Patent GB-1185651-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to the production of Gramophone Records
Inventor: RAND WALTER LESLIE
IPC: B29C43/02
Filed: 1966-04-15
Abstract: 1,185,651. Moulding gramophone records. ELECTRIC & MUSICAL INDUSTRIES Ltd. 11 April, 1967 [15 April, 1966; 17 Sept., 1966], Nos. 16564/66 and 41615/66. Heading B5A. A machine for the production of gramophone records includes a press with opposed mould parts moved together and apart to effect moulding of a record, and means to ensure that a moulded record is retained by a particular one of the mould parts during the movement apart of the mould parts; after moulding when the mould parts are apart a removing device takes the record from the particular mould part and removes it from the press. A shot of moulding material sandwiched between upper and lower mould labels is fed by a carrier 4, Fig. 3, into a press 5 and deposited on to a lower mould block. The carrier is withdrawn and the shot compressed between upper and lower mould blocks, each of which carries a stamping matrix. To ensure that the moulded record is retained on the lower block when the blocks are separated, the lower block 59<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 6, has clips 71 thereon, which may be retractable, such that when the record is pressed material flows under the clips. The lower block is then moved from below the upper block 58, and the record is removed clear of the clips by a plate 72 pivoted to the lower block and operated by an air cylinder 74. A suction device 65 on an arm 67 pivoted on a support 68 is lowered by an air cylinder 69, picks up the record and transfers it to a table 76 where it is trimmed by a cutter 78 swung into position to remove the flash. The trimmed record is then transferred by the device 65 to a stacking station 79. Alternatively the upper mould block may move forward instead of the lower one and retains the record thereon by clips. A suction device removes the record from the upper block which is then returned to the moulding position, and a second suction device removes the record from the first suction device and feeds it to trimming and stacking stations. In this embodiment the shot carrier may be connected to the upper block so that as the block moves forward with the pressed record a fresh shot may be deposited on the lower block. A cutter may be mounted on the arm 67 to trim the record during its transfer from the mould block to the stack. The mechanism for producing a shot of moulding material between a pair of labels, Figs. 2 and 3, includes a label magazine 1 having upper and lower label holders from which labels are supplied singly to the upper and lower surfaces of a hollow carrier 30 to which they are held by suction. The label carrier is moved to a position 30<SP>1</SP> by an air cylinder 31, and a disc 45 is raised by an air cylinder 40 to force the carrier against the hollow shot carrier 4 whereby the upper label is transferred to the shot carrier and held thereagainst by vacuum. On releasing the vacuum from the carrier 30 the lower label is received by the disc 45 which is lowered and the carrier 30 returned to its initial position. The carrier 4 is then moved slightly by an air cylinder 34 and gearing 36, 37 to bring an aperture 48 therein into alignment with the disc 45. Moulding material is extruded from a source 54 to a cup 50, pressure being applied to the material by a disc 55 driven upwardly by an air cylinder 56. The cup is moved by an air cylinder 52 to beneath a disc 41 which is moved downwardly by an air cylinder 39 to force the moulding material on to the label on the disc 45; the disc 41 and cup are withdrawn and the carrier 4 moved slightly to bring the top label above the lower one whereupon the disc 45 is raised to compress the material between the labels. The complete shot is held by vacuum on the carrier 4 which is fed to the press.