Leesona Corporation

John Brown Inc.

Citadel Architectural Products, Inc.

Durakon Industries, Inc.

Robert C Whiteside

Albert W Arends

Fred L Greynolds

Roland Karklin

John C Montagna

Jerald F Gower

Doyle D Durkee

A cargo van bulkhead provides a barrier between the driver and passenger of a van and the cargo compartment. The bulkhead comprises a molded, complexly curved unitary panel which fits snugly against the bottom, sidewalls and top of the van behind the driver's and passenger's seats. The bulkhead includes a plurality of horizontal convolutions which define alternate ribs or projections and recesses which greatly improve the rigidity and strength of the bulkhead. An irregular flange disposed about the periphery of the bulkhead is configured to mimic the interior profile of the van and thus facilitate installation and securement thereto. An optional opening in the upper central portion of the bulkhead may receive a window which facilitates inspection of the cargo within the van as well as a view out the rear of the van if the rear doors of the van are equipped with windows. A first alternate embodiment comprehends a pair of bulkhead panels secured together at a plurality of locations on opposing adjacent surfaces. A second alternate embodiment includes foam disposed between the bulkhead panels.

Cargo van bulkhead

A method and apparatus for forming a plastic film-protected external siding board in a molding press having an upper normally closed heating box open at its lower end, and a support system below the upper box which supports a board core with a plastic film draped over it to project beyond its side and end edges. The upper clamp box and film are brought into engagement to close the heating chamber with the film which is then billowed upwardly in the heating chamber to prevent it from sagging while heat is applied to raise the film to molding temperature. A differential pressure is then applied to the film to mold it to the core.

Apparatus for forming synthetic-plastic-covered exterior building siding

A method and apparatus for forming a plastic film-protected external siding board in a molding press having an upper normally closed heating box open at its lower end, and a support system below the upper box which supports a board core with a plastic film disposed over it to project beyond its side and end edges. The upper box and film are brought into engagement to close the heating chamber with the film which is then billowed upwardly in the heating chamber to prevent it from sagging while heat is applied to raise the film to molding temperature. A differential pressure is then applied to the film to mold it to the core.

Method of forming synthetic plastic film-projected building siding

Thermoforming machines with a heating station and a downstream mold station have carrier clamp frames for gripping the edges of sheets of plastic at a load station and indexing them successively to a heating station and a mold station. The carrier frame members to which the plastic may be releasably clamped carry their own remotely operated clamps and are themselves expandable and contractible to a condition in which, prior to molding, they control the sag in the sheet formed during heating of the sheets to differential pressure forming temperature. The plastic sheet can be molded to only a portion of a product which functions as a mold member.

Thermoforming methods

A system for producing generally concavo-convex synthetic plastic containers and like articles, such as picnic plates wherein a mold station has a stationary intermediate mold with projecting male mold parts on one side and directly opposite recessed female mold cavities in alignment therewith on the other side. A first movable mold, on the side of the intermediate mold having the male mold parts is provided with recessed mating female mold cavities of the same dimensions as the said cavities in the intermediate mold and a second movable mold on the other side of the intermediate mold has aligned projecting male mold parts mating with the cavities in the intermediate mold. A pair of heated, moldable synthetic plastic webs are advanced in unison to opposite sides of the intermediate mold and are later removed in unison from the mold station. The heated sections of the webs are moved in unison to opposite sides of the intermediate mold when the said first and second movable molds are separated therefrom. Then the first and second movable molds are driven toward the intermediate mold to thermoform identical products in both of the webs. After this, the first and second movable molds are moved away from the intermediate mold and the webs are indexed to remove the products formed from the mold station. The webs are converged toward one another after leaving the mold station to nest the aligned articles formed in the respective webs in pairs and then pairs of the nested articles are punched from the webs in a single relative movement of a punch and severing die.

System for thermoforming articles such as picnic plates in a pair of

Improvements in differential pressure, thermoforming machinery for molding articles in thermoplastic material wherein a mold station incorporates female mold mechanism and opposed mold mechanism, a web advancing mechanism indexes a plastic web in which products are to be formed between said mold mechanisms, a drive moves the female and opposed mold mechanisms between open and closed positions on opposite sides of the plastic web, severing knife means is cooperable with a final increment of said relative movement to dispose said mechanism in closed position to sever the products formed from the web, and ejector mechanism is operable after severing is accomplished and there has been relative movement of said mold mechanisms toward open position to eject the product.

Thermoforming equipment for differential pressure forming products in

Thermoforming methods and apparatus

Stacks of generally dish-shaped, nested plastic articles are gripped and transferred from elevated, horizontally adjacent chutes comprising circumferentially disposed, axially extending supports, which are open at both ends to permit articles to be both fed thereto and removed axially therefrom, to a conveyor disposed at a lower level. A transfer arm, mounting stack gripping receivers, which pivot on the transfer arm, is swung in an arcuate path and the receivers are moved relative to the transfer arm, responsive to swinging movement of the transfer arm, such that the receivers travel from a first position, horizontally axially aligned with said chutes and axially intermeshed with the supports, in a path having a first axially linear increment, then a downward arc to rotate said stacks substantially 90.degree., and finally a vertically linear path to deposit the stacks on the conveyor. The receivers are radially contracted to peripherally grip stacks of articles in the chutes when the receivers are in the first position, and are radially expanded to peripherally release the stacks when the receivers have moved the stacks to the conveyor.

Apparatus and methods for transferring nested stacks of plastic articles

A differential pressure forming machine with upper and lower mold members for forming cup-like articles in a web of thermoplastic material includes a mold assembly in which two separable die members, when in their closed position cooperatively form an article defining mold cavity which extends through one member and into the other. The two die members, when opened, are spaced from each other by a distance greater than the depth of the formed article. An endless chain of carrier members is located with one run extending between the two die members. Each carrier member has an opening smaller than the circumference of the formed article. Closing of the die members expands the carrier member opening outwardly of the periphery of the die cavity and closing of the entire mold assembly in the forming operation effects a severing of the formed article from the web. Upon subsequent opening of the die, the carrier member opening contracts, gripping the formed article to convey it clear of the mold as the next carrier member in the chain is advanced with the web into operative relationship with the mold. At a collection station a discharge member operative with the plug assist of the forming machine removes the formed and separated article from the carrier member.

Differential pressure synthetic plastic forming machine and method with

A trim press is provided with a remotely controlled adjustment by means of which the end limit of the feeding stroke of the feeding mechanism may be precisely adjusted relative to the die of the trim press while the machine is in operation. Oscillating and reciprocating members of the prior art trim presses are replaced by continuously rotating members to enable a higher rate of operation.

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Harrison, MI, United States of America

Robert C Whiteside