Integrated elastomeric article manufacturing system and process

Abstract

Described are systems, devices, and methods for stripping a formed thin film elastomeric article such as a latex or synthetic polymer medical or surgical glove from a mold, inverting the article, and transferring and securing the inverted article to a mandrel for further on-line processing, integrating dip forming and off-line surface treatment processes into a single, continuous on-line process. The system can include a stripping apparatus including an actuation device for peeling the article from the mold and inverting the article, and a donning device to receive the inverted article. The system may position the article about a mandrel of the donning device. The mandrel may expand or separate to engage the interior of the inverted article to securely hold the article on the mandrel. The donning device may be coupled to a continuous loop conveyor chain to carry the donning device and the mounted article through on-line secondary processing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.