An Improved Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Hollow Articles from Plastic Materials.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1891-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Hollow
Articles from Plastic Materials.
We, ROBERT KIESERLING of Eimbuttlerstrasse 14, Hamburg, Engineer, and
MAX MOLLER of Elbstrasse 14, Altona, Merchant, both in the German Empire,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is a process and an apparatus for manufacturing
hollow articles with plastic mass or material these articles being of such a nature
as may be utilizable for various purposes and having much superior properties than
articles manufactured by the processes hitherto known.
According to this new process commercial wares of the most various descriptions
may be made of plastic material which is hardened either by exposure to the air
or to the fire such as for instance: pipes and vessels of all forms and shapes.
Independent of the fact that it is entirely immaterial what sectional shape shall
be given to the article required it is quite possible to give the same an entirely
different thickness of walls whereby owing to the peculiarity of the process a
thoroughly even and innermost texture of the walls of the article manufactured
according to the same is everywhere secured which could in no wise be heretofore
obtained.
The analogous processes hitherto known did not impart to the articles manu-
factured thereby the desired degree of homogeneity in their inner texture and
these articles could only be made with an equal or approximately equal thickness
of walls such a defect being caused by a wrongly selected consistence of the mass
used as well as by the circumstance that the latter was not properly worked
previous to its use.
The advantages of the new process will be best understood by giving an example
that is to say :-
In order for instance to manufacture cement pipes good Portland cement is
mixed with sharp sand and with as much water as is requisite to bind it properly.
In this manner the usnal conversion of the cement into a suitable mass which was
hitherto poured in moulds (wherein bubbles or blow holes were readily formed) or
upon a casing or jacket is entirely avoided which is an advantage of all the more
importance because by working the cement in too wet a state there occur (after it
is subsequently formed into an article) natural crevices sand holes or the like.
Moreover the inner surfaces of the cement pipes manufactured by the processes
hitherto used were rough which was a very great defect for pipes used as mains for
conveying liquids under pressure.
These defects are remedied according to the objects of this invention in such a
manner that the cement receives only the moisture of ordinary garden soil is mixed
on a horizontal plate and is moulded evenly and uniformly by kneading pugging
and fulling with the aid of hammers beaters and balls whereby the conditions for
the above mentioned innermost homogeneity of texture are realized.
A paste not too light and highly homogeneous having been thus spread out to
forn a plate the upper surface of which is smoothed and polished the same is
wound by means of suitable contrivances (hereinafter described) upon a core its
abutting edges are joined and after the mass has thus assumed a shape the core is
removed whereupon the cement pipe is ready. In this manner socket pipes for
instance may be made of cement or other similar plastic mass which was not hitherto
possible. The shape of the pipe conforms to that of the core.

page_text: Figure
27
facture of small hollow articles.
Figure 2 is a cross section of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross section of the inner device for locking the core.
Figure 3 is a front view of Figure 3.
Figure 6 represents a form of core.
Figure 7 is a cross section of the end plate of the core.
Figure 8 shows in longitudinal section an apparatus for the production of hollow
articles of large size.
Figure 9 is a top view or plan of Figure 8.
Figure 10 is an end elevation of Figure 8.
Figure 14 is a side view partly in section of the adjusting arrangement and of
the guides for the movable table T.
.
Figure 15 is a top view of this adjusting arrangement (Figure 14).
Figure 16 is an underside view of Figure 14.
Figure 17 is a top view of another mode of locking the core..
Figure 18 is a side view of Figure 17.
A plate or supporting table T (carried and held rigid by a frame of any suitable
construction and form) serves as a basis or support for the mechanism hereinafter
described.
An articulated plate a consisting of several parts joined together by a movable
band after the manner of the laths in a venetian blind carries thereon a plate d of
flexible material. Both are movable in a longitudinal direction and are guided by.
lateral cams or guides b.
Upon the plate d is placed a perforated flexible iron plate e or wire gauze or the
like. Above this arrangement is fixed the rolling arrangement proper
The essential component part of the same is a hollow core k which may be made
of a round oval triangular quadrangular irregular or other sectional form according
to the shape which is desired for the article of commerce to be produced by
the said mechanism. By the side of this core piece are arranged head or end
plates (Figures 2, 3, and 3^) the diameter of which is greater than that of the
core piece by the double thickness of the wall of the article required.
The form of these head or end plates correspond exactly to the outer form of d
the piece produced by the apparatus. The core piece consists of a bent metal
sheet or the like which is secured to the mould used by means of a locking
piece of peculiar form but so as to be removable therefrom. The shape of this
locking piece can be according as shown either in Sheet or in Sheet 3 of the
drawings.
:. The plate is furnished with two angle irons near its outer edges which are
subsequently jointed together these angle irons being firmly fixed upon the plate o.
.A U-shaped iron carries the projections k¹ and is inserted between the angle
irons u in such a manner that these projections k¹ may extend over the raised up
edges of the angle irons and be fixed in this position by means of screws..
In such
a position the core piece shows the closed casing surface.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 17 and 18 the two angle irons are
likewise firmly connected with the plate o.
A piece of pipe M carries bolts with slots in which the ends of the angle irons u
extend being firmly fixed in this position by the projections k².
When this coupling is disconnected the core piece can be pushed along in such
a manner as to gradually remove it from the hollow article formed by the machine
without the same being thereby damaged or deformed.
The core piece is mounted on the same axis as the rope pulleys this axis being
connected to winding mechanism and to a counterweight by means of a rope 1.
... The plate a resembling a venetian blind can be firmly screwed to the head plate.f
of the core piece by means of clamps screwed to both a and so that when the
core is turned with the aid of the above mentioned winding mechanism ¾ the plate.
a

page_text: with the flexible plate d and the wire gauze e. can be wound upon the core piece in
Such a manner that the plate a bears at each end upon the head plates without
coming in contact with the core piece.
Figures 8 to 10 show a modification for articles of greater sectional area' which
differs from that above described by a movable arrangement of the top plate T.
The latter is articulated by means of binges y on one side while on its other or
opposite side a spring F bearing against the plate T at one end and an upright at
the other has a tendency to push the said plate in the direction of the rolling
mechanism arranged in this case in the same manner as before.
The mode of operation of the mechanism above described for carrying out the
above process into practice is as follows:
The plastic material previously prepared in the manner hereinbefore set forth is
placed in the form of a compact flat layer upon the plate a the surface e preventing
the material from adhering too much to the former.
The winding mechanism is now slowly set in motion after the plate a has been
firmly connected to the head platef by a suitable number of clamps or other
suitable means. The turning of the head plates f continuing the plate a is
gradually wound upon the latter as shown this being terminated as soon as the
edges of the material wound upon the core in the course of the above operation
meet so as to be joined.
The joint forined is luted by means of some impermeable or other suitable
substance of the same nature or otherwise.
The shape which it has assumed corresponds exactly with that of the core and
head plate as in consequence of the pressure of the plate a upon the plate the
total interval between the edges of the head plates and core is filled with hard
pressed material.
The wire gauze or perforated iron plate e is now rolled up and tied and the
material is left to harden. This hardening may (according to the nature of the
material used) be effected either in the air or with the aid of heat this having no
influence upon the behaviour of the machine. After the material is thus formed
the coupling of the core piece is disconnected and the latter is moved along and
withdrawn from the inside of the hollow article which has now a thoroughly smooth
and polished inner surface and can if required be polished on its outer surface.
The wire gauze e (which is not indispensable) remains in the pipe and serves to
stiffen the same.
To more prominently and tersely show the advantages of the articles manu-
factured according to this process as compared with those hitherto known reference
must be made again to the peculiar innermost and even texture of the material as
well as to the practicability of manufacturing hollow bodies of any given cross
section with walls of equal or different thickness with strengthening ribs or
collars etcetera in a most economical and efficient manner and reducing the risk of
fissures crevices or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A processs for the manufacture of hollow articles from plastic mass or material
hardened in the air or with the aid of heat characterized by the winding of a
layer of plastic material-rendered homogeneous by kneading pugging and fulling-
upon a core of suitable form and the joining of the two abutting edges while on
said core substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before set forth.
2. To carry out the process claimed above we claim a rolling mechanism having
an articulated plate a guided upon a table T which (with the aid of suitable
mechanism) winds upon a core the material placed thereon in a flat layer thus
forming a hollow article of the same the outer cross section of which is determined
by the shape of the head plates f fixed to the ends of the core, substantially as

page_text: and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
Dated this 21st day of. September 1891.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.