Injection molding divers articles in selectably ordered sequence

Apparatus for injection molding, comprising a carriage movable along a linear track, elevator means on said carriage and movable horizontally normal to said track, injection means disposed on the elevator means, the elevator means being operable to raise and to lower the injection means relative to the carriage, a plurality of separate individually free-standing mold press units arranged along said track, each having independently controlled cure time cycle, a mold for curing an injection molded article disposed in each of said press mold units, at least one mold differing from others thereof at least in elevation measured at the mold sprue, lock means fixed respectively on each mold press unit and locking means carried on said carriage, said lock means and said locking means being cooperable to connect rigidly said injection means and a respectively selected one of said press mold units independently of the elevation of the injection means, and to disconnect same to allow free movement of said carriage along said track, said mold press units being in a linear array, and said track means comprising a pair of rails extending parallel to said array, means for controlling movement of the carriage from a first mold press unit to a selected other mold press unit comprising actuator means in fixed relation respectively with each of said mold press units and detector means on said carriage, the detector means being actuable by said actuator means at any one of said mold press units to generate a first signal respective to the direction of movement of said carriage and a second signal responsive to the count of mold press units from said first to said other mold press unit, a plurality of memory devices carried on said carriage for association respectively with said mold press units, the memory devices associated with a selected mold press unit being made operative to control said injection means in response to signals generated by said detector means when actuated by the respectively associated actuator means, said lock means comprising an opposed pair of press frame adapters fixed respectively on the side frames of each of said mold press units, each of said adapters having a planar vertical guide surface diverging outward of the press mold unit with respect to the surface of the opposed adapter and a vertically extending lock groove, said locking means including a frame having an opposed pair of planar vertical surfaces respectively slidably engageable with the guide surfaces and a pair of retractable locking splines extendable to enter the respectively associated lock grooves, and injection means to mold press unit coordinating means comprising switch means and switch actuating means fixed respectively on each mold press unit and on said locking frame, said switch actuating means being operable to actuate said switch means when said locking means is disposed for locking between said press frame adapters of the selected mold press unit, said switch means when actuated acting to interlock control of mold press unit operating cycle and control of injection means operating cycle without conductive connection therebetween.