GB2134033A

GB2134033A - Loading arrangement in moulding apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2134033A
Application number: GB08400162A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gunther Kiefer
Original assignee: Adolf Illig Maschinenbau GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Adolf Illig Maschinenbau GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1983-01-15
Filing date: 1984-01-05
Publication date: 1984-08-08
Also published as: DE8301010U1; GB2134033B; GB8400162D0

Abstract

Apparatus for moulding sheets of thermoplastic plastics material comprises a charging station (2) in which sheets are withdrawn from a stack (33) and fed to a transport device (20) which then brings these sheets into a moulding station. To avoid standstill of the apparatus during loading of a new stack (34) into the charging station, a loading station (3) is provided laterally of the charging station and guides (26) for a carriage (27) extend between these two stations. The carriage (27) carries a pivotable multiple sheet receptacle (32). When the first stack (33) is exhausted the carriage (27) is driven to the left the receptacle 30 is pivoted through 180 DEG and the carriage is then driven to the right to place the new stack in the charging station 2. The stack on the loading station 3 is then replenished. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Loading arrangement in moulding apparatus The present invention relates to moulding apparatus and has particular reference to a loading arrangement thereof for sheets of plastics material to be moulded in the apparatus.

In German (Fed. Rep.) Utility No. 78 01 084 there is disclosed apparatus in which it is required from time to time to load in a new stack of sheets during operation of the apparatus. For this purpose, however, the apparatus must be stopped.

An operator must stand ready at the correct point in time, and auxiliary devices made ready for the transporting and depositing of the new stack.

It would be desirable to accelerate replacement of the stack so that production can continue without standstill of the apparatus. The stack loading should, if desired, also be able to take place automatically. In that case, the loading of the apparatus with stacks should be possible from one side. If the apparatus is to be equippe#d with a preheater, i.e. an additional heater in the region of a charging station for the preheating of sheets before transport thereof into a moulding station, then this should be possible without difficulties in connection with the loading of the stacks.

According to the present invention there is provided moulding apparatus comprising moulding means in a moulding station to mould sheets of plastics material, transport means to transport such sheets to the moulding station, charging means in a charging station to charge the transport means with such sheets from a stack, and loading means to load stacks of such sheets into the charging station, the loading means comprising a carriage which is displaceable along guide means extending between the charging station and a loading station adjacent thereto and which is provided with a pivotable carrier for a plurality of such stacks.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of moulding apparatus embodying the invention: Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the apparatus in the region of loading and charging stations thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown moulding apparatus comprising a moulding station 1 for moulding sheets 21 of thermoplastic plastics material, a charging station 2 for charging a transport device 20 with the sheets, and a loading station 3 for loading stacks of sheets into the charging station. The apparatus can also include a receptacle 5 for a roll 4 of thermoplastic plastics sheet material, so that sheets may be cut from the roll rather than taken from a stack.

The moulding station 1 comprises a frame 6, a blow box 7, a fixed sheet clamping frame 8, a movable clamping frame 9, a vertically movable moulding table 1 with drive 1 1 for the receptacle of a mould 12, a horizontally displaceable upper heater 13 and, optionally also a stretching aid 14.

A lower heater can also be included. The upper heater 13 is displaceable into a rearward rest position.

Laterally adjoining the moulding station 1 is the charging station 2 consisting of a frame 1 5 and a sheet feed 16. The latter comprises individual cross stays 17 with suckers 18 and a drive 19 for vertical displacement.

Extending between the charging station 2 and the moulding station 1 is the transport device 20, which is intermittently driven and which consists, in the illustrated embodiment, of 3 pair of transport chains 20 with sheet-engaging spike strips which run in guide rails 23. The drive of the transport chains 22 is effected by a motor 24.

Parts of a cover strip 25 are pivotable away in the region of the charging station 2 to enable the introduction of each sheet 21.

The loading station 3 is a disposed laterally of the charging station 2. Guides 26, on which a carriage 27 is displaceably disposed, extend between the two stations. The carriage 27 comprises a plate 28 and devices, for example rollers 29, enabling its displacement along the guides 26.

A multiple sheet receptacle 30, which in the illustrated embodiment serves for the reception of two stacks 33 and 34 of sheets, is pivotably mounted on the carriage 27 by means of a bearing pin 31 , which is connected with the plate 32 and defines the pivot axis. Receptacles 35 serve for the centring of the stacks 33 and 34 on the plate 32.

Pivotation of the receptacle 30 and displacement of the carriage 27 can be effected manually. It is, however, possible to automate these actions. For this purpose, displacement of the carriage 27 may be carried out by a drive 351, and pivotation of the receptacle 30 by a drive 36, toothed rack 37 and toothed wheel 38 on the bearing pin 31.

If a feeler 39 is mounted in the plate 32 under each stack 33 and 34 to detect the lowermost sheet thereof, it is possible to undertake the exchange of the plate stacks automatically without the intervention of an operator.

In use of the apparatus, starting from the position illustrated in Fig. 3, the feed 16 lifts the sheets one at a time into the transport device 20, which conveys each sheet into the moulding station 1 where it is heated and deep-drawn in a known manner, for example with differential pressure. The moulded parts 40 then leave the apparatus.

When the stack 33 has been processed, this is detected by the associated feeler 39 and the drive 351 is activated to drive the carriage 27 to the left (in Fig. 3). The drive 36 now comes into action and pivots the receptacle 30 through 1800, this setting being illustrated in Fig. 2. The drive 35 then drives the carriage 27 to the right to dispose the new stack 34 in the charging station 2. While the apparatus processes the stack 34, a new stack is placed on the now free place on the receptacle 30. There is sufficient time for this. The entire exchange of the stacks 33 and 34 takes only a few seconds and the apparatus can continue to operate during this time, as the transport device 20 in any case comes to a stop during the heating of a sheet 21 and the cooling of the resulting moulding part 40.

The device can be provided in the region of the charging station 2 with a preheater 41, which can be displaced from a rearward rest position into the charging station 2. This does not disturb the equipment for the exchanging of the stacks.

If the apparatus is constructed without a roll receptacle 5, thus is intended to operate only with sheets from a stack, the loading station 3 can also be arranged at the location of the receptacle 5 so that the apparatus then operates linearly.

It is of course possible to provide, in place of a two stack receptacle 30, a three or four stack receptacle. In that case, each pivotation of the receptacle then takes place through only 120 or 900, respectively, before the new stack is driven into the charging station 2. An advantage of this is that after the charging of the receptacle 30, this could, for example, run through a full shift without reloading.

Claims

1. Moulding apparatus comprising moulding means in a moulding station to mould sheets of plastics material, transport means to transport such sheets to the moulding station, charging means in a charging station to charge the transport means with such sheets from a stack, and loading means to load stacks of such sheets into the charging station, the loading means comprising a carriage which is displaceable along guide means extending between the charging station and a loading station adjacent thereto and which is provided with a pivotable carrier for a plurality of such stacks.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising respective drive means operable to displace the carriage along the guide means.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, comprising respective drive means operable to pivot the carrier.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising detecting means for detecting removal from the carrier of the lowermost one of a stack of sheets charged to the transport means.

5. Moulding apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.