GB2343409A

GB2343409A - Molded article retrieval apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2343409A
Application number: GB0002792A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Timothy L Bright; Christopher G Bright; Jeffrey L Patrick
Original assignee: Electra Form Inc
Current assignee: Electra Form Inc
Priority date: 1997-09-15
Filing date: 1997-09-15
Publication date: 2000-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 2017-09-15
Also published as: GB0002792D0; GB2343409B

Abstract

An article carrier for use in a plastic article molding machine, the plastic molding machine having a first mold portion 11 and a second mold portion 12, at least one of the first and second mold portions being reciprocally movable, with respect to the other mold portion, between a conjoined position, wherein at least one article of plastic can be formed in a cavity defined by the conjoined first and second mold portions, and a spaced-apart position, wherein said at least one article of plastic can be released from the cavity into a gap formed between the first and second mold portions, a molded article retrieval apparatus including said article carrier and a mover for moving the article carrier into and out of the gap, said alignment mechanism aligning the article carrier within the gap to permit engagement of said at least one article by the article carrier, the article carrier comprising: at least one article receiver for each said cavity, each article receiver comprising a sleeve 130 defining a chamber into which one of the molded articles can be received, a piston 134 movably situated at an inner end of each sleeve having a surface adapted to contact the molded article, a fluid actuator coupled to the piston for displacing the piston so that any article within the chamber is displaced outwardly therefrom.

Description

IMPROVED MOLDED ARTICLE RETRIEVAL APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to the field of machines for injection molding hollow plastic articlcs, and more particularly concerns machines for injection molding hollow plastic articles which are subsequently reheated and b) ow motded into containers such as oriented hollow plastic containers.

2. Description of the Prior Art I lollow plastic articles or prefon-ns produced by injection molding generally have relatively thick wails and are molded at relatively high temperatures. Atter removal from the mold, the hollow plastic articles must bc cooled sulticiently to prevent their deformation or adhesion to one another. Flowever, their thick walls act as an insulator tcnding to trap heat inside the wall. A high rate oi'production is important in commercial operations, and the rate at which the injection molding cycle can produce preforms is limited by the time taken to cool the preforms sufficiently to allow post molding handling without damage to the preform.

Molding cycles have been reduced to the point that there is insufficient time left for the molded articles to bc completely cooled in a transporter bcforc it is nccdcd to retrieve the molded articles from the next molding cycle.

Cooling the articles in the mold by means of thennal contact with cooled mold surfaces quickly chills the inner and outer skins, but mold cooling removes the heat trapped within the wall only by keeping the articles in the mold for an extended period of time, which is economically undesirable. Initially cooling the skin of the molded articles may be sufficient to permit ejection from the mold without damage, but additional cooling is then immediately required to remove additional heat conducted tu the skin. If the additional cooling were omitted, the skin temperature would rise and tend to cause the molded articles to stick together, tu become prone tu surface damage, tu bend, or warp, and or tu crystallize.

One plastic article molding machine capable of rapid cycling is disclosed in l) S.

Pat. No. 4,72), 452 and includes a carrier plate cooperating with an injection molding machine and having a plurality of sets of article receivers for cooling preforms, with the number of article receivers corresponding to a multiple of the number of preforms produced in an injection molding cycle. The molding machine further includes means for positioning one set at a time of the carrier plate cavities in juxtaposition with formed preforms, and means for transferring the preforms to selected article receivers. Unfortunately, during operation of the molding machine, the carrier plate tends to move out of properly aligned position within the gap between the first and second mold portions, with the preforms thereby subjected to undesired and perhaps damaging contact with the molding machine. Similar problems can also occur with other article receivers used in conjunction with molding machines such as those disclosed in United States Patents 4,140,464; 4,690,633; 4,814,134; 4,915,611; 5,206,039,5,338,179, 5,354,194; 5,443,360 and European Patent Publication EP 0718084 A2.

SUMMARIES OF THE INVENTION Broadly according to the present invention there is provided an article carrier for use in a plastic article molding machine, the plastic molding machine having a first mold portion and a second mold portion, at least one of the first and second mold portions being reciprocally movable, with respect to the other mold portion, between a conjoined position, wherein at least one article of plastic can be formed in a cavity defined by the conjoined first and second mold portions, and a spaced-apart position, wherein said at least one article of plastic can be released from the cavity into a gap formed between the first and second mold portions, a molded article retrieval apparatus including said article carrier and a mover for moving the article carrier into and out of the gap, said alignment mechanism aligning the article carrier within the gap to permit engagement of said at least one article by the article carrier, the article carrier comprising : at) east one article receiver tor each said cavity, each article receiver comprising a sleeve defining a chamber into which one of the molded articles can be received, a piston movably situated at an inner end of each sleeve having a surface adapted to contact the molded article, a fluid actuator coupled to the piston for displacing the piston so that any article within the chamber is displaced outwardly therefrom.

Thus, essentially in summary form the apparatus is concerned with an article carrier particularly tor a plastic article molding machine (as disclosed in parent Patent Application No 9719568. 9), comprising a first mold portion and a second mold portion, at least one of the first and second mold portions being reciprocall) movable, with respect to the other mold portion, between a conjoined position, wherein at least one article of plastic can be formed in a cavity defined by the conjoined first and second mold portions, and a spaced-apart position, wherein said at least one article of plastic can be released from the cavity into a gap formed between the first and second mold portions, a molded article retrieval apparatus including an article carrier and a mover for moving the article carrier into and out of the gap, said alignment mechanism aligning the article carrier within the gap to permit engagement of said at least one article by the article carrier, the alignment mechanism comprising: at least one pin fixed to one of the first and second mold portions and projecting into said gap, and at lcast onc fork fixed to the article carrier, each fork having two tines separated hy a slot projecting from the article carrier toward said pin so that the pin is received in the slot when the article carrier is aligned in the gap with an article to be retrieved Thus, it can be stated in essentially summary form that the article carrier of the present invention is intended to be alignable by the within the gap between the first and second mold portions to permit engagement of a set of hollow plastic articles by any one of sets of the article receivers carried by the carrier plate.

More specifically, the article carrier of the present invention is asociated with apparatus for producing hollow plastic articles including a multicavity horizontal injection molding machine including a first mold portion or cavity half, and a second mold portion or core halt : The first mold portion delines a plurality of cavities, and the second mold portion has a plurality of elongate cores corresponding to the number of cavities. The cores are each engagable with a respective cavity in a mold-closed position to form a closed mold, for the formation of a hollow plastic article by injection molding. The cores reciprocate from a mold-closed position, seated in the cavities, for formation of the hollow articles, to a mold-open position, spaced from the cavities, forcing a gap between the cores and the cavities for ejection of the hollow articles. The mold portions may reciprocate on tie rods powered by a motive means, in a pro-determined cycle, and plastic material is injected into the volume formed between each core and cavity when in the mold-closed position. Formed hollow plastic articles may be retained on the cores after formation of the plastic articies and upon reciprocation of the mold portions from the mold-closed position to the mold-open position. Retention of the plastic articles on the cores is aided by shrinkage onto the cores. Removal of the hollow plastic articles from the cores onto an article carrier plate may be accomplished using air pressure supplicd through air lines and/or by the use of a stripper plate.

In a preferred arrangement of the present invention the article carrier inctudcs a carrier plate with at Icast two scts of receivers for cooling the hollow plastic articles. The number of receivers in the carrier plate corresponds to a multiple of the arrangement of the cavities of the first mold portion and are a multiple of at least two times the number of hollow plastic articles produced in an injection molding cycle. Each set of the carrier plate receivers corresponds to the arrangement of the first mold portion cavities, with each of sets of carrier plate receivers spaced apart by a fixed distance.

Motive mean ? ; may he provided for moving the carrier p) ate into and out of the gap between the first and second mold portions, and may include a slide on which the carrier plate is moved. A positioning means may be provided, including a first portion in fixed relationship to the carrier plate and moveable with the carrier plate into and out of the gap, and a second portion engagable with the first portion for aligning one selected set of carrier plate receivers with the hollow plastic articles formed in an injection molding cyclc. Thc positioning mcans is used to control the inboard or receiving position of the carrier plate and the carrier plate receivers, and may include means to programmably select one ofsevera) receiving positions depending upon the specific set of receivers in the carrier plate that has been selected to receive the holloxv plastic articles. A second alignment portion of the positioning means may include a plurality of projections spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the spacing of the sets of carrier plate receivers The projections may be of different lengths. The first alignment portion includes an end stop engagable with one of the projections so that the positioning means will stop carrier plate at the receiving position which corresponds to the desired carrier plate receiver. By rotating the second alignment portion, with the motive means coordinated with movement of the carrier plate, the appropriate alignment projection can be positioned to stop the carrier plate at the proper position on its nextcycle.

Any convenient method may be selected for positioning the carrier plate in the gap between the first and second mold positions, for cxamplc, hy mcans of electrical DC servo drives. Controlling the drives by a microprocessor means may position the carrier plate in different locations on subsequent cycles.

The hollow plastic articles transfer to the appropriate carrier plate receivers from the mold cores or from tile iiiold cavities, for example using the stripper plate.

When one set of receivers is filied with a set of hollow plastic articles corresponding to those produced in one injection molding cycle, the carrier plate is moved to a position spaced from the first and second mold positions and a second injection molding cycle is performed. The procedure is repeated and the hollow plastic articles produced in the second injection molding cycle are loaded into a second set of carrier plate receivers for cooling in a manner similar to those loaded in the first cycle. The procedure may be repeated, whereupon those hollow plastic articles previously loaded have resided in the carrier plate for a period of time necessary for appropriate cooling.

When all the carrier plate receivers in the carrier platc arc fillcd witll hollow plastic articles for cooling, those hollow plastic articles which were first loaded and have been subject to cooling the longest are ready to be discharged for further processing, as desired. On the next cycle, the carrier plate is stopped by the positioning means in such a receiving position that the next set of hollowv plastic articles is loaded into the set of carrier p) ate receivers just vacated By so operating the carrier plate, the hollow plastic articles can be stored in the marner plate for the same number of cycles as there are sets of receivers. Thus, sufficient additional cooling of the hollow plastic articles is provided so that upon discharge, the articles will not incur damage from further handling.

As has been indicated ahove the apparatus provides in one lorm an alignment mechanism (or aligning the article carrier plate within the gap between the first and second mold portions to permit engagement of a set ofhottow plastic articles by any one of the sets of the article receivers carried by the carrier plate. The alignment mechanism includes at least one pin fixed to the first mold portion and projecting into the gap between the first and second mold portions. Altcrnativcly, the pin may be fixed to the second mold portion and project into the gap between the first and second mold portions. The alignment mechanism further includes at least one fork fixed to the carrier plate, with each fork having two tines separated by a slot projecting from the carrier plate toward the pin. Each pin may be received in a slot when the carrier plate is aligned in the gap between the first and second mold portions, with any of the sets of article receivers confronting the set of articles to be retrieved. The slot may be dimensioned to engage the pin over a range of different lateral alignments of the carrier plate, permitting any of the sets of article receivers to he employed to receive the set of mlded hoilmv plastic articles.

A pair of opposing, spaced-apart pair of tower friction surfaces arc mounted to confronting inner surfaces of the tines, thereby defining the slot. I'he lower friction surfaces may be formed of any of a number of available materials that provide a relatively low friction surface. In addition, the lower friction surfaces may detachable from the fork, thereby permitting rapid and easy replacement of the lower friction surfaces that have become worn as a result of repeated engagement with the pins. The lower friction surfaces include tapered portions at distal ends of the fork, with the tapered portions acting to guide a pin between the tines of the fork. Each fork also includes a base for coupling the fork to the carrier plate, with the base including elongated stots for adjustable attachment of the fork to the carrier plate using fasteners, to insure proper alignment of the carrier plate with the articles to be transported.

Each pin includes a body portion, a head portion, and a neck portion joining the head portion to the body portion. The neck portion may be dimensioned smaller than either the body portion or the head portion to substantially match the distance of separation between the tines of the fork that is, the width of the slot, for engaging a pin. Tapered segments are disposed between the neck portion and the body portion and between the neck portion and the head portion.

As above mentioned, each article receiver includes a generally cylindrical sleeve defining a chamber into which a molded hollow plastic article can be received. A piston is movably situated at an inner end of each cylindrical sleeve, and has a piston surface adapted to contact a molded hollow plastic article. A fluid actuator is coupled to each piston for displacing the piston so that any article within the chamber is displaced outwardly therefrom. A fluid actuator of each article receiver is coupled through a fitting to other fluid actuator connected to the same set of article receivers. Fluid supply means supply fluid to each set of the fluid actuators so that the pistons of each set of the article receivers can be displaced outwardly as a set, to effect transfer of the molded hollow plastic articles from one set of the article receivers without displacing the molded hollow plastic articles from any other set of article receivers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of an improved plastic article molding machine representing the present invention.

FIG 2 is an end view of the first mold portion and the carrier plate in the direction "A"of FIG. I of an improved plastic article molding machine representing the present invention, with the carrier plate in the outboard position or position spaced from the gap between the first and second mold portions.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of the fork and base of the alignment mechanism of an improved plastic article molding machine representing the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the alignment mechanism of an improved plastic article molding machine representing the present invention, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail plan view of the pin of the alignment mechanism of an improved plastic article molding machine representing the present invention FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail plan view of an second embodiment of an article receiver of an improved plastic article molding machine, depicted with a hollow plastic article.

DESCRIPTION OF TU FIE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following portion of the specification, taken in conjunction with the drawings, sets forth the preferred embodiments of the present invention The embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention in a commercial environment, althouLh it should be recogni/. ed and understood that various modifications can be accomplished wnhm the parameters of the present invention.

Refcrring now to the drawings for a dctaited description of a first embodiment of the present invention, reference is first made to FIGS 1-2, generally depicting an improved plastic article molding machine including a multicavity horizontal injection molding machine) 0 The number of cavities and the arrangement thereof shown in the drawings are exemplary only, and any convenient number of cavities and arrangement thereof may be employed. A single cavity arrangement may also be used, ahhough mutticavity arrangements are preferred for economic reasons.

Machine 10 includes a first mold portion 1 I which is a cavity hall. land a second mold portion 12 which is a core half hirst mold portion or cavity half I 1 defines at least one cavity) 3 and preferably defines a plurality of cavities 13. A representative cavity arrangement, shown in FIG. 2. depicts two spaced rows of cavities 13, with each row containing eight cavities. Second mold portion or core half 12 has at least one elongate core 14, with the number of cores corresponding to the number of cavities. Cores) 4 are each engagabte with a respective cavity) 3 in a mold-closed position to form a closcd mold, for the formation of a hollow plastic article by injection motding. The number of articles formed in an injection molding cycle will depend on the number of cavities 13 and corresponding cores 14. Normally, cores 14 will reciprocate from a mold-closed position, seated in cavities) 3, for the formation of the hollow articles, to a mold-open position, spaced from cavities 13, forming a gap between cores 14 and cavities 13 for ejection @@ @@ hollow articles. FIG. I shows first and second mold portions 11 and 12 in a mold-open position. The mold portions)) and 1 2 reciprocate on lie rods 1. S powered by any convenient motive means, such as by hydrautic cytinder 16, in a predetermined cycle. f'lastic material is injected into the volume formed between each core 14 and cavity 13 in the mold-closed position hy known injection molding procedures.

It is preterred to retain the fonned hollow plastic articles on cores 14 alter formation of the plastic articles and upon reciprocation of mold portions 11 and 12 from the mold-closed position to the mold-open position. Retention of the plastic articles on cores 14 is aided by shrinkage onto core 14. Removal of the hollow plastic articles from cores 14 onto article carrier plate 20 may he accomplished by blowing air through lines 17 and,'or by the use of stripper plate 1 8 reciprocating on guide pins 19.

Article carrier plate or cooled robot storage p) ate 20 may be provided with at least two sets of receivers for cooling the hollow plastic articles The number of receivers in carrier plate 20 corresponds to a multiple of the arrangement of cavities 1 3 of first mold portion 11 and are a multiple of at least two times the number of hollow plastic articles produced in an injection molding cycle. The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes a first set of carrier plate receivers 21, a second set of carrier plate receivers 22, and a third set of carrier plate receivers 23. Each set of carrier plate receivers 21, 22 and 3 corresponds to the arrangement of first mold portion cavities 13, with each of sets of carrier plate receivers 2 1, 22,23 being spaced apart by a fixed distance.

It will bc appreciated that the specific arrangement of first mold portion cavitics 13 and sets of carrier plate receivers 21, 22 and 23 depicted in FIC'n. 1-2 are exemplary only and other arrangements can be readily used.

Carrier plate 20 has a first set of carrier plate receivers 21 identical In arrangement to first mold portion cavities 13, with the same relative positioning In addition, the first, second and third sets of carrier plate receivers 2 1, 22 and 23 are offset from the respective adjacent set by equal distances. The first set of receivers 21 is offset from second set of receivers 22 by a first distance R, and is offset from the third set of receivers 23 by a second distance C. The distances R and C are so arrange as to equally space the additional cavity arrangements in carrier plate 20, with the additional sets of carrier plate receivers ? ?, ? 3 being arranged in between the columns of the first set of carrier plate receivers 21.

Although two additional sets ot carrier plate receivers are shown in FIG. 2, this is only tor illustration purposes. Other embodiments can include only one set of carrier plate receivers or several sets of carrier plate receivers depending upon the available space and the use of other cooling apparatus in conjunction with thc carrier plate 20, FIGS. 1 and 2 show carrier plate 20 in the outboard position or in the position spaced from the gap between first and second mold portions 11 and 1 ?. Motive means, not shown, may be provided for moving carrier p) ate 20 into and out of the gap, including slide 31 on which carrier plate : 0 may be moved l'ositioning means 32 is provided, including first alignment portion 33 in fixed rclationship to carrier plate 20 and moveab) e with carrier ptate 20 into and out of the gap, and second a) ignment portion 34 engagable with tirst alignment portion 33 for aligning one selected set of carrier plate receivers 21, 22 or 23 with the hollow plastic articles formed in an injection molding cycle. Positioning means 3 ? is used to control the inboard or receiving position of carrier plate 20 and carrier plac receivers 21, 22 or 23. Positioning means 32 may inctude means, not shown, to programmably select one of several receiving positions depending upon the specific set of receivers in carrier plate 20 that has been selected to receive the hollow plastic articles. Second alignment portion 34 of positioning mcans 3? includes a plurality of projections 35,36 and 37 spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the spacing of the sets of carrier plate receivers ? 1, ? 2 and 23.

Thus, projections 35, 36, and 37 are of different lengths, with the differences between the lengths corresponding to distances B and C. First alignment portion 33 includes end stop 38 engagable with one of projections 3S, 36 or 37 of second alignment portion 34 so that positioning means 32 will stop carrier plate 20 at the receiving position which corresponds to the desired carrier plate receiver, e. g., projection 37 will stop carrier plates so that first set of carrier plate receivers 2 1 are aligned with first mold portion cavities 13 and cores 14 and the ejected hollow plastic articles will be loaded into first set of carrier plate receivers 2 **. rotating second aHgnment portion 34, with the motive means coordinated ith the movement of carrier p) ate 20, the appropriate atignment projection can be positioned to stop carrier plate 20 at the proper position on its next cycle. Thus, first projection 37 is longer than second projection 36 by an amount equal to distance B so that whcn first projection 37 is selected to engage end stop 38, first set of carrier plate receivers 21 will be aligned with mold core 14 so that the hollow plastic articles to be cooled will be aligned with first set of carrier plate receivers 21. Similarly, by selecting second spaced projection 36, the second set of carrier plate receivers 22 tvill be aligned with mo) d core) 4 for toading a second set of hollow plastic anicles produced by a second injection molding cycle.

Any convenient method may be selected for positioning carrier plate 20 in the gap between first and second mold positions I 1 and 12, for example, by means of electrical DC servo drives. Controlling the drives by a microprocessor means, not shown, carrier plate 20 may be positioned in different locations on subsequent cycles.

The hollow plastic articles will transfer to the appropriate carrier plate receivers from mold cores 14 or from mold cavities 13, for example, by utilizing stripper plate 18. When onc set of receivers, for example set 21, is fillcd with a set of hollow plastic articles corresponding to those produced in one injection motding cycle, carrier plate 20 is moved to a position spaced from the first and second mold positions and a second injection molding cycle is performed. The procedure is repeated and the holloxv plastic articles produced in the second injection molding cycle are loaded into second set of carrier plate receivers 22 for cooling in a manner similar to whose loaded in the first cycle. The procedure is repeated the third time, whereupon those hollow plastic articles loaded in first set of carrier plate receivers 21 have resided in carrier plate 20 for a period of time corresponding to the time necessary to load the three sets of hoilow plastic articics into carrier plate 20.

When all carrier plate receivers in carrier plate 20 are filled with hollow plastic articles for cooling, those hollow plastic articles which were first loaded and have been subject to cooling the longest are ready to be discharged for further processing, as desired. On the next cycle, carrier plate 20 is stopped by positioning means 32 in such a receiving position that the next set of hollow plastic articles is loaded into the set of carrier plate receivers just vacated.

By operating carrier plate 20 in this way, the hollow plastic articles can be stored in carrier plate 20 for the same number of cycles as there are sets of receivers in carrier plate 20, thus providing sufficient additional cooling of the hollow plastic articles so that upon discharge the articles will not incur damage from further handling.

Depicted in FIGS. 3-5 is an alignment mechanism of the present invention, for aligning article carrier plate 20 within the gap between first and second mold portions 11 and 12 to permit engagement of a set of hollow plastic articles by any one said sets of article receivers 21, 22, or 23 carried by carrier plate 20."the alignment mechanism includes at least one pin 102 fixed to first mold portion 11 and projecting into the gap between first and second mold portions 11 and 12.

Alternatively, pin 102 may be fixed to second mold portion 1 2 and project into the gap between first and second mold portions 11 and 1 2 The alignment mechanism further includes at least one fork 104 fixed to carrier plate 20, with each fork 104 having two tines 106 separated by slot 108 projecting from carrier plate 20 toward pin 102. Each pin 102 may be received in a slot 108 when carrier plate 20 is aligned in the gap between first and second mold portions)) 30 and 12 with any of the sets of article receivers 21, 22, or 23 confronting the set of articles to be retrieved. Slot 108 may be dimensioned to engage pin 1 02 over a range of different lateral alignments of carrier plate 20, permitting any of the sets of article receivers 21, 22, or 23 to be emptoyed to receive the set of molded hoilow plastic articles.

As sho\vn in F (GS. 3 and 4, a pair of opposing, spaced-apart pair of tower fricnon surfaces 110 are mounted to confronting inner surfaces 109 of tines 106, thereby defining slot 108. Lower friction surfaces 110 may be formed of any of a number of available materials that providc a rclativcly low friction surface Low friction surfaces which may be preferred include surfaces not requiring separatety applied lubricants, including self-lubricating polymers such as a polyamide incorporating about 5 , molybdenum disulfide, polysiloxane, or polytetrafluroethylene, for example Nylatron DSM available from DSM Engineering Plastics of Evansville, Indiana, thereby preventing contaminating disbursement of applied lubricant to other surfaces. Nylatron is a Registered Trade Mark. In addition, lower friction surfaces 110 may detachable from fork 1 04, permitting rapid and easy replacement of lower friction surfaces 110 that have become worn as a restilt of repeated engagement with pins 102. Lower friction surfaces 110 include tapered portions 112 at distal ends 114 of fork 104, with tapered portions 11 2 acting to guide a pin 102 between tines 106 of fork 104. Each fork 104 also includes base 116 for coupling fork 104 to carrier plate 20, with base 11 6 including elongated slots 120 for adjustable attachment of fork 104 to carrier plate 20 using fasteners, not shown, to insure proper alignment of carrier plate 20 with the articles to be transported Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, each pin 102 includes body portion 122, head portion 124, and neck portion 126 joining head portion 124 to body portion 1 99. Neck portion may be dimensioned smaller than either body portion 1 22 or head portion 1 24 to substantially match the distance of separation between tines) 06 of fork 104, that is, the width of slot 108, for engaging a pin 102. Tapered segments 128 are disposed between neck portion 126 and body portion 122 and between neck portion 126 and head portion 24.

A second embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 6 in this embodiment each article receiver includes a sleeve 130 defining chamber 132 into which molded hollow plastic article 139 can be received. Piston t34 is movabiy situated at inner end 136 of each cylindrical sleeve 130, and has piston surface 138 adapted to contact molded hollow plastic article 139. A fluid actuator 140 is coupled to each piston 134 for displacing piston 134 so that any article within chamber 132 is displaced outwardly therefrom. Fluid actuator 140 of each article receiver is coupled through fitting M2 to other fluid actuators 140 connected to the same set of article receivers. Fluid supply means, not from one set of the article receivers 21, 22, 23 without displacing the molded hollow plastic articles from any other set of article receivers.

The present invention having been described in its preferred embodiments, it is clear that the present invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and embodiments within the ability of those skilled in the art and without the exercise of the inventive faculty. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined as set forth by the scope of the following claims.

Claims

WHAT ! S CLAIMED IS : 1. An article carrier for use in a plastic article molding machine, the plastic molding machine having a first mold portion and a second mold portion, at least one of the first and second mold portions being reciprocally movable, with respect to the other mold portion, between a conjoined position, wherein at least one article of plastic can be formed in a cavity defined by the conjoined first and second mold portions, and a spaced-apart position, wherein said at least one article of plastic can be released from the cavity into a gap formed between the first and second mold portions, a molded article retrieval apparatus including said article carrier and a mover for moving the article carrier into and out of the gap, s alignment mechanism aligning the article carrier within the gap to permit engagement of said at least one article by the article carrier, the article carrier comprising: at least one article receiver for each said cavity, each article receiver comprising a sleeve defining a chamber into which one of the molded articles can be received, a piston movably situated at an inner end of each sleeve having a surface adapted to contact the molded article, a fluid actuator coupled to the piston for displacing the piston so that any article within the chamber is displaced outwardly therefrom.
2 An article carrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein said article receivers are arranged in sets of article receivers, the fluid actuator of each article receiver being coupled to other fluid actuators connecte to the same set of article receivers, and further comprising means supplying each set of fluid actuators so that the pistons of each set of article receivers can be displaced outwardly as a set to effect transfer of the molded articles from one set of the article receivers without displacing the molded articles from any other set of the article receivers.
3. An article carrier as claimed in claim 2, the article carrier is connecte to at least one fork forming part of said alignment mechanism that also comprises at least one pin fixed to one of the first and second mold portions and projecting into said gap, each fork having two tines separated by a slot projecting from the article carrier toward said pin so that the pin is received in the slot when the article carrier is aligned in the gap with an article to be retrieved.
4. An article carrier as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, and including a carrier plate with at least two sets of receivers for cooling the hollow plastic articles.
5. An article carrier as claimed in claim 4, wherein the number of receivers in the carrier plate corresponds to a multiple of the arrangement of the cavities of the first mold portion and are a multiple of at least two times the number of hollow plastic articles produced in an injection molding cycle.
6. An carrier article as claimed in claim 5, wherein each set of the carrier plate receivers corresponds to the arrangement of the first mold portion cavities of the plastic molding machine, and wherein each of the sets of carrier plate receivers spaced apart by a fixed distance.
7. An article carrier as claimed in claim 4,5 or 6, wherein motive means may be provided for moving the carrier plate into and out of the gap provided between first and second mold portions of the associated plastics molding machine
8. An article carrier as claimed in claim 7, wherein the carrier plate is mountable to a slide associated with the motor means.
9. An article carrier plate as claimed in claim 4,5,6,7 or 8, and wherein the plate is arrange to be cooperable in fixed relationship with first position of a positioning means moveable with the carrier plate into and out of the gap, therebeing a second portion engagable with the first portion for aligning one selected set of carrier plate receivers with the hollow plastic articles formed in an injection molding cycle.
10. An article carrier as claimed in claim 9, wherein the inboard or article receiving position of the carrier plate and the carrier plate receivers are arrange to be controlled by the positioning means.
II An article carrier as claimed in claim 10, wherein the positioning means includes means programmable to select one of several receiving positions depending upon the specific set of receivers in the carrier plate that has been selected to receive the hollow plastic articles.
12. An article carrier as claimed in claim 1 1, wherein a second alignment portion of the positioning means may include a plurality of projections spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the spacing or the sets of carrier plate receivers.
13. An article carrier as claimed in claim 12, wherein the'may be of different lengths and wherein the first alignment portion includes an end stop engagable with one of the projections so that the positioning means xvill stop carrier plate at the receiving position which corresponds to the desired carrier plate receiver.
14. An article carrier as claimed in claim 12, and wherein by rotation of the second alignment portion, with the motive means coordinated with movement of the carrier plate, an appropriate alignment projection can be positioned to stop the carrier plate at the proper position on its next cycle.
15. An article carrier as claimed in claim 14, and including electrical DC servo drives for positioning the carrier plate in the gap between the first and second mold positions, for example, by means of electrical DC servo drives.
16. An article carrier as claimed in claim 15, and including a microprocessor means for controlling the drives to position the carrier plate in different locations on subsequent cycles.
17. An article carrier as claimcd in any onc of claims 5 to 16, wherein a stripper plate is provided for the transfer of the hollow plastic articles to the appropriate carrier plate receivers from the mold cores or from the mold cavities, the arrangement being such thal when one set of receivers is fillcd with a set of hollow plastic articles corresponding to those produced in one injection molding cycle, the carrier plate is moved to a position spaced from the first and second mold positions and a second in jection molding cycle is performed.
18. An article carrier as claimed in claim 17, and in which the procedure is repeated and the hollow plastic articles produced in the second injection molding cycle are loaded into a second set of carrier plate receivers for cooling in a manner similar to those loaded in the first cycle. The procedure may be repeated, whereupon those hollow plastic articles previously loaded have resided in the carrier plate for a period of time necessary for appropriate cooling.
19. an article carrier as claimed in claim 18, wherein when all the carrier plate receivers in the carrier plate are filled with hollow plastic articles for cooling, those hollow plastic articles which were first loaded and have thus been subject to cooling the longest are ready to be discharged for further processing, and wherein. on the next cycle, the carrier plate is arranged to be stopped by the positioning means in such a receiving position that the next set of hollow plastic articles is loaded into the set of carrier plate receivers just vacated and the arrangement being further such that by so operating the carrier plate, the hollow plastic articles can bc stored in the carrier plate for the same number or cycles as there arc sets of receivers whereby sufficient additional cooling of the holloxv plastic articles is enabled so that upon discharge, the articles will not incur damage from further handling.
20. An article carrier for use in a plastic article molding machine constructed and arrange to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Figures 1, 2,3,4,5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.