MOULD SORTING TABLE

Abstract: This is a mould sorting table (16) for use with a conventional injection moulding machine (13) for performing insert moulding. While moulding is being performed on a mould (12, 14) in a moulding position (1) another mould half (17) is having a moulding removed from it and is being loaded with a fresh insert. Then the mould half (12) is pushed forward to the position (3) by an actuator (19) and then the mould halves (17) and (12) are moved into positions (3) and (4) and then mould half (17) is pulled by the actuator (19) back to position (1) for the next moulding operation while the previous moulding is being removed on the mould half at position (4).

Description: MOULD SORTING TA3LE ■ This invention relates to a mould sorting table, and one object is to provide a table which can be used in conjunction with a standard injection moulding machine to enable a mould to be loaded with 5. an insert for insert moulding,while a moulding operation is being performed with another mould, while yet the operator can be in a central position. According to the present invention, a mould sorting table for operation with an injection moulding 10. machine defines a transfer position for a mould half • and left and right loading positions, together with means for moving a mould half to and from the transfer position from, or to, ny of a moulding position en the machine, and the two loading positions. 15. During sorting or shuffling of mould halves, a mould from the machine can be moved to the transfer position, and then that mould can be moved to one leading position while a mould in the other loading position can be moved to the transfer position ready 20. for being moved to the moulding position. The arrangement is most convenient if the transfer position and the left and right loading positions are in a straight line, constituting the top of a 'T 1 while the- moulding position or. 25. the machine is in the position of the leg of the ' T" . With that arrangement a mould half can be simply slid from the transfer position to any one of the other three positions. Also as a. mould half is moved between the transfer position and the right leading 30. position, another mould half can be moved sim * l-aneo * αsiy BAD ORIGINAL between the other moulding position and the transfer position. The moving means can be constituted by one or more hydraulic or other actuators operation of 5. which is initiated by limit switches responsive to arrival of a mould half in one of the positions . The invention includes a method of moulding using an injection moulding machine and a mould sorting table as defined above, in which method one 10. mould is being loaded with an insert in one of the loading positions, while moulding is being performed en another mould in the moulding position. The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, and one embodiment will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; 5. FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a vertical moulding machine fitted with a shuffle table; FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the mould base " and the shuffle table; and FIGURE 3 is a detail taken in the direction of 10. the arrow III in FIGURE 1. The moulding machine comprises a moulding table 11 for carrying a lower mould half 12, and a moulding head 13 carrying a mould half 14, and capable of being lowered on guides 15 to close the mould halves in 15. preparation for a conventional injection moulding operation. In order to allow the machine to be fully utilised during insert moulding in which the injection moulding takes place around inserts previously fitted -into a 20. mould half, a shuffle table 16 is fitted to the front of the moulding table 11. The shuffle table defines four mould half positions as shown in FIGURE 2. The mould table 11 defines position number 1 which is the position for a mould half during moulding; then position 25. 2 and position 4 are left-hand and right-hand loading and ejection positions on either side of position 3 which constitutes a transfer station, and is in front of position 1. In the situation shown in FIGURE 1, a mould half 30. 12 loaded with its insert is ready for closing with the mould half 14 and injection moulding, and a second mould half 17 is in the left-hand unloading T . TUTE SHEET BAD ORIGINAL station shown as position 2 in FIGURE 2. In that position the mould half can be unloaded and have fresh inserts fitted for a next moulding by an operator positioned in front of the shuffle table at 18, and that 5. unloading and reloading can take place while injection is being performed at position 1. At the end of the moulding cycle, the mould head 13 rises and then a hydraulic actuator 19 is operated to push the mould half 12 into the transfer 10. statio -position 3 - and when it is properly located ,a signal is given by a limit switch (net shown) . An actuator 21 then pushes the mould halves 17 and 12 from positions 2 and 3 to positions 3 and 4 respectively. Again on receipt of a limit switch 15. signal, the actuator 19 draws the mould half 17 onto the mould base position 1, and when it is fully home, another limit switch gives a signal for mould closing and injection moulding to commence. There is a '1" slot in the back face of each of the mould halves for 20. automatically engaging with a corresponding "I" or. the head of the actuator 19 enabling the actuator to both pull and push the mould halves between positions 1 and 3. The next moulding cycle is performed while the moulding is removed from the mould half 12 in position 4, which 25. is reloaded with inserts, and then the actuator 19 pushes the mould half 17 to position number 3 and then an actuator 22 pushes the halves 12 and 17 back from positions 4 and 3 to positions 3 and 2. Actuator 19 then draws mould half 12. back onto the mould base so that 30. conditions are then once more as shewn in ?IGU?__ 2. . _ Each mould half 12 or 17 is seated on a carrier plate 23 which can slide on the surface of the table 16 as shown in FIGURE 3. At the back of each plate 23 in the horizontal T-section slot 24 referred to above, 5. and that co-operates with a T-section head on a cross- head 25 mounted on the rod of the actuator 19. A key 26 in a keyway in the bottom face of the cross-head can slide to and fro along a slot 27 in the centre of the table 16, so that when the actuator 19 operates, 10. the cross-hand is guided laterally. When the two plates 23 are in positions 2 and 3, or 3 and 4, and the actuator 21 or 22 operates, the T head slides from the slot 24 in one plate to the slot 24 in the other. The shuffle table 16 with its actuators 21 and 15. .22 is simple and inexpensive, and can be fitted to a standard vertical injection moulding machine and readily removed when normal injection moulding is to be done. When in use the shuffle table allows full use of the mould clamping area and doubles the production capacity 20. of the machine when doing insert moulding work because one mould half can be loaded with its inserts while the other mould half is being used in a moulding operation. The positioning of the able as shown enables an 25. operator at 18 to be confortably seated centrally in a position where he can easily remove mouldings and reload inserts, while yet he has an unobstructed view of the mould base after each moulding operation. It will be clear that the shuffle table can be fitted to 30. various kinds of moulding machines including machines with two BAD ORIGINAL OMFI tie clamping units, three tie units or swan neck o. ■ C clamp units. 5.

Claims: CLAIMS ' 1. A mould sorting table for operation with an injection moulding machine, and defining a transfer position for a mould half, and left and right loading positions, together with means for moving a mould half to and from the transfer position from, or to, any of a moulding position of the machine, and the two loading positions. 2. A sorting table as claimed in Claim 1 in which the transfer position and -he left and right loading positions are in a straight line. 3. A sorting table as claimed in Claim 2 in which the moulding position is in the position of -he leg of■ a 'T' whose top is constituted by the straight line of ϋhe other three positions. 4. A sorting table as claimed in any of -he preceding claims in which the moving means is constituted by one or more actuators operation of which is initiated by limit switches responsive to arrival of a mould half in one of the positions. 5. A sorting table as claimed in Claim 4 in which there is an actuator arranged to move a mould half between the transfer position and the moulding position, and including a head and slot connection between the actuator and a carrier for the mould half, arranged so that when two mould halves are moved together from one of the loading positions and the transfer position to the transfer position and the other loading position, the head and slot connection BAD ORIGINAL is transferred from one moulding half carrier to another by sliding of the head in relation to the slot. β. A sorting table as claimed in Claim 5 in which the head has a key co-operating with a slot in the table for locating the head laterally curing movement between the moulding position and the transfer position. 7. A mould sorting table constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 8. A method of moulding using an injection moulding machine and a mould sorting table as defined in any of the preceding claims in which method one mould is being loaded with an insert in one of the loading positions while moulding is being performed on another mould in the moulding position.

Inventors: OREGAN JOHN P
Applicants: LEADER MACHINERY, OREGAN JOHN P
Application year: 1981
Main classification: B29F1
IPC codes: B29C45