Blow moulding machine comprises six mould carriers
Blow moulding machine comprises six mould carriers
A blow moulding machine (supplied by blow moulding machinery)comprises six mould carriers mounted at 60° intervals about a horizontal main axis of the machine on a turret which can be indexed about the main axis so as to bring each of the carriers in turn to loading/unloading, heating, and cooling stations of the blow mold machine. The machine comprises first and second driving wheels mounted for rotation about the main axis, and each mould carrier comprises first and second driven wheels rotatable to rotate a mould mounted on the carrier about first and second blow axes.
One known method of forming hollow articles is to rotate a mould simultaneously about two blow axes which extend transversely of one another whole moulding material within the mould is in a fluid condition, so that the moulding material is spread entirely over the inside of the mould; on solidification of the moulding material a hollow article is thus provided. The moulding material may be a plastics material, and may be a thermoplastics material rendered fluid by heat. The two blow axes may extend perpendicularly to one another, and either or both of the rotary motions of the mould may be an oscillatory rotary motion.
There have been suggested many different constructions of blow moulding machine, but it is well known to employ a machine construction in which a plurality of mould carriers are mounted at regular angular intervals about a main axis of the machine, the mould carriers being mounted on a rotatable turret which can be indexed step-by-step about the main axis to bring each of the mould carriers in turn to a work station of the machine; for moulding thermoplastics materials the work stations of the machine will generally include a loading/unloading station at which a moulded article can be removed from a mould and a fresh charge of moulding material placed in the mould, at least one heating station at which a mould can be heated to maintain moulding material in the mould in a fluid condition while the material is spread over the inside of the mould.
In a machine comprising a plurality of mould carriers mounted on a turret, drive means must be provided for rotation of the moulds on mould carriers which are stationed at some of the work stations of the machine, but provision made for a mould to be stationary, to permit handling of the mould by an operator, when its mould carrier is at a loading/unloading station of the machine. In the blow moulding machines disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,115,680 and 2,223,117, this is readily provided for by having separate drive units at each of the work stations where rotation of the mould is required, engagement and disengagement of the drive means being effected simply by movement of the mould carrier to and from the work station.
A blow moulding machine (supplied by blow moulding machinery)comprises six mould carriers mounted at 60° intervals about a horizontal main axis of the machine on a turret which can be indexed about the main axis so as to bring each of the carriers in turn to loading/unloading, heating, and cooling stations of the blow mold machine. The machine comprises first and second driving wheels mounted for rotation about the main axis, and each mould carrier comprises first and second driven wheels rotatable to rotate a mould mounted on the carrier about first and second blow axes.
One known method of forming hollow articles is to rotate a mould simultaneously about two blow axes which extend transversely of one another whole moulding material within the mould is in a fluid condition, so that the moulding material is spread entirely over the inside of the mould; on solidification of the moulding material a hollow article is thus provided. The moulding material may be a plastics material, and may be a thermoplastics material rendered fluid by heat. The two blow axes may extend perpendicularly to one another, and either or both of the rotary motions of the mould may be an oscillatory rotary motion.
There have been suggested many different constructions of blow moulding machine, but it is well known to employ a machine construction in which a plurality of mould carriers are mounted at regular angular intervals about a main axis of the machine, the mould carriers being mounted on a rotatable turret which can be indexed step-by-step about the main axis to bring each of the mould carriers in turn to a work station of the machine; for moulding thermoplastics materials the work stations of the machine will generally include a loading/unloading station at which a moulded article can be removed from a mould and a fresh charge of moulding material placed in the mould, at least one heating station at which a mould can be heated to maintain moulding material in the mould in a fluid condition while the material is spread over the inside of the mould.
In a machine comprising a plurality of mould carriers mounted on a turret, drive means must be provided for rotation of the moulds on mould carriers which are stationed at some of the work stations of the machine, but provision made for a mould to be stationary, to permit handling of the mould by an operator, when its mould carrier is at a loading/unloading station of the machine. In the blow moulding machines disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,115,680 and 2,223,117, this is readily provided for by having separate drive units at each of the work stations where rotation of the mould is required, engagement and disengagement of the drive means being effected simply by movement of the mould carrier to and from the work station.