Abstract: A finish of a preform and a container formed from the preform. The finish has a brim defining an opening of the finish. The brim is configured to provide a sealing surface with a forming and filling head for forming the container from the preform and filling the container with a product. A support flange extends from an outer side surface of the finish. The support flange includes an undersurface having an inner portion that is directly opposite to the brim. The inner portion of the undersurface of the support flange is closer to an axial center of the finish than an innermost portion of the outer side surface.

Abstract: A system for simultaneously forming a container and filling the container with a product. The system includes a thermoplastic preform and a nozzle. The preform is configured to be molded into the container. The nozzle is for a forming/filling head configured to inject the product into the preform sealed to the nozzle for simultaneously forming the container from the preform and filling the container with the product. Upon insertion of a finish of the preform between an outer flange and an inner flange of the nozzle, the finish seals to the nozzle through cooperation between: a brim of the preform and an upper sealing surface of the nozzle between the outer flange and the inner flange; a sealing ledge of the finish and a lower sealing surface of the inner flange; and an inner sealing sidewall of the finish and an outer sealing surface of the inner flange.

Abstract: A molded container of plastic material. The molded container including a neck finish defining an opening into the molded container, a body extending from the neck finish and including a shoulder adjacent the neck finish, a base defining a closed end of the container, and a sidewall extending between the shoulder and the base. Formed on a surface of the container and being defined by the plastic material is a molded surface texture pattern.

Abstract: A molded container of plastic material. The molded container including a neck finish defining an opening into the molded container, a body extending from the neck finish and including a shoulder adjacent the neck finish, a base defining a closed end of the container, and a sidewall extending between the shoulder and the base. Formed on a surface of the container and being defined by the plastic material forming the container are a series of raised dots defining a tactile writing feature.

Abstract: A system for simultaneously forming and filling a polymeric container with a product. The system includes a mold defining a container profile and a mold vacuum vent extending from the container profile to an upper surface of the mold. A striker plate is secured to the upper surface of the mold. The striker plate defines a striker vacuum vent that aligns with the mold vacuum vent to allow some of the product to be pulled by vacuum out of the mold through the mold vacuum vent and the striker vacuum vent.

Abstract: A high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin configured to be molded into a preform that can be biaxially expanded within a cavity of a container mold by introducing an incompressible fluid under pressure into the preform to stretch the preform to assume a shape of a surrounding mold cavity of the container mold. The HDPE resin has: a melt flow index of between 0.3 and 10.0 grams per 10 minutes at a temperature of 190° C. under 2.16 kilograms of load; a polydispersity index of 4-24; and a density of 0.943-0.965 grams per cubic centimeter.

Abstract: A system for simultaneously forming and filling a polymeric container with a product. The system includes a mold defining a container profile and a mold vacuum vent extending from the container profile to an upper surface of the mold. A striker plate is secured to the upper surface of the mold. The striker plate defines a striker vacuum vent that aligns with the mold vacuum vent to allow some of the product to be pulled by vacuum out of the mold through the mold vacuum vent and the striker vacuum vent.

Abstract: A seal pin assembly for a forming and filling head configured to inject a product into a thermoplastic preform for simultaneously forming a container from the thermoplastic preform and filling the container with the product. The seal pin assembly includes a seal pin movable within the forming and filling head towards and away from a nozzle of the forming and filling head. The nozzle is configured to cooperate with the thermoplastic preform. A vortex generating member is mounted to the seal pin and configured to convert a stream of the product into a vortex as the product flows across the vortex generating member and out through the nozzle.

Abstract: A finish of a preform and a container formed from the preform. The finish has a brim defining an opening of the finish. The brim is configured to provide a sealing surface with a forming and filling head for forming the container from the preform and filling the container with a product. A support flange extends from an outer side surface of the finish. The support flange includes an undersurface having an inner portion that is directly opposite to the brim. The inner portion of the undersurface of the support flange is closer to an axial center of the finish than an innermost portion of the outer side surface.

Abstract: A system for simultaneously forming a container and filling the container with a product. The system includes a thermoplastic preform and a nozzle. The preform is configured to be molded into the container. The nozzle is for a forming/filling head configured to inject the product into the preform sealed to the nozzle for simultaneousl y forming the container from the preform and filling the container with the product. Upon insertion of a finish of the preform between an outer flange and an inner flange of the nozzle, the finish seals to the nozzle through cooperation between: a brim of the preform and an upper sealing surface of the nozzle between the outer flange and the inner flange; a sealing ledge of the finish and a lower sealing surface of the inner flange; and an inner sealing sidewall of the finish and an outer sealing surface of the inner flange.

Abstract: A molded container of plastic material. The molded container including a neck finish defining an opening into the molded container, a body extending from the neck finish and including a shoulder adjacent the neck finish, a base defining a closed end of the container, and a sidewall extending between the shoulder and the base. Formed on a surface of the container and being defined by the plastic material forming the container are a series of raised dots defining a tactile writing feature.

Abstract: Systems and methods for simultaneously forming and filling a container are provided where a pressure source is accelerated from an initial state to attain a predefined process speed while applying pressure to a volume of fluid. The volume of fluid is fluidly coupled to a preform upon attaining the predefined process speed, the pressure source directs at least a portion of the volume of fluid into the preform and stretching the preform to form the container, where the container includes at least the portion of the volume of fluid. The volume of fluid is fluidly decoupled from the container and the pressure source is then decelerated from the predefined process speed toward the initial state.

Abstract: A method of forming a container (1) and a container (1) formed thereby. A preform (2), having a generally cylindrical body (60, 8) extending between a closed end (12) and an open mouth, is placed within a mold (20, 22) having surfaces corresponding in shape to the desired container (1). An incompressible medium, which is the end product that remains in the molded container (1), is injected under pressure into the preform (2). Under the influence of the incompressible medium, the preform (2) is expanded into contact with the surfaces defining the cavity, simultaneously forming and filling the container (1). During expanding of the preform (2), portions of the plastic material are forced into a series of recesses (72) defined in the cavity surface (82, 85). With the incompressible medium contained therein, the container (1) is removed from the mold (20, 22) and including a series of raised dots corresponding to the series of recesses (72) defined in the cavity surface (82, 85).

Abstract: A preform configured to form a container when the preform is seated in a cavity of a mold and the preform is expanded within the cavity of the mold by introducing an incompressible fluid under a blow pressure into the preform to stretch the preform to assume a shape of the surrounding cavity. The preform includes a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin having: a melt flow index of between 0.3 and 10.0 grams per 10 minutes at a temperature of 190° C. under 2.16 kilograms of load through a test fixture of ASTM D1238; a polydispersity index of 4-24; and a density of between 0.943 and 0.965 grams per cubic centimeter.

Abstract: A high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin configured to be molded into a preform that can be biaxially expanded within a cavity of a container mold by introducing an incompressible fluid under pressure into the preform to stretch the preform to assume a shape of a surrounding mold cavity of the container mold. The HDPE resin has: a melt flow index of between 0.3 and 10.0 grams per 10 minutes at a temperature of 190° C. under 2.16 kilograms of load; a polydispersity index of 4-24; and a density of 0.943-0.965 grams per cubic centimeter.

Abstract: A method of forming a container (1) and a container (1) formed thereby. A preform (2), having a generally cylindrical body (60, 8) extending between a closed end (12) and an open mouth, is placed within a mold (20, 22) having surfaces corresponding in shape to the desired container (1). An incompressible medium, which is the end product that remains in the molded container (1), is injected under pressure into the preform (2). Under the influence of the incompressible medium, the preform (2) is expanded into contact with the surfaces defining the cavity, simultaneously forming and filling the container (1). During expanding of the preform (2), portions of the plastic material are forced into a series of recesses (72) defined in the cavity surface (82, 85). With the incompressible medium contained therein, the container (1) is removed from the mold (20, 22) and including a series of raised dots corresponding to the series of recesses (72) defined in the cavity surface (82, 85).

Abstract: Systems and methods for simultaneously forming and filling a container are provided where a pressure source is accelerated from an initial state to attain a predefined process speed while applying pressure to a volume of fluid. The volume of fluid is fluidly coupled to a preform upon attaining the predefined process speed, the pressure source directs at least a portion of the volume of fluid into the preform and stretching the preform to form the container, where the container includes at least the portion of the volume of fluid. The volume of fluid is fluidly decoupled from the container and the pressure source is then decelerated from the predefined process speed toward the initial state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for radiant heating in a vehicle-mounted salt box in which heated coolant from the engine on which the salt box is mounted is routed to a radiant heating coil within the salt box to warm the salt, thus preventing the creation of frozen clumps of salt in the salt box, while minimizing the expense required to supply such heat to the salt through use of the vehicle's own existing engine cooling system. The radiant heating coil is particularly configured to closely match the contour of a portion of the salt box hopper to maximize heat transfer between the heat transfer fluid and the salt, and preferably the salt box hopper itself.

Abstract: The fluid compositions of the present invention include an alkoxy glycol component, where the composition includes no more than about 10 wt % of a borate ester based on the weight of the composition. The physical properties of the compositions of include a high dry equilibrium reflux boiling point (ERBP), a high wet equilibrium reflux boiling point (WERBP), and a low temperature viscosity. These compositions are particularly useful because their physical properties (e.g., WERBP, ERBP, and low temperature viscosity) meet or exceed the provisions for DOT 3 brake fluids under the Federal Motor Vehicle Standard No. 116.