Method of forming articles of manufacture of various shapes including undercuts therein with generic tool

Abstract

A method of forming an article of manufacture which includes an undercut therein comprises the steps of providing a tool, removably positioning at least one consumable form adjacent to the tool, providing settable material from which to mold a finished part, molding the material onto the tool and on the form so as to encapsulate the form within the material to thereby form an undercut therein, allowing the material to set to form the finished part and separating the tool from the finished part and the encapsulated form. A method is also provided for forming articles of manufacture of various configurations utilizing a single generic tool by repeating the steps with differently shaped forms removably affixed to the single generic tool in different locations to produce a plurality of finished parts of varying configurations with the single generic tool.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of forming an article of manufacture including an undercut therein comprising the steps of: 
 providing a tool;    removably positioning at least one consumable form adjacent to the tool;    providing settable material from which to mold a finished part;    molding the material on the tool including on the form so as to encapsulate the form within the material to thereby form an undercut therein;    allowing the molded material to set to form the finished part; and    separating the tool from the finished part and the encapsulated form.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the settable material is plastic.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the settable material is a composite.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the plastic is preformed into a blank.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the blank is a tub.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the blank is a sheet.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the plastic blank is vacuum molded onto the tool and form.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the finished part is a casket.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the form includes fasteners premounted thereon whereby hardware may be attached to the form fasteners after molding the material onto the tool and form.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the form is colored and the material is translucent whereby the color of the form is visible through the translucent material.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the form is textured whereby the texture of the form is visible through the material.  
     
     
         12 . A method of forming an article of manufacture including a skeletal structural framework therein comprising the steps of: 
 providing a tool;    removably positioning at least one consumable form adjacent to the tool;    providing a settable material from which to mold a finished part;    molding the material on the tool including on the form so as to encapsulate the form within the material to thereby form a skeletal structural framework therein;    allowing the molded material to set to form the finished part; and    separating the tool from the finished part and the encapsulated form.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the settable material is plastic.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the settable material is a composite.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the plastic is preformed into a blank.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the blank is a tub.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the blank is a sheet.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the plastic blank is vacuum molded onto the tool and form.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the finished part is a casket.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the form includes fasteners premounted thereon whereby hardware may be attached to the form after molding the material onto the tool and form.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the form is colored and the material is translucent whereby the color of the form is visible through the translucent material.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the form is textured whereby the texture of the form is visible through the material.  
     
     
         23 . A method of forming articles of manufacture of various configurations utilizing a single generic tool comprising the steps of: 
 providing a single generic tool;    removably positioning at least one consumable form adjacent to the tool;    providing settable material from which to mold a finished part;    molding the material on the tool including on the form so as to encapsulate the form within the molded material to thereby define a specific configuration for the finished part;    allowing the molded material to set to form the finished part;    separating the tool from the finished part and the encapsulated form; and    repeating the above steps with differently shaped forms removably affixed to the single generic tool in different locations to produce a plurality of finished parts of varying configurations with the single generic tool.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the settable material is plastic.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the settable material is a composite.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the plastic is preformed into a blank.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the blank is a tub.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the blank is a sheet.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the plastic blank is vacuum molded onto the tool and form.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the finished part is a casket.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the form includes fasteners premounted thereon whereby hardware may be attached to the form fasteners after molding the material onto the tool and form.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the form is colored and the material is translucent whereby the color of the form is visible through the translucent material.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the form is textured whereby the texture of the form is visible through the material.  
     
     
         34 . An article of manufacture formed by the method of  claim 1 ,  12  or  23 .  
     
     
         35 . A method of vacuum molding a plastic casket comprising the steps of: 
 providing a rectangular tool generally in the size of a casket;    removably positioning consumable forms around the periphery of the tool adjacent to the tool;    providing a plastic blank from which to mold the plastic casket;    heating the plastic blank to soften the blank;    vacuum molding the plastic blank on the tool including on the forms so as to encapsulate the forms within the molded blank;    allowing the molded blank to set to form the casket; and    separating the tool from the casket and the encapsulated forms.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the blank is a tub.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the blank is a sheet.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the tool has side, end and bottom walls and is inverted and wherein the form has a generally L-shape cross-section having a foot and a leg, and wherein the foot of the form is supported atop the bottom of the tool.  
     
     
         39 . A plastic casket formed by the method of  claim 35 .  
     
     
         40 . A method of vacuum molding a plastic casket comprising the steps of: 
 providing a rectangular tool having side, end and bottom walls and generally in the size of a casket;    removably positioning consumable forms adjacent to the tool around the periphery of the tool;    providing a plastic sheet from which to mold the plastic casket;    supporting the sheet in a rectangular frame;    applying heat to the sheet to soften the sheet;    moving the frame over the tool so as to move the sheet adjacent the tool side, end and bottom walls;    applying vacuum between the sheet and tool so as to vacuum mold the sheet on the tool including on the forms so as to encapsulate the forms within the molded sheet;    allowing the molded sheet to set to form the casket; and    removing the casket with encapsulated forms from tool.    
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the forms are hollow and further comprising the step of injecting structural foam into the forms thereby creating a unitized form structure about the periphery of the casket.  
     
     
         42 . A plastic casket formed by the method of  claim 40.