An injection molding apparatus comprising a plurality of parallel-arranged injection molding machines;
- each injection molding machine comprising:
- a pedestal defining a vertical longitudinal plane, said pedestal having front and rear vertical walls extending in a longitudinal direction, said vertical walls defining interior chambers,
- a mold carried by said pedestal, said mold being disposed in a first region;
- said mold defining a vertical parting line oriented transversely to said longitudinal direction,
- a clamping unit mounted on said pedestal;
- said clamping unit being horizontally operable to open and close said mold,
- an injecting unit including a plasticizing cylinder;
- said injecting unit being mounted on said pedestal and operable in said longitudinal direction into and out of engagement with said mold, said plasticizing cylinder being disposed in a second region,
- two horizontal carrying bars supported by said pedestal in cooperation with a plurality of vertical columns;
- one of said horizontal carrying bars being a front bar and one of said horizontal carrying bars being a rear bar;
- the carrying bars extending above said clamping unit and being oriented parallel to said vertical longitudinal plane;
- said carrying bars defining a distance between themselves;
- said distance corresponding to the distance between the walls of the pedestal;
- some of the vertical columns being front columns and some of the vertical columns being rear columns;
- at least the rear columns being disconnectably mounted on the pedestal and at least the ear bar being disconnectably mounted on the rear columns,
- crosspiece means for interconnecting said horizontal carrying bars,
- a front protective covering carried by said pedestal;
- said front protective covering including a stationary protective carrier, at least two of said vertical columns and two vertical protective doors;
- said stationary protective carrier extending parallel to said vertical longitudinal plane;
- said two vertical columns being spaced from the carrier;
- said two vertical protective doors having top horizontal edges extending in said longitudinal direction, said vertical protective doors extending parallel to said front vertical wall and said protective doors being adapted to assume a first covering position in which the two doors respectively cover said first and second regions,
- stationary track means mounted on the front bar and being adapted to guide said protective doors in said longitudinal direction;
- said stationary track means extending adjacent said top horizontal edges,
- track rails mounted on each of the carrying bars and extending at least in part above the clamping unit,
- a first carriage mounted on the track rails for travel thereon, and
- an additional carriage supported on the first carriage;
- said additional carriage forming a vertically operating hoisting means for individually lifting moldings, molds and plasticizing cylinders;
- said injection molding apparatus further comprising a conveyor track extending transversely to said vertical longitudinal plane of each said injection molding machine adjacent the clamping unit thereof;
- said injection molding machines being connected with one another by said conveyor track.