Moulding of metallic articles

Claim 2

A moulding machine for producing moulding metallic articles having partially embedded inserts, the machine comprising two mould supporting members, means for effecting relative movement of said mould supporting members during a moulding cycle, two moulds respectively carried by said two mould supporting members, said two moulds defining a mould cavity when closed, one of said moulds having a first passage extending through said one mould and communicating with the mould cavity, the other of said moulds having a second passage aligned with said first passage and having a projection defining a ledge extending horizontally along an external surface of the other mould, means for inserting one of said inserts between the moulds each time said moulds close in such manner that a projecting flange of said insert engages around said ledge on said other mould, a material delivery member which moves to an aperture in one of the mould supporting members for injecting moulding material, in a fluid or plastic condition, into said first passage in said one mould and thence into said cavity between the closed moulds, a punch which closes the second passage during injection of moulding material into the mould cavity, means for moving said punch with respect to the closed moulds into the first passage to part a sprue or runner, formed by excess moulding material, from an external peripheral edge surface of the moulded article when the latter is fully enclosed between the closed moulds, the displaced sprue or runner dropping out of said first passage, an ejection member and means for moving the ejection member with a horizontal reciprocating action between the two moulds when the latter open, at which stage the moulded article remains hanging on the other mould by virtue of the interengagement of the projecting flange of the insert with the ledge, means for moving said ejection member undergoing an operative stroke for pushing the moulded article to cause the flange to slide horizontally along the ledge, until the moulded article is clear of the other mould, after which the ejection member undergoes a return stroke between the open moulds, the moulds then closing and the aforesaid movements of the parts being repeated in cyclic sychronism to produce further moulded articles.

Claim 3

A moulding machine for producing moulded vehicle wheel balance weights, each weight having a metal clip for attaching the weight to a rim of the vehicle wheel, the machine comprising a bath for containing molten metal, upper and lower mould supporting members, means for effecting relative vertical movement of said mould supporting members during a moulding cycle, upper and lower moulds respectively carried by said upper and lower mould supporting members, the upper and lower moulds defining a mould cavity when closed, the lower mould having a vertical first passage extending completely through the lower mould and communicating with the mould cavity, the upper mould having a second vertical passage aligned with the first vertical passage and having a projection defining a ledge extending horizontally along an external surface of the upper mould, clip feed means for inserting one of the clips between the moulds each time the moulds close in such manner that a projecting flange of the clip engages around said ledge on said upper mould, a feed nozzle which is movable between a lowered position in which the feed nozzle is submerged below the level of the molten metal in the bath and a raised position in which the feed nozzle registers with an aperture in the lower mould supporting member for injecting molten metal into said first passage in said lower mould and thence into said cavity between the closed moulds, a punch which closes the second passage during injection of molten metal into the mould cavity, means for moving said punch downwardly with respect to the closed moulds into the first passage to part a sprue or runner, formed by excess metal, from an external peripheral edge surface of the moulded weight when the latter is fully enclosed between the closed moulds, the displaced sprue or runner, dropping out of said first passage, means for moving the nozzle meanwhile to the lowered position, an ejection member and means for moving the ejection member with a horizontal reciprocating action between the upper and lower moulds when the latter open, at which stage the moulded weight remains hanging on the upper mould by virtue of the interengagement of the projecting flange of the clip with the ledge, means for moving said ejection member undergoing an operative stroke for pushing the moulded weight to cause the flange of the clip to slide horizontally along the ledge, until the moulded weight is clear of the upper mould, after which the ejection member undergoes a return stroke between the open moulds, the moulds then closing and the aforesaid movements of the parts being repeated in cyclic synchronism to produce further moulded weights.

Claim 4

A moulding machine for producing moulded vehicle wheel balance weights, each weight having a metal clip for attaching the weight to a rim of the vehicle wheel, the machine comprising a bath for containing molten metal, upper and lower mould supporting members, means for effecting relative vertical movement of said mould supporting members during a moulding cycle, upper and lower moulds respectively carried by said upper and lower mould supporting members, the upper and lower moulds defining a mould cavity when closed, the lower mould having a vertical first passage extending completely through the lower mould and communicating with the mould cavity, the upper mould having a second vertical passage aligned with the first vertical passage and having a projection defining a ledge extending horizontally along an external surface of the upper mould, clip feed means for inserting one of the clips between the moulds each time the moulds close in such manner that a projecting flange of the clip engages around said ledge on said upper mould, a feed nozzle which is movable between a lowered position in which the feed nozzle is submerged below the level of the molten metal in the bath and a raised position in which the feed nozzle registers with an aperture in the lower mould supporting member for injecting molten metal into said first passage in said lower mould and thence into said cavity between the closed moulds, a punch which closes the second passage during injection of molten metal into the mould cavity, means for moving said punch downwardly with respect to the closed moulds into the first passage to part a sprue or runner, formed by excess metal, from an external peripheral edge surface of the moulded weight when the latter is fully enclosed between the closed moulds, the displaced sprue or runner, dropping out of said first passage, means for moving the nozzle meanwhile to the lowered position, an ejection member and means for moving the ejection member with a horizontal reciprocating action between the upper and lower moulds when the latter open, at which stage the moulded weight remains hanging on the upper mould by virtue of the interengagement of the projecting flange of the clip with the ledge, means for moving said ejection member undergoing an operative stroke for pushing the moulded weight to cause the flange of the clip to slide horizontally along the ledge, until the moulded weight is clear of the upper mould, after which the ejection member undergoes a return stroke between the open moulds, the moulds then closing and the aforesaid movements of the parts being repeated in cyclic synchronism to produce further moulded weights.

Claim 5

A machine according to claim 1, wherein the punch has a planar surface which parts the sprue or runner from the moulded articles along a substantially planar separation surface.

Claim 6

A machine according to claim 3, wherein the punch is generally D-shaped in cross-section.

Claim 7

A machine according to claim 1, wherein the other of the supporting members is a fixed upper platen and said one supporting member is a lower platen movable between a raised position in which the moulds come together to define the mould cavity, and a lowered position in which the moulds are separated for ejection of each moulded article.

Claim 8

A machine according to claim 1 and incorporating a bath for containing a supply of moulding material in a molten state, said one mould supporting member being disposed above the bath so that each disloded sprue or runner falls from the passage in said one mould into the bath, and wherein the material delivery member moves between raised and lowered positions, in the former of which a delivery nozzle communicates with the passage in said one mould to inject moulding material, and in the latter of which the dElivery member is submerged below the level of the molten material in the bath, the movement of the material delivery member being synchronized with the movement of the punch and the relative movement of the two mould supporting members under the control of control means of the machine.

Claim 9

A machine according to claim 6, wherein the punch is operative to execute two reciprocatory strokes for each article moulded, to prevent the possibility of a sprue or runner adhering to the lower end of the punch.

Claim 10

A machine according to claim 7, wherein the control means are electro-pneumatic in nature.

Claim 11

A machine according to claim 1, wherein the arm is pivotally movable about a vertical axis.

Claim 12

A machine according to claim 2, wherein the clip feed means comprise a clip shovel operated in synchronism with the punch, the delivery member and the relative movement of the two mould supporting members to feed individual clips between the moulds, and a clip feed rail along which the clips pass toward the shovel under gravity.

Claim 13

A machine according to claim 2, wherein the ejection member is a pivotally movable arm, pivoted about a vertical axis, which undergoes a to and fro pivot movement between the open moulds during each cycle.

Claim 14

A machine according to claim 2, wherein the upper mould is fixed and the lower mould is movable upwardly toward the upper mould as the moulds close.