Apparatus for transferring molded products to a trimming machine

Claim 2

Apparatus for transferring molded plastic containers from a container molding machine to the feeding mechanism of a trimming machine, in which a plurality of molded containers is simultaneously discharged from the molding machine in a vertical, spaced-apart position and are fed to the feeding mechanism of the trimming machine in a horizontal and differently spaced-apart position, said transfer apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of container-holding means located at a container-receiving station adjacent the molding machine for simultaneously receiving the plurality of containers discharged from the molding machine; b. transfer means simultaneously reciprocating the containerholding means between the container-receiving station and a container-removing station remote from the molding machine; c. spacing means for adjusting the spacing between the container-holding means during transfer between said stations to the spacing required for the trimming machine; and d. guide means at said container-removing station for simultaneously removing the plurality of containers from the container-holding means orienting them to a horizontal position, and feeding them onto the feeding mechanism of the trimming machine.

Claim 3

Apparatus for transferring molded plastic containers from a container molding machine to the feeding mechanism of a trimming machine, in which a plurality of molded containers is simultaneously discharged from the molding machine in a vertical, spaced-apart position and are fed to the feeding mechanism of the trimming machine in a horizontal and differently spaced-apart position, said transfer apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of container-holding means located at a container-receiving station adjacent the molding machine for simultaneously receiving the plurality of containers discharged from the molding machine; b. transfer means slidably reciprocating the container-holding means between the container-receiving station and a container-removing station remote from the molding machine; c. spacing means interconnecting adjacent container-holding means and defining inner and outer limits corresponding to the spacing of the containers discharged from the molding machine and the spacing required for feeding the containers to the trimming machine; and d. guide means at said container-removing station for simultaneously removing the plurality of containers from the container-holding means orienting them to a horizontal position, and feeding them onto the feeding mechanism of the trimming machine.

Claim 4

Apparatus for transferring molded plastic containers from a container molding machine to the feeding mechanism of a trimming machine, in which a plurality of molded containers is simultaneously discharged from the molding machine in a vertical, spaced-apart position and are fed to the feeding mechanism of the trimming machine in a horizontal and differently spaced-apart position, said transfer apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of container-holding means located at a container-receiving station adjacent the molding machine for simultaneously receiving the plurality of containers discharged from the molding machine; b. transfer means slidably reciprocating the container-holding means between the container-receiving station and a container-removing station remote from the molding machine; c. spacing means interconnecting adjacent container-holding means and defining inner and outer limits corresponding to the spacing of the containers discharged from the molding machine and the spacing required for feeding the containers to the trimming machine; and d. guide means at said container-removing station for simultaneously removing the plurality of containers from the container-holding means orienting them to a horizontal position, and feeding them onto the feeding mechanism of the trimming machine.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the guide means includes an arcuate guide way aligned with each of the container-holding means at the container-removing station to move the containers from a vertical to a horizontal position.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the feeding mechanism of the trimmiNg machine is located above the plane of the container-holding means, and the guide means further includes pushing means for pushing the containers up out of the container-holding means, into and through the arcuate guide ways, and onto the feeding mechanism of the trimming machine.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pushing means comprises a plurality of arms pivotally mounted for rotation between a first position beneath the bottom of the containers in the container-holding means, said arms rotating upwardly through the container-holding means and the arcuate guide ways to a second position where they simultaneously push the plurality of containers out of the guide ways and onto the feeding mechanism of the trimming machine.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the container-holding means comprises a plurality of baskets open at the top for receiving the containers discharged in a downward direction from the molding machine and for holding the containers in a vertical position.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the spacing means comprises a rod slidably mounted through adjacent container-holding means and having inner stop blocks adjustably fixed to the rod to limit the narrower spacing between the container-holding means when they are pushed together, and outer stop blocks adjustably fixed to a rod to limit the wider spacing between the container-holding means when they are pulled apart.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the containers are discharged from the molding machine at the wider spacing and fed to the trimming machine at the narrower spacing and the transfer means pushes the container-holding means together during transfer to the container-removing station and pulls them apart during transfer back to the container-receiving station.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transfer means is connected to the trailing container-holding means to thereby push them together as they move toward the container-removing station and to pull them apart as they reciprocate back toward said container-receiving station.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 9, including first fixed stop means engaging the leading container-holding means at the container-removing station so that the transfer means will push them together to their narrower spacing for alignment with the guide means, and second fixed stop means engaging the leading container-holding means at the container-receiving station so that the transfer means will pull them apart to their wider spacing for alignment with the molding machine.