CONTAINER-FORMING PROCESS AND MACHINE

摘要

A heated forced-air nozzle may be used in a container-forming machine to heat portions of an insulative container during a container-forming process. The heated forced-air nozzle is formed to include a heated-air passageway which is in fluid communication with a source of heated forced air. The heated forced-air nozzle is formed to include a series of circumferentially spaced-apart passageways in which heated forced air is communicated through from the heated-air passageway.

主权项

1. A container-forming machine comprising
a mandrel arranged to extend along a mandrel axis and formed to include a floor-receiving aperture arranged to open into a floor-receiving space formed in the mandrel and a heated forced-air nozzle adapted to be coupled to a heated forced-air source configured to provide a flow of heated forced air to a forced-air inlet formed in the heated forced-air nozzle which is arranged to open into a forced-air conduit formed in the heated forced-air nozzle, the heated forced-air nozzle including a first air ring located in the floor-receiving space in spaced-apart relation to the mandrel, configured to define a first portion of the forced-air conduit, and formed to include a series of circumferentially spaced apart passageways that are arranged to extend away from the axis along a passageway axis to cause a first portion of the flow of heated forced air to be communicated from the heated forced-air source, through the forced-air conduit, and into the floor-receiving space, a ring mount including a first end coupled to a central portion of the first air ring and a second end arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the first air ring to cause the flow of heated forced air to move around the second end in the forced-air conduit, and spacer means for locating the first air ring in the floor-receiving space between the mandrel and the second end of the ring mount to cause the first portion of the flow of heated forced air provided by the first air ring to transfer heat to a platform-support member included in one of a first insulative container in which the platform-support member has a first axial width and a second insulative container having a relatively greater second axial width.