Vertical injection molding machine

14) An injection molding machine having a two-platen clamp comprising:

• a) a lower stationary platen affixed to ground upon which a lower mold half is mounted;
• b) a vertically moveable upper platen having a moveable, upper mold half on a bottom side thereof in confronting relationship to said stationary mold half;
• c) an advance mechanism between said moveable and stationary platens for lowering and raising said moveable platen into and out of molding relationship with said stationary platen;
• and,
• d) a vertically extending support frame mounted to said stationary platen having a pair of laterally spaced and parallel vertical guide rails secured to said frame, each guide rail having a pair of runner blocks secured thereto in a slidable manner and each runner block being fixed to said moveable platen whereby said vertically moveable platen is maintained at a set relationship to said stationary platen throughout its travel.

19) An injection molding machine comprising a two-platen clamp arrangement including a lower stationary platen, a vertically upper movable platen, an actuating mechanism for raising and lowering said upper platen into a molding position and

• a rotatable table having a rotatable table having a central opening situated to extend over the top of said lower stationary platen, said table having a generally flat top surface and a bottom surface having a generally flat circular track radially outward from and concentric with said central opening;
• a hollow spindle mounting block secured to said lower stationary platen;
• a hollow spindle extending through said central opening, fixed to said table and rotatably and vertically movable in said spindle mounting block;
• a lift mechanism including first and second lift assemblies positioned radially outwardly from and on diametrical opposite sides of said spindle mounting block, each lift assembly including a spring biased, travel limited roller block, at least one spherical roller protruding from said roller block in contact with said roller track and an actuator for lifting said roller block from an unactuated position whereat said spring biased roller block maintains said rollers in contact with said block while said table rests on and is supported by said lower stationary platen to an actuated position whereat said roller blocks are vertically lifted by said actuators to cause said table to rest on said spherical roller.

22) In an injection molding machine having a two-platen clamp arrangement including a lower stationary platen, an upper vertically movable platen, an actuating mechanism between said lower and upper platen for raising and lowering said upper platen into a molding position, a plurality of locking rods attached at one end to a clamp tonnage mechanism in said lower plate and extending through said movable platen adjacent its opposite end;

• and, a locking mechanism for selectively locking the locking rods to said movable platen, the improvement comprising:
• f) a locking device on the top side of said moveable platen having an unlocked position allowing relative movement between said movable and stationary platens and a locked position for locking said moveable platen at a set distance from said stationary platen, said locking device including;
• i) a caliper for each locking rod having inboard and outboard caliper halves, each caliper half having a generally semi-circular, radially inward protruding lock ring adapted to fit within a locking groove when said inboard and outboard caliper halves are moved together to form a generally circular locking ring;
• ii) first and second actuating rods, said first rod secured to said inboard caliper half of a first caliper at one end thereof and to said outboard caliper half of a second caliper at its opposite end, said second actuating rod secured to said outboard caliper half of said second caliper at one end thereof and to said inboard caliper half of said first caliper at its opposite end;
• iii) a piston rod connector plate and a cylinder connector plate, said piston rod connector plate secured to said first actuating rod at a first distance between the ends of said first actuating rod and through which said first actuating rod extends, said piston rod connector plate having a first opening slidably receiving said second actuating rod;
• said cylinder connector plate fixed to said second actuating rod at a second distance between the ends of said second actuating rod and through which said second actuating rod extends, said cylinder connector plate having an opening slidably receiving said first actuating rod;
• iv) a compression spring between said piston rod connector plate and said cylinder connector plate simultaneously biasing said inboard and outboard caliper halves of said first and second calipers to a closed position;
• and,
• v) an opening mechanism attached to said piston rod connector plate and to said cylinder connector plate for drawing said connector plates towards one another to simultaneously open said inboard and outboard caliper halves of said first and second calipers against the bias of said compression spring.