molds includes a first mold segment and a second mold segment. At least one of the mold segments is movable with respect to the other mold segment between a closed position for compression molding a plastic article, and an open position for removing a molded article from the mold and placing a mold charge into the mold. An apparatus is provided for placing mold charges into the molds in sequence.

Abstract: A machine for compression molding plastic closures includes a support mounted for rotation around an axis, and a plurality of compression molds on the support at angularly spaced positions around the axis. Each of the molds includes a male mold section and a female mold section, at least one of which is movable with respect to the other between a closed position to form a compression mold cavity and an open position spaced from each other. The male mold section includes a mold core and a stripper sleeve surrounding the mold core for movement both rotationally and axially of the mold core. A first screw drive couples the female mold section to the stripper sleeve for rotating the stripper sleeve around the mold core as the at least one mold section is moved between the closed and open positions. A second screw drive couples the stripper sleeve to the support to move the stripper sleeve axially over the mold core as the stripper sleeve is rotated around the core.

Abstract: A tamper-indicating closure for a beverage package includes a base wall having a peripheral skirt with at least one internal thread for securing the closure to a container. A tamper-indicating band is frangibly connected to an edge of the skirt, and a stop flange extends axially and radially from an edge of the band for abutment with a stop bead on the container finish. A plurality of circumferentially spaced drain openings extend axially through the juncture of the band and the flange. A plurality of circumferentially spaced channels extend axially through the internal thread on the closure skirt, with at least some of the channels being axially aligned with the drain openings. The stop bead on the container is in the form of a plurality of circumferentially spaced bead segments separated from each other by circumferential gaps.

Abstract: A system for molding dispensing valves includes first and second mold sections, at least one of which is movable with respect to the other between a closed position in which the mold sections form a plurality of dispensing valve mold cavities, and an open position in which the mold sections are spaced from each other and the mold cavities are open along a mold parting line. A transfer mechanism is movable between the first and second mold sections in the open positions of the mold sections for receiving molded valves from the cavities and transferring the valves from between the mold sections.

Abstract: A plastic closure includes a plastic closure shell having a base wall with a central opening and a skirt with at least one internal thread or bead for securing the closure to a container finish. A plastic disk is retained within the shell parallel to but spaced from the base wall. The disk includes a plurality of axially extending spacer elements around the disk to engage the undersurface of the base wall and space the disk from the base wall of the shell, and angularly spaced fingers extending from the disk through the central opening of the base wall to retain the disk within the shell. A resilient liner is disposed on an underside of the disk for sealing engagement with the container finish.

Abstract: An injection molding apparatus (10, 110) for molding an annular thermoplastic element, such as an annular closure element (E) with no more than a single weldline in the annular extent of the thermoplastic element. The thermoplastic element is molded in an annular mold cavity (12, 112), and moldable thermoplastic material (M) is introduced into the mold cavity from a coaxially-aligned annular flow path (18, 118) that is defined between a sliding sleeve (24, 124) and an annular member (22, 122). The sliding sleeve surrounds and is slideable with respect to a fixed pin (26, 126) and is slideable between a first, or forward, position, where no thermoplastic material can flow into the mold cavity, and a second, or rearward, position, where thermoplastic material can flow into the mold cavity.