GB2029292A - Deflashing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for deflashing stamped parts of thermosetting plastics comprises a container (5) in the form of a hopper having a bottom which can be opened for discharge of the stamped parts into a deflashing rotor (14) disposed underneath the said container. A door (16) of the rotor is adapted to be opened to receive the parts discharged from the container. A chute structure (1A, 40) is disposed beneath the rotor for the purpose of removing deflashing residues and is equipped with a door (30) adapted to cooperate with the door of the rotor in order to discharge deflashed parts. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Deflashing apparatus The invention relates to an apparatus for deflashing parts stamped by presses for thermosetting plastics.

The aim of the invention is to provide an apparatus which simplifies operations in comparison with the present systems of deflashing, which provide units separate from the units of the press and operating by complete#ly discontinuous processes and with intermediate phases of storage of the stamped products between the stamping and the deflashing.

According to the invention, this apparatus comprises: a container for gradually accumulating the stamped parts, which has a bottom adapted to be opened for the purposes of discharge; a deflashing rotor disposed beneath the said container and having a door adapted to be opened to receive the accumulated parts discharged from the container; and a chute arrangement disposed under the rotor for the purpose of removing deflashing residues (which are in particular collected in containers) and equipped with a door adapted to cooperate with the door of the rotor for the purpose of discharging the deflashed parts into containers or onto conveyors.

The door of the deflashing rotor opens to the outside and that of the chute opens upwards in order to replace a discharge hopper; the door of the rotor closes the chute, when the latter is open towards the exterior of the rotor and towards the bottom, against the bottom portion of the chute.

The deflashing rotor can be controlled so as to stop in two positions, one of which is the charging position with the door at the top, and the other the discharging position with the door at the bottom.

This door of the rotor can be operated by a cylinder-piston system reacting on the rotor, while the top and bottom doors are operated by two cylinder-piston systems reacting on the frame; these last-mentioned cylinder-piston systems are operated so as to open the respective door before the opening of the rotor door in the respective position.

Suitable acoustic insulation of the walls of the space formed by the frame and of the aforesaid top and bottom doors serves to avoid troublesome noise during deflashing, which would be a nuisance in the press room where the apparatus in question is installed.

The invention will be better understood by perusal of the description and by the accompanying drawing, which shows one practical embodiment of the said invention without limiting it, and in which: Figures 1,2, and 3 show in section an example of embodiment in three phases of operation, the section being taken in a vertical plane at right angles to the axis of rotation of the deflashing apparatus.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawing, 1 indicates generally a supporting frame suitably equipped with acoustic insulation intended to reduce as much noise as possible the propagation of noise typically generated by deflashing apparatus. In the upper portion of the frame 1 is formed an accumulating container after the style of a hopper, with lateral walls 3, an inclined wall Sr and a second inclined wall 7 lying opposite the latter. The whole arrangement forms an openable bottom which is closed by a door portion 9-hinged at 10 and adapted to be operated by means of a cylinder-piston system 12 which acts on an extension 9A; the door portion 9 can be opened in the downward direction as far as the position 9X, in which it constitutes a chute surface.

Below the hopper container 3, 5, 7, 9 there is disposed inside the frame 1 a basket-like rotor 14 constituting the actual deflashing apparatus, which has a polygonal cross-section and rotates about the horizontal axis X. The basket-like rotor 14 has a more or less irregular polygonal shape, with lattice walls, and in one of its sides it has a door 16 hinged at 18 parallel to the axis and adapted to be opened towards the outside. For the control of the opening and closing a lever 20 is provided on the axis 18, and the movable end of a cylinder-piston system 24 is articulated to the said lever ar 22, the other end of the said system being articulated at 26 to the rotor 14.Those sides of the opening closed by the door 16 which are perpendicular to the sides parallel to the axis of the rotor are provided with side panels 28 for guiding and conveying the material which is to be deflashed.

In the bottom part of the frame 1, roughly below the rotor 14 or the aperture closed by the door 9, is provided a wall 1'A having an opening closed by a door 30 articulated at the top at 32 to the said wall 1 A parallelly to the axis of the rotor and to the hinge 10; by means of a link 34 the door 30 can be controlled by a cylinder-piston system 36, which can move the door 30 into a closed position in which it is inclined downwards and to the left (in the drawings), and into an open position indicated by 30X in which the said door is raised into the interior of the chamber and in the upward direction, almost against the terminal edge of a fixed chute 38.The inner wall 30A of the door 30, when the latter is in the lowered closed position, is inclined like the wall 1 A and the bottom edge surmounts a chute 40 for the discharge of deflashing residues to a collector or continuous conveyor.

The deflashing apparatus as described is intended to be combined with one or more presses for the stamping of plastics material, particularly thermosetting plastics, and serves for eliminating in the usual manner the irregularities (burrs or other irregularities) resulting from production in the press and from excess of material. For the deflashing of the parts produced it is necessary to have a relatively large quantity of such parts, depending of course on the dimensions of the latter, in order that the operation can be carried out in the deflashing apparatus with an adequate frequency, so as to obtain substantial efficiency. The apparatus in question makes it unnecessary to carry out deflashing operations after production and at a distance from the point of production.In relation to the press the apparatus is placed in positions such that the parts successively produced and extracted from the open stamping die are collected - practicaliy byFmore or-less guided fall -- iii the hopper container 3, 5, 7, 9 with the door 9 closed. The parts produced are progressively accumulated in the hopper container in a sufficient quantity to be effectively deflashed in the deflashing container 14.When a sufficient quantity of parts has been accumulated in the hopper container, or in any case after a preceding charge has been deflashed and discharged from the rotor 14, the latter is brought into the position shown in Figure 1; with the aid of the drive system 24 the door 16 is then opened to the position shown in Figure 1, and immediately thereafter the system 12 can open the bottom portion in the form of a door 9 to the position 9X, in which the said door forms a chute for the discharge of the parts which have accumulated in the hopper, so that they are discharged into the basket of the deflashing rotor 14; the fall of the parts from the hopper is guided by a channel substantially formed by the side panels 28 of the rotor, by fixed guide panels 42, and by the open door 16.

When the basket of the deflashing rotor has been charged in this manner, the rapid closing of the door 9 is effected in order to permit in this manner the accumulation of further parts gradually produced, and then the door 16 is closed in order to make it possible to start up the rotor 14 for its rotational phase so as to deflash the charge of parts contained in it. The door 30 is in the c#losed position and hence the residues from the deflashing, which fall through the lattice walls of the deflashing rotor, are guided by the wall 38r by a wall SOB, and by the wall 30A of the door 30 and by the chute 40 and discharged for disposal or collection.

After the deflashing phase (Figure 2), for the purpose of discharging the deflashed parts the rotor is brought into the position shown in Figure 3; with the aid of the system 36 the door 30 is raised into the position 30X, and then the door 16 is opened to the position 16Y indicated in Figure 3, in which the said door 16 acts as a chute for guiding the parts and at the same time closes off the chute 40; the deflashed parts are then collected directly by falling through the channel formed by fixed guide panels 44 and by the doors in the positions, 1 6Y and 30X, and also through the opening in the wall 1A left open by the door 30, which has been raised to the position 30X.It will be noted that the treated parts are discharged without touching the wall 30A, where fragments previously discharged through the deflashing apparatus could still remain adhering, while the door 30 in the position 30X makes it impossible for any residues detached from the chute 38 to fall among the parts. After discharge has been completed, the door 16 is closed again, and then the door 30 is lowered again, and the rotor is ready for returning to the position shown in Figure 1 in order to receive a further charge and also the parts gradually produced, up to a number of parts sufficient for a new deflashing operation.

One and the same apparatus can be used for receiving and treating the parts produced by more than one press, provided that the parts produced by two or more presses are identical or in any case compatible both for the purposes of the deflashing treatment and for the storage or subsequent utilisation.

The products from the press can leave the press zone already treated by the deflashing process, being for this purpose transported by a conveyor or collected in suitable containers (not illustrated).

The press area is not disturbed by excessive noise, because of the acoustic insulation of the frame 1, of the hopper 3, 5, 7, and of the doors 9 and 30, as well as of the space provided for a receiver R receiving the residues from the chute 40.

It is understood that the drawings show only an example given solely as a practical demonstration of the invention, and that the latter can be modified in respect of forms and arrangements without thereby departing from the scope of the concept underlying the said invention. For example, the following may also be provided: - a means of controlling the rate of deflashing with the aid of direct current motors or otherwise regulable motors: ~means of automatically regulating the deflashing time; ~means of automatically determining the number of stamped parts, utilizing an electronic preselector; ~an electronic control programme.

The apparatus permits installation in the immediate proximity of the press and also permits mounting on wheels.

Claims (8)

1. An apparatus for deflashing stamped parts in an automatic cycle with presses for thermosetting plastics, characterised by the fact that it comprises: a container for gradually accumulating the stamped parts, which has a bottom adapted to be opened for discharge; a deflashing rotor disposed below the said container and having a door which can be opened in order to receive the accumulated parts discharged from the container; and a chute construction disposed beneath the rotor for the purpose of removing deflashing residues and equipped with a door adapted to cooperate with the door of the rotor for the purpose of discharging the deflashed parts; and means for producing an automatic cycle.

2. An apparatus according to the preceding claim, characterised by the fact that the door of the deflashing rotor opens towards the outside and that of chute in the upward direction in order to replace a discharge hopper, the said door of the rotor closing the chute.

3. An apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that a chamber having acoustically insulated walls surrounds the deflashing rotor, while suitable acoustic insulation is also provided on the doors.

4. An apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that the deflashing rotor is controlled so as to stop in two positions, one being the charging position with the door at the top and the other the discharging position with the door at the bottom; that the aforesaid door of the rotor is controlled by a cylinder-piston system reacting on the rotor and the top and bottom doors are controlled by two cylinder-piston systems reacting on the frame; and that the last-mentioned cylinder-piston systems are controlled so as to open the respective door before the opening of the door of the rotor in the respective position.

5. An apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that it comprises fixed and movable sides for cooperation with the doors in the formation of channels for fall into and from the deflashing rotor.

6. An apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that it comprises means of regulating the rate of deflashing, and/or the deflashing time, and/or the number of stamped parts to be treated in a deflashing cycle, by means of a programmer.

7. An apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that the deflashing apparatus is placed or adapted to be placed adjacent the press, and may be mounted on wheels.

8. An apparatus for the deflashing of stamped parts of thermosetting resin, for direct combination with the press, the whole as described and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing.