Ejector accelerator for molding apparatus

Claim 2

Injection molding apparatus comprising: a movable mold plate including a core upon which molded articles are formed and deposited, the movable mold plate being movable between a molding position and a retracted position, the movable mold plate further including an ejector box and ejector means disposed within the ejector box, the ejector means being movable relative to the mold plate to impinge upon the core during motion of the mOld plate from the molding position to the retracted position, for ejecting molded articles disposed on the core, and an actuating member on said movable mold plate; and ejector accelerator means for varying the relative velocity of the ejector means during at least a portion of the motion of the movable mold plate to the retracted position, the ejector accelerator means including a housing with means forming first and second elongated slots in said housing, a first nonrotatable and longitudinally movable element in said first slot for engaging the actuating member on said movable mold plate during retractive motion thereof thereby urging the first movable element away from the core, a second non-rotatable and longitudinally movable element in said second slot movable toward the core when the first movable element moves away from said core and engaging the ejector means, a coupling element coupling the first movable element to the second movable element so that the latter element moves in response to motion of the former element, and spring return means operatively connected to said coupling means for biasing said first movable element toward the core and the second movable element away from the core when the first movable element is no longer in engagement with the actuating member, said first and second movable elements moving toward and away from the core through movement of said mold plate and engagement of said first movable element with said actuating member during said retractive motion and through the action of said spring return means without any external drive means so that the first and second movable elements move primarily in response to movement of said mold plate and through action of said spring return means.

Claim 3

The injection molding apparatus as set out in claim 1 wherein the movable mold plate moves to the retracted position at a first velocity and wherein the first element of the ejector accelerator means is adapted to engage the movable mold plate to move at the first velocity relative to the movable mold plate and wherein the second element of the ejector accelerator means is adapted to have a component of motion opposite to that of the first element, in response to motion of the latter element.

Claim 4

An ejector accelerator for accelerating the movement of ejector means in injection molding apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a. a housing, b. an ejector means operatively associated with said housing, c. means forming first and second spaced apart parallel elongated slots in said housing, d. a first element movably disposed within the first slot in said housing for reciprocation relative to and within said housing between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position, e. a second element movably disposed within the second slot in said housing for reciprocation relative to and within said housing between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position to impart motion to said ejector means, f. said first and second slots being sized and shaped relative to said respective first and second movable elements to restrain said first and second movable elements against any rotatable movement and only permitting longitudinal shifting movement in the respective first and second slots, g. said first and second elements having spaced apart toothed surfaces in opposed relationship, h. gear means interposed between said toothed surfaces in meshing engagement therewith for transmitting motion between said elements, i. said gear means being interposed in such position such that said first element is fully retracted when said second element is fully extended and said first element is fully extended when said second element is fully retracted, j. the motion of said second element being inversely proportional to the motion of said first element, k. said first element being movable to its fully retracted position only through relative movement between said housing and a mold forming part of said molding apparatus when contact exists therebetween and without any external drive means forming part of said ejector accelerator and l. a wound spring having a first end secured to said housing and a second end secured to said gear means, said spring biasing said gear means to urge said second element to its fully retracted position against the action of a mold urging opposite movement so that said spring biases said first element to its fully extended position, m. said first element being returned to its extended position only through the action of said spring.

Claim 5

An ejector accelerator for accelerating the movement of ejector means in injection molding apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a. a housing, b. an ejector means operatively associated with said housing, c. means forming first and second spaced apart parallel elongated slots in said housing, d. a first element movably disposed within the first slot in said housing for reciprocation relative to and within said housing between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position, e. a second element movably disposed within the second slot in said housing for reciprocation relative to and within said housing between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position to impart motion to said ejector means, f. said first and second slots being sized and shaped relative to said respective first and second movable elements to restrain said first and second movable elements against any rotatable movement and only permitting longitudinal shifting movement in the respective first and second slots, g. said first and second elements having spaced apart toothed surfaces in opposed relationship, h. gear means interposed between said toothed surfaces in meshing engagement therewith for transmitting motion between said elements, i. said gear means being interposed in such position such that said first element is fully retracted when said second element is fully extended and said first element is fully extended when said second element is fully retracted, j. the motion of said second element being inversely proportional to the motion of said first element, k. said first element being movable to its fully retracted position only through relative movement between said housing and a mold forming part of said molding apparatus when contact exists therebetween and without any external drive means forming part of said ejector accelerator and l. a wound spring having a first end secured to said housing and a second end secured to said gear means, said spring biasing said gear means to urge said second element to its fully retracted position against the action of a mold urging opposite movement so that said spring biases said first element to its fully extended position, m. said first element being returned to its extended position only through the action of said spring.

Claim 6

The ejector accelerator of claim 3 further characterized in that said first and second elements are racks having such toothed surfaces.

Claim 7

The ejector accelerator of claim 3 further characterized in that said gear means is a pinion gear.

Claim 8

The ejector accelerator of claim 5 further characterized in that said housing is provided with a recess, and that said pinion gear is disposed within said recess.

Claim 9

The ejector accelerator of claim 3 further characterized in that said wound spring has its first end secured to a slit within said housing and being restrained thereby.

Claim 10

The ejector accelerator of claim 3 further characterized in that one of said elements is provided on one of its ends with an enlarged outwardly projecting flange and the other of said elements is provided on a corresponding one of its ends with a bolt-type head.

Claim 11

An injection molding apparatus comprising: a. a movable mold plate movable between an advanced position and a retracted position, b. means forming a recess in said mold plate and defining an ejector box, c. an ejector plate disposed within said ejector box and being movable relative to said ejector box, d. an ejector housing disposed within said ejector box and said housing having an outer ejector casing, e. means forming first and second opposed parallel elongated slots within said ejector housing, f. a first reciprocative element located within said first elongated slot retractable in response to retraction of said movable mold plate relative to said ejector plate from an extended position to a retracted position, g. a second reciprocative element located within said second elongated slot also movable from an extended position to a retracted position, h. coupling means for coupling the first and second reciprocative elements so that said second element is advanced when said first element is retracted and said first element is advanced when said second element is retracted, i. said first and second slots being sized and shaped relative to said first and second movable elements to restrain said first and second movable elements against any rotatable movement and only permitting longitudinal shifting movement in the respective first and second slots, j. ejector means carried by said ejector plate and being adapted to engage a molded article disposed in relation to said mold plate, k. actuating means in said ejector housing located to engage said first reciprocative element as said mold plate is shifted and urge said first reciprocative element to its retracted position and simultaneously urge said second reciprocative element to its extended position, l. said first element being movable to its fully retracted position only through relative movement between said first reciprocative element and said actuating means of said molding apparatus when contact exists therebetween and without any external drive means forming part of said ejector plate, m. and biasing means operatively associated with said coupling means for biasing said first reciprocative element to its extended position upon disengagement of said actuating means and first reciprocative element.

Claim 12

An injection molding apparatus comprising: a. a movable mold plate movable between an advanced position and a retracted position, b. means forming a recess in said mold plate and defining an ejector box, c. an ejector plate disposed within said ejector box and being movable relative to said ejector box, d. an ejector housing disposed within said ejector box and said housing having an outer ejector casing, e. means forming first and second opposed parallel elongated slots within said ejector housing, f. a first reciprocative element located within said first elongated slot retractable in response to retraction of said movable mold plate relative to said ejector plate from an extended position to a retracted position, g. a second reciprocative element located within said second elongated slot also movable from an extended position to a retracted position, h. coupling means for coupling the first and second reciprocative elements so that said second element is advanced when said first element is retracted and said first element is advanced when said second element is retracted, i. said first and second slots being sized and shaped relative to said first and second movable elements to restrain said first and second movable elements against any rotatable movement and only permitting longitudinal shifting movement in the respective first and second slots, j. ejector means carried by said ejector plate and being adapted to engage a molded article disposed in relation to said mold plate, k. actuating means in said ejector housing located to engage said first reciprocative element as said mold plate is shifted and urge said first reciprocative element to its retracted position and simultaneously urge said second reciprocative element to its extended position, l. said first element being movable to its fully retracted position only through relative movement between said first reciprocative element and said actuating means of said molding apparatus when contact exists therebetween and without any external drive means forming part of said ejector plate, m. and biasing means operatively associated with said coupling means for biasing said first reciprocative element to its extended position upon disengagement of said actuating means and first reciprocative element.

Claim 13

The injection molding apparatus of claim 9 further characterized in that said biasing means is a coiled spring section.

Claim 14

The injection molding apparatus of claim 9 further characterized in that said ejector means comprisEs first and second ejector elements carried by said ejector plate and adapted to engage a molded article disposed on said movable mold plate and to eject said article from said movable mold plate during motion of said movable mold plate toward said retracted position and relative to said ejector plate, said first and second reciprocative elements and said coupling means being operative and responsive to the motion of said movable mold plate relative to said ejector plate and said ejector housing for accelerating the motion of said second ejector element relative to said movable mold plate during at least a portion of the travel of said movable mold plate from said advanced position to said retracted position.

Claim 15

The injection molding apparatus of claim 9 further characterized in that first and second reciprocative elements comprise spaced apart and parallel first and second racks having toothed surfaces in opposed relationship and said coupling means comprises a pinion gear engaging said toothed surfaces.

Claim 16

The injection molding apparatus of claim 12 further characterized in that spring means is operatively associated with said first and second racks for biasing said first and second racks to respective fully advanced and fully retracted positions without external drive means forming part of said ejector housing.

Claim 17

The injection molding apparatus of claim 9 further characterized in that said actuating means and said first reciprocative element are separated by a gap of predetermined length in the fully advanced position of said movable mold plate whereby accelerated movement of said at least one ejector element takes place only during a terminal portion of the travel of said movable mold plate toward said retracted position.

Claim 18

The injection molding apparatus of claim 9 further characterized in that said ejector plate comprises two individual ejector plates, each of said ejector plates carrying ejector means, and each of said reciprocative elements having heads which are adapted to engage only one of said two ejector plates for accelerating the movement of the ejector means carried by said one ejector plate.

Claim 19

In an injection molding apparatus, including a movable mold plate having a mold core upon which molded articles are formed, and having ejector means for ejecting molded articles from the mold core, an ejector accelerator comprising: a. a housing positionable in operative relation with the mold plate, b. means forming first and second spaced apart parallel elongated slots in said housing, c. a first movable element disposed within said first slot in the housing and being movable in a forward and rearward direction relative to the housing, d. said first movable element being disposed in operative relation with the mold plate when the housing is positioned in operative relation with the mold plate, e. a second movable element disposed within said second slot in the housing and second movable element being movable in a forward and rearward direction relative to the housing and being disposed in operative relation with the ejector means, f. said first and second movable slots being sized and shaped relative to said respective first and second movable elements to restrain said first and second movable elements against any rotatable movement and only permitting longitudinal shifting movement in the respective first and second slots, g. said first movable element being located to be actuated by an actuating means associated with the mold core and being urged in a rearward direction upon contact therewith when said mold plate moves a predetermined distance after forming a molded article, h. coupling means operatively associated with the first movable element and the second movable element for coupling the first and second movable elements, such that motion of the first movable element is in the opposite direction to motion of the second movable element, i. and spring means operatively associated with said coupLing means to bias the first movable element forwardly and the second movable element rearwardly without any form of external drive means therefor.

Claim 20

In an injection molding apparatus, including a movable mold plate having a mold core upon which molded articles are formed, and having ejector means for ejecting molded articles from the mold core, an ejector accelerator comprising: a. a housing positionable in operative relation with the mold plate, b. means forming first and second spaced apart parallel elongated slots in said housing, c. a first movable element disposed within said first slot in the housing and being movable in a forward and rearward direction relative to the housing, d. said first movable element being disposed in operative relation with the mold plate when the housing is positioned in operative relation with the mold plate, e. a second movable element disposed within said second slot in the housing and second movable element being movable in a forward and rearward direction relative to the housing and being disposed in operative relation with the ejector means, f. said first and second movable slots being sized and shaped relative to said respective first and second movable elements to restrain said first and second movable elements against any rotatable movement and only permitting longitudinal shifting movement in the respective first and second slots, g. said first movable element being located to be actuated by an actuating means associated with the mold core and being urged in a rearward direction upon contact therewith when said mold plate moves a predetermined distance after forming a molded article, h. coupling means operatively associated with the first movable element and the second movable element for coupling the first and second movable elements, such that motion of the first movable element is in the opposite direction to motion of the second movable element, i. and spring means operatively associated with said coupLing means to bias the first movable element forwardly and the second movable element rearwardly without any form of external drive means therefor.

Claim 21

The ejector accelerator of claim 16 further characterized in that the first movable element comprises a first rack means and the second movable element comprises second rack means, the coupling means comprising pinion gear means coupled with the rack means.

Claim 22

The ejector accelerator of claim 16 further characterized in that the ratio of motion of the first movable element and the second movable element is substantially equal to one-to-one.

Claim 23

The ejector accelerator of claim 16 further characterized in that the coupling means comprises a pinion gear and cooperating gear means with other than a one-to-one ratio therebetween such that the ratio of motion of the first movable element and the second movable element is other than one-to-one.