Apparatus for removing prophylactic devices from mandrels

A takeoff mechanism for removing prophylactic devices formed on a plurality of mandrels mounted in an X-Y configuration on a pallet, comprising:

• elevator means retaining said pallet in a horizontal plane with said plurality of mandrels pointing downward, and being perpendicular to said pallet, respectively, for selectively raising and lowering said pallet;
• a first platform having a top side opposing said plurality of mandrels and parallel to said pallet, said first platform also having a bottom side;
• a plurality of left-hand shoe members mounted in an X-Y configuration perpendicular to and on the top side of said first platform;
• a second platform having top and bottom sides, said second platform having its top side opposing, spaced apart from but in close proximity to and parallel to the bottom side of said first platform;
• a plurality of right-hand shoe members mounted in an X-Y configuration perpendicular to and on the top side of said second platform, said right-hand shoe members projecting through holes in said first platform to be in paired relationship with and opposing individual ones of said left-hand shoe members, respectively;
• said second platform further including a plurality of holes adjacent said right-hand shoe members, and opposing respective ones of the holes in said first platform;
• shoe member operating means connected to said first and second platforms, for selectively moving said first and second platforms in opposite horizontal directions in a first mode for moving said pairs of right- and left-hand shoe members toward one another to a closed position, respectively, and in a second mode for moving said pairs of right- and left-hand shoe members away from one another to an open condition, respectively;
• a third platform having top and bottom sides, said third platform having its top side opposing and parallel to the bottom side of said second platform, and a plurality of holes through the top side that have diameters less than the maximum diameters of rolled up ones of said prophylactic devices, and that are opposing and substantially concentric with respective ones of the plurality of holes in said first and second platforms, whenever said pairs of left- and right-hand shoes are in an open condition;
• a fourth platform having a top and a bottom, said fourth platform having its top surface spaced from, and parallel to and opposing the bottom of said third platform;
• a plurality of rod-like air nipples mounted upon and with their longitudinal axes, respectively oriented at ninety-degrees to the top of said fourth platform;
• said plurality of pairs of left- and right-hand shoe members, said plurality of holes through said third platform, and said plurality of air nipples being of like number and arranged in substantially the same X-Y configuration as said plurality of mandrels;
• operating means for selectively raising and lowering said third platform to change its relative spacing with said second and fourth platform;
• air nipple table operating means for selectively raising and lowering said fourth platform to position said plurality of air nipples at or between two extreme first and second positions, said first extreme position being for lowering said fourth platform to maximize the space between said second and fourth tables, said second extreme position being for raising said fourth platform to move said plurality of air nipples through the center of said plurality of holes in said third platform, and through and beyond respective ones of said pairs of left- and right-hand shoes to a position where the tips of said air nipples extend beyond top ends of respective ones of said shoes;
• and
• control means programmed for controlling the operation of said elevator means, said shoe member operating means, and said operating means in a sequence of successive steps for removing said prophylactic devices from said mandrels in a manner leaving said prophylactic devices overlying and substantially concentric with respective ones of said plurality of holes of said third platform.