Apparatus improvements in removing articles from wheel blow molding machines

#A. ser. No. 467,378, filed May 6, 1974, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,454

#B. ser. No. 472,638, filed May 23, 1974, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,648

#C. ser. No. 550,537, filed Feb. 18, 1975, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,331

#In describing the overall invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic, partial, front elevational view showing a wheel blow-molding machine and take-away system components according to the invention;

#FIG. 2 is a partial, schematic, plan view of a drive system for the apparatus of FIG. 1, and including an additional downstream station;

#in describing the overall invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings wherein blow molding apparatus is generally indicated as 10 in FIG. 1 and comprises a known wheel structure, shown in block form at 9 in FIG. 2, arranged for continuous rotation in a vertical plane in the direction of arrow 12, and which includes a plurality of adjacent molds carried with and circumferentially disposed around the full periphery of the wheel, with only three shown for clarity. Each mold includes an inner 14 and outer 16 section having cavity portions (not shown) formed in opposing faces 11 and 13 which together circumscribe the article shape molded therein. In the form of wheel machine with which this invention is especially suited for use, each outer section 16 moves radially toward its inner section 14 and wheel axis 18 from a separated, fully open position during closing, as schematically indicated by the mold on the right of the vertical in FIG. 1, and after rotating continuously through a circular path extending below axis 18, moves radially away from such inner section 14 as indicated by the mold on the left of the vertical in FIG. 1. Follower 15 for each mold and cooperating cam 17 are responsible for such radial movement. At substantially the vertical 12 o'clock position when viewing the system as in FIG. 1, each mold is fully open and this represents the localized area of the circumferential path of mold movement where article ejection occurs.

#Eject means associated with outer sections 16 release the articles from such outer sections and comprise fixed cam 18 contoured downwardly at 20 to urge rearwardly biased knockout rod 22 forward into the cavity portion in section 16. Each article 144 is retained in an outer section 16 during mold opening by means, for example, of a keeper-type of undercut in a surface portion of the section cavity, not shown, but known to those skilled in the art, as disclosed in U.S. No. 3,025,561, which also provides further details of the form of blow molding machine system here being described.

#An endless, over and under conveyor 24 (FIG. 5) in receiving relationship with wheel 9 (FIG. 2) has an article-receiving end (FIG. 4) within the plane 60 of rotation and between the separated sections of the molds at the 12 o'clock eject position (FIG. 1). Upright partitions 28, spaced from each other along the entire length of conveyor 24, define a series of pockets, which may vary in length and width from that shown, with one such pocket 26 extant between each pair of adjacent partitions 28 (FIG. 4). The upper reach of conveyor 24, i.e., that progressing to the left away from the molds in FIG. 4, moves at substantially 90 degrees to the plane 60 of wheel rotation. Conveyor 24 may vary in structural detail from that shown and in the illustrated embodiment includes a series of transverse plates 30 (FIG. 6), each secured at two places via clips 32 to supported endless chains 34 continuously driven by conventional means such as shaft-mounted sprockets 35, transmission chains and associated gearing and electric motor, not shown.