Apparatus for removing a flashing from a manufactured article

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of article manufacture and more particularly to an apparatus for removing the flashing from a manufactured article. The apparatus includes at least one gripping unit for gripping a portion of the flashing. The gripping unit is switched by a pneumatic actuator between an open and a clamping configuration. A support is provided upon which each gripping unit is movably mounted, and an indexing actuator is provided for indexing each gripping unit along the support between a rest position displaced from the support surface and a clamping position adjacent to the support surface. A control unit is provided for controlling the operation of the pneumatic actuator and the indexing actuator to effect removal of the flashing. The control unit causes each gripping unit, when in the clamping position, to switch from the open configuration to the clamping configuration to grip the flashing. Subsequently, the control unit causes each gripping unit to return from the clamping position to the rest position so that the flashing is removed from the article. The control unit then causes the gripping unit to switch to the open configuration to release the flashing. Other aspects of the invention provide proximity sensors for sensing the position of each gripping unit and a disposal track for removing the flashing to another location once it is removed from the article by the gripping unit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.