Apparatus for controlling tape feed in regulating variable spacings between groups of scoops

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A LONG CONTINUOUS MEMBER HAVING GROUPS OF REGULARLY SPACED CASTINGS ALONG ITS LENGTH, EACH OF SAID GROUPS BEING SEPARATED FROM THE ADJACENT GROUP BY A DESIRED CASTING-FREE GAP, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING (A) A PAIR OF DIES MOVABLE FROM AN OPEN TO A CLOSED POSITION ABOUT THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER; (B) DIE SURFACES ON THE DIES DEFINING, WHEN THE DIES ARE IN THE CLOSED POSITION ABOUT THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF DIE CAVITIES, SAID DIE CAVITIES BEING UNCONNECTED, AND OF SIMILAR SIZE, SHAPE, AND ORENTATION AND BEING ARRANGED LINEARLY ALONG THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER; (C) A PLURALITY OF INJECTION NOZZLES LINEARLY ARRANGED, SAID NOZZLES BEING MOVABLE INTO A CASTING POSITION IN WHICH EACH NOZZLE COMMUNICATES WITH A DIE CAVITY AND INTO A BLOCKED POSITION IN WHICH FLOW THROUGH THE NOZZLE INTO THE DIE CAVITY IS PREVENTED; (D) ADVANCE MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE DIES FOLLOWING THE PRODUCTION OF CASTINGS IN THE DIE CAVITIES, SAID MEANS NORMALLY ADVANCING THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER A NORMAL FEED INCREMENT SUFFICIENT TO MOVE THE CASTINGS SO PRODUCED CLEAR OF THE DIES; (E) FIRST BLOCKING MEANS OPERABLE DURING THE FORMATION OF A GROUP OF CASTINGS AND MOVABLE FROM AN INOPERATIVE POSITION IN CONTACT WITH THE ADVANCE MEANS INTO AN OPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH OPERATIVE POSITION THE MOVEMENT OF THE ADVANCE MEANS IS LIMITED TO PRODUCE AN ADVANCE OF THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER OVER A FIRST DISTANCE LESS THAN THE NORMAL FEED INCREMENT SUCH THAT A NUMBER OF CASTINGS PRODUCED IN THE CASTING CYCLE PRIOR TO SAID ADVANCE ARE POSITIONED RELATIVE TO THE DIES SO THAT MOTION OF THE DIES INTO THE CLOSED POSITION RESULTS IN THE RELOCATION OF SAID NUMBER OF CASTINGS IN DIE CAVITIES WHILE AT ELAST ONE DIE CAVITY REMAINS FREE OF A RELOCATED CASTING; (F) SECOND BLOCKING MEANS OPERABLE DURING THE FORMATION OF THE GAP AND MOVABLE FROM AN INOPERATIVE POSITION INTO AN OPERATIVE POSITION IN CONTACT WITH THE ADVANCE MEANS IN WHICH OPERATIVE POSITION THE MOVEMENT OF THE ADVANCE MEANS IS LIMITED TO PRODUCE AN ADVANCE OF THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER OF A SECOND DISTANCE LESS THAN THE NORMAL FEED INCREMENT; (G) THIRD BLOCKING MEANS OPERABLE DURING THE FORMATION OF THE GAP AND MOVABLE FROM AN INOPERATIVE POSITION INTO AN OPERATIVE POSITION IN CONTACT WITH SAID NOZZLES IN WHICH OPERATIVE POSITION THE MOTION OF THE INJECTION NOZZLES FROM THE BLOCKED POSITION INTO THE CASTING POSITION IS PREVENTED.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A LONG CONTINUOUS MEMBER HAVING GROUPS OF REGULARLY SPACED CASTINGS ALONG ITS LENGTH, EACH OF SAID GROUPS BEING SEPARATED FROM THE ADJACENT GROUP BY A DESIRED CASTING-FREE GAP, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING (A) A PAIR OF DIES MOVABLE FROM AN OPEN TO A CLOSED POSITION ABOUT THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER; (B) DIE SURFACES ON THE DIES DEFINING, WHEN THE DIES ARE IN THE CLOSED POSITION ABOUT THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF DIE CAVITIES, SAID DIE CAVITIES BEING UNCONNECTED, AND OF SIMILAR SIZE, SHAPE, AND ORENTATION AND BEING ARRANGED LINEARLY ALONG THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER; (C) A PLURALITY OF INJECTION NOZZLES LINEARLY ARRANGED, SAID NOZZLES BEING MOVABLE INTO A CASTING POSITION IN WHICH EACH NOZZLE COMMUNICATES WITH A DIE CAVITY AND INTO A BLOCKED POSITION IN WHICH FLOW THROUGH THE NOZZLE INTO THE DIE CAVITY IS PREVENTED; (D) ADVANCE MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE DIES FOLLOWING THE PRODUCTION OF CASTINGS IN THE DIE CAVITIES, SAID MEANS NORMALLY ADVANCING THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER A NORMAL FEED INCREMENT SUFFICIENT TO MOVE THE CASTINGS SO PRODUCED CLEAR OF THE DIES; (E) FIRST BLOCKING MEANS OPERABLE DURING THE FORMATION OF A GROUP OF CASTINGS AND MOVABLE FROM AN INOPERATIVE POSITION IN CONTACT WITH THE ADVANCE MEANS INTO AN OPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH OPERATIVE POSITION THE MOVEMENT OF THE ADVANCE MEANS IS LIMITED TO PRODUCE AN ADVANCE OF THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER OVER A FIRST DISTANCE LESS THAN THE NORMAL FEED INCREMENT SUCH THAT A NUMBER OF CASTINGS PRODUCED IN THE CASTING CYCLE PRIOR TO SAID ADVANCE ARE POSITIONED RELATIVE TO THE DIES SO THAT MOTION OF THE DIES INTO THE CLOSED POSITION RESULTS IN THE RELOCATION OF SAID NUMBER OF CASTINGS IN DIE CAVITIES WHILE AT ELAST ONE DIE CAVITY REMAINS FREE OF A RELOCATED CASTING; (F) SECOND BLOCKING MEANS OPERABLE DURING THE FORMATION OF THE GAP AND MOVABLE FROM AN INOPERATIVE POSITION INTO AN OPERATIVE POSITION IN CONTACT WITH THE ADVANCE MEANS IN WHICH OPERATIVE POSITION THE MOVEMENT OF THE ADVANCE MEANS IS LIMITED TO PRODUCE AN ADVANCE OF THE CONTINUOUS MEMBER OF A SECOND DISTANCE LESS THAN THE NORMAL FEED INCREMENT; (G) THIRD BLOCKING MEANS OPERABLE DURING THE FORMATION OF THE GAP AND MOVABLE FROM AN INOPERATIVE POSITION INTO AN OPERATIVE POSITION IN CONTACT WITH SAID NOZZLES IN WHICH OPERATIVE POSITION THE MOTION OF THE INJECTION NOZZLES FROM THE BLOCKED POSITION INTO THE CASTING POSITION IS PREVENTED.