Back to results
US 6,450,797 B1Granted
Compact slide actuation mold
AssigneeStackteck Systems Limited
InventorEalias C. Joseph
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A molding apparatus has a pair of slide inserts which are laterally movable into and out of engagement with the other mold components. The lateral movement of the slide inserts is provided by a slide mechanism having a driving rack, a pair of drive pinions at either end of the driving rack, two pairs of driven racks and a plurality of slides connected to the driven racks. The driven racks of each pair are parallel and spaced from one another, engaging opposite sides of a pinion and thereby being driven in opposite directions by rotation of the pinion. The molding apparatus is more compact than conventional devices having slide inserts, eliminates the use of slide retainers, eliminates obstructions between the mold plates when the plates are separated, and can cycle faster than conventional devices.
Claims18
A molding apparatus for forming a molded article, comprising:
- (a) a first mold plate having a first mold component;
- (b) a second mold plate having a second mold component, one or both of said first and second mold plates being movable along a machine axis to move said mold plates between a mold closed position and a mold open position;
- (c) a pair of laterally movable mold elements movable toward and away from one another along a first lateral axis between an inner position and an outer position, said first lateral axis being substantially perpendicular to said machine axis, such that, when said laterally movable mold elements are in their inner positions and the mold plates are in the mold closed position, the first and second mold elements and the pair of laterally movable mold elements together comprise a mold in which said molded article is formed;
- and
- (d) a slide mechanism for moving said pair of laterally movable mold elements between said inner and outer positions, said slide mechanism comprising:
- (i) a driving rack being movable in a reciprocal manner along a second lateral axis which is perpendicular to the machine axis and the first lateral axis;
- (ii) driving means for reciprocating said driving rack along said second lateral axis;
- (iii) a drive pinion being rotatable about an axis parallel to the machine axis and engaging the driving rack such that reciprocal movement of the driving rack causes rotation of the drive pinion;
- (iv) a first driven rack engaging the drive pinion and being movable in a reciprocal manner along an axis parallel to the first lateral axis in response to rotation of the drive pinion;
- (v) a second driven rack engaging the drive pinion and being movable in a reciprocal manner along an axis parallel to the first lateral axis in response to rotation of the drive pinion, said second driven rack being spaced from the first driven rack and substantially parallel thereto such that rotation of the drive pinion results in reciprocal movement of the first and second driven racks in opposite directions;
- and
- (vi) a pair of slides mounted for reciprocal movement along an axis parallel to the first lateral axis, one of the slides being attached to the first driven rack and the other of the slides being attached to the second driven rack, each of the slides also being attached to one of the pair of laterally movable mold elements such that the laterally movable mold elements are moved between their inner and outer positions in response to said reciprocal movement of the slides.
9 more elements
A molding apparatus for forming molded articles, comprising:
- (a) a first mold plate having a plurality of mold cavities;
- (b) a second mold plate having a plurality of mold cores, one or both of said first and second mold plates being movable along a machine axis to move said mold plates between a mold closed and a mold open position;
- (c) a plurality of pairs of laterally movable mold elements, the mold elements of each pair being movable toward and away from one another along a first lateral axis between an inner position and an outer position, said first lateral axis being substantially perpendicular to said machine axis such that, when each said pair of laterally movable mold elements are in their inner positions and the mold plates are in the mold closed position, a plurality of molds are formed, each mold comprising a mold core, a mold cavity and a pair of laterally movable mold elements, said molds being arranged in one or more substantially straight rows extending substantially perpendicular to said first lateral axis;
- (d) a slide mechanism for moving said plurality of pairs of laterally movable mold elements between said inner and outer positions, said slide mechanism comprising:
- (i) a driving rack being movable in a reciprocal manner along a second lateral axis which is substantially perpendicular to the machine axis and the first lateral axis, said driving rack having a proximal end and a distal end;
- (ii) driving means for reciprocating said driving rack along said second lateral axis;
- (iii) a pair of drive pinions, each being rotatable about an axis parallel to the machine axis and engaging the driving rack such that reciprocal movement of the driving rack causes rotation of the drive pinions, said drive pinions being spaced from one another along said driving rack;
- (iv) two pairs of driven racks, each pair comprising a first driven rack and a second driven rack engaging one of the drive pinions and being movable in a reciprocal manner along an axis parallel to the first lateral axis in response to rotation of the drive pinion, the first and second driven rack of each pair being spaced from one another and substantially parallel thereto such that rotation of the drive pinion results in reciprocal movement of the first and second driven racks in opposite directions;
- and
- (v) a plurality of pairs of slides mounted for reciprocal movement along an axis parallel to the first lateral axis, each pair of slides including a first slide attached to both said first driven racks and a second slide attached to both said second driven racks, each of the slides also being attached to one of a pair of said laterally movable mold elements such that the laterally movable mold elements are moved between their inner and outer positions in response to said reciprocal movement of the slides.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.