Axially movable cluster conduits for plastic processing in a screw machine

The invention comprises a plasticating machine for the working and forcing of plastic material into a mold, said machine including an elongated housing having a first or proximal end and a second or distal end, an elongated screw shaft with a screw flight therearound, the screw shaft being rotatably supported in the elongated housing, for the working of plastic between the screw shaft and the elongated housing with at least one delivery conduit generally longitudinally arranged through the screw shaft, from a proximal end to a distal tip end thereof. The conduit may be arranged to be movable with respect to the screw shaft to permit delivery of a medium through the screw shaft to any plastic being driven from the machine. The medium may be any single or combination of components selected from the group comprising vapor, liquid, gas, powder or solid, to control the machine or treat any plastic being driven therefrom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to plastic processing machines, and more 
particularly to moveable screw arrangements for extrusion and injection 
molding. 
2. Prior Art 
The present invention relates to an apparatus for molding products from a 
plastic material, this Application being a Continuation - In - Part 
Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/511,055, filed Aug. 3, 
1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,112, which is a Continuation - In - Part 
Application of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/393,200, filed Feb. 23, 1995, 
now abandoned, each of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
Injection molding and extrusion employs the steps of hot working a 
plasticized or melted thermoplastic material and forcing same under high 
pressure into a mold or mold space, then allowing the material to cool 
sufficiently so that it hardens to the extent that it can retain its shape 
after removal from the mold or as it emanates from the mold. 
During the plasticating process, it is often desirable to add a further 
processed material with the plastic material being worked within a screw 
housing. It is further desired to be able to add a solid, such as a 
pellet, wire, gas or a vapor, into the actual plastic material being 
molded or extruded. 
Limitations of present plasticating screw machinery prevent the 
simultaneous introduction of a gas and/or a liquid, and or a vapor, and/or 
a solid, into that thermoplastic material as it is going into a mold or 
die. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention, to provide a 
plasticating screw machine having capabilities not found in the prior art. 
It is a further object of the present invention, to provide a screw machine 
which is able to present a solid and/or a liquid, and/or a vapor, and/or a 
gas, simultaneously or sequentially into a plastic being molded and/or 
extruded. 
It is yet a further object of the present invention, to provide an 
arrangement which permits the rapid cooling and completion of a plastic 
part in a manner not found in the prior art. 
It is yet still a further object of the present invention, to provide an 
extrusion and/or injection molding screw with multiple capabilities to mix 
and/or extrude and/or mold multiple components therewith in a manner not 
found in the prior art. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a plasticating screw machine for treating 
thermoplastic material and pressurizably directing that thermoplastic 
material into an extrusion die or into an injection mold. 
The plasticating screw machine of the present invention comprises an 
external barrel shaped housing having an elongated screw shaft rotatively 
supported therewithin. The housing and the screw shaft have a proximal or 
first end and a distal or a second end. The screw shaft is rotatively 
empowered at the proximal first end of the housing by a motor drive means 
thereattached. At least one material in-feed supply hopper may be arranged 
through the housing near the proximal end thereof. 
The screw shaft has a bore extending completely therethrough along its 
longitudinal axis, from its proximalmost end to its distalmost end. The 
bore has a wall surface which may be rifled, that is, has a spiral groove 
cut within its surface, to define a material moving path. 
A non-rotational sleeve support may be arranged within the bore of the 
screw shaft, extending preferably from the proximal end of the housing, to 
the distal end of the shaft. A plurality of conduits may arranged within 
the sleeve support within the bore of the screw shaft. The conduits 
preferably extend out from the proximal end of the sleeve support, the 
conduits being in communication with any medium(s) such as a gas source, a 
vapor source, a liquid source, a or powder or solid source for feeding 
wire, pellets, powder, cooling fluid or the like into those conduits. The 
conduits have a distalmost end within the distal end of the screw shaft. 
The conduits may be held within a support baffle at the distal end of the 
sleeve. The sleeve support may be held in a bearing arranged within the 
walls of the bore of the screw shaft adjacent its distal end, for 
supportive carrying therein. 
Each of the conduits may be moved longitudinally with respect to the screw 
shaft and or the sleeve support within the bore to advance its respective 
discharge end into any thermoplastic material as it emanates from the 
distal end of the housing. One or more of the conduits may be 
longitudinally advanceable through a die at the end of the housing, or 
into a injection mold at the distal end of the housing. The sleeve support 
may comprise a tubular member which encircles the conduit(s). 
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the entire 
sleeve support arrangement within the bore of the screw shaft may be 
longitudinally advanceable through the distal end of the housing, so as to 
present the delivery of any combination of medium(s) such as fluids, gas, 
vapors, and or solids such as wires, reinforcement fibers, optical glass 
and/or plastic at any location in or downstream of the plasticating screw 
and/or within the plastic being processed during the plasticating 
operation. Such medium(s) may permit the cooling, reinforcement, 
electrifying, lighting, softening, hardening, gasifying, hollowing or 
densification of any plastic being extruded or injected from the 
plasticating screw machine. 
A further preferred embodiment contemplates a transfer of melted or fluid 
material along the annular path between the non rotatable sleeve support 
and the rifled wall of the bore within the screw shaft, to provide yet a 
further annular mixing chamber to the plasticating chamber between the 
flights of the elongated screw and the inner walls of the housing 
enclosing and supporting the elongated screw shaft. 
A yet further preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates 
the sleeve being rotatively disposed within the bore of the elongated 
screw shaft, either in a rotating or counter-rotating manner depending 
upon the direction of rotation of the elongated screw shaft itself. Such a 
rotating sleeve, would have a drive mechanism at its proximal end, in 
conjunction with a longitudinal displacement mechanism for advancing and 
retracting the sleeve longitudinally within the bore of the screw shaft, 
in a manner to permit any conduit therewithin to deliver and/or withdraw 
any single or combination of medium completely through the elongated screw 
shaft and or plastic being extruded and/or ejected from said screw and 
into a mold at the distal end of the plasticating screw machine. 
In still yet a further embodiment of the present invention, when the screw 
shaft and associated internal conduits therethrough, are used in an 
injection molding operation, a mold may be utilized having an "inarticle" 
pin therewithin. The inarticle pin may be utilized to further supply 
and/or evacuate gas or liquids and/or powder from the injection mold. The 
inarticle pin may be retractably arranged within the mold, by a piston 
mechanism, which will move the pin from the mold itself. A fluid supply 
and vacuum line is in communication with the hollow inarticle pin and is 
in communication with a supply and discharge source, to permit such 
injection mold with a supply and vacuum means thereat. 
Thus there has been shown, a unique screw construction or an injection 
molding machine or a plastic extrusion machine, wherein that same screw 
has a plurality of function transfer means included therewith. The 
separate conduits may be utilized individually or in combination, to 
continuously or sequentially add or withdraw a medium such as a vapor, a 
gas, a liquid, a foam, or a solid, into a plasticated material going into 
of through a die of a mold. The multiple conduits may be utilized to duct 
rearwardly excess gas, or vapor, or foam or liquid, or cooling material 
from the bore of the elongated screw shaft and/or support sleeve and/or 
tubular member therethrough, or mold, in conjunction with an inarticle pin 
arrangement or by themselves. If the screw shaft were to be used in the 
plastic injection format, the screw itself could be longitudinally 
advanceable and retractable towards a mold form. 
The invention thus comprises a plasticating machine for the working and 
forcing of plastic material into a mold, said machine including an 
elongated housing having a first or proximal end and a second or proximal 
end, an elongated screw shaft with a screw flight therearound, the screw 
shaft being rotatably supported in the elongated housing, for the working 
of plastic between the screw shaft and the elongated housing, at least one 
delivery conduit generally longitudinally arranged through the screw 
shaft, from a proximal end to a distal tip end thereof, the screw shaft 
arranged to be movable with respect to the screw shaft to permit delivery 
of a medium through the screw shaft to any plastic being driven from the 
machine. The medium may be any single or combination of components 
selected from the group comprising vapor, liquid, gas, powder or solid. 
The delivery conduit is movable longitudinally with respect to the 
elongated screw shaft. The delivery conduit is supported within a conduit 
support within a bore through the elongated screw shaft. The delivery 
conduit has a supply duct arranged on its proximal end, to supply said 
medium to the conduit for distribution of the medium into any plastic 
being delivered to a mold adjacent the distal end of the screw shaft. The 
conduit support may enclose a plurality of conduits therein, for the 
supply of a plurality of mediums to any plastic being delivered to a mold 
adjacent said distal end of the screw shaft. Each of the conduits in the 
plurality of conduits may be arranged parallel to one another. Each of the 
conduits in the plurality of conduits may be arranged coaxial with one 
another. At least one of the conduits may be arranged to carry a vacuum, 
to return a medium from the distal end of the screw shaft to the proximal 
end thereof. The conduit support may comprise an elongated sleeve. The 
elongated sleeve may be movable with respect to the elongated screw shaft. 
The elongated screw shaft may include a central bore therethrough from a 
proximal end to a distal tip end thereof, which central bore may have a 
grooved rifling therethrough, to assist in the movement of any medium 
passing through the bore itself. At least on of the conduits may be 
arranged to carry a cooling fluid therethrough, so as to provide a 
temperature control to any medium traveling thereadjacent. The elongated 
screw shaft may be movable longitudinally with respect to the elongated 
housing in which it is supported, to allow injection of plastic material 
from the housing into a mold thereadjacent. The mold may comprise a hollow 
injection mold. The conduits may be longitudinally advanceable and 
retractable with respect to the mold, to permit a medium to be delivered 
and/or withdrawn from any plastic supplied to the mold. 
The invention also comprises a method of supplying a plastic to a mold for 
the manufacture of a plastic part therefrom, including the steps of 
providing an elongated rotatable screw shaft within an elongated barrel 
housing, the housing having a mold adjacent a distal end thereof, 
arranging a longitudinally directed bore through the elongated screw shaft 
from a proximal end to a distal end thereof, fitting at least one delivery 
conduit through the bore, so as to permit a medium to be directed through 
the screw shaft to any plastic being delivered to the mold adjacent the 
distal end of the housing, and attaching a medium supply duct at the 
proximal end of the proximal end of the conduit to permit a medium to be 
delivered through the conduit through the screw shaft and to a plastic 
part being generated at the distal end of the housing. The method may 
include the step of moving the delivery conduit longitudinally with 
respect to the screw shaft, to permit controlled delivery of the 
longitudinal location of any medium with respect to the screw shaft and 
the mold thereadjacent. The method may include the step of arranging a 
plurality of conduits within the bore of the elongated screw shaft, to 
permit the delivery of a plurality of mediums therethrough, to allow any 
plastic driven from the housing to be mixed with and/or treated by the 
mediums. The method may include the step of supplying any medium to the 
proximal end of the conduits, selected from the group comprising: a vapor, 
a cooling gas, a heated gas, a liquid, an optical fiber, a reinforcing 
fiber, an electrical conductor, and electrical resistor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, 
there is shown the present invention which relates to a plasticating screw 
machine 10 for treating of thermoplastic material and pressurizably 
directing that thermoplastic material into an extrusion die or into an 
injection mold 12 thereadjacent. 
The plasticating screw machine 10 of the present invention comprises an 
external barrel shaped housing 14 having an elongated screw shaft 16 
rotatively supported therewithin. The housing 14 and the screw shaft 16 
have a proximal or first end 18 and a distal or a second end 20. The screw 
shaft 16 is rotatively empowered at the proximal first end 18 of the 
housing, 14 by a motor drive means 22 thereattached. At least one material 
in-feed supply hopper 24 may be arranged through the housing 14 near the 
proximal end 18 thereof. 
The screw shaft 16 has a bore 26 extending completely therethrough along 
its longitudinal axis, from its proximalmost end to its distalmost end. 
The bore 26 has a wall surface 28 which may be rifled, that is, has a 
spiral groove 30 cut within its surface, to define a further material 
moving path. 
A non-rotational sleeve support 32 may be arranged within the bore 26 of 
the screw shaft 16, extending preferably from the proximal end 18 of the 
housing 14, to the distal end 20 of the screw shaft 16. A plurality of 
conduits 34 may arranged within the sleeve support 32 within the bore 26 
of the screw shaft 16. The conduits 34 preferably extend outwardly from 
the proximal end of the sleeve support 32, the conduits 34 being in 
communication with any medium(s) such as a gas source, a vapor source, a 
liquid source, a powder or solid source (for feeding wire, pellets, 
powder, an optical cable, an electrical conductor, an electrical 
resistance device or the like), cooling or heating fluid or the like into 
those conduits 34. The conduits 34 have a distalmost end 40 within the 
distal end 20 of the screw shaft 16. The conduits 34 may be held within a 
support baffle 42 at the distal end of the sleeve support 32. The sleeve 
support 32 may be held in a bearing 44 arranged within the walls 28 of the 
bore 26 of the screw shaft 16 adjacent its distal end, for supportive 
carrying therein. 
Each of the conduits 34 may also be moved longitudinally with respect to 
the screw shaft 16 by a displacement gear 46 or the like, and or moving 
the entire sleeve support 32 within the bore 26 to advance its respective 
discharge end 39 into any thermoplastic material as it emanates from the 
distal end 20 of the housing 14. One or more of the conduits 34 may be 
longitudinally advanceable through a die 48 at the downstream end of the 
housing 14, or into an injection mold 50 at the distal end of the housing 
14, the molds 48 and 50 (shown together for exemplary purposed). The 
sleeve support 32 may comprise a tubular member which completely 
longitudinally encircles the conduit(s). 
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the entire 
sleeve support 32 within the bore 26 of the screw shaft 16 may be 
longitudinally advanceable through the distal end 20 of the housing 14, so 
as to present the delivery of any combination of medium(s) such as fluids, 
gas, vapors, and or solids such as wires, reinforcement fibers (fiber 
glass), optical glass and/or plastic from a source 52 at the proximal end 
of the machine 10, so as to provide medium(s) at any location in or 
downstream of the plasticating screw 16 and/or within the plastic being 
processed during the plasticating operation. Such medium(s) may permit the 
cooling, reinforcement, electrifying, lighting, softening, hardening, 
gasifying, hollowing or densification of any plastic being extruded or 
injected from the plasticating screw machine 10. 
A further preferred embodiment contemplates a transfer of melted or fluid 
material from a source 54, along the annular path 56 between the 
non-rotatable sleeve support 32 and the rifled wall 28 of the bore 26 
within the screw shaft 16, to provide yet a further annular mixing, 
chamber in addition to the plasticating chamber 58 between the flights of 
the elongated screw shaft 16 and the inner walls of the housing 14 
enclosing and supporting the elongated screw shaft 16. 
A yet further preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates 
the support sleeve 32 being rotatively disposed within the bore 26 of the 
elongated screw shaft 16, either in a rotating or counter-rotating manner 
depending upon the direction of rotation of the elongated screw shaft 16 
itself. Such a rotating sleeve 32, would have a drive mechanism (not shown 
for simplicity of figures), at its proximal end, in conjunction with a 
longitudinal displacement mechanism (also not shown for simplicity of 
figures) for advancing and retracting the sleeve 32 longitudinally within 
the bore 26 of the screw shaft 16, in a manner to permit any conduit 34 
therewithin to deliver and/or withdraw any single or combination of medium 
completely through the elongated screw shaft 16, and or plastic being 
extruded and/or ejected from said screw shaft 16 and into a mold 12 at the 
distal end of the plasticating screw machine 10. 
In still yet a further embodiment of the present invention, when the screw 
shaft 16 and associated internal conduits 34 therethrough, are used in an 
injection molding operation, the injection mold 50 may be utilized having 
an "inarticle" pin 60 therewithin. The inarticle pin 60 may be utilized to 
further supply and/or evacuate gas or liquids and/or powder from the 
injection mold 50. The inarticle pin 60 may be retractably arranged within 
the mold 50, by a piston or like mechanism 62, which will move the pin 60 
into and from the mold 50 itself. The pin 60 may have a jeweled orifice 64 
at its inner end to minimize wear and hence prolong the life of such a pin 
60. A fluid supply and vacuum line 66 is in communication with the hollow 
inarticle pin 60 and is in communication with the supply and discharge 
source 66, to permit such injection mold 50 with a supply and vacuum means 
thereat. 
Thus there has been shown, a unique screw construction or an injection 
molding machine or a plastic extrusion machine, wherein that same screw 
has a plurality of function transfer means included therewith. The 
separate conduits may be utilized individually or in combination, to 
continuously or sequentially add or withdraw a medium such as a vapor, a 
gas, a liquid, a foam, or a solid, into a plasticated material going into 
or through a die or a mold. The multiple conduits may be utilized to duct 
rearwardly excess gas, or vapor, or foam or liquid, or cooling material 
from the bore of the elongated screw shaft and/or support sleeve and/or 
tubular member therethrough, or mold, in conjunction with an inarticle pin 
arrangement or by themselves, which may all be regulated by a control 
circuit 69 communicating with the conduit and sleeve moving apparatus, the 
medium sources and the pin for regulating quantity, temperature, pressure 
and distance. If the screw shaft were to be used in the plastic injection 
format, the screw itself could be longitudinally advanceable and 
retractable towards a mold form.