Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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- Blow molded containers have been produced heretofore
with nestable spouts produced integral therewith, said spouts
bein~ removeable from a nested position to provide a dispensing
- means once a cover has been removed from an end of the spout.
With such a structure, it is particularly desirable to afford
some suitable means for withdrawing the spout from its nested
position. Numerous devices have been employed such as lifting
tabs, tapes, handles and the like. Examples of lifting tabs
are illustrated in the Chlystun U.S. Patents 3,690,522 and
3,856,187.
The present invention affords an improved arrangement
or producing tha blow molded container having an integral spout
and having means integral therewith for withdrawing the spout
from its nested position. The process of the present invention
is economical in operation and provides an improved spout with-
drawal means integral with the container that performs well in
remaining atop the container at a desirable altitude and is
quite suitable for removal of the spout when desired. Further
in certain embodiments, the withdrawal means opens the spout
~0 during or at termination of spout withdrawal.
The prior art is devoid of teaching or suggesting the
present process. Exemplary of the prior art are U.S. Patents
2,533,305 to Wells, 2,685,385 to Kuss, 2,895,654 to Rieke,
3,402,271 to Winstead, 3,298,577 to Chlystun, 3,326,421 to
Peace, 3,481,515 to Booth et al, 3,502,246 to Kelbch, and
3,690,522 to Chlystun.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved process for producing a blow molded container.
Another object of the present invention is to provlde
an improved process for the production of a blow molded con-
tainer having a pouring spout integral therewith and having a
wi~hdrawal means integral with said spout.
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Yet another object of the present invention is to
provide an improved process for a combined blow molding,
compression molding operation.
Still another object of the present invention is to
provide an improved process for simultaneously producing a
spout container and a spout withdrawal means which has a
memory of a twisted configuration.
Generally speaking, the process of the present inven-
tion comprises the steps of providing a tubular, formable
plastic material between open mold sections, bringing said
mold sections into registry and entrapping said plastic mate-
rial therebetween at opposite ends of cavities de-Eined in said
mold sections' simultaneously forcing a portion of said plastic
material outside said mold cavities into an offset angular posi-
tion with respect to a centerline through said mold cavities
into die cavities and compression forming a pull tab integral
with said parison within the confines of said mold cavities,
and thereafter injecting a blow fluid into the interior of
said parison, whereby said parison is inflated into conform-
ity with said mold cavities.
According to the invention, there is provided an im-
proved process for blow molding a container comprlsing the
steps of: a) providing a pliant plastic parison between mold
sections, said mold sections having blow mold cavities defined
therein, b) bringing said mold sections into registry and en-
trapping a portion of said plastic parison therebetween, a por-
tion of said plastic parison being held within sald cavities
in said mold sections that define an article to be produced
therein, c) simultaneously engaging another portion of said
- 30 parison outside said mold cavities adjacent an end thereof
with matching cornpression mold die portions of said mold sec-
tions which are angularly offset from a centerline through
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said blow mold cavities, and forcing said another portion of
said parison into said angularly offset die portions and
entrapping same therebetween, thereby compressi.on molding
an appendage to said end of said container with a central
opening defined therein, said appendage being positioned at
an angle with respect to a plane tangent to an upper portion
of said end of said container, and d) thereafter injecting
a blow fluid internally of said plastic parison whereby said
material is forced outwardly into conformity with said blow
mold cavities to produce the container thereinu
More speci-fically, in the production of a blow molded
container having a pouring spout integral therewith or havi.ng
: a top of a container with an integral pouring spout where the
:` top is to be applied to a container body, it is desirable to
; provide some attached means for assistance in removal of the
spout from a nested position within the container. With the
spout in a nested position within the container, such as
might be encountered prior to dispensing any of the contents
of the container, the means for withdrawal of the spout shoul.d
be secured in some fashion to the spout and positioned adjacent
the top of the container to avoid interference with the con-
tainer during stacking and handling. According to the teach-
ings of the present invention, a pull tab is compression mold-
ed integral with the pouring spout prior to blow molding of
the container. The pull tab is compression mol.ded at an angle
downward from a horizontal line across the top of the spout.
Thereafter, with the spout in a nested position within the
container, the pull tab engages the top of the container and
due to the memory of a downward position as molded, is biased
agai.nst the top of the container to remain in an appropriate
flat state thereat.
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In producing the compression molded, integral pull tab
according to the present invention, the blow molded cavities
that define an upper end of the pouring spout have offset com-
pression molding dies adjacent thereto, each of which has both
male and female segments. The compression molding dies are
angularly offset from a center line through the blow mold
cavities and a portion of the pliant plastic material or parison
is engaged at said angle from a center line through the con-
tainer, where~y a portion of the parison will be forced into the
offset, compression mold cavities. me lift tab is thus formed
with an angular memory with respect to a horizon~al li~e tanyent
to the top of the pouring spout and preferably has an opening
therein through which a finger or other item may be passed for
gripping the tab to lift same and to withdraw the pouring spout
from its nested positionO
In the drawings which illustrate the invention:
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a blow molded
, container according to the present invention having a compression
molded pull tab integral with a pouring spout thereon, and showing
showing a part of the flashing from the molding operation in tact
with the container.
Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the container
as shown in Figure 1 with the flashing removed, illustratîng
the angular configuration of the pull tab with respect to an
extended pouring spout.
Figure 3 is a top plan view of the container as shown in
Figures 1 and 2 with the flashing removed.
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a portion of the mold for
producing the container of the present invention demonstrating
the compression mold cavities in an open and nearly closed
position.
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Figure 6 illustrates a portion of the mold for producing
the container of the present invention in the closed position.
Making reference to the Fi~ures, preferred embodiments of
the present invention will be described in detail. The process
of the present invention is designed to produce a container that
may be con~eniently employed to hold petroleum products, chemi-
cals, and the like that are to be pour dispensed all at once or
over a period of time. Particular use of the container produced
- by the present invention is found in situations where it is
desirable to pour the contents of the container into a recep-
tacle that is not readily accessible such as a location on an
internal combustion engine for receiving oil therein. Many
uses of the container produced by the process of the present
invention, however, may be made in wide and varied environs~
In Figures 1, 2 and 3, a container generally indicated
as 10 is provided having a side wall 12 that is generally
cylindricalin shape. A top 14 is provided that is secured to
side wall 12 and preferably is of unitary construction there-
with. Secured to top wall 14 is a spout generally indicated
as 20 which is provided to permit dispensing of the contents
from within the container. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3,
spout 20 is in an extended position preparatory to dispensing
the contents of the container. As the container is filled, the
spout is presented in a nested position within the container
as illustrated in phantom in Figure lo
Spout 20 as shown in the drawings has a radius 21 at
the juncture with top 14 where an inward bend is produced
during collapse of the spout into the container. A plurality
of accordion pleats 22 are produced along the length of spout
20 with a tubular forward end secured thereto. At the tip of
the tubular forward end of spout 23 is a cover generally indi
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cated as 30. Cover 30 as will be illustrated further herein-
a~ter can be simply a cover member for the spout that ls re-
moved therefrom so as to permit the contents of the container to
pass through the spout during pouring. Additionally, however,
though not specifically illustrated herein, cover 30 can be a
cap that is removed from the spout 20 and thereafter may be
reapplied onto the upper end 23 of spout 20 in a resealing or
reclosing arrangement as exemplified in U.S. Patents 3,298,577,
3,690,522, 3,856,187 and 4,027,811, to Walter A. Chlystun.
la Cover 30 in its securement to spout 20 may simply be
an exte~sion thereof to seal the forward end of spout 20. In a
pre~erred arrangement, a weakened tear area 33 is provided ad-
jacent forward end 23 of spout 20 and a cap 31 that forms a
part of cover 30. First weakened tear area 33 preferably ex-
tends completely around forward end 23 of spout 20 to permit
- cap 31 to be more easily severed or pulled apart from spout 20.
; As further shown, the cover 30 includes a withdrawal means 34p
Withdrawal means 34 is secured to cover 30 and is lifted to
withdraw spout 20 in a convenient manner from its nested po-
~0 sition within container 10. Withdrawal means 34 is preferably
a tab that is integral with and extends outwardly from cap 31
over container top 1~ and has a finger opening 35 extending
therethrough. One may thus extend a finger through appropriate
: opening 35 of withdrawal means 34 and lift upwardly to with-
draw spout 20 from its nested position within container 10.
As will be described in more detail hereinafter, spout
. withdrawal means 34 is produced at an angle with respect to a
horizontal line A tangent to the top of cover 31. Hence, when
spout 20 is nested within container 10, withdrawal means 34
is in engagement with container top 14 where the memory of the
angle at which withdrawal means 34 was produced biases with-
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drawal means 34 against container top 14 for a snug fit.
The lower end of container 10 is provided with a bottom
- lid 16 where a suitable closure is produced between body side
wall 12 and lid 16. With the body of container 10, spout 20
and withdrawal means 34 produced as a unitary item, container
10 can then be filled on existing fill equipment and a metal
lid 16 secured in place during the fill operation. Such an
arrangement renders the container produced by the present
process more desirable since no new major process equipment is
ne~ded to incorporate container 10 into a consumer's process
line.
Container 10 of Fi~ure 1 is further illustrated to
- have a portion of flashing generally indicated as 50 secured
to top 14, one side of spout 20, and enveloping withdrawal
means 34. Flashing is waste material that results from the
molding process at both ends of the container and is automa-
tically or manually removed from the container at the time of
or subsequent to the molding o~eration. As can be seen in
Figure 1, -flashing 50 extends outwardly from its juncture lines
52 that connects same to the various portions of container 10.
At juncture lines 52, flashing 50 diminishes to a fine point to
permit a smooth severance along the outer peripheral lines of
the container thereat.
Flashing 50 adjacent withdrawal means 34 as viewed in
Figure 1 shows a bulbous area 54 beneath withdrawal means 34
and a depression 56 above withdrawal means 34. Areas 54 and
56 result from the compression molding of withdrawal means 34
as will be described in more detail hereinafter. Also note a
pocket of flashing 58 that is positioned within finger opening
` 30 35 of withdrawal means 34.
Making reference to Figures 4, 5 and ~, the process of
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the present invention will now be described in detail. In each
of Figures 4, 5 and 6, portions of mold sections are illustrated
as might be employed in a blow mold''process where a pliant plas-
tic material is produced, generally by extrusion, between
appropriate mold sections, the mold sections are then brought
into regist~y while simultaneously entrapping portions of the
pliant plastic material, referred to as parison, at the lower and
upper edges of the mold. ~hereafter, a blow fluid is admitted
to the interior of the parison by a blow needle, blow pin or the
like and the fluid expands the pliant parison into conformity
with the mold cavities. While the parison is held in conformity
with the mold, sufficient cooling is permitted such that once
the mold sections are separated, a product is provided having
an outer contour that mates with the mold cavities.
According to the present invention, the blow mold cavi-
ties are shaped such that a container of the type as shown in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 is generally produced. In further defini-
tion of the present process, as the mold sections come into
registry, a portion of the parison adjacent the section of the
mold that produces the spout is forced away from a center line
of the mold to a position adjacent the mold cavities that define
the spout cap or cover. As the mold sections continue to come
into registry, this moved portion of parison is entrapped by
mating male and female die members that form a part of the
mold, whereby a wit'hdrawal means for the spout is produced by
compression molding as a unitary part`of the container.
The blow mold process is believed sufficiently known
to those skilled in the art that a detailed description of same
i5 not necessary at this point. As such, only the portions of
the molds are illustrated that depict the compression molding
of the withdrawal means adjacent the section where the spout
and spout cover are blow molded into conformity with the blow
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mold cavities.
In Figures 4, 5 and 6 a portion of a parison P of a
pliant plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene
and the like is shown as having been preconditioned and extruded
from appropriate apparatus to be positioned between a pair of
opened mold sections 62 and 72. Once parison P is properly
positioned between the mold sections 62 and 72, appropriate
movement thereof is made to close the mold sections around the
parison P and entrap same, generally at upper and lower por-
1~ tions of the mold sections. As can be seen in the Figures,
a phantom presentation of mold cavities 63 and 73 are shown
illustrative of a portion of the container 10 at the upper
part of the spout 23 and the spout cap 31. As also shown in
the Figures, these blow mold cavities are located behind
appropriate compression molding sections 65 and 75, whereby
during closing of mold sections 62 and 7~, an appropriate
portion of the parison P would be forced away from the blow
mold cavity sections 63 and 73 towards compression molding
`~ sections 65 and 75.
As mentioned earlier, the spout withdrawal means 34
of container 10 are preferably produced at an angle with res-
pect to a line tangent to the top of the spout. Note for ex-
ample, in Figure 4 as the mold sections 62 and 72 come into
re~istry, the angular presentation of compression mold sec-
tions 6~ and 74 permits ready mating thereof with the portion
of parison P entrapped therebetween. Further in this regard,
note that each mold section has male and emale die segments.
Figure 5 shows mold sections 62 and 72 just prior to
complete registry with the parison material being entrapped
therebetween. Note further in Figure 5 an end of a blow needle
that has protruded rom an appropriate location in the hlow
mold cavity and pierced the parison P shown in phantom within
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the closed sections of the blow mold cavities. Parison P
within the blow mold cavities is illustrated in phantom and
has been cut off below the point where it would be engaged atop
the blow mold cavities for the sake of simplicity. Air or any
suitable expanding fluid can then be expelled into the inside
of the portion of parison P within the blow mo].d cavities while
parison P is still in a pliant condition such that parison
P is expanded into conformity with the blow mold cavities as
depicted in Figure 6.
During the registration of mold sections 62 and 72 as
the portion of parison P is being forced into the compression
mold cavities 65 and 75, the male and female portions thereof
mate to define tne lift tab 34 as is best illustrated in Figure
1. With particùlar reference to Figures 4 through 6, however,
it may be seen that as mold secti.ons 62 and 72 come into re-
gistry, compression mold sections 65 and 75 come together at
the prescribed angle and entrap the offset portion of parison
P therebetween. In Figure 5, compression mold sections 65
and 75 have almost come into registry and the parison therebet-
ween is beginning to be forced into the compression mold ca-
vities. Depressions 67 and 77 of sections 65 and 75, res-
~- pectively, cooperate during registry to form the ring 34' of
withdrawal means 34 while depressions 68 and 78 collect parison
and form the flashing area 58. Note that the compression
molds between depressions 67 and 68 and 77 and 78 each form
an apex 67' and 77'. At registry, apexes 67' and 77' are
directly across from each other and form flashing junction line
52 within ring 34' to facilitate later removal of flashing
area 58 from within ring 34 to define finger opening 35.
During registry of compression mold sections 65 and 75,
excess parison is present and must be removed to facilitate
formation of withdrawal means 34. Flashing clearance means
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69 and 79 have thus been provided contiguous to compression
mold sections 65 and 75, respectively. It is the flashing in
these clearance areas that form the bulbous flashing area 54
below the withdrawal means as shown in Figure 1 and the de-
pressed flashing area 56 above withdrawal means 3~.
The process of the present invention has been defined
with respect to a spout container having an integral lift
tab compression molded simultaneously with registration of
the mold sectlons~ It should be pointed out that while only
two mold sections are utilized for illustrative purposes, de-
pendin~ upon the particular item being molded, a plurality of
mold sections in excess of two could likewise be employed~
Moreover, obviously it is necessary in the proper techni~ues of
molding that the various compression or blow mold cavities as
the case may be, should need to be produced to afford proper
registration and proper draft for the item being produced
therein. The Figures provided in conjunction with the present
invention are for schematic, illustrative purposes only and
certainly these molds could be modified according to conven-
tional molding techniques to achieve a particular end result.
Once the mold sections have been brought into proper
registry and entrapped the parison at the proper peripheral
portions of the blow mold cavities, the lift tab will have
been compression molded. Thereafter, the conduit for the e~-
panding fluid is provided in communication with the interior
of the parison within the blow mold cavities and the expand-
ing fluid forced therein to expand the parison into proper
conformity with the blow mold cavities. ~hereafter, the mold
. sections reopen, move out of registry, exposing the molded
-. 30 product, which is then ejected from the mold, trimmed, if
`~ necessary to remove any flashing therefrom, and transported
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to any further processing that may be desired. Such additional
processing could involve the nesting of the spout within the
container, printing, or the like. rmereafter, the container
may be filled on conventional fill equipment and capped with
an appropriate lid.
Having described the present invention in detail, it is
obvious that one skilled in the art will be able to make varia-
tions and modifications thereto without departing from the
scope of the .invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present
invention should be deterrnined only by the claims appended
hereto.
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