Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus – Distinct means to feed – support or manipulate preform stock... – Female mold type means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-15
2001-05-01
Pyon, Harold (Department: 1722)
Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus
Distinct means to feed, support or manipulate preform stock...
Female mold type means
C425S403100, C425S444000, C198S346200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224363
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to conveyors and, more particularly, to a conveyor for simultaneously loading raw material into and removing finished parts from a compression mold.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Compression molds are used for manufacturing many different types of parts, such as panels for the automotive industry. In such a compression mold, the mold includes two halves which are moved between an open and a closed position. In their open position, finished parts are removed from the mold and, similarly, new raw material is positioned in between the mold halves. With the raw material positioned in between the mold halves, the mold halves are moved together to their closed position thus applying pressure to the raw material contained between the mold halves. In doing so, the heat formed by the compression of the raw material between the mold halves causes the raw material to flow into the chamber formed between the mold halves. The mold chamber corresponds in shape to the desired shape of the finished part.
Following completion of the molding operation, the mold halves are again moved to their open position whereupon the finished part is removed from the mold and, thereafter, new raw material is placed in between the mold halves whereupon the above procedure is repeated.
As in most manufacturing operations, the cycle time of the molding operation, i.e. the time required to complete one molding operation, should be as minimal as possible in order to maximize manufacturing efficiency. However, the previously known methods for both unloading finished parts from the mold, as well as loading new raw material into the mold in preparation for the next molding operation, has been slow and has increased the overall cycle time of the molding operation. This in turn has decreased manufacturing efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention provides a system for both unloading finished parts from the mold as well as loading new raw material into the mold in preparation for the next molding operation which overcomes all of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known systems.
In brief, the system of the present invention is designed for use with a conventional compression mold having two mold halves which are movable between a spaced apart or open position and a closed position. With the mold halves in their open position, finished parts are removed from the mold and new raw material is positioned in between the mold halves in preparation for the next molding operation.
The system of the present invention comprises an elongated conveyor which extends laterally outwardly from the mold and has one end aligned with the space between the mold halves when the mold halves are in their open position. The conveyor comprises a conveyor frame and preferably a conveyor belt longitudinally movably mounted to the frame. A motor is selectively actuated to longitudinally move the conveyor belt relative to the conveyor frame.
A platform is secured to the conveyor frame between an intermediate point of the conveyor frame and the end of the conveyor frame adjacent the end nearest the mold. This platform, furthermore, is spaced upwardly from the conveyor belt so that material positioned on the conveyor belt, upon actuation of the conveyor motor, passes underneath the platform.
The conveyor frame in turn is longitudinally slidably mounted on rails so that the conveyor frame is movable between an extended position, in which the platform is positioned in between the mold halves when in their open position, and a retracted position, in which the entire conveyor frame together with the platform is spaced laterally outwardly away from the mold halves. An actuator, such as an hydraulic or electric actuator, is selectively activated to move the conveyor frame between its extended and its retracted position.
In operation and assuming that the conveyor frame is in its retracted position and that the mold halves are in their closed position and performing a molding operation, raw material is positioned on the conveyor between the end of the conveyor most spaced from the mold and the platform. Preferably, a framing arrangement is associated with the conveyor to facilitate the proper placement of the raw material onto the conveyor belt in order to assure that the mold is properly filled with the raw material.
Following completion of the molding operation, the mold halves are moved to their open position thus forming a space between the mold halves which is aligned with the first end of the conveyor. The actuator and conveyor motor are then both simultaneously actuated. In doing so, the platform is moved into a position in between the mold halves and simultaneously the raw material contained on the conveyor belt passes underneath the platform. With the platform positioned in between the mold halves, the completed part or parts from the mold are ejected from the upper mold half onto the platform. At this time, the raw material contained on the conveyor belt has been moved from its end most spaced from the mold halves and to a position underneath the platform.
The actuator is then again actuated in the reverse direction thus moving the conveyor and platform away from the mold. Simultaneously, the conveyor motor continues its forward actuation which effectively places the raw material contained on the conveyor belt in between the mold halves simultaneously as the conveyor is moved by the actuator towards its retracted position. When the conveyor reaches its retracted position, all of the raw material contained on the conveyor belt has been placed between the mold halves while the finished part or parts are supported by the platform. The mold halves are then moved to their closed position to perform the next molding operation. During this next molding operation, the finished parts are removed from the platform, new raw material is positioned on the conveyor belt, and the above process is repeated.
Since the system of the present invention simultaneously unloads the finished parts from the compression mold and loads new raw material into the compression mold, even during the time that the conveyor is moved towards its retracted position, the overall cycle time for both unloading finished parts and loading new raw material in between the mold halves is minimized. This in turn increases the overall efficiency of the molding operation.
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Killingbeck Bruce
Mahan Clark D.
Gifford, Krass, Groh Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.
Nguyen Thukhanh T.
Pilot Industries, Inc.
Pyon Harold
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