The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 31, 1993
Filed:
Nov. 25, 1991
William C Young, Superior Township, Detroit County, MI (US);
Michael C Kitzmiller, Fort Loramie, OH (US);
Plastipak Packaging, Inc., Plymouth, MI (US);
Abstract
A plastic blow molding machine (40) having a wheel (44) rotatable on a base (42) about a horizontal axis (A) includes a plurality of mold stations (90) mounted on the wheel about the rotational axis and having a pair of mold supports (94) movable toward and away from each other in a parallel relationship to the rotational axis at closing and opening stations (114,116). Operating cams (120,124) of the closing and opening stations cooperate with operating cam followers (110) of the mold stations to provide closing and opening mold movement, and locking cam followers (122,126) of the closing and opening stations cooperate with locking cam followers (112) of the mold stations to lock and unlock a lock mechanism (102) that operates directly between the mold supports (94) of each mold station so that there is no loading of the frame (46) of the wheel during the machine operation. The operating cams (120,124) are preferably biased by associated operating gas springs (136,138), and the locking cams (122,126) are likewise preferably biased by locking gas springs (140,142). The wheel (44) includes a frame (46) having a pair of end frame portions (86) and a central frame portion (88). This central frame portion (88) has a pinion (166) mounted thereon and meshed with a pair of racks (170) respectively mounted on the pair of mold supports (94) to center the mold upon closing.