Nov. 3, 1945. N. E. O'SON 2.

389,009
APPARATUS FOR MAKING HOLLOW RUBBER ARTICLES
Filed March 3, 1941

Af SS
Patented Nov. 13, 1945 2,389,009

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,389,009.

APPARATUs FoRMAKINGHOLLow
BUBBER ARTICLES
Neil E. Tilotson, Watertown, Mass.
Application. March 3, 1941, Seria. No. 38,490
Cain. (C. 8-4)
The present invention relates to apparatus cult, if not impossible, stripping problem with
for making hollow rubber articles, particularly Solid forms;
concerned with the manufacture of hollow al The toy animal is made in two: parts, Which
ticles of complex shape, such as dolls, and toys are joined in a manner to be. hereirafter de
in human and animal form. 5 scribed. For this purpose there are provided tWo:
The production of dipped hollow rubber al molds or dipping forms, one for the head por
ticles of simple shape may be carried out by the tion, as shown in Fig.1, and One for the body
use of solid forms, For articles of complex shape, portion, as shown in Fig. 2. The form, shown in
the forms may be made of paper or cardboard, Fig. It is of rubber, preferably hollow, and of a
Which is necessarily destroyed in removing it l:0 contour to define, the head 8 of the: animal, the
from the finished article; this procedure is used bell to and the collar 2. The form is provided
mainly for producing flat articles, such as bal With an extended tubular neck f. Inserted
loons, Which are later to be inflated. Neither of tightly into the neck is a plug 6, through Which
these methods is applicable to the manufacture passes a metal tube 8, threaded at opposite ends
of what may be described as three-dimensional l5 to receive the nuts 20 and 22. The neck is tightly
articles of complex shape; namely, articles whichsecured about the plug by a binding wire 24.
assume their proper shape in the forming Oper The whole structure is mounted on a dipping
ation. rack 26, to which it is secured by the nut 22.
The principal object of the present invention The body form shown in Fig. 2 is similar to
is to provide an inexpensive apparatus for mak 20 the form heretofore described, except for its
ing three-dimensional hollow articles. To this shape. It comprises a hollow body 28 to Which
end, the invention contemplates as its principal are connected long protruding legs 30. The legs,
feature the use of a flexible and collapsible form. because of their flexibility, need not be hollow
preferably made of rubber, which may be dipped in this instance, but if they are shorter and
in the rubber Solution or suspension and from 25 thicker, as in a mold for a toy elephant, for
which the dipped article may be conveniently example, it is preferable to make them hollow.
Stripped Without damage either to the article or The neck portion 32 is similar to the neck 4,
the form. The apparatus is particularly suitable but slightly larger in diameter, to facilitate join
for the manufacture of articles having protrud ing the two parts of the completed toy.
ing portions, of which four-legged toy animals 30 The molds are made of rubber, and may be
Will serve as an example. manufactured by casting internally in plaster
Other features of the invention will appear molds, or according to any other suitable proced
from the following description of the preferred e.
form of the invention. The molds, after being mounted on the rack 26,
In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the 35 are dipped in a liquid rubber bath 34, prefer
manufacture of a toy cow according to the pres ably a latex suspension. Before dipping, the
ent invention, Fig. 1 is an elevation of the dip forms may be coated with suitable material to
ping form for the head portion of the cow; Fig. prevent adherence of the coating to the rubber
2 is an elevation of the dipping form for the form. The forms are immersed in the bath, so
body portion of the cow; Fig. 3 is a perspective 40 that the neck portions 4 and 32 are partly sub
view of the dipping tank; Fig. 4 is a section of merged therein. After immersion of sufficient
the mold and coating through the body portion time to insure proper coating, the forms are
On line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the Withdrawn and the coating is allowed to harden
completed toy; and Fig. 6 is a sectional detail or cure. The coating is of sufficient thickness to
view illustrating the preferred method of join 45 maintain the shape of the article, as distinguished
ing the sections. from thin coatings used for inflatable toys.
The invention is herein illustrated and de Fig. 4 is a sectional view, illustrating the latex
Scribed as embodied in a process for the manu coating 36 surrounding the rubber form. This
facture of a toy animal represented by the cow Section is taken approximately on the line 4-4
of Fig. 5. The toy is a three-dimensional struc 50 of Fig. 2, and illustrates the three-dimensional
ture and is able to stand without being inflated. shape of the article.
It will be observed that the structure of the toy After the coatings or envelopes have sufficient
is complex, in that it has four long hollow legs, ly hardened or cured, they are stripped from the
a representation of a collar and bell, and hollow forms. The coating may be freed from the form
extended ears, all of which would present a diffi 55 by inserting a hollow needle or nozzle between the
2 2,389,009
form and the coating and applying air pressure, in order to obtain a smooth fit. The provision of
which will act to distend the coating slightly and a collar 2, as in the illustrated embodiment of
also to collapse the internal form. The tube 8 the invention, is desirable, though not necessary,
affords communication between the interior of in order to conceal the joint.
the form and the atmosphere, so that bending and 5 The invention primarily contemplates the use
collapsing of the form are not resisted by internal of three-dimensional forms which are flexible and
air pressure. The Coating is pulled away from capable of being compressed, collapsed and other
the form and Worked back over the rear portion Wise distorted to facilitate the removal of the
thereof. : In performing this operation, the pro formed articles. In its preferred embodiment, the
truding portions, such as the legs, are bent back 0 invention makes use of forms which are hollow,
ward, thus allowing the coating to be stripped off Or mainly SO, and are therefore most readily sub
without undue stretching. The exact procedure . . jected to the stripping operations, but it will be
used in stripping will vary with the shape of the understood that forms may be employed which
article and need not be described in detail, since. are not hollow, e.g., of soft rubber, which are suf
the manipulative steps will be readily understood ficiently flexible and are capable of being distorted
by those skilled in the art of handling rubber prod-, i. to allow removal of the formed articles.
ucts. The bending or flexing of the protruding Having thus described the invention, I claim:
portions of the form permits easy removal of the A dipping form for hollow non-inflatable, self
coating from the form without excessive stretch-: Supporting, three-dimensional rubber articles of
ing and without danger of tearing the material. 20 complex shape including angularly disposed pro
After stripping, the portions 38 and 40 of the tuberances, comprising a member of resilient ma
coating which are formed over the neckportions terial having a three-dimensional shape substan
4 and 32 are trimmed to appropriate lengths and tially similar to that of the article, said member
these portions are used to join the two sections to being hollow throughout its extent and the in
gether, as indicated in Fig. 6. The tubular neck 25 terior open to the atmosphere ani the Walls of
40 formed at the front of the body portion is said member being of Sufficient thickness to be
turned inward and the tubular neck 38 formed at self-sustaining, whereby the article formed there
the rear of the head portion is inserted therein, on may be stripped by temporarily collapsing the
the two being cemented together. As previously Walls of said member.
described, the neck 38 is smaller than the neck 40 30 NEI, E. TILOTSON.