Patent GB-1300791-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for producing gramophone records
IPC: B29C43/02
Filed: 1970-01-08
Abstract: 1300791 Moulding gramophone records CAPITOL RECORDS Inc 8 Jan 1970 [8 Jan 1969] 948/70 Heading B5A Gramophone record producing apparatus includes a pressing station, a station for forming a centre hole in the record, and means at the pressing station for forming as part of the pressing operation a concentrically disposed deformation of the record, the hole forming station including hole forming means which engage the deformation to centre the record before forming the hole. A shot of mouldable material in softened form is forced at a station 200 Fig. 2 from orifice 52 Fig. 5 of a container 51 and received by a disc 201 on the end of a piston rod of a pneumatic motor 204 and is received between opposed jaw elements 109 at the ends of leaf spring assemblies 112 mounted on a sled 100, Fig. 3 which reciprocates longitudinally of a fixed framework 1-3. The sled includes rails 101, 102 which slide on rollers attached to the framework. The leaf spring assemblies are supported against downward movement by rigid arms; before receiving the shot the disc 201 is raised by the pneumatic motor 204 and this raises the jaw elements 109 which then receive the shot. After lowering the elements the sled is moved rearwardly and the shot transferred to a station 300, Fig. 9, where it is received between spaced apart upper and lower label magazine assemblies 301, 302 on the framework which are then moved towards each other by pneumatic motors 304, 305 causing the outermost labels in the magazines to be applied to the shot forming a sandwich. Meanwhile the sled is returned to its forward position and jaw elements 110, on arms 119 secured to the sled are brought adjacent the sandwich so that compression of the sandwich by the magazines expands it into engagement with the jaw elements whereby a further reciprocation of the sled delivers the sandwich to a record pressing station 400. The record press comprises a fixed head 401 and a vertically movable lower platen 413 each with removable die assemblies; on the receipt of a sandwich a plunger 409, Fig. 13 is lowered pneumatically to hold it against the lower die assembly whereupon the sled is moved forward to bring opposed members 111 on the sled adjacent the press. The lower platen is raised to press the record and simultaneously cause a conical recess to be formed at the record centre by a conical pin 415 Fig. 16 engaging within a conical recess in the end of the plunger 409. Peripheral record flash is extruded into T-slots in the members 111 to provide record support when the platen 413 is lowered. Members 111 are carried by blocks vertically slidable on pins attached to the sled so that upward movement of the platen brings the members into proper alignment with the extruded flash. The weight of the blocks is sufficient to strip the pressed record from the upper die on press opening. The record is carried by the members 111 to the trimming and punching station 500, Figs. 2, 20, comprising an assembly 501 vertically movable by a piston and cylinder motor to contact the central area of the record, and a punch assembly 502. The latter comprises a hollow punch driven downwardly by a piston and cylinder motor to embrace the conical central portion of the record and punch it out and thereafter remaining in position to serve as an axle on which the record is turned as its peripheral flash is removed. The trimming apparatus is carried on the framework and includes an electric motor and speed reduction unit 553 Fig. 25 on which is mounted a housing 561 from which extends two drive shafts carrying upper and lower cutting blades 574, 567, the former being axially slidable on its shaft and urged outwardly by a spring 576. This assembly is carried at the top of a vertical support 541 movable upwardly within a camsleeve 534 by a piston and cylinder motor 545. The cam-sleeve is slotted at 550, and a roller 551 on the support engages the slot whereby upward movement of the assembly is associated with a part-rotational movement of approximately 45 degrees about the support axis to bring the cutting blades into engagement with the peripheral flash. The latter is removed and delivered to a shoot 577 whilst the record is rotated by its engagement with the blades. Before the trimming operation the sled is returned to its forward position with consequent release of the supports 111 from the record. In order to remove the flash from the T-shaped slots in the supports a pair of pivoted cutters is located on the framework which pivot to permit rearward movement of the record past them but which pivot to cut the flash on forwardmovement of the sled. On raising the punch the record clings to it until encountering a tubular stripper adjacent and concentric with the punch, and at this position the upper surface of the record contacts vacuum cups 125, Fig. 28, carried by members 104 extending transversely on the sled. A reduced pressure is applied to the vacuum cups and the punched and trimmed record is fed to the cooling station 600 where it is dropped over a centering pin 604 Fig. 31 of a vertically movable supporting disc 601. When the trimming mechanism is operated a cam 607 thereon lifts the disc 601 to raise a previously cooled record into contact with vacuum cups carried by a member 105 Fig. 3 on the sled so that consequent sled movement rearwardly brings a completed record to a stacking station 650 where it is received by a pin. The sled is slowed as it approaches the ends of its forward and rearward travel by a piston and cylinder device secured to the framework with the piston rod extending from both ends of the cylinder and engaging with either one of two abutments on the sled; additionally the sled is slowed by a spring on the sled which is brought into abutment with a fixed member on the framework.  As a safety measure the sled has blocks 132 Fig. 3 which are brought between the press platens to prevent their closure when the sled is in its rearward position. An electrical automatic control system is briefly described. The labelling magazines are slidable in guide tubes and operated by pressure cylinders. The base of each magazine is closed except for a D-shaped slot enabling the labels to be adhered to the shot when it is compressed between the magazine ends. Such ends carry leaf springs 314, 326 Fig. 12 between which the shot is held. Inward movement of the magazines is limited by the thickness of the jaw elements 110 and the plates 119 which carry them; on magazine separation the sled moves rearwardly to draw the labels from the slots.