Graham Packaging Company, L.p.

Earle Ellis

Roy N Krohn

David A Kesselman

David W Cargile

Edward Roubal

Robert D Stoolmaker

Bernd Klingenmaier

Rafael F Berrittella

Dave Humphreys

Norberto O Gomez

William Richer

Jeff Enfield

A parison pinching and separating system for attaching to first and second mold halves is disclosed. Each mold half has first and second cavities. The system includes a first pinch bar for attaching to the first cavity of the first mold half, a first pinch bar for attaching to the second cavity of the first mold half, a second pinch bar for attaching to the first cavity of the second mold half, and a second pinch bar for attaching to the second cavity of the second mold half. Each pinch bar has a surface and a protrusion that extends from the surface. The protrusions of the pinch bars associated with first cavity are positioned for pinching a parison when the first and second mold halves close. The protrusion associated with the second cavity are positioned for pinching a parison when the first and second mold halves close.

Pinch bar and parison separation method

An extruder for extruding extrudate is provided and includes a generally cylindrical barrel portion having an end face. A screw conveyor is rotatably arranged coaxially within the barrel portion and has a downstream end. The screw conveyor has helical flights that define a first flow path with the barrel for the extrudate. The first flow path has a first cross-sectional area. An adapter is arranged on the end face of the barrel portion and defines an exit portion of the extruder. A screw tip is secured to the downstream end of the screw conveyor and extends into the adapter. The screw tip and the adapter define a second flow path for the extrudate with a second cross-section area being at least as large as the first cross-sectional area.

Reservoir reducing screw tip

A squeezable tube-shaped plastic container ( ) having a one-piece construction formed by extrusion blow-molding techniques. The container ( ) has a retractable end wall ( ) which is positionable into an outwardly projecting position and an inverted position. The end wall ( ), as blown, is in the outwardly projecting position and is thereafter inverted so that a tamper indicating covering ( ) can be attached to the end ( ) of the container ( ) thereby sealing the end wall ( ). The inverted end wall ( ) permits the container ( ) to be free standing on the standing ring ( ). In use, the flexible sidewall ( ) of the container ( ) is squeezed to snap the end wall ( ) from the inverted position to an outwardly projecting position to enable ready access to a dispensing opening ( ) on the end wall ( ). An efficient and cost effective method for forming the container ( ) and an intermediate article ( ) formed during the method are also disclosed.

Extrusion blow-molded squeezable tube-shaped container and method for making same

At least one blow-molded plastic container and one compression molded lid are simultaneously produced in a blow mold. Preferably, the method and apparatus utilize a mold capable of simultaneously receiving a pair of extruded parisons. One of the parisons is utilized to produce a pair of aligned container bodies and the other of the parisons is utilized to form a pair of aligned closures. In this manner, a container and closure combination can be manufactured having perfect color matching and can be readily recycled in its entirety. In addition, the method and apparatus according to the present invention significantly reduces tooling costs and required machine capitol.

Apparatus for making a plastic container and closure combination

Method and apparatus for making a plastic container and closure combination

A separate parison separation assembly for each parison in a multiple parison blow molding apparatus. Each assembly has a shear plate secured in a recess machined into the mold in order to provide a positive and repeatable location of the shear plate. The shear plate is square and provides eight cutting edges; each of the four sides of the shear plate by rotating the shear plate as an edge wears, and by turning it over. The shear plate has a useful life up to eight times that of the prior art designs. The cut-off knife for each assembly is secured to the other half of the mold, directly on its surface, with a compression pocket cut into the face of this half of the mold to contain and to compress the parison between the mold halves. The design eliminates open space at the edge where the flash forms, reducing the mass of polymer at the edge and thus the temperature of the flash edge.

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York, PA, United States of America

Earle Ellis