Patent GB-1192352-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to the Production of Gramophone Records
Inventor: RAND WALTER LESLIE
IPC: B29C43/36
Filed: 1966-04-15
Abstract: 1,192,352. Moulding gramophone records. ELECTRIC & MUSICAL INDUSTRIES Ltd 17 July, 1967 [15 April, 1966], No. 16565/66. Heading B5A. In a gramophone record press, a gripping mechanism on a reciprocable carriage 8, 8<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 2, removes the record from the press 5 and feeds it to a device 9 for further treatment e.g. trimming. The apparatus comprises an extruder for feeding a shot i.e. a predetermined amount, to a reciprocable carrier 50 which feeds the shot to a label receiving station 4 from which the labelled preform is fed to the press station 5 by a suction device. After pressing, the record is engaged by gripping means and is fed to the trimming and slot punching station 9 from which vacuum means deliver the record to a bagging section 10. Operation.-At station 4 the labels are mounted under spring loading on spindles 25, 26, Fig. 3, and are retained by the enlarged ends thereof until, at the appropriate point in the cycle, cylinders 20, 20<SP>1</SP> are actuated to discharge labels on to a carrier 40 mounted on a reciprocable carriage 49, the labels being retained by application of vacuum. The labels are subsequently transferred to disc 65, Fig. 5, and carrier plate 70 having associated heaters 74, 78. A plunger 75 transfers the shot from the carrier 50 on to the back of the lower label on the disc 65 which, after the return of the carrier to the feeding stage, is moved upwardly to press the shot on to the upper label to form a labelled preform which is then fed to the press (at station 5) by the carrier plate 70. The press comprises an upper matrix 126, Fig. 8, clamped to a backing plate 160 and flanged centre member 142, the plate 160 being held by a ring nut 166 against the block 165 so that the heat exchange channels 167, 168 communicate. The lower matrix 127 is clamped to a backing plate 173 and a flanged centre member 152 which is held by the jaws of a releasable clamping device to allow changing of the matrix. The backing plate 173 is attached by a ring nut to a block 190 so that the heat exchange channels 197, 198 communicate. Central pins 128, 130 co-operate to form the centre hole, of the record. Pins 200, 200<SP>1</SP> carried by the backing plate 173 co-operate with flash gripping devices 203, 203<SP>1</SP>. The arrangement is such that the pins open the gripping devices when the press is closed by the upward stroke of the ram 108 and allow them to close on the flash when the press is opened by springs. The gripping devices 203, 203<SP>1</SP> tend to pull the record away from the upper matrix and this action is supplemented by blasts of air from jets 211, 211<SP>1</SP>. The gripping devices are carried by the carriage 8, 8<SP>1</SP> reciprocable by associated pneumatically operated rack and pinion mechanisms to move the record from the press and take it to the trimming station 9 where the record is located on a turntable 301 and ramps are operated to open the gripping devices and the carriage 8, 8<SP>1</SP> then returns to the press. The trimming mechanism which comprises a pair of motor-driven rotary cutters 322, 323 carried by a pivotal assembly 320 then operates to remove the flash which falls down a shoot 340 into a waste bin. The record is then engaged by vacuum pads carried by an arm which delivers the record to a shoot 350 into a bagging machine.