Abstract: An injection blow molding apparatus capable of achieving biaxial orientation and the produced article is disclosed. The apparatus features a transport table rotatable about and reciprocally movable along its center axis and at least an injection molding station and a blow molding station positioned adjacent to and around the transport table. There is at least one core rod mounted to the transport table, which core rod is moved from the injection molding station to the blow molding station by the table movements. The core rod coacts with the injection molding station to form an injection molded parison which is transported on the core rod to the blow molding station. At the blow molding station, a stretch pin mounted within the core rod is utilized to aid in the biaxial orientation of the final article blown at the blow mold station.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of making hollow plastic articles are disclosed in which the preforms or other articles are sequentially molded from a continuous stream of plasticized resin supplied by an extruder. The preforms are formed sequentially in a plurality of molds and immediately transferred from the molds to blowing apparatus where they are blown into plastic articles. The molds are disposed in sets of two or more molds each, and the number of blowing apparatus units is equal to the number of sets of molds, with at least two sets of molds being provided. After the preform is formed in one mold of a set of molds, it is transferred while it is still hot to the corresponding blowing apparatus for that set while the extruded stream of plasticized resin is fed into the other molds to form other preforms.

Abstract: A method for making a thin wall centrifuge tube using an injection blow molded process to achieve not only uniform thickness of the tube, but also uniform or homogeneous material properties throughout the tube structure. The unique application of this process includes the making of a preform mold which retains its molten stage on a transferrable core pin that is received at a second stage, where the final configuration mold is placed around the core pin. The blow molding stage operates in conjunction with the molten preform to create the high strength centrifuge tube with uniform material properties.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for forming oriented, blown objects of moldable plastic material requiring prolonged tempering cycles to obtain conditions suitable for orientation. Disclosure provides a multiplicity of tempering molds in spaced relationship to each other for retaining and tempering parisons prior to orientation and blowing in a tempering cycle, whereby the tempering molds receive and release parisons seriatim, and whereby the overall operating cycle is substantially unaffected by the number of tempering molds.

Abstract: An injection stretch-blow molding apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes at least two preform conditioning stations, a molding injection station for initially molding the preform and a blow molding station. Each of the stations is preferably able to process an equal number of preforms at once. The apparatus also includes a turntable and preform supporting jaws connected to the turntable for transporting consecutive sets of preforms made at the injection station to the two conditioning stations alternately, and for transporting sets of preforms alternately from each of the conditioning stations to the blow molding station. This allows all four stations to operate at their respective full capacities, even though conditioning at the conditioning station requires up to twice as long as injection molding or stretch-blow molding.

Abstract: Articles, such as containers, can have their barrier properties improved either by using a small percentage of fluorine or other materials in the gas that is used at the blowing station of an injection blow molding machine. Some of these materials, such as fluorine are a hazard to operators of the machine. This invention encloses the operational stations so that the blowing gas mixture cannot escape into the atmosphere of the shop where the blow molding machine is operating. An inert gas such as nitrogen is mixed with the fluorine gas, and the enclosing housing is purged when the machine is shut down at the end of a run.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for forming thermoplastic articles in which preforms are injection molded interiorly of mold cavities around substantially cylindrical core pins on a rotatable turret. The turret is then indexed to displace the core pins to a second position and the preforms are retained on the core pins during indexing and thereafter to cool the preforms to a self sustaining condition. To enhance cooling, the preforms may be engaged by temperature conditioning molds while on the core pins. After adequate cooling, the preforms are removed from the core pins and positioned on carrier sleeves. The preforms are then thermally conditioned on the carrier sleeves to a predetermined temperature, following which they are blow molded in blow mold cavities.

Abstract: A process for forming a hollow multilayered thermoplastic article utilizing a liner and a core rod formed at least in part of a porous metal and having a blow slot. A vacuum is applied to the liner through the porous metal part of the core rod and optionally the blow slot and blowing pressure is applied through the blow slot.

Abstract: Improved apparatus for forming multilayered thermoplastic articles employing a blow slot equipped, porous metal section equipped core rod. In addition to control means, the apparatus employs means for opening and closing the blow slot of the core rod, detachable connection means for connecting an internal fluid passageway in said core rod with a vacuum source, and other detachable connection means for connecting such internal fluid passageway with a pressurized fluid source. In addition, check valve means is provided for closing said internal fluid passageway when the internal fluid passageway is detached from the detachable connection means joining such with a vacuum source. The vacuum source is connectable with the core rod at the time of liner loading and the pressurized fluid source is connected with the core rod at the time of blow molding.

Abstract: An injection blow molding apparatus and method produces articles by injecting a settable material at high pressure into the cavity of an injection mold to form a parison and then expanding the parison in a blow mold defining the configuration of the article. The injection mold defines intricate detail in the walls of the injection cavity and produces a parison with the detail formed thereon. Detail on the expanded portion of the parison is preserved in the blow mold and appears on the surface of the blown article without loss of definition.

Abstract: A process and multistation apparatus for injection blow molding a thermoplastic material to form a blow molded container having an integral injection molded handle is disclosed. The process and apparatus feature an injection mold which is closed to form an injection mold cavity with a contiguous injection mold handle cavity. A preform pin is inserted into the injection mold cavity through a preform carrier to form a preform recess into which hot thermoplastic is injected to form a hollow preform having a solid injection molded handle. After cooling the thermoplastic preform the preform pin is withdrawn and the molds are opened. The injection formed preform may be optionally heat treated prior to the preform being enclosed within a blow mold. The blow mold forms a cavity having the final desired container shape and a cavity into which the handle is enclosed.

Abstract: Machine system for continuous formation of molecularly oriented plastic bottles by blowing a heat-conditioned parison comprising a set number (N) of parison forming stations and a set but lesser number (N/X) of blowing stations, N/X being an integral fraction of N. A storage area is constructed and arranged between the parison forming and blowing stations. In the method of operation, N number of parisons are formed simultaneously at the parison forming stations, transferred to the storage area, and N/X of the parisons are sequentially withdrawn from the storage area and blown in the set number N/X of blowing stations. The temperature in the storage area is maintained within the temperature range suitable for blowing. Effective use is made of the blowing stations without loss of thermal energy from the parison forming stations.

Abstract: The injection blow molding machine of this specification moves oriented containers. Parisons applied to core rods move from an injection mold to a conditioning station that provides time for the full thickness of the parison to come to the same temperature. The parisons are then transferred, by a transfer device, to other core rods on a second indexing head of the machine which carries the parisons to a stretch-blow station at which they are stretched to obtain orientation. After the parisons are blown to final size, they are stripped from the core rods of the second indexing head. The transfer device turns the parisons to 180.degree. in a plane of their axial length in order to transfer them from one core rod to another.

Abstract: A plastic bottle forming machine and process wherein a parison is formed in a parison mold utilizing a neck ring and a core rod, and after the core rod has been removed and the parison mold opened, the neck ring is rotated, carrying the parison into alignment with a blow mold. The blow mold is closed and utilizing a blow head the parison is blown to the desired configuration. The blow mold and the parison mold are split molds with halves carried by a pair of relatively movable platens. There is one neck ring for each parison and blow mold with the neck rings being oscillated 180.degree. upon each actuation of the machine and, upon each actuation of the machine, a parison is formed and a previously formed parison is blow molded.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for molding plastic articles, wherein the method includes the steps of filling a mold cavity at a first station with heated flowable plastic material under relatively low pressure from a first pressure source and then displacing the mold to a second station where the plastic material is cooled under pressure from a second pressure source. During the displacing step, the mold is conveyed along an arcuate path and the mold orientation is maintained. The apparatus includes a cantilevered core pin concentrically positioned in the mold cavity and a set of radially biased neck rings which preferably open automatically under a constant biasing force to release the neck of a molded article after the core pin is withdrawn from the article.

Abstract: A laser detection system for detecting parisons or portions of parisons remaining on cylindrical core pins at an ejection station. Injection molding of tubular parisons around cylindrical core pins occurs at a molding station; cooling the parisons while supported on the core pins occurs at a cooling station; and then, axially stripping the parisons from the core pins occurs at an ejection station. The parison stripping step is accomplished by a horizontally reciprocable carriage which is selectively moved into and out of vertical alignment with a set of core pins and parisons positioned at the ejection station. Sectional gripping members on the carriage are radially closable when in alignment with the parisons, to grasp the parisons for their axial removal from the core pins upon the horizontal displacement of the carriage.

Abstract: This blow molding machine overcomes the tendency of the parison to sag toward the bottom side of the core or for air currents to unevenly cool the parison, while at the same time allowing the parison to be cooled from the core side and then outside to the desirable orienting temperature, so that at the subsequent blow, or stretch-blow station, a bi-axially oriented container is produced having uniform wall distribution. As a means of intensifying the cooling on the outside, in order to speed up the operation, provisions are made to enclose the parison with an open end cylinder having means of introducing a flow of air in a tangential manner so that it circulates around the parison as the parison is rotated.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the preparation of oriented hollow objects of moldable organic plastic material by providing a parison on a first blow core, expanding said parison into an intermediate shape, as by pre-expanding it, transferring said pre-expanded parison to a second blow core, finally extending and expanding said parison to form said hollow object in finished shape.

Abstract: An injection blow molding machine for the production of thermoplastic containers is disclosed. The apparatus is a multistation apparatus with a preform being injection molded at one station, prior formed preforms being heat treated at optional heat treating stations and the heat treated preforms being blown at a blow mold station. An automatic removal station may be utilized subsequent to the blow mold station for removing the blown article from a carrying apparatus which is utilized to carry the preform from the injection station through the heat treatment stations to the blow mold stations and then to the optional removal stations.