Method and apparatus for sequentially forming a molded product

Claim 1

The method of sequentially forming molded products comprising the steps of: feeding from a supply station a bundle including a running length of resin impregnated reinforcement, delivering said bundle from said supply station to a molding station by means of a pair of alternately reciprocating advancing mechanisms, each said advancing mechanism including a pair of spaced apart clamp assemblies each having two vertically aligned grip jaws operable to engage and release the full transverse extent of said bundle, reciprocating one said pair of clamp assemblies with said grip jaws closed to advance said bundle to said molding station from an area intermediate said supply station and molding station with said one pair of clamp assemblies straddling said mold station to position a segment of said bundle therewithin, concurrently reciprocating the other of said pair of clamp assemblies in an opposite direction with its respective said grip jaws opened and fully by-passing the closed grip jaws of said one pair of clamp assemblies, closing said grip jaws of said other pair of clamp assemblies upon said bundle in an area intermediate said supply and molding stations, operating said molding station to sever a segment from the remainder of said bundle and to form a molded product therein and ejecting the molded product from said molding station.

Claim 2

The method of sequentially forming molded products comprising the steps of: feeding from a supply station a bundle including a running length of resin impregnated reinforcement, delivering said bundle from said supply station to a molding station by means of a pair of alternately reciprocating advancing mechanisms, each said advancing mechanism including a pair of spaced apart clamp assemblies each having two vertically aligned grip jaws operable to engage and release the full transverse extent of said bundle, reciprocating one said pair of clamp assemblies with said grip jaws closed to advance said bundle to said molding station from an area intermediate said supply station and molding station with said one pair of clamp assemblies straddling said mold station to position a segment of said bundle therewithin, concurrently reciprocating the other of said pair of clamp assemblies in an opposite direction with its respective said grip jaws opened and fully by-passing the closed grip jaws of said one pair of clamp assemblies, closing said grip jaws of said other pair of clamp assemblies upon said bundle in an area intermediate said supply and molding stations, operating said molding station to sever a segment from the remainder of said bundle and to form a molded product therein and ejecting the molded product from said molding station.

Claim 6

An apparatus for sequentially forming molded products from a continuous length of reinforced resinous bundle including, a supply station adapted to deliver a reinforced resinous bundle, a molding station for receiving the bundle and forming a product therefrom, first and second advancing mechanisms for engaging and pulling said bundle from said supply station to said molding station, said molding station having a pair of mating mold sections, means displacing said mold sections relative one another to open same for the admittance of a segment of said bundle prior to the closing of said mold sections to form a molded product from the admitted bundle segment, each said advancing mechanism including a rod extending from a point beyond one leading end of said mold station to a point beyond the opposite trailing end of said mold station, means mounting each said rod for longitudinal movement substantially parallel to the center axis of said bundle, a pair of laterally spaced apart clamp assemblies mounted upon each said rod, motive means for reciprocating each said rod to alternately displace said pair of clamp assemblies of one said advancing mechanism fully past said pair of clamp assemblies of the other of said advancing mechanisms, each said clamp assembly provided with a pair of opposed releasable grip means selectively operable simultaneously with said grip means of the other said clamp assembly of the same said advancing mechanism both to open and to close said grip means relative said bundle, all said grip means extending transversely no less than the full width of said bundle, said pair of clamp assemblies mounted on each said rod spaced from one another a distance sufficient to straddle said mold sections whereby, said motive means alternately reciprocates said two rods as said two pairs of clamp assembly grip means alternately engage said bundle intermediate said supply station and molding station, advance said bundle to a position between said opened mold sections, release said bundle and following molding of the bundle, by-pass the grip means of the other of said clamp assemblies to again engage said bundle intermediate said supply station and molding station.

Claim 7

An apparatus for sequentially forming molded products from a continuous length of reinforced resinous bundle including, a supply station adapted to deliver a reinforced resinous bundle, a molding station for receiving the bundle and forming a product therefrom, first and second advancing mechanisms for engaging and pulling said bundle from said supply station to said molding station, said molding station having a pair of mating mold sections, means displacing said mold sections relative one another to open same for the admittance of a segment of said bundle prior to the closing of said mold sections to form a molded product from the admitted bundle segment, each said advancing mechanism including a rod extending from a point beyond one leading end of said mold station to a point beyond the opposite trailing end of said mold station, means mounting each said rod for longitudinal movement substantially parallel to the center axis of said bundle, a pair of laterally spaced apart clamp assemblies mounted upon each said rod, motive means for reciprocating each said rod to alternately displace said pair of clamp assemblies of one said advancing mechanism fully past said pair of clamp assemblies of the other of said advancing mechanisms, each said clamp assembly provided with a pair of opposed releasable grip means selectively operable simultaneously with said grip means of the other said clamp assembly of the same said advancing mechanism both to open and to close said grip means relative said bundle, all said grip means extending transversely no less than the full width of said bundle, said pair of clamp assemblies mounted on each said rod spaced from one another a distance sufficient to straddle said mold sections whereby, said motive means alternately reciprocates said two rods as said two pairs of clamp assembly grip means alternately engage said bundle intermediate said supply station and molding station, advance said bundle to a position between said opened mold sections, release said bundle and following molding of the bundle, by-pass the grip means of the other of said clamp assemblies to again engage said bundle intermediate said supply station and molding station.