Transporter for injection-molded parts or inserts therefor

In an injection-molding machine including a pair of relatively reciprocable platens carrying respective mold portions, a transporter for transferring articles between at least one of said mold portions and an external location, and drive means synchronized with the relative displacement of said platens for inserting said transporter between said mold portions in a mold-open position and removing said transporter during a mold-closing stroke to said external location,

• the improvement wherein said drive means comprises:
• a structure rigid with one of said platens;
• a shaft journaled on said structure, said shaft extending in the direction of selective platen reciprocation toward the other of said platens;
• a rotary member on said structure coaxial with said shaft and positively connected with said transporter;
• a rotary cam on an end of said shaft remote from said one of said platens, said cam having a cylindrical surface with a generally helicoidal cam track engaged by a cam follower rigid with said other of said platens whereby said shaft is rotated in one sense during a mold-closing stroke and in the opposite sense during a mold-opening stroke, said cam track terminating in two axially extending extremities holding said shaft stationary in a final phase of each of said strokes;
• and
• clutch means on said structure selectively operable to couple said rotary member to said shaft for moving said transporter in a plane transverse to said shaft away from the path of said platens toward said external location during a mold-closing stroke and toward said path during a mold-opening stroke.