Molding apparatus having finished article discharge with improved scrap separator

Claim 1

An apparatus comprising: a blow mold for blow molding preforms into finished articles, said blow mold including a base and mold halves relatively movable over said base such that in the opened position of the mold, the finished articles produced in the mold are located at a mold area on the base between the open mold halves, a means for defining a path for movement of the finished articles away from the said mold area, and a separating means for separating scrap from the finished articles as the finished articles travel along said path, said separating means including a downwardly inclined article support surface formed by a plurality of spaced apart elongated generally paRallel rods extending in a direction along said path and downwardly inclined in the direction of travel of said path, the upper end of the article support surface being located directly adjacent the blow mold such that finished articles and scrap can move from the said mold area directly onto the upper end of the article support surface, the spaces between the rods being large enough to permit scrap pieces to fall between the rods while concurrently small enough to prevent finished articles from falling between the rods, the downward inclination of the article support surface being great enough for the said finished articles to move downwardly therealong under the influence of gravity, and including means at the blow mold for exterting a force across the base acting on both the finished articles and any scrap at the blow mold area for moving said articles and scrap in a generally horizontal direction out of the said blow mold area and onto the upper end of the article support surface.

Claim 2

An apparatus comprising: a blow mold for blow molding preforms into finished articles, said blow mold including a base and mold halves relatively movable over said base such that in the opened position of the mold, the finished articles produced in the mold are located at a mold area on the base between the open mold halves, a means for defining a path for movement of the finished articles away from the said mold area, and a separating means for separating scrap from the finished articles as the finished articles travel along said path, said separating means including a downwardly inclined article support surface formed by a plurality of spaced apart elongated generally paRallel rods extending in a direction along said path and downwardly inclined in the direction of travel of said path, the upper end of the article support surface being located directly adjacent the blow mold such that finished articles and scrap can move from the said mold area directly onto the upper end of the article support surface, the spaces between the rods being large enough to permit scrap pieces to fall between the rods while concurrently small enough to prevent finished articles from falling between the rods, the downward inclination of the article support surface being great enough for the said finished articles to move downwardly therealong under the influence of gravity, and including means at the blow mold for exterting a force across the base acting on both the finished articles and any scrap at the blow mold area for moving said articles and scrap in a generally horizontal direction out of the said blow mold area and onto the upper end of the article support surface.

Claim 14

An apparatus comprising: a blow mold for blow molding preforms into finished articles, a means for defining a path for movement of the finished articles away from the mold, and a separating means for separating scrap from the finished articles as the finished articles travel along said path, said separating means including a downwardly inclined article support surface formed by a plurality of spaced apart elongated geneRally parallel rods extending in a direction along said path and downwardly inclined in the direction of travel of said path, the upper end of the article support surface being located directly adjacent the blow mold such that finished articles and scrap can move from the blow mold directly onto the upper end of the article support surface, the spaces between the rods being large enough to permit scrap pieces to fall between the rods while concurrently small enough to prevent finished articles from falling between the rods, the downward inclination of the article support surface being great enough for the said finished articles to move downwardly therealong under the influence of gravity, a trough positioned to receive the scrap pieces for delivery to a scrap receiver, the article support surface passing over the trough to deliver the finished articles to a separate article receiver, a vertical door mounted to move into a position across the space just above the article support surface, said door adapted to prevent one from reaching into the area above the article support surface and into the area of the blow mold, said door including a shroud extending outwardly over said trough, thereby permitting free movement of the finished article over the trough and into the finished article receptacle, and including means for moving the finished articles away from the mold comprising air jets for blowing a stream of air laterally against the finished articles to blow them onto the support surface, and said shroud positioned to direct said stream of air downwardly into said trough to facilitate movement thereinto of scrap material.

Claim 15

An apparatus comprising: a blow mold for blow molding preforms into finished articles, a means for defining a path for movement of the finished articles away from the mold, and a separating means for separating scrap from the finished articles as the finished articles travel along said path, said separating means including a downwardly inclined article support surface formed by a plurality of spaced apart elongated geneRally parallel rods extending in a direction along said path and downwardly inclined in the direction of travel of said path, the upper end of the article support surface being located directly adjacent the blow mold such that finished articles and scrap can move from the blow mold directly onto the upper end of the article support surface, the spaces between the rods being large enough to permit scrap pieces to fall between the rods while concurrently small enough to prevent finished articles from falling between the rods, the downward inclination of the article support surface being great enough for the said finished articles to move downwardly therealong under the influence of gravity, a trough positioned to receive the scrap pieces for delivery to a scrap receiver, the article support surface passing over the trough to deliver the finished articles to a separate article receiver, a vertical door mounted to move into a position across the space just above the article support surface, said door adapted to prevent one from reaching into the area above the article support surface and into the area of the blow mold, said door including a shroud extending outwardly over said trough, thereby permitting free movement of the finished article over the trough and into the finished article receptacle, and including means for moving the finished articles away from the mold comprising air jets for blowing a stream of air laterally against the finished articles to blow them onto the support surface, and said shroud positioned to direct said stream of air downwardly into said trough to facilitate movement thereinto of scrap material.

Claim 16

An apparatus comprising: a blow mold for blow molding preforms into finished articles, leaving scrap preform pieces substantially smaller than the finished articles, a means for defining a path for movement of the finished articles away from the mold, and a separating means for separating said scrap pieces from the finished articles as the finished articles and the scrap pieces travel along said path, said separating means including a downwardly inclined article support surface formed by a plurality of spaced apart elongated generally parallel rods extending in a direction along said path and downwardly inclined in the direction of travel of said path, the upper end of the article support surface being located directly adjacent the blow mold such that finished articles and scrap pieces can move from the blow mold directly onto the upper end of the article support surface, the spaces between the rods being large enough to permit the scrap pieces to fall between the rods while concurrently small enough to prevent finished articles from falling between the rods, the downward inclination of the article support surface being great enough for the said finished articles to move downwardly therealong under the influence of gravity, said rods being of a spring consistency and having free unconnected ends wherein as the finished articles and the scrap pieces move therealong, the rods vibrate so as to assist separation of the scrap pieces through the openings.

Claim 17

An apparatus comprising: a blow mold for blow molding preforms into finished articles, leaving scrap preform pieces substantially smaller than the finished articles, a means for defining a path for movement of the finished articles away from the mold, and a separating means for separating said scrap pieces from the finished articles as the finished articles and the scrap pieces travel along said path, said separating means including a downwardly inclined article support surface formed by a plurality of spaced apart elongated generally parallel rods extending in a direction along said path and downwardly inclined in the direction of travel of said path, the upper end of the article support surface being located directly adjacent the blow mold such that finished articles and scrap pieces can move from the blow mold directly onto the upper end of the article support surface, the spaces between the rods being large enough to permit the scrap pieces to fall between the rods while concurrently small enough to prevent finished articles from falling between the rods, the downward inclination of the article support surface being great enough for the said finished articles to move downwardly therealong under the influence of gravity, said rods being of a spring consistency and having free unconnected ends wherein as the finished articles and the scrap pieces move therealong, the rods vibrate so as to assist separation of the scrap pieces through the openings.