Hopper convertible material container

Abstract

A material feeding apparatus including a material container as a hopper serves to feed a molding material sealably received in the material container to a molding machine via a heating sleeve. The material feeding apparatus includes as essential components a material container molded of a transparent synthetic resin or a translucent synthetic resin so as to enable a quantity of molding material remaining in the material container to be visually confirmed from the outside, and an adapter of which one end is formed in the shape of an open end part to be threadably fitted into an opening portion .Iadd.of the outer wall .Iaddend.of the material container and of which the other end is formed in the shape of an open end part to be fitted onto a receiving member of the molding machine. To openably shut the interior of the material container, a shutter is slidably displaceably arranged in the adapter. In practical use, the material container is fitted onto the receiving member via the adapter while assuming an inverted attitude in order to serve also as a hopper. Since the small-sized material container having the molding material sealably received therein can be used as a hopper, a material controlling operation and a material exchanging operation can be achieved at a high speed without any necessity for drying the molding material prior to each molding operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A material feeding apparatus including a material container as a hopper, comprising: a material container molded of a synthetic resin so as to allow a material to be molded to be sealably received therein and   an adapter having a shutter interposed between a funnel-shaped portion and a connecting portion for openably shutting the interior of said material container, the upper end part of said funnel-shaped portion being formed in the shape of an open end part to be threadably engaged with a plurality of . ♀!. threads formed around the . .inner.!. .Iadd.outer .Iaddend.wall surface of an opening portion of said material container, and the lower end part of said connecting portion being formed in the shape of an opening portion to be fitted onto a receiving member of a molding machine,   whereby the adapter is threadably fitted into said opening portion of said material container, while said material container is fitted onto said receiving member with an inverted attitude said adapter so as to allow said material container to serve also as a hopper for the molding machine, and   wherein said adapter is made of a metallic material and includes a first portion having an inner funnel-shaped surface or which one end is formed in the shape of an open end part adapted to be threadably fitted onto said opening portion of said material container and a second portion having a plurality of screw holes formed therethrough so as to allow a plurality of screws to be inserted through said screw holes, the other end of said portion being formed in the shape of an open end part to be fitted onto said receiving member on the injection machine side, and wherein said shutter is interposed between said first portion and said second portion both of which are integrated with each other by tightening said screws.   
     
     
       2. The material feeding apparatus as claimed in claim . .1.!. .Iadd.11.Iaddend., wherein said material container is molded of a synthetic resin or a translucent synthetic resin. 
     
     
       3. The material feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said material container is molded of a polyethylene terephthalate resin by employing a stretch blow-molding process. 
     
     
       4. The material feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said material container is molded of a polycarbonate resin by employing a stretch blow-molding process. 
     
     
       5. The material feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said material container is molded of a polypropylene resin by employing a stretch blow-molding process. 
     
     
       6. The material feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said material container is molded of a polyethylene terephthalate resin in the form of a composite article by employing a stretch blow-molding process said composite article including an intermediate layer made of an ethylenevinyl acetate copolymer. 
     
     
       7. The material feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said shutter is composed of two upper end lower circular plates each having a plurality a radially extending openings, the central part of each of said circular plates being rotatably supported to rotate about a shaft the periphery of said upper circular place is fixedly secured to the wall surface of said adapter by tightening a plurality of screws, and said lower circular plate is rotatably supported on the upper wall surface of said funnel-shaped portion of said adapter so as to open or close said radially extending openings relative to said radially extending openings of said upper circular place, said lower circular plate including a plurality of pawl pieces projected outside of the periphery thereof, each of said pawl pieces being inserted into the corresponding circumferentially extending elongated slit formed on the upper wall surface of said funnel-shaped portion via the corresponding vertical groove. 
     
     
       8. A material feeding apparatus including a material container as a hopper, comprising: a material container molded of a synthetic resin so as to allow a material to be molded to be sealably received therein and   an adapter having a shutter interposed between a funnel-shaped portion and a connecting portion for openably shutting the interior of said material container, the upper end part of said funnel-shaped portion being formed in the shape of an open end part to be threadably engaged with a plurality of . ♀!. threads formed around the inner wall surface of an opening portion of said material container, and the lower end part of said connecting portion being formed in the shape of an opening portion to be fitted onto a receiving member of a molding machine,   whereby the adapter is threadably fitted into said opening portion of said material container, while said material container is fitted onto said receiving member with an inverted attitude said adapter so as to allow said material container to serve also as a hopper for the molding machine, and   wherein said adapter is composed of a funnel-shaped portion and a cylindrical connecting portion located below said funnel-shaped portion with said shutter placed on the upper wall of said funnel-shaped portion, said material container is threadably fitted into a threaded ring disposed on the open end part of said funnel-shaped portion with an inverted attitude, and said adapter is mounted on a heating sleeve or a molding machine by fixedly securing the open end part of said connecting portion to the periphery of a feeding port for said heating sleeve by tightening a plurality of bolts.   
     
     
       9. The material feeding apparatus as claimed in claim . .8.!. .Iadd.12.Iaddend., wherein said shutter is composed of two upper and lower circular plates each having a plurality . .a.!. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.radially extending circular plates each having a plurality a radially extending openings, the central part of each of said circular plates being rotatably supported to rotate about a shaft, the periphery of said upper circular plate is fixedly secured to the wall surface of said adapter by tightening a plurality of screws, and said lower circular plate is rotatably supported on the upper wall surface of said funnel-shaped portion of said adapter so as to open or close said radially extending openings relative to said radially extending openings of said upper circular plate, said lower circular plate including a plurality of pawl pieces projected outside of the periphery thereof, each of said pawl pieces being inserted into the corresponding circumferentially extending elongated slit formed on the upper wall surface of said funnel-shaped portion via the corresponding vertical groove. 
     
     
       10. A material feeding apparatus including a material container as a hopper, comprising: a material container molded of a synthetic resin so as to allow a material to be molded to be sealably received therein and   an adapter having a shutter interposed between a funnel-shaped portion and a connecting portion for openably shutting the interior of said material container, the upper end part of said funnel-shaped portion being formed in the shape of an open end part to be threadably engaged with a plurality of . ♀!. threads formed around the inner wall surface of an opening portion of said material container, and the lower end part of said connecting portion being formed in the shape of an opening portion to be fitted onto a received member of a molding machine,   whereby the adapter is threadably fitted into said opening portion of said material container, while said material container is fitted onto said receiving member with an inverted attitude said adapter so as to allow said material container to serve also as a hopper for the molding machine, and   wherein said shutter is composed of two upper end lower circular plates each having a plurality a radially extending openings, the central part of each of said circular places being rotatably supported to rotate about a shaft, the periphery of said upper circular plate is fixedly secured to the wall surface of said adapter by tightening a plurality of screws, and said lower circular plate is rotatably supported on the upper wall surface of said funnel-shaped portion of said adapter so as to open or close said radially extending openings relative to said radially extending openings of said upper circular plate, said lower circular plate including a plurality of pawl pieces projected outside of the periphery thereof, each of said pawl pieces being inserted into the corresponding circumferentially extending elongated slit formed on the upper wall surface of said funnel-shaped portion via the corresponding vertical groove. .Iadd.11. The material feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adapter has female threads on the inner wall surface of an open end part. .Iaddend..Iadd.12. The material feeeding apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the adapter has female threads on the inner wall surface of an open end part. .Iaddend..Iadd.13. The material feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the adapter has female threads on the inner wall surface of an open end part. .Iaddend.