Apparatus for automatically trim finishing blow molded plastic articles

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A BLOW MOLDING MACHINE HAVING A DIE AND HORIZONTALLY MOVABLE MOLD SECTIONS DISPOSED BELOW SAID DIE HEAD AND IN WHICH SAID DIE HEAD IS CAPABLE OF FORMING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PARISON LOCATED BETWEEN SAID MOLD SECTIONS, AND IN WHICH SAID MOLD SECTIONS ARE MOVABLE INTO ENGAGEMENT TO PINCH THE LOWER END OF SAID PARISON IN A PLANE CORRESPONDING TO THE PARTING LINE OF SAID MOLD SECTIONS AND FORM A MOLD CAVITY ABOUT SAID PINCHED PARISON, AND IN WHICH SAID MACHINE INCLUDES MEANS FOR BLOWING SAID PARISON INTO CONFORMITY WITH SAID MOLD CAVITY TO FORM AN ARTICLE HAVING A SIDE WALL, A TOP WALL AND A BOTTOM WALL PROVIDED WITH A DEPENDING TAIL FORMED FROM THE PINCHED PORTION OF SAID PARISON AND DISPOSED IN SAID PLANE; APPARATUS FOR REMOVING EXCESS MATERIAL FROM SAID ARTICLE SO AS TO FORM A FINISHED CONTAINER, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A TRANSFER BRACKET DISPOSED BELOW SAID MOLD SECTIONS, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID ARTICLE DOWNWARDLY FROM BETWEEN SAID MOLDED SECTIONS TO A SUPPORTED POSITION ON SAID TRANSFER BRACKET IN WHICH SAID TAIL IS LOCATED IN SAID PLANE, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BRACKET SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID PLANE, MEANS ON SAID TRANSFER BRACKET ENGAGEABLE WITH ONE SIDE OF SAID ARTICLE DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID TRANSFER BRACKET IN SAID DIRECTION, A LOCATING BRACKET ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID CONTAINER IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION OF SAID TRANSFER BRACKET SO THAT SAID ARTICLE IN SAID POSITION OF SAID TRANSFER BRACKET IN CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID BRACKETS, MEANS DISPOSED ABOVE AND POSITIONED IN VERTICL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ARTICLE IN SAID POSITION OF SAID TRANSFER BRACKET FOR DOWNWARD MOVEMENT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ARTICLE FOR CUTTING OUT AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID TOP WALL, AND MEANS ON SAID BRACKETS POSITIONED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TAIL DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID TRANSFER BRACKET TOWARD SAID PREDETERMINED POSITION THEREOF FOR STRIPPING SAID TAIL OFF SAID BOTTOM WALL IN A SUBSTANTIALY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION.