Abstract: A rotary type molding machine for molding preforms and hollow molded products from the preforms includes a circular transfer plate with depending lip molds. The transfer plate is disposed above a machine bed and is suspended from a plate body which is itself supported at its edges on the machine bed. The transfer plate is rotatable and movable up and down. Rotation of the transfer plate enables the lip molds to be aligned to one or the other of an injection molding station, a temperature control station, an orientation blow molding station, and a molded product moving station. Molds and various related devices are disposed on the machine bed. The transfer plate is reciprocated by a vertically movable piston and its hydraulic cylinder. The piston is flexibly coupled to a driving shaft of an intermittently rotatable driving device which shaft is effective to rotate the transfer plate and remain coupled to the piston regardless of the vertical position thereof.

Abstract: The blowing wheel and preferably the heating wheel as well as a large blow molding machine are rotatably supported in a centerfree peripheral bearing means. The heating and blow wheels are constructed as wheel rings to provide a profile free of distortion, wobbling motions or, respectively, peripheral vertical deviations of the wheels are thus prevented and the delivery of parisons of thermoplastic material for processing on the wheels takes place with high accuracy.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for forming dilatation balloons and catheters including same are provided. The balloons are fabricated of a biaxially orientable material such as a nylon or a polyamide material, and they have an inflated, non-distended working profile as well as a stretched inflated profile which is achieved by applying pressure through a dilatation catheter or the like that is in excess of that needed to achieve the inflated, non-distended profile and which is adequate to effect dilatation or the like up to a maximum pre-bursting pressure application. The maximum pre-bursting size of the balloon can be tailored depending upon the needs of the particular balloon within a wide range of possible maximum pre-bursting sizes. The apparatus and methods facilitate fabrication of the balloons which are subjected to longitudinal elongation or axial orientation and biaxial or radial orientation.

Abstract: An improved temperature sensing and controlling arrangement for incorporation in thermoplastic heat forming systems includes an infrared thermometer operative to sense the temperature of a plastic sheet during its heating and to produce a direct current output in linear proportion to the intensity to the radiation emitted by the sheet, an electrical relay assembly operative to receive the direct current from the thermometer and to energize and de-energize a relay when the value of the direct current is below or at or above a predetermined value corresponding to a predetermined maximum temperature to which the sheet is to be heated, and a programmable microprocessing sequencer operatively associated with the relay assembly and the heating oven to de-energize and energize the oven when the relay is energized and de-energized, respectively.

Abstract: In a delivery apparatus in a machine for preparing hollow vessels by delivering mandrels supporting thereon preforms and vessels through a preform-heating zone and a draw-blow-forming zone, the downward movement of a mandrel-clamping mechanism is utilized for insertion of a preform into the mandrel and the rising movement of the clamping mechanism is utilized for withdrawal of a formed vessel. By this arrangement, insertion and fixation of preforms into mandrels and withdrawal of formed vessels from mandrels can be performed continuously, assuredly and smoothly in one apparatus while saving the waste in the blow-forming operation. If the operation of reversing the clamping mechanism is added, any particular device need not be disposed for reversing preforms.

Abstract: In a process for producing hollow bodies of oriented thermoplastic material, a hollow blank having a bottom portion and a substantially cylindrical wall portion with an opening at its end remote from its bottom portion is subjected to pre-expansion in the region of the opening and then thermofixing in a subsequent treatment step. The thermofixing operation may be preceded by a mechanical expansion operation for orienting the plastic material forming the wall portion of the blank.

Abstract: A preformed arrangement is suspended in a blow molding die by one or more suspension lines. A parison is formed about the arrangement and then pressed into contact with the same so that as the vessel is formed the arrangement and the suspension line or lines becomes connected and/or integral with the shell of the vessel.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming a hollow blow-molded container utilizes a mold having at least one wall insert for forming a collapse panel in a container.

Abstract: A porous die includes a porous die body with a plurality of pores formed therein; a cooling chamber provided in direct contact with the back side of the porous die body in order to cool the porous die body; a device for supplying a coolant to the cooling chamber; and suction holes through which the cooling chamber is evacuated and the air and the coolant entering the cooling chamber are simultaneously sucked.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of forming a hollow partially crystalline heat set biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate container having a hemispherical base comprising blowing a heated parison at orientation temperature outwardly against the confines of a mold which is at heat setting temperature wherein the side wall and the major portion of the base of the container are subjected to a heat setting temperature and the center of the base of the container is subjected to a temperature not greater than 150.degree. C. so that the central portion is crystallized a substantially lesser amount than the side wall and the major portion of the base. The container is then quenched. The resultant container can be formed at a rapid cycle and has good drop impact properties and obviates the problems of sticking to the hot mold or blow out when the hot mold is opened.

Abstract: A blow-molded notebook binder provides protection from mechanical shock and abuse. When antistatic and/or conductive agents are blended into the polymeric material to make up the parison for the notebook binder, protection from electrostatic discharge is also provided. This invention finds special use in clean room environments.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for the conveyance of preforms through a heating station to a stretching and blowing machine during the production of hollow articles from thermoplastic plastics materials, means of which preforms having different neck diameters can be heated satisfactorily and extremely uniformly without major modification of the apparatus. This is achieved by providing two endless toothed sections extending parallel to each other and have preform pick-up means mounted thereon. The preforms are collected and retained in position by the pick-up means as they pass through the heating station. The mutual spacing of the belts and, hence, of the pick-up means from one another and from the heating devices is adjustable. A further pair of endless drive belts are provided which rotate the preforms at desired circumferential speed about their own axes as they pass through the heating device so as to promote an even distribution of the heat in the preforms.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing a drawn heat-set plastic hollow vessel, which comprises a rotary member having a plurality of openable-closable blow-forming and heat-setting molds and preform-supporting mechanisms corresponding to said molds, a preform supply mechanism for supplying a preform maintained at a drawing temperature into the mold of the rotary member at the opening position and a vessel withdrawal mechanism for withdrawing a drawn and heat-set vessel from the mold of the rotary member at the opening position, wherein the rotary member comprises a mold-heating mechanism for maintaining the molds at a heat-setting temperature through the entire rotation course of the rotary member, an opening and closing mechanism for closing the molds after passage through the position of the preform supply mechanism and opening the molds before arrival at the position of the vessel withdrawal mechanism, a sealing member capable of reciprocating relatively to the preform supported by the preform support mechanism while

Abstract: Pipe made from thermoplastic polymeric material and comprising a transversely corrugated outer wall and a smooth inner wall of constant diameter fusion welded to the inner crests of the corrugations of the outer wall is produced by an improved method involving simultaneous extrusion of two tubes, blow molding of the outer wall and fusion of the two walls while the inner wall is supported by an internal shaping and cooling mandrel. Even when the polymeric material is polyvinyl chloride, good fusion welds and lack of brittleness are achieved by the manner in which extrusion is carried out, control of the location at which the fusion welds are established, and the extrusion formulation. The finished pipe is characterized by the fact that, when the fusion welded areas have been cut for inspection, no line of demarcation between the materials of the two walls can be observed.

Abstract: An apparatus for the heat treatment of the necks 1 of performs 2 includes a rotatable mandrel 3, which is inserted in and engaged with the neck of the preform to rotate it, a fixed protective skirt 4, and a heater 5 situated at the level of the neck. A sliding weight 28 is applied to the upper end of the neck during the heat treatment.

Abstract: A method for producing a blow molded, heat set container including at least one large collapse panel in a side wall of the container. The area of the side wall of the container forming a collapse panel is heat set at a different temperature than the area of the side wall of the container adjacent to the collapse panel to prevent distortion of the large collapse panel when the container is removed from the mold.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing a drawn heat-set plastic hollow vessel.

Abstract: A reheat blow molding machine having an article handling system that carries heated preforms by a carriage assembly from an oven to a chain conveyor which moves them to a blow mold from whence the blown product is moved to an eject station. Attached to the chain conveyor are preform holder assemblies each of which contains a resilient spindle nose which supports the preforms by engaging an internal surface at one end of the preform.

Abstract: An extrusion blow molding apparatus of the type having a parison tube extruder and at least one blowing station for producing a dual-compartment container as an improvement for increasing the rate at which containers can be produced, wherein a cooling liquid is circulated through a pair of blow pins in a manner creating a zone of highest cooling effect at a tip portion of the blow pins for internally cooling a portion of the parison formed into pouring openings of the dual-compartment container. The zone of highest cooling effect is produced, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, through the provision of a blow pin assembly having an inner tube through which inflation air is blown into a parison, an outer sleeve positioned around the inner tube, and a tip element mounted in a position overlying an air outlet end of the inner tube. A blow port in the tip element communicates with an air outlet of the inner tube.

Abstract: The present invention provides an injection and blow molding machine which comprises a machine bed having five operating sections, i.e., an injection molding section, a temperature control section, a stretching and blow section, a secondary working and releasing section and a releasing section, a base plate mounted in a peripheral portion above and parallel to said machine bed, a rotary disk rotatably mounted on the under-surface of said base plate and having neck molds of the same number as that of the operating sections, and a drive means fixedly mounted on the central portion of the base plate to intermittently turn the rotary disk with respect to the respective operating sections. It is of course that between the rotary disk and the machine bed, there are provided an injection mold disposed movably up and down, a temperature control member, a blow mold and a mechanism for opening and closing the blow mold, which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.

Abstract: The apparatus of the present invention involves transferring plastic parisons from a receiving station to a finishing station on a plurality of pallets in a single row for forming said parisons into hollow plastic articles. The pallets with parisons thereon are transported through a temperature conditioning means for temperature conditioning said parisons to render same suitable for forming into said hollow plastic articles at the finishing station.

Abstract: A temperature control blow molding equipment which has a temperature control mold and a blow mold on one seat body and which is used in an injection stretch blow molding machine comprising a disk-like moving plate intermittently rotatably disposed above a base disk, a plurality of neck molds provided at regular intervals under the carrying plate, and operation zones disposed at stop positions of the neck molds, the operation zones being necessary for a series of treatments from an injection molding of a parison to a removal of a molded article.

Abstract: A method for producing a blow molded, heat set container including at least one large collapse panel in a side wall of the container. The area of the side wall of the container forming a collapse panel is heat set at a lower temperature than the area of the side wall of the container adjacent to the collapse panel to prevent distortion of the large collapse panel when the container is removed from a mold.

Abstract: For making open-ended thermoplastic tubular articles, which are dimensionally stable up to elevated temperatures, an open-ended polymer tube is placed between a fixed, heated external mould and a cooled mandrel, which is vertically displaceable relative to the mould, both the ends of the polymer tube being clamped to restrain the tube axially. The polymer tube is radially expanded into contact with the hot mould and maintained in contact for a time sufficient to ensure dimensional stability, and then allowed to shrink back into contact with the cooled mandrel, which is maintained at a temperature below the glass transistion temperature of the polymer. The resulting article is then stripped from the mandrel.

Abstract: Plural mold cavity defining mold block with particular arrangement of bored and plugged conduits for heat transfer fluid. The molds being particularly useful in blow-molding.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing a container from a tubular blank of polyethylene terephthalate or similar material, according to which a polyethylene terephthalate blank is stretched at least approximately 3-fold to produce a preform (20). In an axial section through the preform, the contour length substantially corresponds to the contour length in an axial section through the final container. The preform (20) is heated to a temperature above the glass transition temperature (TG) and is converted to the container (21) in a blow mold (12). In doing so, the contour length of the material is maintained through successive reduction of the axial length of the body (23) which the preform constitutes during the conversion to the container. In order to achieve this, the base portion of the blow mold (11) is moved towards the orifice (22) of the final container.

Abstract: A multi-station rotary blow molding machine having a plurality of separable blow molds angularly arranged in a serial fashion in a circular array within the machine. Each mold is comprised of two mold sections mounted for simultaneous movement toward and away from one another in a direction generally parallel to the rotational axis of the machine. An air supply manifold is provided for supplying air for both blowing articles and controlling certain portions of the molding machine for predetermined portions of a revolution of the molding machine. The mold sections are cooled in groups, each of the sections having an internal fluid path with adjacent mold sections being interconnected so that cooling fluid is passed serially between adjacent mold sections of each group.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for straightening a parison tube (58b) in an apparatus of the type in which thermoplastic tubing (48) is extruded into open halves (24 and 26) of a blow mold (22) and a parison tube (58b) is severed from the thermoplastic tube (48) concurrently with the blow mold being rotated around an axis (28). The present invention orients the curvature of the parison (58b) in a predetermined plane (52) by accelerating the parison tube (58b) transversely to the axis (90) of the parison tube (58b); and then the parison tube (58b) is straightened by applying jets of air (76) against the neck and moil portion (68) of the parison tube (58b), thereby straightening the parison tube (58b), and thereby preventing the neck and moil portion (68) of the parison tube (58b) from being pinched between the mold halves (24 and 26) in the area of the neck and moil cavity (38).

Abstract: The apparatus of the present invention involves transferring plastic parisons from a receiving station to a finishing station on a plurality of pallets in a single row for forming said parisons into hollow plastic articles. The pallets with parisons thereon are transported through a temperature conditioning means for temperature conditioning said parisons to render same suitable for forming into said hollow plastic articles at the finishing station.

Abstract: An apparatus for, and a method of, heating a thermoplastic material in web form in readiness for forming three-dimensional objects therefrom in a thermo-forming process involves (a) advancing the web material intermittently through a heating zone on a belt conveyor without imposing thereon any mechanical stress-inducing physical constraints (such as may be applied by material gripping means), and (b) sweeping the web material with a series of hot air jets which are spaced apart in the direction movement of the material, which extend transversely across the width of the material, and which are reciprocated in that direction in a manner such as to ensure a uniform heating of the web material passing out of the heating zone to a thermo-forming apparatus.

Abstract: A pallet assembly is disclosed for use in simultaneous transfer of four preheated plastic preforms from an oven, through a blow mold where they are blown into bottles to a location where the bottles are discharged. The pallet has a base (shuttle) on which is mounted a plurality of pilot bushings for locating the pallet relative to the blow mold and other locations; four (one of each preform) preform registering means (locating and support assemblies), each to vertically locate and horizontally center each preform.

Abstract: A mold for molding articles of plastic or other like materials, having a plurality of vertically extending internal passages, is connected by inlet and return conduits into a closed loop that includes a heat exchanger partially filled with a liquid supply of a cooling fluid or a heating fluid. For cooling the heat exchanger is positioned with its liquid level above the top of the mold, the inlet conduit connects the lower part of the heat exchanger, below the liquid level, to the lower ends of the mold passages, and the return conduit connects the upper ends of the mold passages to the upper part of the heat exchanger; for heating these relationships are reversed. In operation the fluid changes its physical state at critical points in the mold passages, going from liquid to vapor for cooling and from vapor to liquid for heating; circulation in the closed loop is in response to the effect of gravity. Operation of the heat exchanger is controlled to maintain a controlled pressure in the closed loop.

Abstract: A pallet has a plurality of reciprocable spindles mounted thereon. Each spindle can be reciprocated and has an improved bearing support and bias means urging the spindle to one end of its reciprocation path. An improved spindle nose is provided to mount on the spindle as an exchangeable chuck thereby changing the size of the workpiece that can be handled. The spindle nose features an improved means to maintain seal with the preform finish that includes a base from which protrudes a flexible skirt which is extending from the other side of said base, said skirt being sufficiently resilient to maintain sealing engagement with the inside diameter of the preform finish during blow molding; and an air passage extending completely through said locating stud, base, and skirt region.

Abstract: A hollow thermoplastic container having an annular closure receiving insert embedded in the wall thereof made by blowing a hollow preform radially outwardly against the confines of a mold wherein a cone-shaped mandrel is positioned on the wall of the mold and supports the insert on the wall of the mold with the apex extending inwardly such that as the preform is blown outwardly, the plastic material is deflected and caused to form about the periphery of the insert.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing hollow bodies from thermoplastic material by making hollow body-shaped preforms provided with opening nipples, which during a subsequent processing operation are reduced to the final shape after converting at least a part of their wall into deformable condition, whereby the forming-out takes place in at least two stages.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for straightening a parison tube (58b) in an apparatus of the type in which thermoplastic tubing (48) is extruded into open halves (24 and 26) of a blow mold (22) and a parison tube (58b) is severed from the thermoplastic tube (48) concurrently with the blow mold being rotated around an axis (28). The present invention orients the curvature of the parison (58b) in a predetermined plane (52) by accelerating the parison tube (58b) transversely to the axis (90) of the parison tube (58b); and then the parison tube (58b) is straightened by applying jets of air (76) against the neck and moil portion (68) of the parison tube (58b), thereby straightening the parison tube (58b), and thereby preventing the neck and moil portion (68) of the parison tube (58b) from being pinched between the mold halves (24 and 26) in the area of the neck and moil cavity (38).

Abstract: This relates to a blow molding machine of the type for blow molding large articles such as containers of the one gallon to five gallon size from a parison in the form of an extruded plastic material tube. The machine is of the rotary type and has a plurality of stations each carrying a mold unit of which one half is fixed and the other is mounted for radial movement between open and closed positions. The main shaft of the machine is of a large diameter and is tubular so that the necessary manifolding for gas and coolant supplies may be readily incorporated in the main shaft in an entirely different manner from that heretofore utilized. Also, among other features of the machine, is the provision of hollow spokes which serve not only to support outer mold halves for radial movement, but also serve as manifold accumulators for the necssary operating gases.

Abstract: An injection molding machine includes a platen having a plurality of regularly spaced mold element-receiving chambers adapted to receive any of a number of various mold elements substantially wholly within the stationary platen. A hot manifold system is included between the stationary platen and a plastics injector unit, which includes a plurality of blocks independently coupled to the fixed platen, each block having channels through which the plastics material can flow, the channels of adjacent blocks being coupled by a coupling unit. The machine is particularly designed for quick inexpensive mold changes, and has particular utility in laboratory testing of mold designs and small low-capacity production in satellite plants.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multiple platen-multiple position press or injection blow molding apparatus for use in the blow molding of containers in which a preform is molded onto a core and is moved relative to the core to space a body portion of the preform from the core when the core is in the blowing station to facilitate the temperature conditioning of the preform to achieve a desired biorientation of the thermoplastic material from which the preform is made when the preform is blow molded to form a container. The temperature conditioning may be achieved by allowing stabilization of the temperature gradient through the material of the preform with or without the assistance of a supply of gas to the preform at a desired temperature.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved hand-over-hand blow molding machine and the method for forming a chain of hollow, shaped article bodies of biaxially oriented, normally highly crystalline thermoplastic material from a tube of said material in substantially unoriented condition, but at an orientation temperature. The machine and method are characterized by an additional blow mold in tandem with one of the blow molds of the prior art two mold machine and method. The machine is operated so that each longitudinally stretched portion of the tube on which the mold pieces of each blow mold closes has substantially the same extent of longitudinal stretch or elongation. This is done by arresting the travel of the tube into the machine according to the distance of travel of the blow mold pulling it into the machine.

Abstract: Thermoplastic preforms are heated in preparation for the blow molding of bottles therefrom in a tunnel (1) provided with infra-red radiators (13). Supports (19) for the preforms (17) move along the longitudinal axis of the tunnel while revolving. The enclosed space formed by the tunnel is connected to an exhaust blower (16) that draws in air through a longitudinal slot (3) in the bottom of the tunnel, through which the preforms extend, to thereby prevent the necks (18) of the preforms from becoming hot and deforming.

Abstract: A reheating and blow molding system utilizing an indexing plate having pairs of core pins mounted on the periphery. Radiant heaters heat parisons mounted on the core pin to a temperature suitable for blow molding while the parisons are rotated in response to movement of a spin belt. Rotation of the parisons during heating provides greater uniformity of heating. Tapered shanks remove the core pins from core pin holders and dispose the parisons in a mold for blow molding. The core pins are then disposed in the core pin holders and indexed to a subsequent indexing location where the finished article is removed.

Abstract: Upon leaving the mold, plastic bottle preforms are engaged internally and/or externally by pneumatic suction grips which form an annular chamber (15, 27) through which atmospheric cooling air is circulated. This increases the rate of production of the preforms by cooling them during handling, rather than separately at a discrete cooling station.

Abstract: A transparent thin bottle-shaped container is produced by means of a technology for biaxial orientation blow molding a cylindrical piece with a bottom from polyethylene terephthalate material. The pieces are molded in large number in each injection molding process of an injection molding machine. The pieces thus formed immediately after the injection molding are held simultaneously in large number at the gates integrally projected therefrom by a base plate moved forward at the front of the mold in the injection molding machine. They are then conveyed to a gate cutting unit provided near the injection molding machine. The gates are cut from the pieces sequentially by the gate cutting unit and are conveyed onto a conveyor. The pieces are gradually cooled from the hot molded temperature during the conveyance and are additionally cooled while being conveyed on an oblique conveyor installed with a cooler to room temperature or lower predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A transparent thin bottle-shaped container is produced by means of a technology for biaxial orientation blow molding a cylindrical piece with a bottom from polyethylene terephthalate material. The pieces are molded in large number in each injection molding process of an injection molding machine. The pieces thus formed immediately after the injection molding are held simultaneously in large number at the gates integrally projected therefrom by a base plate moved forward at the front of the mold in the injection molding machine. They are then conveyed to a gate cutting unit provided near the injection molding machine. The gates are cut from the pieces sequentially by the gate cutting unit and are conveyed onto a conveyor. The pieces are gradually cooled from the hot molded temperature during the conveyance and are additionally cooled while being conveyed on an oblique conveyor installed with a cooler to room temperature or lower predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for thermally conditioning an essentially tubular parison of polyethylene terephthalate material to a desired orientation temperature at which the polyethylene terephthalate material can be biaxially stretched. The method comprises the steps of heating the parison by applying heat to the exterior surface thereof until the surface reaches a maximum heating temperature less than the temperature at which the polyethylene terephthalate material begins to crystalize and then cooling the heated exterior surface of the parison to remove the heat therefrom while the heat within the wall of the parison diffuses therethrough to raise the temperature of the opposing interior surface toward the desired orientation temperature.

Abstract: A method of producing a saturated polyester resin bottle having a white-patterned wall by bringing at least one heat absorbing member into partial contact with a transparent tubular parison of a saturated polyester resin, when the tubular parison is heated, so that the portions of the saturated parison other than that contacting with the heat absorbing member may be heated to a relatively high temperature and may be locally crystallized to leave a desired white pattern. The bringing operation of the heat absorbing member is accomplished by inserting the heat absorbing member attached to a stem into the tubular parison thereby to prevent the portion of the tubular parison contacting with the heat absorbing member from turning locally white. The aforementioned relatively high temperature is higher than the glass transition temperature and lower than the crystallization temperature of the saturated polyester resin used.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the blow molding of oriented, hollow containers from tubular parisons in which a tubing of plastic material at a suitable orientation temperature for the material is passed by a puller assembly to a cutter assembly. The free end of the tubing is grasped by a parison transfer assembly, after which parisons are cut from the tubing by the cutter assembly and positioned by the transfer assembly for placement within blow molders. The first of two blow molders moves toward the tubing centerline from a molding position to receive a parison. The parison transfer assembly is extended vertically to place the parison within the molding cavity of the open blow molder. The upper end of the parison is grasped by a tube clamp, and as the parison transfer assembly retracts, the parison is stretched prior to molder closure. The closed blow molder returns to its molding position to complete the blow molding of a finished, oriented container.

Abstract: An apparatus for installing reinforcing bottom cups on blow molded plastic containers includes a transfer arm which grasps the outer peripheries of a plurality of molded hollow containers, such as bottles, by suction means, transfers the thus held bottles to a first station at which previously adhesively coated bottom cups are pushed upwardly on to the bottoms of the containers, from which station the thus reinforced bottomed containers are sequentially discharged.

Abstract: An injection blow molding machine which is compact but effective in operation. The machine comprises: a machine bed being provided with an injection molding stage having an injection mold and a mold closing mechanism, a heating stage having a heating cylinders, a stretching and blowing stage having a stretching and blowing mechanism and a releasing stage having a molded product releasing mechanism; a base plate which is attached to and above the machine bed leaving a certain space; a rotary disk which is rotatably attached to the under-surface of the base plate; a motor secured to the middle portion on the base plate and interlocked with the rotary disk by an arm and a connecting pin. The invention is characterized in that the space between the machine bed and the base plate carrying the rotary disk is fully utilized for holding mold and other necessary parts.The questions raised in reexamination request No. 90/000,455, filed Oct.