Patent ID: 6367360
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: B26D,B29C,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
Apparatus for trimming a plastic blow molding comprising:a trimmer head adjacent which is positioned the blow molding to be trimmed, and the trimmer head including first and second mounting blocks; a rotary trimming assembly of a generally annular shape and including a rotary member rotatably supported by the trimmer head and rotatably driven about a central axis, the rotary member being axially fixed along the central axis with respect to the trimmer head and including a tube through which the central axis extends with the tube generally in alignment with the blow molding to be trimmed, the rotary member of the rotary trimming assembly including a ring portion rotatably supported by the first mounting block of the trimmer head, the tube of the rotary member of the rotary trimming assembly having one end that projects from the ring portion of the rotary member toward the blow molding to be trimmed, and the tube having another end rotatably supported by the second mounting block, antifriction bearings that rotatably support the ring portion and the tube of the rotary member on the first and second mounting blocks, the rotary trimming assembly also including a knife holder pivotally mounted on the rotary member for rotation therewith and being pivotally movable with respect thereto about a trimming axis that extends parallel to the central axis in a spaced relationship thereto, the rotary trimming assembly including an annular cam follower that is movable along the central axis with respect to the rotary member thereof that mounts the knife holder, and the rotary trimming assembly including a cam mechanism that extends between the annular cam follower and the knife holder to pivot the knife holder upon movement of the annular cam follower along the central axis with respect to the rotary member such that a knife held by the knife holder trims a portion of the blow molding from the rest of the blow molding; an actuating mechanism including a cam that is mounted by the trimmer head and that engages the annular cam follower of the rotary trimming assembly during the rotary driving thereof, and the actuating mechanism including an actuator that moves the cam thereof to move the annular cam follower of the rotary trimming assembly and pivot the knife holder such that the knife held thereby trims the portion of the blow molding to allow the trimmed blow molding portion to move through the tube away from the trimmed blow molding in preparation for the next trimming cycle; the tube of the rotary member slidably supporting the annular cam follower at a location between the first and second mounting blocks for movement along the central axis under the impetus of the cam of the actuating mechanism to perform the trimming operation; and the knife holder including an elongated shaft that extends along the trimming axis and has an intermediate portion that is pivotally supported on the ring portion of the rotary member, the elongated shaft of the knife holder having a first end that projects from the ring portion of the rotary member toward the blow molding to be trimmed and includes a knife holder portion that holds the knife for trimming the blow molding, and the elongated shaft of the knife holder having a second end that projects from the ring portion of the rotary member toward the annular cam follower and has a slide connection therewith where the cam mechanism of the rotary trimming assembly pivots the elongated shaft of the knife holder upon movement of the annular cam follower under the impetus of the actuating mechanism.