Apparatus for automatically removing finished article from injection mold

Claim 2

An injection molding apparatus comprising: a vertically supported stationary platen, a vertically supported movable platen, power means to activate said movable platen in a horizontal direction towards and away from said fixed platen, said platen defining a space therebetween when said platens are in an open position, mating mold halves, one mold half mounted on each of said platens, said mold halves defining a space therebetween when said platens are in an open position, a base portion of said apparatus defining an open space therein, at least a portion of said space being directly below said space defined by said open platens, means for receiving a finished article from said apparatus and conveying said article away from said mold halves, said means for receiving and conveying disposed within the base portion below the mold halves and including an upwardly facing receiving surface, an operating means disposed within said space in the base portion. said operating means including means attached to said receiving and conveying means for lifting it solely in a vertical direction to move said receiving means upwardly into the space defined by said open platens for receiving an article formed in said apparatus, and operable to move said receiving and conveying means downwardly out of said space to permit reclosing of the mold halves for a subsequent molding cycle.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1 said receiving and conveying means comprising an endless conveyor supported on the lift means, and means for operating said endless conveyor at any selected position of the lift means.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, said lift means including a folding linkage pivotally engaged with a support plate at its upper end, the conveyor means being mounted on said support plate.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 1, including means for ejecting a finished article from a first mold half onto which it is positioned upon separation and the platens, and orienting the finished article on said receiving and conveying means.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 4, said means for ejecting and orienting compRising: ejector rods movable through the first mold part to separate the finished article from the first mold part, a deflector member positionable adjacent the first mold half and an upper part of the outer side of a finished article upon separation of the mold halves and said deflection member engageable with an upper part of a finished article after separation of the part from the first mold half, means for moving the surface of the receiving and conveying means away from the first mold half as a finished article is being removed therefrom, whereby a lowermost part of a finished article engages the moving surface of the receiving and conveying means first and moves away from the first mold part, after which an uppermost part of the finished article falls onto the receiving and conveying means surface after the lowermost part.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 5, said receiving and conveying means being an endless belt conveyor.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 1, including means for activating the operating means to move said receiving and conveying means into the space between the platens automatically in response to separation of the platens from each other, and removing means for removing a finished article from the first mold half onto the receiving and conveying means automatically in response to movement of the receiving and conveying means into the space between the platens.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said removing means includes ejector means for ejecting the finished article off of the first mold half, a deflector member positionable adjacent the first mold half and an outer side of a finished article and means for moving the surface of the receiving and conveying means while said ejector means ejects a finished article off of the first mold half while a top side of a finished article is engageable with the deflector member; and said ejector means and means for moving the deflector member into position adjacent a finished article being operable automatically in response to movement of the conveyor means to said space.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 1, including removing means for removing a finished article from a first one of said mold halves, said removing means including deflector means for moving part of a finished article which is lowermost while on the first mold half farther away from the first mold half then an uppermost part of a finished article, and means for moving the surface of the receiving and conveying means away from the first mold half, such that a lowermost part of a finished article is engageable with the moving surface of the conveyor means first and moves away from the first mold half after which an uppermost part of a finished article falls onto the conveyor means surface behind a lowermost part.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 9, said operating means including means for lifting the conveying means, and including means for stopping the conveying means surface after a finished article is located thereon, and means for operating the conveyor means surface again to transfer a finished article from the conveying means to a further receiving means after the conveying means has been lowered.

Claim 12

The apparatus recited in claim 1 and further including: a deflection member, said deflector member being positionable closely adjacent to a first mold half mounted on the movable platen, but maintainable in spaced relation thereto, and ejector means to eject a finished article from said first mold half so that after ejection a top portion of an article is engageable with said deflection member insuring that a bottom portion of an article is engageable with the receiving and conveying means before the top portion.

Claim 13

The apparatus recited in claim 1 and further including: additional means to convey the finished articles away from said apparatus, said additional conveying means being disposed within the base portion of said apparatus and cooperating with said receiving and conveyiNg means to receive the finished article from the receiving and conveying means.

Claim 14

An injection molding apparatus comprising: platen means for mounting mating mold parts for movement towards and away from each other, a conveyor means cooperating with said apparatus for receiving finished articles from the mold, an operating means operable when the platen means have moved away from each other for moving the conveyor means into the space between the separated platens to a position for receiving a finished article formed in the mold, and operable after receiving the finished article for moving the conveyor means out of said space so as to permit reclosing of the mold for a subsequent operating cycle thereof, removing means for removing a finished article from a first one of said mold parts, means for moving the surface of the conveyor means away from the first mold part, such that the said lowermost part of a finished article engages the moving surface of the conveyor means first and moves away from the first mold part, after which an uppermost part of a finished article falls onto the conveyor means surface behind the said lowermost part, means for stopping the conveyor means surface after the article is located thereon, and means for operating the conveyor means surface again to transfer a finished article from the conveyor means to a further receiving means after the conveyor means has been lowered, a deflector member in cooperative relationship with said apparatus and movable downwardly from above to a position adjacent the first mold part to limit movement of an upper portion of a finished article away from the first mold part, means for raising the conveyor means and for lowering the deflector member automatically in response to separation of the platen means, an ejector means which cooperates with the deflector member for causing said movement of a finished article off of the first mold part, means for moving the surface of the conveyor means and operating the ejector means in response to upward movement of the conveyor means, means for terminating movement of the conveyor surface, for lowering the conveyor means below the mold platens and for moving the deflector member above the mold parts, all automatically in response to a predetermined movement of the surface of the conveyor means.

Claim 15

An injection molding apparatus comprising: platen means for mounting mating mold parts for movement towards and away from each other, a conveyor means cooperating with said apparatus for receiving finished articles from the mold, an operating means operable when the platen means have moved away from each other for moving the conveyor means into the space between the separated platens to a position for receiving a finished article formed in the mold, and operable after receiving the finished article for moving the conveyor means out of said space so as to permit reclosing of the mold for a subsequent operating cycle thereof, removing means for removing a finished article from a first one of said mold parts, means for moving the surface of the conveyor means away from the first mold part, such that the said lowermost part of a finished article engages the moving surface of the conveyor means first and moves away from the first mold part, after which an uppermost part of a finished article falls onto the conveyor means surface behind the said lowermost part, means for stopping the conveyor means surface after the article is located thereon, and means for operating the conveyor means surface again to transfer a finished article from the conveyor means to a further receiving means after the conveyor means has been lowered, a deflector member in cooperative relationship with said apparatus and movable downwardly from above to a position adjacent the first mold part to limit movement of an upper portion of a finished article away from the first mold part, means for raising the conveyor means and for lowering the deflector member automatically in response to separation of the platen means, an ejector means which cooperates with the deflector member for causing said movement of a finished article off of the first mold part, means for moving the surface of the conveyor means and operating the ejector means in response to upward movement of the conveyor means, means for terminating movement of the conveyor surface, for lowering the conveyor means below the mold platens and for moving the deflector member above the mold parts, all automatically in response to a predetermined movement of the surface of the conveyor means.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 13, including means for starting a further cycle of the injection molding apparatus in response to lowering of the conveyor means.