Abstract: A mold handling device is provided which is suitable for use in the manufacture of articles molded in a wide variety of shapes and sizes from a plastic material such as polyurethane. First and second mold supports are provided to which mating mold portions are respectively secured. The device comprises means to provide mold opening and mold closing relative linear movements between the two mold supports, and drive means are provided to effect pivotal movement of the two supports about a pivot axis which extends transversely to the linear movement between the mold supports. One of the mold supports is mounted for independent pivotal movement about the same pivot axis whereby the arrangement facilitates access to each mold portion when the mold is open.

Abstract: A compression device comprising two continuously circulating belts in operation, between which a layer of material has to be conditioned under pressure, particularly a compression device for compressing a mixture of fibers or fibrous material and synthetic resin at high pressures. The opposite runs of the belts are supported such that material is compressed by supporting bodies in which recesses are provided, into which in operation pressurized fluid is fed, which fluid can flow out of the recesses concerned only through the gap between a belt and the portion of the supporting body surrounding the recess, so that in normal operation this outflow of fluid produces a fluid film between the belts and the portions of the supporting bodies surrounding the recesses.

Abstract: Takeout apparatus for a blow molding machine which includes a turret assembly having a plurality of article pickup heads which may be suction operable and telescopically mounted to facilitate clearing closely adjacent components during removal of the articles from the molds, turret assembly positioning means for swingably moving the assembly into and out of operative position adjacent the periphery of the path of movement of the molds and drive means for turning the assembly in synchronism with the blow molding machine which may include a clutch operative to cut off power to the turret shaft when the turret assembly is in inoperative position yet while the blow molding machine is operating. The pickup heads may be selectively associated with a positive pressure source to facilitate urging the removed articles onto a downstream conveyor.

Abstract: The invention concerns a continuous rotary apparatus for blow-moulding plastic hollow bodies in which the height of the moulds may be easily changed and which permits a minimum of waste plastic material. This apparatus comprises a fixed framework equipped with a fixed track which carries a plurality of independent moulding units travelling over the track and equipped with a driving device and a device for driving the moulding units which comprises a rotary platen mounted on a shaft which can be moved relative to the fixed framework and is equipped with equidistant slots which act on the driving devices of the moulding units. When the height of the moulds of the moulding units are changed the shaft carrying the rotary platen is displaced relatively to the fixed framework in such a manner that when a mould is in position to be fed with a portion of a continuous hot parison, the preceding mould still fed with a portion of parison is temporarily in contact with it.

Abstract: A cover for a freezer ice tray which prevents splashing out of the water in the tray before freezing, and additionally functions to maintain the tray in place in a freezing compartment of a refrigerator housed in a relatively unstable trailer or boat and to improve the heat conducting contact between the ice tray and the evaporator pipe. The cover has a downwardly directed front part along its entire width that substitutes as a door to the freezing compartment.

Abstract: A stacking system for thermoplastic film products, such as polyethylene bags or the like. The stacking system is arranged to be employed in combination with a product conveyor which receives finished articles or products from a thermoplastic film converting machine, the arrangement employing stacking wheels disposed along the terminal portion of the conveyor, and wherein the drive means for the stacking wheels are arranged to impart rotary motion to the stacking wheels in timed relationship to the movement of thermoplastic film product therethrough, and with means being provided to intermittently retard the rotational velocity of the stacking wheels at a point generally coincident with the passage of the trailing edge of the film product through the stacking wheels so as to frictionally retard the rate of speed of travel of the film product.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating a conical seamless bra pad preform for subsequent molding into a finished pad. The material used is fiberfill or the like and a blank, cut from such a sheet, or from a sandwich of two sheets, is indented by a conical member which has pins spaced over the surface of the cone for engaging the material. Variable thinning of the material is achieved by the action of the pins in engaging the material successively. A second embodiment involves a series of coaxial rings to grasp the blank. Non-uniform displacement of the ringsets causes the desired uneven stretching of the blank. Permeating the fiberfill sheet with cold acrylic resin prior to the curing of the preform in a mold counteracts deterioration of the bonding of the individual fibers which occurs during the intermediate drawing process.

Abstract: Reshaping of a nestable plastic container of substantially uniform wall thickness into a non-nestable container of substantially uniform wall thickness by substantially uniform radial and axial enlargement thereof. The nestable plastic container is heated below its rim portion to a predetermined temperature where the nestable container is readily deformable, the thus heated nestable container then being fixedly supported in a mold cavity having a non-nestable inner wall configuration, and subsequently expanding the nestable container against the non-nestable inner wall configuration of the mold cavity by differential fluid pressure to form a non-nestable container product.

Abstract: Apparatus for manufacturing blanks from a synthetic plastics material inces a mould cavity defined between a mandrel and an outer mould. A retractable sleeve is slidably mounted on the mandrel and is displaceable within the cavity at a rate which depends on the rate at which the plastics material is injected into the cavity.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for forming a nonwoven fibrous web from multiple laps of staple fibers. The apparatus includes lap forming means for forming the laps of staple fibers and for generating air currents. A lap-confining channel is defined in part by an upper horizontal run of a substantially air-impervious conveyor belt, and the horizontal run directs the laps through an open downstream end of the channel. A shield encloses the downstream end of each lap forming means for defining an enclosed flow path from each lap forming means to the lap-confining channel. This enclosed flow path aids in establishing laminar flow of the air currents to form air barriers between adjacent laps, and between the upper horizontal run of the conveyor belt and its adjacent lap.

Abstract: A plastic injection blow molding manifold has progressively smaller passageways defined at the mating surfaces between its two primary members. The circular cross sectional inlet area is reduced by one-half in a first cross passageway, and then further reduced in two additional cross passageways in an eight nozzle version. All of these cross passageways are defined at said mating surfaces, and the respective ends of such additional cross passageways communicate with paired outlets, each of which outlets has an associated nozzle and coaxially arranged heating element.

Abstract: A rotary casting apparatus for molding hollow articles of synthetic plastic is described employing a plurality of hollow molds which are heated and rotated within a fixed oven. The molds and molded articles therein are cooled rapidly while they remain within the oven by injecting cool, moist air into such oven from an external blower fan and a sprayer which sprays water into the air inlet of such fan. Improved rotation and support means are provided for the molds, including a common tubular drive shaft which rotates all of the molds about a common axis and a plurality of rotor means for rotating each of the molds about another axis perpendicular to such common axis. The rotor means are coupled by bevel gears to a second drive shaft extending through the common drive shaft. Each of the molds is rotationally mounted on bearings which are supported on the common drive shaft.

Abstract: An improvement in the method of operating a molding apparatus as well as an improved apparatus for use in molding plastic and other materials is provided. The inner mold surfaces of the apparatus are flooded, during operation, with a dehumidified gas such as dry air to minimize condensation of moisture onto these surfaces. The dry air is supplied to a chamber surrounding one half of the mold and through channels in the mold onto the molding surfaces. This dry air forms a field in the area of the mold surfaces to keep out the normally moist ambient air. The field is exhausted through a chamber surrounding the other mold half and recirculated to the supply source where it is regenerated and returned to the first chamber. In this way, a continuous concentration of dry air is maintained in contact with the mold surfaces. One or more dry air curtains are established around the dry air field to prohibit moist air from entering the field.

Abstract: A calender especially suitable for use with rubber and plastic material. One of two opposed rolls is movable toward and away from the other through direct action of long-stroke fluid actuators that move the bearing boxes on opposite ends of the movable roll. Roll spacing is directly sensed by position-sensitive transducers acting between opposed bearing boxes and responsive to the relative roll positions. The transducers signal changes and initiate correction to retain roll spacing at a set distance. The fluid actuators are controlled to separate the rolls upon power failure and to prevent roll contact in the event work product is not between the rolls.

Abstract: The control system for an injection molding machine providing successive fill, compaction, hold, cure and mold open times. The ram position and mold pressure are monitored at predetermined times respectively after the molding cycle has begun. If the ram position is out of tolerance, the fill pressure is adjusted to compensate for the deviation. If the mold pressure is out of tolerance, the compaction pressure is adjusted to compensate for the deviation in mold pressure.

Abstract: A multiple station plastic pipe belling machine in which an endless conveyor periodically receives one of a series of plastic pipes as each pipe is dumped from a V-trough receiving such pipes in sequence after their extrusion and cutting into predetermined pipe lengths, disposes the pipes so received parallel to, but spaced from, each other and advances the thus-disposed pipes in predetermined increments; positions the pipes in such a manner that their ends to be belled are first passed in such increments through a heater adjacent the edge of the endless conveyor, while the pipes are continuously rotated until each pipe passes out of the heater and is then carried in such increments by the endless conveyor into the first of a plurality of belling stations where a pair of semi-circular clamps encircle the pipe end and a mandrel or plug is inserted therein.