Patent ID: 6502620
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: B22C

Abstract:
Method of controlling a movement of squeeze plates of a string moulding apparatus comprising a moulding chamber located between a squeeze plate and a pivoted squeeze plate, at least one of the squeeze plates being provided with a pattern, comprising the sequential steps of:a) moving the squeeze plate alone, or both the squeeze plate and the pivoted squeeze plate, from a starting position into the moulding chamber to press a mould, b) moving the pivoted squeeze plate out of the moulding chamber and pivoting the pivoted squeeze plate to strip the pivoted squeeze plate from the mould and to open the moulding chamber to allow the mould to be transported beyond the pivoted squeeze plate, c) moving the squeeze plate further into and past the moulding chamber and past the pivoted squeeze plate to transport the mould beyond the pivoted squeeze plate, d) moving the squeeze plate back into the moulding chamber to strip the squeeze plate from the mould and to resume the starting position thereof, e) pivoting and moving the pivoted squeeze plate back to the moulding chamber to resume the starting position thereof and to close the moulding chamber, wherein one of(i) the moving of the pivoted squeeze plate out of the moulding chamber in step b) starts before the moving of the squeeze plate to press the mould in step a) has ended, (ii) the moving of the squeeze plate further into and past the moulding chamber in step c) starts before the moving and pivoting of the pivoted squeeze plate to open the moulding chamber in step b) has ended, or (iii) the pivoting and moving of the pivoted squeeze plate back to the moulding chamber in step e) starts before the moving of the squeeze plate to the starting position thereof has ended.