GB1288495A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1288495 Sheet forming; cutting apparatus INTERCAN SA 13 March 1970 [13 March 1969] 12165/70 Headings B4B and B5A [Also in Divisions B6 and B8] In a method for producing containers having externally reinforced walls, a strip of reinforcing material is forced into a loop, the loop inserted into a female mould, and a heat softened sheet drawn into the mould into contact with the loop. In the illustrated embodiment, a sheet 3, drawn from a roll, is passed under a heater 4 to a moulding station 5 at which it is plunger assisted blow formed into a series of female moulds 6, which can be cylindrical as shown, or which can be frusto-conical (see Fig. 10, not shown). The moulds are carried by a vertically reciprocable carrier 18 and are pivoted at the lowest position of the carrier, by means of a jack 19, into a horizontal attitude in which they receive looped reinforcing strips from device 10. The device 10 comprises a series of cavities 16, one for each mould cavity, each cavity being provided at its lower side with a slot 15, through which the leading ends of a reinforcing strip 11 is fed by rollers 13-14. The strip curls around the inner surface of the cavity to form a loop, the loop being severed from the rest of the strip by a reciprocating blade located at the slot, and introduced into the mould by a reciprocable member 12. After the loop is introduced into the mould it is retained there by vacuum and the moulds are re-oriented to a vertical position and raised to the moulding station at which the sheet is drawn into the moulds. The reinforcing strips 11 are formed from a single sheet 20 by a cutting mechanism 22, the individual strips being directed to the device 10 over upper rollers 24 and lower rollers not shown. The cutting mechanism for sub-dividing the sheet 20 into strips 11 preferably consists of a lower roller 47 having grooves the vertical faces 48 of which co-operate with the vertical faces 49 of corresponding ridges formed on an upper roller 50. Where the moulds are not cylindrical it is necessary for each loop to be formed from a curved strip and this is done by a reciprocating cutting die having suitably shaped blades. Possible patterns of cuts are given in Figs. 9, 11 and 12 (not shown).