US3834848A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Molding apparatus with core rod obstruction sensors
Assignee: Farrell Patent Co
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Filing: 1973-04-24
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Granted: 1974-09-10
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Expires: 1993-04-24
Abstract
Abstract Molding machines commonly have polygonal indexing heads with straight side faces from which core rods extend. Molded articles are stripped from the core rods at a stripping station; and sensing means beyond the stripping station detect any residual molding material that may not have been stripped. Upon detecting such material, the sensing means cause the machine to stop before a mold at the next station closes on the residue on the core rod. This invention moves the sensing devices toward and from the axis of rotation of the indexing head to compensate for the fact that the head is not round and to thereby operate over a greater length of the core rod.
Inventors
- 👤 J Farrell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 17:08
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C49/00; B29C49/02; B29C49/06; B29C49/061; B29C49/062; B29C49/063; B29C33/00; B29C33/70; B29C49/42; B29C49/78; B29C2049/023; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S425/00; Y10S425/20; Y10S425/203
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
242 words
A molding machine including in combination a polygonal head angularly movable about an axis, core rods that extend from different side faces of the head, operational stations around the head and confronting the different faces of the head, said stations including one station at which plastic is applied to core rods projecting from one face of the head, and another station at which molded articles are stripped from the core rods, indexing mechanism for intermittently moving the head angularly about the axis to bring the core rods successively to different stations, a sensing device located along the path of movement of the core rods as they travel from the stripper station to the next successive station, the sensing device having sensing means located in position to be contacted by residue left on the core rods after they leave the stripper station, bearings in which the sensing device is movable to shift the sensing means closer to and further from the axis of rotation of the head, the sensing device also including mechanism that shift the sensing means in timed relation to the angular movement of the head to bring the sensing means closer to the axis of the head as a mid portion of a side face of the polygon approaches the sensing means and that moves the sensing means further from the axis of rotation of the head as a juncture of two sides of the polygon approaches the sensing means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
242 words
A molding machine including in combination a polygonal head angularly movable about an axis, core rods that extend from different side faces of the head, operational stations around the head and confronting the different faces of the head, said stations including one station at which plastic is applied to core rods projecting from one face of the head, and another station at which molded articles are stripped from the core rods, indexing mechanism for intermittently moving the head angularly about the axis to bring the core rods successively to different stations, a sensing device located along the path of movement of the core rods as they travel from the stripper station to the next successive station, the sensing device having sensing means located in position to be contacted by residue left on the core rods after they leave the stripper station, bearings in which the sensing device is movable to shift the sensing means closer to and further from the axis of rotation of the head, the sensing device also including mechanism that shift the sensing means in timed relation to the angular movement of the head to bring the sensing means closer to the axis of the head as a mid portion of a side face of the polygon approaches the sensing means and that moves the sensing means further from the axis of rotation of the head as a juncture of two sides of the polygon approaches the sensing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The molding machine described in claim 1 characterized by the mechanism that shifts the sensing means in timed relation to the angular movement of the head including a cam that moves in response to the angular movement of the head about its axis.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The molding machine described in claim 2 characterized by the cam being connected with the indexing head and rotating as a unit therewith.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The molding machine described in claim 2 characterized by a cam follower that is displaced by the cam in response to movement of the cam, and motion-transmitting means connecting the follower with the sensing means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
The molding machine described in claim 2 characterized by a cam follower that transmits angUlar movement to a gear, and a rack meshing with said gear, an axially movable support for the sensing means, and motion-transmitting connections through which the rack imparts axial movement to the support.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
88 words
The molding machine described in claim 5 characterized by an elongated bearing housing in which the rack slides, and pinions gears carried by the housing and rotatable with respect thereto and in mesh with the rack on opposite sides of the location of said gear that meshes with the rack, the pinion gears holding the rack against the bearing surface in the housing on the other side of the rack from the pinion gears, the rack having a portion beyond its teeth that cannot pass the pinion gears.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
131 words
The molding machine described in claim 3 characterized by an axially movable element including a rack, a cam follower on the axially movable element in position to contact with the cam, bearings carried by a fixed part of the machine and in which the axially movable element reciprocates as the cam follower moves over the surface of the cam, a gear in mesh with the rack and rotated by axial movement of the element of which the rack is a part, a shaft to which the gear is connected, a second gear connected with the shaft, a second rack in mesh with the second gear, said second rack being part of the sensing device which shifts the sensing means closer to and further from the axis of rotation of the head.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The molding machine described in claim 7 characterized by the gears having different numbers of teeth whereby a given axial movement of one rack transmits a different axial movement to the other rack.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
96 words
The molding machine described in claim 1 characterized by a gear that moves angularly about its axis of rotation in response to the angular movement of the indexing head, a second gear that is turned by the first gear, a rack in mesh with the second gear, said rack being part of the sensing device that shifts the sensing means closer to and further from the axis of rotation of the head, the second gear being larger than the first gear so as to obtain a mechanical advantage that increases the displacement of the sensing means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
95 words
The molding machine described in claim 1 characterized by a fixed frame of the machine including a partition, a part of the sensing device that shifts the sensing means in its bearings being located on one side of the partition, a part of said mechanism being located on the other side of the partition, and motion-transmitting connections including a shaft that extends through the partition and gears on the ends of the shaft that are on opposite sides of the partition for transmitting motion through the partition to shift the sensing means in its bearings.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
151 words
The molding machine described in claim 1 characterized by the machine being an injection blow molding machine including an injection mold at an injection station, a blowing station, and the stripper station being located ahead of the injection station, the sensing means being between the stripper station and the injection station and being carried on a generally rectangular support that slides axially in said bearings in which the sensing device is movable, a limit switch for stopping the operation of the indexing head, an operator for the limit switch including a bar with resilient means holding one end of the bar against the rectangular support, said rectangular support being movable into a canted position in said bearings by contact of residue on the core rods with the sensing means, the operator for the limit switch being moved by the canting of the rectangular support into position to operate the limit switch.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
104 words
The molding machine described in claim 1 characterized by the polygonal head having three faces from which core rods extend, said faces being spaced from one another by equal angles of 60*, the mechanism that shifts the sensing means being correlated with the angular movement of the indexing head to move the sensing means closer to the axis of rotation of the head as the mid portion of the length of each of said three faces approaches the sensing means and to move the sensing means further from the axis as the end of each face beyond said mid portion approaches the sensing means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
118 words
The molding machine described in claim 1 characterized by said mechanism including a cam having as many lobes as there are faces of the head from which core rods extend, the cam rotating as a unit with the head, a cam follower supported by bearings which are at a fixed location on the machine whereby the cam follower moves in its bearings in response to the movement of the cam, said follower constituting a part of the mechanism that shifts the sensing means in timed relation to the angular movement of the head, said mechanism also including motion-transmitting means that are adjustable to change the position of the sensing means from any given displacement of the cam follower.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2853736A
Cited
US3100913A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-09-09 | 1978-03-11 | 1978-09-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-09-09 | 1982-03-11 | 1982-09-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-09-09 | 1986-03-11 | 1986-09-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |