Telescoping parts manipulator
AssigneeDart Industries Inc.
InventorKeith Barrett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A telescoping parts manipulator comprising a telescoping tubular arm which is extended and retracted by a cable from a cable drum, and a workpiece engaging assembly which pivots on a wrist swivel axis carried at the end of the telescoping arm which engages molded articles in a molding machine. The telescoping arm is mounted to a slide box which moves forward and backward to allow engagement with a molded article, clearance of the tie bars in the mold, and movement towards a work station such as a conveyor belt. The cable is a hollow nylon tube which provides vacuum from a vacuum source through the telescoping arm to suction cups at the end of the arm which engage the molded articles.
Claims26
A method for engaging and removing a molded article from a molding machine, comprising the steps of:
- detecting the opening of the molding machine and providing a mold opening signal in response to the opening of the mold;
- extending a telescoping extensible and retractable arm into the space between the mold halves in response to the mold opening signal;
- engaging the molded article in the molding machine with workpiece engaging means carried by the arm;
- retracting the arm and the molded article carried by the workpiece engaging means out of the space between the mold halves;
- and
- releasing the molded article at a work station remote from the mold.
A workpiece engaging apparatus for engaging with molded articles in a molding machine and for depositing the articles at place removed from the molding machine, comprising:
- a base portion positioned adjacent the molding machine,
- an extensible arm mounted at one end to said base portion and having an upper end extensible along a longitudinal axis into the space between the mold halves of the molding machine when the molding machine is opened,
- workpiece engaging means attached to said upper end of said arm for engaging with the molded article,
- sequencing means responsive to the cycles of the molding machine for providing an extraction signal at a predetermined time during a cycle,
- extending and retracting means responsive to said extraction signal for extending said arm and said workpiece engaging means into the space between the mold halves and for retracting said arm and said workpiece engaging means and the engaged article out of the mold prior to the closing of the mold for a new cycle.
A workpiece manipultor, comprising:
- a base portion,
- an extensible arm mounted at one end to said base portion and comprising a plurality of tubular telescoping members extensible and retractable along a longitudinal axis,
- cable means housed within said telescoping members having one end attached to the innermost one of said tubular members,
- cable drum means for spooling the other end of said cable means,
- drum driving means for rotating said drum means in one direction for winding said cable means and in the other direction for unwinding said cable means, said arm extending as said cable means unwinds and retracting as said cable means winds, and
- workpiece engaging means mounted to the upper end of said arm for engaging with a workpiece,
- wherein said cable means pushes said innermost one of said tubular members to extend said arm and pulls said innermost one of said tubular members to retract said arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.