Apparatus for the manufacture of hollow bodies

Claim 2

Apparatus for the manufacture of blow-moulded, hollow bodies from thermoplastic synthetic material which transfers the hollow bodies during stages of manufacture between a receiving station which includes an extruder having an extrusion nozzle; a blow-mould and mould-release station having a holder; and a transfer station which transfers the hollow bodies away from the apparatus including: a hollow mould having at least two parts which receive thermoplastic material from the extrusion nozzle; a means connected to support each of the hollow mould parts; a gripper to temporarily hold the hollow bodies; a lever arm means to which the gripper is mounted and further to which the means supporting the hollow mould parts are attached such that the lever arm means operates to open and close the hollow mould parts and open and close the gripper; means connected to actuate the lever arm means; an automatically displaceable carriage; means connected to displace the carriage wherein; the lever arm means is connected to the carriage such that the means supporting the hollow mould parts is displaceable between the receiving station at which the hollow mould is closed and the mould release station at which the hollow mould is opened and the hollow bodies are removed from the hollow mould parts, and wherein the lever arm means is connected such that the gripper is displaceable between the mould release station at which the gripper closes to hold the hollow bodies and the transfer station at which the gripper opens to release the hollow body, wherein; during the displacement of the hollow mould parts from the receiving station to the mould-release station, the gripper is correspondingly moved from the mould-release station to the transfer station; and wherein the mould-release station holder supports the hollow bodies after the hollow mould parts are opened at the mould-release station.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the lever arm means serve for guiding the hollow mould parts in alignment relative to each other.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the gripper is rigidly attached to the lever arm means.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the gripper is pivotably mounted on the lever arm means.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the holder is a blowing and calibrating member.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lever arm means includes a pair of arm members at the free end of which a gripper is connected and a pair of link members, one for each arm member, for pivotably connecting the arm members to respective ones of the means supporting the mould parts.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the arms are connected to each other forming a common pivot point.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said lever arm means is pivotably connected to the carriage.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the connection of said lever arm means to said carriage is independent of the coupling of said lever arm means with said means supporting the mould parts.

Claim 11

Apparatus for the manufacture of blow-moulded, hollow bodies from thermoplastic synthetic material which transfers the hollow bodies during stages of manufacture between a receiving station which includes an extruder having an extrusion nozzle; a blow-mould and mould-release station having a holder; and a transfer station which transfers the hollow bodies away from the apparatus including: a hollow mould having at least two parts which receive thermoplastic material from the extrusion nozzle; a means connected to support each of the hollow mould parts; an automatically displaceable carriage; means connected to displace the carriage; means mounted to the carriage for supporting the means connected to support the mould parts and for guiding the mould parts for opening and closing movement relative to each other; parts forming a gripper; arm means to which the parts forming the gripper are mounted, said arm means being connected to said carriage for guiding the parts forming the gripper for opening and closing movement relative to each other; said means mounted to the carriage for supporting the mould parts and the means supporting the mould parts for movement between the receiving station and the mould release station, at which the hollow bodies are removed from the mould parts; said arm means mounted to the parts forming the gripper for movement between the mould release station at which the hollow bodies are received by the parts forming the gripper; and the transfer station at which the hollow bodies are received from the parts forming the gripper; such that during movement of the mould from the receiving station to the release station the parts forming the gripper are correspondingly moved from the release station to the transfer station; and wherein the mould-release station holder supports the hollow bodies after removal from the hollow mould parts at the mould-release station, and wherein; the arm means includes a separate arm member for each part forming the gripper, and wherein the apparatus further comprises: a separate guide means for each arm member, said arm members being connected to their respective guide means for guiding the parts forming the gripper for opening and closing movement relative to each other and during movement of the parts forming the gripper from the release station to the transfer station.

Claim 12

Apparatus for the manufacture of blow-moulded, hollow bodies from thermoplastic synthetic material which transfers the hollow bodies during stages of manufacture between a receiving station which includes an extruder having an extrusion nozzle; a blow-mould and mould-release station having a holder; and a transfer station which transfers the hollow bodies away from the apparatus including: a hollow mould having at least two parts which receive thermoplastic material from the extrusion nozzle; a means connected to support each of the hollow mould parts; an automatically displaceable carriage; means connected to displace the carriage; means mounted to the carriage for supporting the means connected to support the mould parts and for guiding the mould parts for opening and closing movement relative to each other; parts forming a gripper; arm means to which the parts forming the gripper are mounted, said arm means being connected to said carriage for guiding the parts forming the gripper for opening and closing movement relative to each other; said means mounted to the carriage for supporting the mould parts and the means supporting the mould parts for movement between the receiving station and the mould release station, at which the hollow bodies are removed from the mould parts; said arm means mounted to the parts forming the gripper for movement between the mould release station at which the hollow bodies are received by the parts forming the gripper; and the transfer station at which the hollow bodies are received from the parts forming the gripper; such that during movement of the mould from the receiving station to the release station the parts forming the gripper are correspondingly moved from the release station to the transfer station; and wherein the mould-release station holder supports the hollow bodies after removal from the hollow mould parts at the mould-release station, and wherein; the arm means includes a separate arm member for each part forming the gripper, and wherein the apparatus further comprises: a separate guide means for each arm member, said arm members being connected to their respective guide means for guiding the parts forming the gripper for opening and closing movement relative to each other and during movement of the parts forming the gripper from the release station to the transfer station.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 10 further including a further carriage which connects the arm means supporting the parts forming the gripper to the carriage.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 11, in which lever arm means are pivotably connected to the carriage.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 10, in which stops are provided in the region of the end positions of the parts forming the gripper, which stops cooperate with control means pivotally mounted to the arm means and operatively associated with the parts forming the gripper, which control means move the parts forming the gripper into the open or closed position depending on the sequence of movements between the mould release station and the transfer station.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 13, in which the control means include elbow levers and a control part which is actuated by the stops, with one of the elbow levers being respectively connected to the control part.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the guide means are linear.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the connection of said arm means to said carriage is independent of the coupling of said arm means with said means connected to support the mould parts.