US2844857A - Molding apparatus for flower pots - Google Patents

Description

July29, 1958- M. F. JONES 2,844,857

' MOLDING APPARATUS FOR FLOWER POTS Filed July 20. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l V v Melvin E Jones 1N VEN TOR.

5 BY 7 WW Anomtys 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 m m M M W B July 29, 1958 MP. JONES MOLDING APPARATUS FOR FLOWER POTS Filed July 20, 1953 3 r/ 4 aw fill im a QVMVVVVv /FMW WJ WV V A Fig. 3

r 2,844,857 MOLDING APPARATUS FOR FLOWER POTS A Melvin F. Jones, Tampa, Fla.

Application July 20, 1953, Serial No.369,194

1 Claim. (Cl. 25-22) My invention relates to improvements in hand operated apparatus for molding flower pots, and the like.

The primary object of my invention is to provide apparatus for molding flower pots out, of clay, plastic, or other suitable material, and which is operative to compress the material by operation of a single hand lever and is substantially foolproof and so easy to operate that it is well adapted for use by the blind and similarly handicapped persons.

Another object is to provide molding apparatus having the above advantages and which is safe to use and inexpensive in construction while being light in weight for easy movement about as occasion may require.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview of my invention, together with the precise nature of my improvements will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved apparatus in the preferred embodiment thereof;

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation;

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view in plan with the sections of the shell shown opened in broken lines, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in vertical section of the pallet and molded flower pot.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my improved apparatus, as illustrated, comprises a rectangular, flat top base 1 provided with corner legs 3 and with depending front and rear webs 5, 7 and with a central, annular flange depending from its top 11 and defining a circular central opening 13 in said top.

A hollow, closed mold core 15 projects upwardly through the opening 13 and is vertically movable for a purpose presently explained by operation of an underlying hand lever 17 pivoted at its rear end, as at 19, to the rear web 7 for vertical movement and extending across said base 1 under the top 11 out of a vertical slot 21 in the front web 5 with a front handle end 23. A link 25 pivotally connected to the bottom 27 of the core 15 and to the hand lever 17, as at 29, 31, opertively connects said lever to said core 15.

The core 15 is of annular cross-section and embodies an upper, upwardly tapering molding portion 33 for correspondingly shaping an inverted flower pot, and a bottom, non-tapering portion 35 vertically movable in the opening 13 and flange 9 and slidable in a pair of upper and lower sealing gaskets 37, 39 in said flange 9 recessed .into the flange 9 and retained in place by screw attached top and bottom keeper rings 40, 41 at the top and bottom of the flange 9, the top ring 40 being recessed into the top 11 of the base 1 flush therewith for a purpose presently seen. The function of the gaskets 37, 39 will presently be explained. An axial teat 43 is provided United States Patent 2,844,857 Patented July 29,1958

on the top of the core 15 for forming a drain hole in the bottom of the flower pot.

A'moldshell 45 of relatively larger diameter than the core 15'is. provided for coaction with the upper portion of the core 15 to mold a flower pot 42 in inverted position. The molding shell 45 comprises a pair of semicircular complemental, half- sections 49, 51 having upper and lower, lateral pairs of hinge ears 53, 55 at the rear edges thereof which, together with a vertical nut equipped pintle bolt57 extending through said lugs hingedly connects the sections 49, 51 together for opening and closing toopen and close shell 45 and so that said shell, when closed may be positioned in surrounding relation to the core 15 with the vertical edges of the sections arranged at the rear and front of said base 1.

The shell 45, when closed, is provided with an upper portion 59 tapering in conformity with the portion 33 ofthe core 15, and with a bottom non-tapering portionsections 49, 51 closed and comprises a pair of lateral lugs 67, '69 .on said sections 49, 51, respectively, at the front edges thereof, and a forked locking lever 71 pivoted, as at 73, on the lug 69 and vertically swingable into and from straddling relation to said lug 67 to lock and unlock said sections 49, 51.

An annular pallet 75 with diametrically opposite hand grips 77 is removably imposed on the top 11 to the base 1 and fits around the opening 13 to support the shell 45 by the lower edge 79 of the shell with its upper edge extending above the core 15 a distance equal to the thickness of the bottom 81 of the flower pot to be molded. An upstanding annular flange 83 on the pallet 75 at the inner edge thereof spaces the lower edge 79 of the shell 45, and hence the remainder of the shell, from the core 15 concentrically of said core for pouring of molding material in between said core and shell. The flange 83 is provided with a peripheral groove 85 to stabilize the flower pot 42 on said flange for removal with said pallet 75.

A wedge 87 is removably fitted in the bottom of the slot 21 under the lever 17 and provides meansfor lock-- ing and holding the lever 17 in upwardly swung position against the top of the slot 21 to elevate the core 15 in upwardly moved molding position in the shell 45.

The previously mentioned gaskets 37, 39 form a sealed lubricating space 89 in the flange 9 around the lower portion 35 of the core 15, which portion is parallel with the axis of the core 15 to facilitate vertical movement of said core. Grease fittings 91 and grease ports 93 in the flange 9 provide for introducing lubricating grease into the space 89 to provide for reducing frictional resistance to vertical movement of the core 15 so that the same may gravitate downwardly.

A suitable tamping tool 95 is provided for tamping the molding material in the space between the core 15 and shell 45.

In operating the apparatus, the hand lever 17 is moved the wedge 87 firmly inserted in said slot beneath said lever 17 so that the core 15 is locked in upwardly moved molding position. The molding material is then poured into the top of the shell 45 to fill the space between said shell and the mold 15 and cover-the top of the core 15. The molding material may be tamped and smoothed across the top of the core 15 as may be desired by the tamping tool 95. After the material is partly set, the wedge 87 is removed to unlock the hand lever 17 and the core 15 so that the same will drop downwardly and the core 15 will be removed from the molded flower pot 42 to strip said core. The shell 45 is then removed by unlocking the sections 49, 51 and swinging the same open and lifting the opened shell off the pallet 75. The pallet 75 may then be removed by means of the hand grips 77 with the flower pct 42 thereon and set aside in a suitable curing rack for complete setting and drying of the molding material. During raising and lowering of the mold core 15, the same is guided and maintained in proper position against tilting by sliding coaction of its lower portion 35 and the gaskets 37, 39.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suifice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification, without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

Apparatus for molding a pot comprising a base having a central top opening, an annular removable pallet on said base having an opening of the same size as said top opening concentric thereto, an open top shell having a lower end seating on said pallet and removable therefrom, a core extending upwardly through said openings in spaced relation to said shell to mold material between said shell and core into a flower pot, said core having cylindrical portion slidably depending through said openings and being movable upwardly into molding position and gravitating downwardly through said openings into stripped position, a vertically movable lever operatively connected to said core for upward swinging to move the core upwardly, and a displaceable wedge mounted in said base for holding said lever in upswung position, said pallet having an upstanding annular flange at its inner edge engaging said shell and centering the shell on said pallet and being provided with a top groove to seat and stabilize a molded flower pot for removal with said pallet, and a pair of opposite hand grips on said pallet for removing the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 835,967 Martin Nov. 13, 1906 923,853 Kennell June 8, 1909 968,111 Bennett Aug. 23, 1910 981,267 Howard Ian. 10, 1911 1,118,855 Baase Nov. 24, 1914 1,143,490 Berry et al. June 15, 1915 1,302,370 Houck Apr. 29, 1919 2,681,494 Weber June 22, 1954

Images