R&b Machine Tool Company

Amcor Rigid Packaging USA, LLC

Unova-r & B Machines Tool Co.

Liquiform Group LLC

David M Johnson

Lawrence H Weber

G David Lisch

The present disclosure includes a forming and filling head for simultaneously forming and filling a polymeric container with liquid. The forming and filling head includes a nozzle shaft assembly having a first portion removably engaged with a second portion. The nozzle shaft assembly defines a through-bore extending through each one of the first portion and the second portion. An annular seal is within the through-bore and is seated at one of the first portion and the second portion to permit access to the annular seal when the first portion and the second portion are disengaged. Flow ports are defined by a wall of the nozzle shaft assembly. The flow ports extend from an exterior of the nozzle shaft assembly to the through-bore to direct the liquid for forming and filling the polymeric container into the through-bore.

Nozzle shaft assembly

A shuttle blow molding machine having two groups of mold units located on opposite sides of a series of workstations spaced along a horizontal workstation path. Each mold unit includes a mold that reciprocates in a direction transverse to the workstation path between a retracted position that is spaced from the workstation path and an extended position aligned with the workstation path. The mold units within each group are located in side-by-side relation adjacent each other and each group is indexed as a single unit along a path parallel to the workstation path. The transverse motion of the molds between their retracted and extended positions allows one group to be retracted out of the way while the other group advances through the workstations. The mold units sequence through repetitive cycles in which the mold units of the first and second groups are indexed in a forward direction through the workstations, and then are moved in a return direction along their respective paths back to their starting position. When moving in the forward direction, the molds are moved from their retracted position toward their extended position prior to entering the first workstation and then are moved back to their retracted position after leaving the last workstation. The mold units of the first group are indexed together sequentially through the stations followed by the mold units of the second group which are indexed together sequentially through the stations while the mold units of the first group return to their starting position.

Multi-station shuttle blow molding machine

A blow molding apparatus ( ) including four molds ( ) that move into a common parison receiving position ( ) from directions different from the directions that the molds move out of the parison receiving position ( ). When in the parison receiving position ( ), each mold receives, encloses and severs a length of parison then shapes the parison during blow molding. Two molds ( ) alternately move in respective first and second radial directions ( ) from the parison receiving position ( ) to respective first and second outer positions ( ), to a common article take-out position ( ) and then back to the parison receiving position ( ) from a third radial direction ( ). The third radial direction is angularly spaced between the first and second radial directions. Two additional blow molds ( ) alternately move from the parison receiving position ( ) in the respective first and second radial directions ( ) to the respective outer positions ( ), to a common article take-out position ( ) and then back to the parison receiving position ( ) from a fourth radial direction ( ). The fourth radial direction is angularly spaced between the first and second radial directions and is generally opposite the third radial direction ( ).

Blow molding apparatus and method

A blow pin assembly for a mold of a rotary blow molding machine includes a base, a carriage supported by and movable relative to the base, a sub-base supported by and movable relative to the carriage, and a blow pin mounted to the sub-base for movement between a home position and a mold-engaging position. The blow pin is constructed with a low profile to clear an extruder head above the mold. This permits a method of forming a blow molded product to be used wherein the blow pin is inserted into the mold (and a parison in the mold), while the mold is at the extrusion workstation of the blow molding machine or very nearly so.

Low profile blow pin assembly for a rotary blow molding machine and method of blow molding

A method and an apparatus are provided for inserting labels into blow-molded hollow articles. The blow-molding apparatus includes a carrousel mounted to rotate within a support frame. The carrousel carries four multi-cavity molds around a circular mold path. Two blow-molding workstations are disposed next to the mold path in fixed positions relative to the frame. The carrousel is indexed to cause each mold to pause by each workstation, and at a label-insertion station, one time during each carrousel revolution. An in-mold labeler inserts a label into each mold at the label-insertion station. The in-mold labeler includes four picker heads supported on a carriage that shuttles the heads between label dispensing magazines and the mold station path. Each magazine includes a label stack receptacle in which labels rest edgewise, by gravitational force on a pair of label guide surfaces. Each picker head releasably grasps labels from a label magazine and deposits the labels into open mold cavities at the label-insertion station. Each magazine is translationally and rotationally adjustable to control label orientation in the mold cavities.

Method for applying labels to blow-molded articles

A method and an apparatus are provided for blow-molding hollow articles. The blow-molding apparatus includes a carrousel mounted to rotate within a support frame. The carrousel carries four molds around a circular mold path. Two blow-molding work stations are disposed next to the mold path in fixed positions relative to the frame. The carrousel is indexed to cause each mold to pause by each work station one time during each carrousel revolution. The molds pause by each work station to allow blow-molding operations to be performed in conjunction with each mold at each work station. At one blow-molding work station, located at the 12:00 position of the mold path, an extruder injects parison into each mold. At the other work station, located in the 9:00 position of the mold path, a take-out mechanism extracts blow molded articles from the molds and places them upright on a conveyor. The take-out mechanism includes an oscillator arm that is rotated ninety degrees at a time between a horizontal article engagement position and a vertical article release position. A take-out member extends from the oscillator arm and includes expandable pins that extend into the molds to grip the blow-molded articles at their necks.

Method for blow-molding and releasing hollow articles

Apparatus for applying labels to blow-molded articles

A method and an apparatus are provided for blow-molding hollow articles. The blow-molding apparatus includes a carrousel mounted to rotate within a support frame. The carrousel carries four molds around a circular mold path. Two blow-molding work stations are disposed next to the mold path in fixed positions relative to the frame. The carrousel is indexed to cause each mold to pause by each work station one time during each carrousel revolution. The molds pause by each work station to allow blow-molding operations to be performed in conjunction with each mold at each work station. At one blow-molding work station, located at the 12:00 position of the mold path, an extruder injects parison into each mold. At the other work station, located in the 9:00 position of the mold path, a take-out mechanism extracts blow molded articles from the molds. The carrousel is additionally indexed, i.e., 'double-indexed', to cause each mold to pause in the 10:30 position of the mold path where an in-mold labeling mechanism inserts a label into each mold.

Growing community of inventors

Saline, MI, United States of America

David M Johnson