Patent GB-1421992-A (GB)
Title: Injection moulding apparatus
IPC: B29C45/06
Filed: 1973-01-05
Abstract: 1421992 Injection moulding machines CHICAGO RAWHIDE MFG CO 5 Jan 1973 [7 Jan 1972] 826/73 Heading B5A Injection moulding apparatus comprises a plurality of mould units 20, each unit having a frame 30 carrying at least one mould part 52, support means 70 slidably mounted in the frame and supporting a complementary mould part 54, the support means being movable along a given axis to a closed position of the mould parts, carrying means 46, 48 for moving the mould units in succession to a clamping assembly 12, the frame of each unit 20 being adapted for mounting on the carrying means so as to permit free movement of the unit with respect to the carrying means in a direction parallel to said axis. The clamping assembly has a frame unit and movable means serving to move a mould unit presented to the clamping assembly into abutment with the frame unit and move the support means in relation to the frame of the mould unit to close the mould parts under a first closing force. Each mould unit also includes mechanical locking means 64 co-operable with the support means to lock the mould parts in the closed position after being closed by the movable means, the locking means maintaining the moulds in the closed position under a second closing force of smaller magnitude than the first closing force. Means 14 are provided for injecting material into a mould when in register with the clamping means. In the example shown five mould units 20 are mounted on a rotatable centre column 48 and indexed successively into desired positions by a cam drive 50. Each mould unit 20 includes upper and lower plates 30, 32 and a plurality of load bearing columns 34. Both upper and lower plates include mounting studs 42 extending through bushings 44 in rings 46 mounted on the centre column 48. Mould parts 52, 54 are associated with heating platens 56, 48, platen 56 being secured to plate 30 and platen 58 to a support 98. The support 98 is carried by a cylindrical member 70 (Fig. 3) and normally biased upwardly by springs 106. The member 70 has a pair of support rollers 76, one of which can engage a track 24 to hold the lower mould half spaced slightly below the upper mould half. The member 70 can be held in a raised position by means of a collar 64 adapted to engage in an arcuate slot 108 in a cylinder 80. The collar 64 is biased in opposite directions by pairs of springs 66, 124. The springs 124 are stronger than the springs 66 and act to transmit to the collar 64 the movement of a roller 60 produced by a cam surface 125. Operation.-This is illustrated in the developed view shown in Fig. 6. At position I, injection is effected with the mould unit clamped under high pressure by the clamping unit 130, 132. In this position the collar 64 has snapped into the groove 108, and the roller 76 is raised slightly above the track 24. Before moving to position II, the injector nozzle 40 is raised and the force supplied by piston 130 is released. The mould remains closed however under reduced but substantial pressure since the collar 64 clamps the mould in closed position. Just prior to moving from position III to position IV a piston 146 is moved upwardly to release the collar 64 under the force of the springs 66. Positive separation of the mould parts 52, 54 is effected by engagement of one roller 76 with a pair of cam rails 48, 150. At position IV finished parts are removed, and any inserts may be placed in the open mould. At position V an auxiliary piston-cylinder assembly 22 raises the lower mould part to a nearly closed position, the upper surface of the roller 76 contacting an inclined surface 152 of a latch 154 forming the end portion of the track 24. Continued upward movement forces the latch 154 to the right in Fig. 6 against a spring 155 and then allows the latch to snap back to a roller-supporting position.