Lake, Connie;

Convertible mold

A plastic molding apparatus for forming three-dimensional containers from a single sheet of plastic material and each comprising side-by-side generally dish-shaped members which are hinged together which dish-shaped members have different interior configurations with respect to one another. The apparatus comprises a pair of superimposed relatively movable male and female mold members. A pair of differently configurated side-by-side mold sets are carried by the mold members. A first plurality of different inserts having different projecting configurations are provided for said first mold set. A second plurality of different inserts are provided for the second set which have surface complementary to the first projecting inserts to establish a male-female mold relationship between the first and second plurality of inserts. Quick change means are provided for individually detachably securing the first and second inserts to the associated male and female mold members and thus enabling the molds to produce containers having variable predetermined physical characteristics. Means is provided on the mold members between the pairs of mold sets for producing a hinge between the dish-shaped members. Power means is provided for operating the mold members to produce the hingedly connected side-by-side dish-shaped members from the single sheet of material positioned therebetween.

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I claim:

1. A plastic molding apparatus for forming three dimensional containers from a single sheet of synthetic plastic material, each container comprising side-by-side generally dish-shaped container members which are hinged together, said dish-shaped members having different interior configurations with respect to one another, and which apparatus comprises opposed relatively movable base means, opposed relatively movable pairs of male and female mold members carried by said base means, at least one of said male and female mold members of each pair of said male and female mold members having peripheral product forming surfaces defining the outer boundaries of a container to be molded by said pair of said male and female mold members, a first plurality of different inserts having different projecting configurations for selective attachment to a first member of each of said pair of male and female mold members, a second plurality of different inserts having different projection configurations for selective attachment to a second member of each of said pair of mold members having surfaces complimentary to the first plurality of inserts to establish a male/female mold relationship between said first and second plurality of inserts, quick change means for individually detachably securing the plurality of first and second inserts to an associated mold member and thus enabling the molds to produce containers having selected variable predetermined physical characteristics determined by said plurality of inserts without change of said first and second members or said base means, means on said male and female mold members for producing a hinge between the dish-shaped members, said quick change means comprising locking rod means carried by said mold members, said inserts having opening means cooperating with said rod means for locking said inserts into assembly with said associated mold member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by the quick change means comprising locking rods mounted on the mold members, the inserts having openings through which the locking rods are extendable for locking the inserts into assembly with the associated mold member, the inserts being male and female types thus requiring that where an insert is changed in one of the mold members it must also be changed in the corresponding opposed mold member.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized by the mold members having rod openings for receipt of the locking rods for journalling the rods therein and for securement of the inserts in assembly therewith.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by the inserts being mounted on the opposed mold members in position for forming dish-shaped indentations in side-by-side relation in only one of the generally dish-shaped container members for supporting one or more beverage cups on top of the container when the dish-shaped container members of the container are in a closed superimposed position with respect to one another.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by the mold members being comprised of aluminum and having coolant passageways for allowing coolant to be circulated through the mold members for cooling of the synthetic plastic material after it is formed into shape.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by the mold members having bottoms with insert openings provided therein, the inserts having bottoms with projections extending therefrom, the projections dimensioned to be received in the insert openings, the quick change means comprising locking rods mounted on the mold members and extending through rod openings therein which rod openings intersect with the insert openings, the rods being provided for locking the inserts in the mold bottoms, a blind lock plug having a hole in its base insertable into the insert opening for filling the insert opening wherein an insert is not to be used and with the locking rod serving to secure the blind lock plug in assembly with the mold bottom.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by the inserts being so arranged with respect to the mold members for producing tri-divided type of container for one of the opposed generally dish-shaped container members and with the other dish-shaped member being undivided.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by providing inserts in one of the opposed mold members in position for forming dish-shaped indentations in side-by-side relation in only one of the generally dish-shaped container shaped members for supporting one or more beverage cups on top of the container when the dish-shaped container members are in a folded closed superimposed position with respect to one another.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by three inserts being mounted on one of the opposed die members in side-by-side relation for forming dish-shaped indentations and a ledge therebetween in only one of the generally dish-shaped container members for supporting one or more beverage cups and condiment packages on top of the container in the indentations and on the ledge when the dish-shaped container members of the container are in a closed superimposed position with respect to one another.

10. A mold set for molding hinged containers from non-metallic sheet material comprising male and female mold members, each of said members including a bottom wall defining portion and a peripheral portion, the peripheral portion projecting away from the bottom wall defining portion, said bottom wall defining portion including means for affixing at least selected ones of a plurality of inserts thereto, said inserts including inserts projecting from said base portions and inserts complementary to said projecting inserts having portions thereof lying below a surface of said bottom portion, quick change means for changing said inserts, said quick change means including bores in said bottom wall defining portion and projections on said inserts for insertion into said bores and lock means retaining said projections in said bores and plug inserts for said bores for levelling portions of said bottom portion at the points of attachment of said inserts when said inserts are not used.

11. The mold set of claim 10 wherein said bottom wall defining portion of at least one of said mold members comprises an insert receivable within a peripheral portion of said mold member, said bottom wall defining portion having transverse bores therethrough alignable with transverse bores in said mold member, locking rods receivable through each of said transverse bores to lock said bottom wall defining portion in said mold member, said bottom wall defining portion being exchangeable with additional bottom wall defining portions having different height dimensions whereby the depth of the container molded by said mold set is variably by changing bottom wall defining portions.

12. A plastic molding apparatus for forming three-dimensional containers from a single sheet of plastic material and each container comprising side-by-side generally dish-shaped members which dish-shaped members have different interior configurations with respect to one another and which apparatus comprises a pair of opposed relatively movable male and female mold members, a pair of differently configurated side-by-side mold sets carried by said mold members, a first plurality of different inserts having different projecting configurations for said first mold set, a second plurality of different inserts for said second set and having surfaces complementary of the first projecting inserts to establish a male-female mold relationship between said first and second plurality of inserts, bosses cooperable with said inserts of the first and second plurality of different inserts, means attaching said bosses to said inserts, the bosses having rod receiving passageways therein, quick change rods extendable through said rod receiving passageways in said bosses and through passageways in said mold members for individually detachably securing the first and second inserts to the associated male and female mold members and thus enabling the molds to produce containers having variable predetermined physical characteristics depending upon the selection and the arrangement of the inserts, and power means for operating the mold members to produce the side-by-side dish-shaped members from the single sheet of material positioned therebetween.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized by the rods having spaced enlargements along the lengths thereof which are specifically engageable in the rod receiving passageways in said bosses to firmly lock the bosses in place with respect to the associated one of the mold members.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized by the mold members having coolant receiving passageways for cooling the mold members to facilitate the formation of the containers.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized by the inserts being selectively arrangeable and interchangeably secured to the mold members for forming a tri-compartment container.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized by the inserts being selectively arrangeable and interchangeably secured to the mold members for forming bi-compartment containers.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized by the inserts being selectively arrangeable and interchangeably secured to the mold members for forming an individual container having only a single compartment.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized by the inserts being selectively arrangeable and interchangeably secured to the mold members and including female cover inserts of selected thickness selectively mountable in the female mold for forming a container having dish-shaped container members of selected variable depths as required.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized by the male and female mold sets having a knife assembly operable to form a hinged area in the synthetic plastic material as the dish-shaped containers are formed.