System for loading raw material and unloading finished parts from a compression mold

A system for unloading finished parts from and for loading raw material into a mold having two mold halves when said mold halves are in a spaced apart position comprising:

• an elongated endless conveyor having a frame extending laterally away from said mold and an endless belt movably mounted to said frame, said conveyor being aligned with an opening between said mold halves when said mold halves are in said spaced apart position,
• an unloader platform secured to and spaced upwardly from said conveyor frame so that an opening is formed between said platform and said conveyor belt, said platform extending along a first longitudinal portion of said conveyor frame extending from a first end adjacent said mold to an intermediate point on said conveyor, said conveyor frame having a second longitudinal portion on which raw material is positioned, said second longitudinal portion of said conveyor extending from said intermediate point to a second end of said conveyor most spaced from said mold,
• an actuator for moving said conveyor between an extended position in which said platform is positioned between said mold halves and a retracted position in which said first end of said conveyor is spaced laterally outwardly from said mold halves,
• means for simultaneously energizing said conveyor belt in synchronism with said actuator so that the conveyor belt moves the raw material positioned on said conveyor belt second portion when said conveyor is in said retracted position to a position in which the raw material is positioned under said platform as said actuator moves said conveyor from said retracted to said extended position, and for expelling raw material from said first end of said conveyor in synchronism with movement of said conveyor by said actuator from said extended to said retracted position.