Patents by Inventor Nikhil Mani
Nikhil Mani has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8118581Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the delivery of polymer material in a sequential injection molding process. In one embodiment, the method provides: delivering a first shot of a first material simultaneously to a plurality of mold cavities; independently sensing for each cavity a property that is indicative of a volume or flow of material that is delivered to the corresponding cavity during the step of delivering the first shot; independently stopping the step of delivering the first shot to one or more cavities according to a program that uses as a variable a signal indicative of the property sensed for the corresponding cavity during delivery of the first shot; and delivering a second shot of a second material simultaneously to the cavities subsequent to the step of stopping the step of delivering the first shot.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2011Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: Graham Packaging Company, LPInventors: Thomas E. Nahill, Sam Kalmouni, Nikhil Mani, Keith Barker, Brian Lynch
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Publication number: 20110212204Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the delivery of polymer material in a sequential injection molding process. In one embodiment, the method provides: delivering a first shot of a first material simultaneously to a plurality of mold cavities; independently sensing for each cavity a property that is indicative of a volume or flow of material that is delivered to the corresponding cavity during the step of delivering the first shot; independently stopping the step of delivering the first shot to one or more cavities according to a program that uses as a variable a signal indicative of the property sensed for the corresponding cavity during delivery of the first shot; and delivering a second shot of a second material simultaneously to the cavities subsequent to the step of stopping the step of delivering the first shot.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2011Publication date: September 1, 2011Applicant: Graham Packaging Company, LPInventors: Thomas E. Nahill, Sam Kalmouni, Nikhil Mani, Keith Barker, Brian Lynch
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Patent number: 7892462Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the delivery of polymer material in a sequential injection molding process. In one embodiment, the method provides: delivering a first shot of a first material simultaneously to a plurality of mold cavities; independently sensing for each cavity a property that is indicative of a volume or flow of material that is delivered to the corresponding cavity during the step of delivering the first shot; independently stopping the step of delivering the first shot to one or more cavities according to a program that uses as a variable a signal indicative of the property sensed for the corresponding cavity during delivery of the first shot; and delivering a second shot of a second material simultaneously to the cavities subsequent to the step of stopping the step of delivering the first shot.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2010Date of Patent: February 22, 2011Assignee: Graham Packaging Company, LLPInventors: Thomas E. Nahill, Sam Kalmouni, Nikhil Mani, Keith Barker, Brian Lynch
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Publication number: 20100187720Abstract: A take-out and cooling method and apparatus conveys molded plastic articles from a molding machine to and through a cooling station and preferably includes a take-out apparatus that has a main support, a conveyor carried by the main support for movement in an endless path, a cam adjacent to the support, a plurality of arms carried by the conveyor for movement with the conveyor along the endless path and including a follower responsive to the contour of the cam to vary the position of the arms relative to the support, and at least one holder carried by each arm. Each holder is adapted to receive and carry at least one molded article to facilitate in conveying the molded articles and is flexible and resilient to permit relative movement of at least a portion of the holder relative to its associated arm.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2009Publication date: July 29, 2010Applicant: Graham Packaging PET Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Peter A. Bates, Thomas M. Ingraham, Frank W. Mahr, Nikhil Mani, Thomas E. Nahill, Terry C. Potter
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Publication number: 20100109181Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the delivery of polymer material in a sequential injection molding process. In one embodiment, the method provides: delivering a first shot of a first material simultaneously to a plurality of mold cavities; independently sensing for each cavity a property that is indicative of a volume or flow of material that is delivered to the corresponding cavity during the step of delivering the first shot; independently stopping the step of delivering the first shot to one or more cavities according to a program that uses as a variable a signal indicative of the property sensed for the corresponding cavity during delivery of the first shot; and delivering a second shot of a second material simultaneously to the cavities subsequent to the step of stopping the step of delivering the first shot.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2010Publication date: May 6, 2010Applicant: Graham Packaging Company, LPInventors: Thomas E. Nahill, Sam Kalmouni, Nikhil Mani, Keith Barker, Brian Lynch
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Patent number: 7651644Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the delivery of polymer material in a sequential injection molding process. In one embodiment, the method provides: delivering a first shot of a first material simultaneously to a plurality of mold cavities; independently sensing for each cavity a property that is indicative of a volume or flow of material that is delivered to the corresponding cavity during the step of delivering the first shot; independently stopping the step of delivering the first shot to one or more cavities according to a program that uses as a variable a signal indicative of the property sensed for the corresponding cavity during delivery of the first shot; and delivering a second shot of a second material simultaneously to the cavities subsequent to the step of stopping the step of delivering the first shot.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2006Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Graham Packaging Company, LPInventors: Thomas E. Nahill, Sam Kalmouni, Nikhil Mani, Keith Barker, Brian Lynch
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Patent number: 7632089Abstract: A take-out and cooling method and apparatus conveys molded plastic articles from a molding machine to and through a cooling station and preferably includes a take-out apparatus that has a main support, a conveyor carried by the main support for movement in an endless path, a cam adjacent to the support, a plurality of arms carried by the conveyor for movement with the conveyor along the endless path and including a follower responsive to the contour of the cam to vary the position of the arms relative to the support, and at least one holder carried by each arm. Each holder is adapted to receive and carry at least one molded article to facilitate in conveying the molded articles and is flexible and resilient to permit relative movement of at least a portion of the holder relative to its associated arm.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2004Date of Patent: December 15, 2009Assignee: Graham Packaging PET Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Peter A. Bates, Thomas M. Ingraham, Frank W. Mahr, Nikhil Mani, Thomas E. Nahil, Terry C. Potter
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Publication number: 20070278708Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the delivery of polymer material in a sequential injection molding process. In one embodiment, the method provides: delivering a first shot of a first material simultaneously to a plurality of mold cavities; independently sensing for each cavity a property that is indicative of a volume or flow of material that is delivered to the corresponding cavity during the step of delivering the first shot; independently stopping the step of delivering the first shot to one or more cavities according to a program that uses as a variable a signal indicative of the property sensed for the corresponding cavity during delivery of the first shot; and delivering a second shot of a second material simultaneously to the cavities subsequent to the step of stopping the step of delivering the first shot.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2006Publication date: December 6, 2007Applicant: Graham Packaging Company, LPInventors: Thomas E. Nahill, Sam Kalmouni, Nikhil Mani, Keith Barker, Brian Lynch
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Publication number: 20060071368Abstract: A method of compression molding preforms for blow molding containers includes the steps of providing a preform mold that includes a mold cavity and a mold core, placing a mold charge of plastic resin into the mold cavity, advancing the mold core into the mold cavity to cause the mold charge resin to flow and fill a preform mold volume between the core and cavity, and then as the plastic resin cools and shrinks, advancing the mold core further into the mold cavity. Accordingly, in this method of compression molding plastic articles, the mold core is advanced into the mold cavity as the mold charge material cools and shrinks, to reduce the volume of the preform mold.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2004Publication date: April 6, 2006Inventor: Nikhil Mani
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Publication number: 20050248054Abstract: A take-out and cooling method and apparatus conveys molded plastic articles from a molding machine to and through a cooling station and preferably includes a take-out apparatus that has a main support, a conveyor carried by the main support for movement in an endless path, a cam adjacent to the support, a plurality of arms carried by the conveyor for movement with the conveyor along the endless path and including a follower responsive to the contour of the cam to vary the position of the arms relative to the support, and at least one holder carried by each arm. Each holder is adapted to receive and carry at least one molded article to facilitate in conveying the molded articles and is flexible and resilient to permit relative movement of at least a portion of the holder relative to its associated arm.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2004Publication date: November 10, 2005Inventors: Peter Bates, Thomas Ingraham, Frank Mahr, Nikhil Mani, Thomas Nahill, Terry Potter
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Publication number: 20050218103Abstract: A method of making a preform assembly including providing a finish ring of plastic construction, placing the finish ring onto a core pin, introducing a preform polymer into a mold cavity that includes the core pin, and compression molding the preform polymer to the finish ring. A resulting preform assembly, and container assembly blow-molded from the preform assembly, are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2004Publication date: October 6, 2005Inventors: Keith Barker, Bassam Kalmouni, Brian Lynch, Nikhil Mani, Thomas Nahill
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Publication number: 20050029712Abstract: A method of producing preforms for blow molding containers includes producing polyester polymer by melt phase polymerization and compression molding preforms of the polyester polymer without solidifying the polyester polymer prior to compression molding the preforms. This process has the advantage of eliminating the conventional intermediate steps of solidifying the polymer in the form of pellets, shipping the pellets to the preform manufacturer and then remelting the polymer. Furthermore, because the preforms are produced directly from melt phase polymer, the polymer can have a low intrinsic viscosity of 0.65 or less, which is particularly useful for blow molding containers for low pressure, low temperature applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2003Publication date: February 10, 2005Inventors: Thomas Nahill, Bassam Kalmouni, Keith Barker, Brian Lynch, Nikhil Mani
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Patent number: 5622735Abstract: A fluid supply apparatus for a blow mold, which includes a control valve having multiple positions for alternatively supplying fluid to the blow mold from a fluid supply and a metering chamber. The control valve has a further position configured to fill the metering chamber with fluid, and empty the blow mold chamber into an exhaust conduit. The apparatus is useful for performing pulse blow inflations at a high-strain rate in order to increase the crystallinity level in the body of a container.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 1995Date of Patent: April 22, 1997Assignee: Continental PET Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Suppayan M. Krishnakumar, Wayne N. Collette, Nikhil Mani
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Patent number: 5474735Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a plastic container having an enhanced level of crystallinity for improved thermal stability. A substantially amorphous and transparent preform in the molecular orientation temperature range is expanded by a pulse-blow process one or more times to form an intermediate article, prior to a final expansion step to the full container dimensions. The pulse-blow step is conducted at a relatively high-strain rate to maximize the formation of crystal nucleation sites, followed by deflation to relax the amorphous orientation, and the final expansion step is conducted at a low-strain rate to minimize the amorphous orientation. The resulting container has a higher thermal deformation temperature and reduced thermal shrinkage and is particularly adapted for use as a refillable or hot-fill beverage container. A blow-mold and fluid supply apparatus is provided, including a metering chamber and piston, for alternatively supplying the high and low-strain rate inflations.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 1993Date of Patent: December 12, 1995Assignee: Continental PET Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Suppayan M. Krishnakumar, Wayne N. Collette, Nikhil Mani