Eva Grace Nellenbach, Reading, OH; Hinrich Knuth, Mason, OH; and Matthew Howard Wasson, Cincinnati, OH.
Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH.

Filed: 2/13/18
Issued: 1/11/22

A method for altering the appearance of molded articles, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing a plurality of articles that have been extrusion, blow or injection molded, each of the plurality of articles having an exterior surface section having a cylindrical shape, the cylindrical shape having a longitudinal axis; b. feeding a first article of the plurality of articles to a conveyor; c. transporting the first article along a transporting direction to a treatment station, wherein the longitudinal axis of the first article is oriented transversely to the transporting direction at the treatment station; d. activating an activatable colorant of the first article by exposing the first article to at least one energy source at the treatment station, thereby causing a color change in the first article; e. manipulating the exposure of the first article to the energy source by rotating the first article about the longitudinal axis thereof while simultaneously transporting the first article along the transporting direction, proximate to a plurality of masks in succession disposed between the first article and the energy source, to create a first discernable pattern in the first article; wherein each of the masks has an open area, and wherein each of the masks has a different open area; f. feeding a second article of the plurality of articles to the conveyor; g. transporting the second article along the transporting direction to the treatment station, wherein the longitudinal axis of the second article is oriented transversely to the transporting direction at the treatment station; h. activating an activatable colorant of the second article by exposing the second article to the at least one energy source at the treatment station, thereby causing a color change in the second article; and i. manipulating the exposure of the second article to the energy source by rotating the second article about the longitudinal axis thereof while simultaneously transporting the second article along the transporting direction, proximate to the plurality of masks, to create a second discernable pattern in the second article.