Apparatus for fabricating a wide-mouth plastic container from a stretch blow-molded intermediate article

An apparatus is provided for fabricating a wide-mouth plastic container, having an annular flange extending radially outwardly at the wide-mouth, from a stretch blow-molded intermediate article, having a dome-like accommodation portion extending radially-outwardly at a flange area and upwardly and inwardly from the wide-mouth of a generally cylindrical body portion. The apparatus provides for a two stage cutting and trimming operation which produces a precision concentric uniform flange around the wide-mouth of the fabricated container and provides for alternately and simultaneously performing the fabricating operations to provide a desired speed of operation of the apparatus.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for fabricating a 
wide-mouth plastic container, having an annular flange extending radially 
outwardly at the wide-mouth, from a stretch blow-molded intermediate 
article, having a dome-like accommodation portion extending 
radially-outwardly at a flange area and upwardly and inwardly from the 
wide-mouth of a generally cylindrical body portion. The apparatus and 
method are characterized by a two stage cutting and trimming operation 
which produces a precision concentric uniform flange around the wide-mouth 
of the fabricated container and, preferably, with a desired high speed 
operation provided by alternate and simultaneous fabricating operations. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
As fully explained in co-pending application Ser. No. 129,706, filed Dec. 
7, 1987, and assigned to the assignee of the present application, stretch 
blow-molding of plastic injection-molded preforms, particularly 
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is highly desirable when manufacturing 
plastic containers for packaging contents under pressure, such as tennis 
balls, food and beverage products, etc. It has also been determined, in 
the manufacture of such plastic containers with a wide-mouth having a 
radially-extending flange at the wide-mouth for receiving end closures 
including metal end closures by double seaming operations, that it is 
desirable to first stretch blow-mold an intermediate article having a 
dome-like accommodation portion extending radially-outwardly at a flange 
area and upwardly and inwardly from the wide-mouth of a generally 
cylindrical body portion. A full explanation of the reasons and advantages 
for first forming an intermediate article with the dome-like accommodation 
portion for ultimately fabricating into wide-mouth containers with annular 
flanges is fully explained in the above mentioned co-pending application 
of the assignee of the present application. 
Heretofore, the accommodation portion has been annularly cut and removed 
from the intermediate article to form the resulting wide-mouth container 
with an annular flange by a variety of operations including a single stage 
mechanical cutting operation, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 
4,496,064 and 3,783,724, a single stage laser cutting operation, as 
disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,539,463 and 4,549,066, etc. 
However, all of these prior operations for removing the accommodation 
portion from an intermediate stretch blow-molded article to fabricate a 
wide mouth plastic container having an annular flange at the wide-mouth 
for receiving an end closure have suffered from one or more drawbacks 
including particularly the failure to produce a concentric uniform cut 
flange around the wide-mouth, often because the stretch blow-molded 
intermediate article and dome-like accommodation portion are not truly 
round as they come from the stretch blow-molding operation which results 
after the cutting operation in a flange around the wide-mouth of the 
container which does not properly receive an end closure, such as a metal 
end closure by double seaming operations. Also, many of these operations 
have not enjoyed a desired high speed of fabrication for assembly line 
production of the wide-mouth containers. 
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to overcome the above 
problems with prior apparatus and methods for fabricating a wide-mouth 
plastic container, having an annular flange extending radially outwardly 
at the wide-mouth, from a stretch blow-molded intermediate article, having 
a dome-like accommodation portion extending radially-outwardly at a flange 
area and upwardly and inwardly from the wide-mouth of a generally 
cylindrical body portion, and which provides an apparatus and method for 
such fabrication which produces a precision concentric uniform flange 
around the wide-mouth of the container and, preferably, a desired high 
speed operation. 
It has been found by this invention that the above object may be 
accomplished by providing an apparatus and method including generally the 
following. 
A first device is provided for receiving the intermediate article and for 
annularly cutting the accommodation portion through the flange area to 
remove the remainder of the accommodation portion and to leave an annular 
flange around the wide-mouth of the resulting container. A second device 
is provided for receiving the resulting container, for rounding and 
centering the wide-mouth of the container and for trimming the cut flange 
to a precision concentric uniform flange. 
Preferrably, the first device includes a hollow inverted stationary 
circular rule die cutting means for receiving the intermediate article 
therein with the flange area of the accommodation portion resting on the 
rule die cutting means. There is further included a pressure plate means 
having an internal bore and mounted for reciprocating movement toward the 
rule die cutting means for receiving the dome-like accommodation portion 
within the internal bore to generally center the intermediate article in 
the rule die cutting means and for compressing at least two wall 
thicknesses including the flange area of the accommodation portion against 
the rule die cutting means during movement of the pressure plate means for 
cutting the accommodation portion through the flange area by the rule die 
cutting means and utilizing the other compressed wall thickness as an 
anvil means. Preferrably, there is further included stop means mounted for 
cooperating with the rule die cutting means and the pressure plate means 
for stopping movement of the pressure plate means toward the rule die 
cutting means at a position to ensure cutting of substantially only the 
wall thickness of the flange area by the rule die cutting means during 
compression of the accommodation portion. 
The second device includes a stationary hollow female circular die cutting 
means for receiving therewithin the wide-mouth container with the cut 
flange resting on the female die cutting means. A matched circular male 
die cutting means is mounted for reciprocating axial movement toward and 
into the female die cutting means for cooperating therewith to trim the 
cut flange of the wide-mouth container. A generally cylindrical pilot 
means is provided which has an outside diameter only slightly smaller than 
the inside diameter of the wide-mouth container and mounted for axial 
movement with said male die cutting means to enter the container through 
the wide-mouth for rounding and centering the wide-mouth of the container 
during trimming by the male and female die cutting means to form the 
precision concentric uniform flange. 
In order to provide for the desired speed in this fabricating operation, 
the apparatus preferrably includes provisions for alternately and 
simultaneously performing the above described fabricating operations. In 
that regard, the apparatus may include a conveyor for receiving and 
feeding a plurality of the intermediate articles forwardly in a generally 
linear horizontal path of travel into the apparatus and which includes 
means for releasing the intermediate article for generally downward 
vertical movement. A first carriage mechanism is positioned under the 
first conveyor and is mounted for reciprocating generally horizontal 
movement between two positions for receiving the intermediate articles in 
each of the two positions from the first conveyor and alternately 
reciprocating the articles outwardly in opposite directions to two 
respective cutting positions. At least two of the first cutting devices, 
described above, are positioned to alternately cooperate with the first 
carriage mechanism when the first carriage mechanism has received the 
intermediate articles and moved the articles to the respective cutting 
positions for annularly cutting the accommodation portion of the 
intermediate articles, as described above. A second carriage mechanism is 
positioned under the first carriage mechanism and is mounted for 
reciprocating generally horizontal movement between two positions for 
alternately receiving the cut containers from the first carriage mechanism 
in each of the two positions and reciprocating the cut containers 
outwardly in opposite directions to respective trimming positions. At 
least two of the above described second trimming devices are positioned to 
alternately cooperate with the second carriage mechanism when the second 
carriage mechanism has received the cut containers and moved the 
containers to the respective trimming positions for rounding and centering 
the wide-mouth of the container and for trimming the cut flange to a 
precision concentric uniform flange, as discussed above. A second conveyor 
or other suitable mechanism may be provided for removing the fabricated 
containers from the apparatus. 
Preferrably, the first carriage means receives a plurality of the 
intermediate articles in each of the two positions, there are a plurality 
of the first cutting devices corresponding to the number of intermediate 
articles, received by the first carriage mechanisms for alternately 
cooperating with the first carriage mechanism in each of the respective 
cutting positions, the second carriage mechanism receives in each of its 
respective positions the plurality of cut containers from each of the 
cutting positions of the second carriage mechanism, and there are a 
plurality of the second trimming devices corresponding to the number of 
cut containers received by the second carriage mechanism in each of its 
respective trimming positions for cooperating with the second carriage 
mechanism in each of its respective trimming positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings, there is disclosed in FIGS. 3-11 an 
apparatus, generally indicated at 10, for fabricating a wide-mouth plastic 
container C (FIG. 2), having an annular flange F extending radially 
outwardly at the wide-mouth, from a stretch blow-molded intermediate 
article A (FIGS. 1 and 6), having a dome-like accommodation portion P 
extending radially-outwardly at a flange F area and upwardly and inwardly 
from the wide-mouth of a generally cylindrical body portion B. The bottom 
of the wide-mouth container C and the intermediate article A are closed 
during the stretch blow-molding into any suitable base construction 
including the "champagne" type base illustrated in the drawings. Full 
details of the construction of the wide-mouth container C and the 
intermediate article A are contained in assignee's above identified 
co-pending application incorporated herein by reference. 
The apparatus 10 receives the intermediate articles A from a stretch 
blow-molding machine (schematically indicated in FIG. 3) by way of a 
conveyor mechanism 12 which receives and feeds a plurality of the 
intermediate articles forwardly in a generally linear horizontal path of 
travel into the apparatus 10. This conveyor mechanism 12 (FIGS. 4 and 5) 
may include a driven screw mechanism 13 positioned on one side of the 
intermediate articles A and a rail 14 positioned on the other side of the 
intermediate articles A, so that the accommodation portion P is received 
by the screw mechanism 13 and rail 12 and the articles A are moved 
forwardly as the screw mechanism 13 rotates. The conveyor 12 further 
includes a device for releasing the intermediate articles A for generally 
downward vertical movement in the apparatus 10 which may be in the form of 
a piston and cylinder mechanism 15 connected to the rail 14 for being 
actuated to move the rail away from the intermediate articles A and allow 
the intermediate articles A to move downwardly under the force of gravity 
into the apparatus 10 through a chute 16. 
The intermediate articles A are then received in a first stage cutting 
operation wherein the intermediate articles A are annularly cut through 
the flange F area of the accommodation portion P to remove the remainder 
of the accommodation portion P and to leave an annular flange F around the 
wide-mouth of the resulting container C. 
This first stage cutting operation includes a carriage device 20 in the 
form of a plate-like member having intermediate article receiving 
apertures 21 therein and suitably mounted on rails 22 for reciprocating 
generally horizontal movement by piston and cylinder mechanism 23 
connected to carriage device 20 between two positions, i.e. the position 
illustrated in FIG. 5 and a position to the left as viewed in FIG. 5 and 
indicated by the arrow therein. The carriage device 20 receives 
intermediate articles A from the conveyor mechanism 12 within respective 
apertures 21 in each of the two positions and alternately reciprocates the 
intermediate articles A outwardly in opposite directions to two respective 
cutting positions. 
For example (as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5), four intermediate articles A 
would be received in the carriage device 20 in its position illustrated in 
FIG. 5 through the chute 16. The carriage device 20 would then be 
reciprocated to the left, as viewed in FIG. 5, by the piston and cylinder 
mechanism 23 and the intermediate articles A previously in the receiving 
position would then be placed in a cutting position outwardly to the left 
of the loading position under the chute 16 and the apertures 21 in the 
carriage device 20 which were previously in the cutting position would 
then be empty after the cut intermediate articles A are released 
therefrom, as described below, and would then be positioned in the loading 
position under the chute 16. This reciprocation of the carriage device 20 
continues so that intermediate articles A may be received and loaded 
therein while other intermediate articles A already received are being 
cut. 
Cutting mechanisms, generally indicated at 24, are provided for alternately 
cooperating with the carriage device 20 when the carriage device has 
received the intermediate articles A and moved the intermediate articles A 
to the respective cutting positions. As may be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, four 
cutting mechanisms 24 are provided for cutting operations in each of the 
cutting positions of the carriage device 20 so that four intermediate 
articles A may be cut while the other four intermediate articles A are 
being loaded into the carriage device 20. 
Each of the cutting mechanism 24 comprise a hollow inverted stationary 
circular rule die cutting device 25 (FIGS. 6-8) suitably mounted by 
supports 26 on the carriage device 20 around the apertures 21 for movement 
therewith and for receiving the intermediate articles A therein with the 
flange F area of the accommodation portion P resting on the rule die 
cutting device 25. There is provided a compressible rubber or other 
suitable cushioning strip 27 extending around and outside of the portion 
of the rule die cutting device 25 for additional support of the 
accommodation portion P of the intermediate article A. 
Each cutting mechanism 24 further includes a pressure plate device 28 
respectfully positioned above the carriage device 20 in each of the 
cutting positions thereof (FIGS. 4 and 5) and has an internal bore 29. 
These pressure plate devices 28 on each side of the chute 16 are commonly 
mounted on a member 30 carried by toggle mechanisms 32 (FIG. 4) which are 
suspended from a part of the apparatus frame and are connected to a rod 33 
from a piston and cylinder mechanism 34. As the piston and cylinder 
mechanism 34 extends the rod 33, the toggle mechanisms 32 will cause the 
member 30 and the pressure plate devices 28 to move downwardly in an axial 
direction toward the rule die cutting device 25 (compare FIGS. 6 and 7). 
During this movement, the internal bore 29 will receive the top of the 
dome-like accommodation portion P of the intermediate article A to 
generally center the intermediate article A in the rule die cutting device 
25 and compresses at least two wall thicknesses including the flange F 
area of the accommodation portion P against the rule die cutting device 25 
for cutting the accommodation portion P through the flange F area by the 
rule die cutting device 25 and utilizing the other compressed wall 
thickness as an anvil means (FIGS. 7 and 8). This offers the advantage 
that the rule die cutting device 25 is not constantly contacting and 
wearing out an anvil in the apparatus 10 and a fresh anvil is produced 
each time a cutting operation is performed on an intermediate article A. 
The cutting mechanisms 24 further include stop devices mounted for 
cooperating with the rule die cutting device 25 and the pressure plate 
device 28 for stopping movement of the pressure plate device 28 toward the 
rule die cutting device 25 at a position to ensure the cutting of 
substantially only the wall thickness of the flange F area of the 
accommodation portion of the intermediate article A by the rule die 
cutting device 25 during compression of the accommodation portion P (FIGS. 
7 and 8). These stop mechanisms may be in the form of downwardly extending 
rod members 35 which may be adjustably positioned in their downward 
extension to abutt against the carriage device 20 (FIG. 7). During such 
downward movement, the rubber support members 27 are also somewhat 
compressed (FIGS. 7 and 8). 
Following the above described cutting operation of the intermediate article 
A, the resulting cut containers C move downwardly through the apertures 21 
in the carriage device 20 under the influence of gravity and may be 
assisted in such movement by selective actuation of air jet nozzles 36 
which are positioned in member 30 (FIGS. 6 and 7) for selectively ejecting 
an air stream into the cut containers C. The cut away parts of the 
accommodation portion P will fall under the force of gravity over guide 
plates 37 (FIG. 5) to generally the bottom of the apparatus 10 to be 
conveyed out of the apparatus 10 and recycled as desired (schematically 
indicated in FIG. 3). If necessary, means may be provided for assisting 
this removal of the cut away parts of the accommodation portion P, such as 
air jets or the like to move these parts from the above described cutting 
positions to the guide plates 37. 
The cut containers C are then received in a second stage trimming operation 
wherein the cut containers C are rounded and centered at the wide-mouth 
and the cut flange F is trimmed to a precision concentric uniform flange 
while the wide-mouth is rounded and centered. 
This second stage trimming operation includes a carriage device 40 in the 
form of a plate-like member having container receiving apertures 41 
therein and suitably mounted on rails 42 for reciprocating generally 
horizontal movement by piston and cylinder mechanism 43 connected to 
carriage device 40 between two positions, i.e. the position illustrated in 
FIG. 5 and a position to the right as viewed in FIG. 5 and indicated by 
the arrow therein. The carriage device 40 receives cut containers C from 
the first carriage device 20 within respective apertures 41 (FIGS. 9 and 
10) in each of the two positions and alternately reciprocates the cut 
containers C outwardly in opposite directions to two respective trimming 
positions. 
For example, (as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5), four cut containers C would be 
received in the carriage device 40 in its position illustrated in FIG. 5 
from the first carriage device 20. The carriage device 40 would then be 
reciprocated to the right, as viewed in FIG. 5, by the piston and cylinder 
mechanism 43 and the cut containers C previously in receiving position 
would then be placed in a trimming position outwardly to the right of the 
loading position and the apertures 41 in the carriage device 40 which were 
previously in the trimming position would then be empty after the trimmed 
containers C are released therefrom, as described below, and would then be 
positioned in the loading position under the first carriage device 20. 
This reciprocation of the carriage device 40 continues so that the cut 
containers C may be received and loaded therein while other cut containers 
C already received are being trimmed. 
Trimming mechanisms, generally indicated at 44, are provided for 
alternately cooperating with the carriage device 40 when the carriage 
device has received the cut containers C and moved the cut containers C to 
the respective trimming positions. As may be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, four 
trimming mechanisms 44 are provided for trimming operations in each of the 
trimming positions of the carriage device 40 so that four cut containers C 
may be trimmed while the other four cut containers C are being loaded into 
the carriage device 40. 
Each of the trimming mechanisms 44 comprise a stationary hollow female 
circular die cutting device 45 (FIGS. 9-11) suitably mounted on the 
carriage device 40 around the apertures 41 for movement therewith and for 
receiving the cut containers C therein with the cut flange F resting on 
the female die cutting device 45. Each trimming mechanism 44 further 
includes a matched circular male die cutting device 46 respectively 
positioned above said carriage device 40 in each of the trimming positions 
thereof (FIGS. 4 and 5). These male die cutting devices 46 are commonly 
mounted on a member 50 carried by toggle mechanisms 52 (FIG. 4) which are 
suspended from a part of the apparatus frame and are connected to a rod 53 
from a piston and cylinder mechanism 54. As the piston and cylinder 
mechanism 54 extends the rod 53, the toggle mechanisms 52 will cause the 
member 50 and the male die cutting devices 46 to move downwardly in the 
axial direction toward the female die cutting devices 45 (compare FIGS. 9 
and 10). 
The trimming mechanisms 44 further include a generally cylindrical pilot 
device 56 mounted on the forward end of the male die cutting device 46 
(FIGS. 9 and 10) and having an outside diameter only slightly smaller than 
the inside diameter of the wide-mouth container C. As the male die cutting 
device 46 is moved toward the female die cutting device 45, the pilot 
device 56 will enter the container C through the wide-mouth for rounding 
and centering the wide-mouth of the container C and the male die cutting 
member 46 will cooperate with the female die cutting member 45 to trim the 
cut flange F and form a precision concentric uniform flange F. 
The trimming mechanisms 44 further include means to aid in proper 
positioning of the pilot device 56 and male die cutting device 46 for 
trimming of the flange F. These means may be in the form of a hollow 
annular member 57 mounted on the female die cutting device 45 (FIGS. 9 and 
10) and a plate member 58 carried by rods 59 extending through apertures 
in the member 50 and having compression springs 60 therearound. During 
downward reciprocation of the member 50 and the male die cutting device 46 
and the pilot device 56, the plate 58 will come into contact with the 
annular member 57 and will be moved against the bias of compression spring 
60 into engagement with the member 50 to stop forward movement of the 
member 50 to aid in properly positioning the male die cutting device 46 
and pilot device 56 (FIG. 10) for the rounding and centering of the 
wide-mouth of the container C by the pilot device 56 and for trimming of 
the cut flange F of the container C by the male and female die cutting 
devices 46, 45. 
The fabricated containers C are then released for downward movement under 
the influence of gravity to conveyor mechanisms 65 (FIGS. 4 and 5) for 
movement of the fabricated containers C out of the fabricating apparatus 
10 for further conveying, if desired, to a packaging and shipping station. 
This downward movement of the fabricated containers C may be assisted by 
selective actuation of air jet nozzles 63 which are positioned in member 
50 (FIGS. 9 and 10) for selectively ejecting an air stream into the 
fabricated containers C. The trimmed portions of the flange F from the 
fabricated containers C will fall under the force of gravity to generally 
the bottom of the apparatus 10 to be conveyed out of the apparatus 10 and 
recycled as desired (schematically indicated in FIG. 3). If necessary, 
means may be provided to assist, such as air jets or the like to move 
these trimmed portions of the flange F from the above described trimming 
positions. 
These conveyor mechanisms 65 (FIGS. 4 and 5) may include a driven screw 
mechanism 66 positioned on one side of the fabricated containers C and a 
rail 67 positioned on the other side of the fabricated containers C so 
that the fabricated containers C are moved forwardly out of the apparatus 
10 as the screw mechanisms 66 rotate. 
Thus, there has been provided an apparatus 10 for fabricating a wide-mouth 
plastic container C, having an annular flange F extending radially 
outwardly at the wide-mouth, from a stretch blow-molded intermediate 
article A, having a dome-like accommodation portion P extending 
radially-outwardly at a flange area and upwardly and inwardly from the 
wide-mouth of a generally cylindrical body portion B, which produces a 
precision concentric uniform flange F around the wide-mouth of the 
fabricated container C and which provides a desired speed of fabrication 
in alternately and simultaneously performing its fabricating operations. 
In the drawings and specification there have been set forth a preferred 
embodiment of this invention, and although specific terms are employed, 
they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes 
of limitation, the scope of the invention is defined in the following 
claims.