Take out and cooling system and method

A system for removing molded articles from a molding machine and cooling the molded articles, the system including:

• a takeout apparatus having a plurality of arms adapted to receive molded articles from the molding machine and to convey molded articles from the molding machine, the arms being driven in an endless path to transfer molded articles from the molding machine;
• an intermediate conveyor having an infeed section adjacent to at least a portion of the takeout apparatus to receive molded articles from the takeout apparatus and convey molded articles away from the takeout apparatus and an outfeed section from which molded articles leave the intermediate conveyor;
• a cooling station through which the molded articles pass and including at least one fluid outlet through which a fluid is directed toward the molded articles to cool them;
• a cooling conveyor having an infeed section adjacent to the outfeed section of the intermediate conveyor to receive molded articles from the intermediate conveyor and an outfeed section from which molded articles are removed from the cooling station;
• and
• wherein the intermediate conveyor includes a perforated belt communicated with a vacuum source and adapted to engage an upper end of the molded articles to suspend the molded articles from the perforated belt under a vacuum force.

A molded article cooling system comprising:

• an in-line transfer mechanism that receives a continuous stream of soft molded articles and conveys the articles for consecutive travel along a path from an infeed section to an outfeed section without damage;
• a cooling mechanism extending along at least a portion of the path for directing a substantially continuous stream of cooling fluid toward the plurality of molded articles as they travel along the path to cool the articles without undesired crystallization or haze;
• wherein the transfer mechanism includes a take out apparatus traversing a path complimentary to a path of a rotating molding machine from which the take out apparatus receives the molded articles, and a conveyor for receiving the molded articles from the take out apparatus and for conveying the articles past the cooling mechanism;
• wherein the takeout apparatus has a plurality of arms adapted to receive molded articles from the molding machine and to convey molded articles from the molding machine, the arms being driven in an endless path to transfer molded articles from the molding machine and wherein the system further comprises:
• an intermediate conveyor as part of the conveyor for receiving molded articles from the takeout apparatus having an infeed section adjacent to at least a portion of the takeout apparatus to receive molded articles from the takeout apparatus and convey molded articles away from the takeout apparatus and an outfeed section from which molded articles leave the intermediate conveyor;
• a cooling station as part of the cooling mechanism through which the molded articles pass and including at least one fluid outlet through which fluid is directed toward the molded articles to cool them;
• a cooling conveyor as the other part of the conveyor for conveying the articles past the cooling mechanism having an infeed section adjacent to the outfeed section of the intermediate conveyor to receive molded articles from the intermediate conveyor and an outfeed section from which molded articles are removed from the cooling station;
• and
• wherein the cooling conveyor advances molded articles at a slower rate than does the intermediate conveyor to reduce the spacing between adjacent molded articles and increase the time that the molded articles are in the cooling station.

A molded article cooling system comprising:

• an in-line transfer mechanism that receives a continuous stream of soft molded articles and conveys the articles for consecutive travel along a path from an infeed section to an outfeed section without damage;
• a cooling mechanism extending along at least a portion of the path for directing a substantially continuous stream of cooling fluid toward the plurality of molded articles as they travel along the path to cool the articles without undesired crystallization or haze;
• wherein the transfer mechanism includes a take out apparatus traversing a path complimentary to a path of a rotating molding machine from which the take out apparatus receives the molded articles, and a conveyor for receiving the molded articles from the take out apparatus and for conveying the articles past the cooling mechanism;
• wherein the takeout apparatus has a plurality of arms adapted to receive molded articles from the molding machine and to convey molded articles from the molding machine, the arms being driven in an endless path to transfer molded articles from the molding machine and wherein the system further comprises:
• an intermediate conveyor as part of the conveyor for receiving molded articles from the takeout apparatus having an infeed section adjacent to at least a portion of the takeout apparatus to receive molded articles from the takeout apparatus and convey molded articles away from the takeout apparatus and an outfeed section from which molded articles leave the intermediate conveyor;
• a cooling station as part of the cooling mechanism through which the molded articles pass and including at least one fluid outlet through which fluid is directed toward the molded articles to cool them;
• a cooling conveyor as the other part of the conveyor for conveying the articles past the cooling mechanism having an infeed section adjacent to the outfeed section of the intermediate conveyor to receive molded articles from the intermediate conveyor and an outfeed section from which molded articles are removed from the cooling station;
• and
• wherein the intermediate conveyor includes a perforated belt communicated with a vacuum source and adapted to engage an upper end of the molded articles to suspend the molded articles from the perforated belt under the vacuum force.