Transfer mechanism with floating cast-article support mandrels in a diecasting and trimming machine

Claim 2

In a diecasting and trimming machine of the type including at least two stations which comprise one casting station in which an article and a runner are cast and one trimming station in which the cast article is trimmed, and indexable rotatable transfer mechanism for transferring each cast article to said trimming station, an improved transfer mechanism comprising: an indexable rotatable turntable; at least two mandrel means floatably coupled to said turntable, each mandrel means having an outer end extending from said turntable for relatively free limited radial and lateral movement with respect thereto; and mandrel-positioning means in said casting and trimming stations for controlling the position of a mandrel means in said stations by applying radial, and lateral positioning forces thereto.

Claim 3

The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the outer end of mandrel means in said casting station is exposed in a runner-forming cavity of said casting station so that the runner, cast in said casting station, has one end thereof cast around the outer end of said mandrel means, with the other end of said runner being cast to said cast article.

Claim 4

The apparatus as described in claim 2 further including a stripping station comprising actuatable means for stripping the runner cast to a mandrel means in said casting station from the outer end of said mandrel means.

Claim 5

The apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein said stations include a plurality oF trimming stations between said casting station and said stripping station and a cooling zone disposed between said casting station and a first one of said trimming stations, and means at said cooling zone for applying cooling matter to any cast article passing said zone, the number of said mandrel means equaling the number of stations, with one mandrel means in each station when said turntable is stationary.

Claim 6

The apparatus as described in claim 4 including a test station between said stripping station and said casting station, and test means at said test station for testing the absence of a runner from the outer end of a mandrel means in said test station.

Claim 7

The apparatus as described in claim 5 wherein the outer end of each mandrel means is cylindrically shaped and the mandrel-positioning means in each station includes a yokelike member for engaging the cylindrically shaped outer end of said mandrel means to control the lateral position thereof in the station in which said yokelike member is located.

Claim 8

The apparatus as described in claim 6 wherein each mandrel-positioning means include pin means for engaging said mandrel means at a point remote from said outer end to control the radial position of said mandrel means with respect to the center of rotation of said turntable.

Claim 9

In a diecasting and trimming machine of the type including a plurality of stations which include a casting station, in which at least one article is cast, and at least one trimming station in which a cast article is trimmed, and an indexable transfer mechanism for transferring each cast article from said casting station to said at least one trimming station, an arrangement comprising: a plurality of article-supporting members floatably coupled to said indexable transfer mechanism for relatively free limited radial and lateral movement with respect thereto; First member-positioning means associated with said casting station for controlling the radial and lateral position of one of said article-supporting members which is in said casting station during the casting of an article therein; and second member-positioning means associated with said at least one trimming station for controlling the radial and lateral position of an article-supporting member, which supports an article in said at least one trimming station, so as to control the positioning of the article therein irrespective of the indexed position of said transfer mechanism.

Claim 10

In a diecasting and trimming machine of the type including a plurality of stations which include a casting station, in which at least one article is cast, and at least one trimming station in which a cast article is trimmed, and an indexable transfer mechanism for transferring each cast article from said casting station to said at least one trimming station, an arrangement comprising: a plurality of article-supporting members floatably coupled to said indexable transfer mechanism for relatively free limited radial and lateral movement with respect thereto; First member-positioning means associated with said casting station for controlling the radial and lateral position of one of said article-supporting members which is in said casting station during the casting of an article therein; and second member-positioning means associated with said at least one trimming station for controlling the radial and lateral position of an article-supporting member, which supports an article in said at least one trimming station, so as to control the positioning of the article therein irrespective of the indexed position of said transfer mechanism.

Claim 11

A diecasting and trimming machine as described in claim 8 wherein said indexable transfer mechanism comprises a rotatable turntable defining a plurality of slots equidistantly disposed about the table''s periphery, and each article-supporting member having a first end floatably disposed in a different one of said slots and a second end extending outwardly from the periphery of said turntable, said second end being controllably positionable in one of said stations.

Claim 12

A diecasting and trimming machine as described in claim 9 wherein each member-positioning means includes a yokelike element for engaging said article-supporting member when said article-supporting member is in the station, with which said yokelike element is associated, to apply positioning forces thereto to control the position of the second end of said article-supporting member in the station.

Claim 13

A diecasting and trimming machine as described in claim 10 wherein each article-supporting member includes spring means for biasing the article-supporting member in said slot so that, in the absence of the application of positioning forces by said yokelike element to said article-supporting member, the member is centrally positioned in its associated slot.

Claim 14

A diecasting and trimming machine as described in claim 11 wherein each slot is T-shaped having a leg section in a radial direction with respect to a center of rotation of said turntable and a cross section in a direction perpendicular to said radial direction, said leg section extending from said croSs section to the periphery of said turntable, and the first end of each article-supporting member is T-shaped, floatably located in its associated T-shaped slot, the second end of each article-supporting member being cylindrically shaped and each yokelike element having an elongated semicircularly shaped yoke cavity for engaging the cylindrically shaped second end of said article-supporting member to control the position thereof in the station.

Claim 15

A diecasting and trimming machine as described in claim 12 wherein the T-shaped first end of each article-supporting member defines a central bore and the member-positioning means further includes shot pin means for controlling the radial position of said first end of said article-supporting member in a station when said shot pin means engage said article-supporting member at the central bore of its T-shaped first end.

Claim 16

In a diecasting and trimming machine of the type having a plurality of stations including a casting station which comprises first and second platens movable relative to one another and defining facing cavities, forming a runner support cavity and a casting cavity for an article to be die-cast therein, rotatable means having a plurality of circumferentially arranged areas, each for supporting an article cast in said casting cavity by means of a runner, cast in said runner support cavity, and means rotating said rotating means unidirectionally in indexed increments of movement, each increment corresponding to the circumferential extent of each support area, the improvement comprising: a plurality of mandrel means each associated with a different one of said support areas, each mandrel means having a first end floatably coupled to said rotatable means for relatively free limited radial and lateral movement with respect thereto and a second opposite end extending outwardly from said rotatable means, the second end of one of said mandrel means being disposed in said runner support cavity when said platens are in engagement to form said runner support cavity and said casting cavity; and mandrel-positioning means in each of said stations for engaging said mandrel means at the first and second ends thereof to control its radial and lateral position in said station.

Claim 17

In a diecasting and trimming machine of the type having a plurality of stations including a casting station which comprises first and second platens movable relative to one another and defining facing cavities, forming a runner support cavity and a casting cavity for an article to be die-cast therein, rotatable means having a plurality of circumferentially arranged areas, each for supporting an article cast in said casting cavity by means of a runner, cast in said runner support cavity, and means rotating said rotating means unidirectionally in indexed increments of movement, each increment corresponding to the circumferential extent of each support area, the improvement comprising: a plurality of mandrel means each associated with a different one of said support areas, each mandrel means having a first end floatably coupled to said rotatable means for relatively free limited radial and lateral movement with respect thereto and a second opposite end extending outwardly from said rotatable means, the second end of one of said mandrel means being disposed in said runner support cavity when said platens are in engagement to form said runner support cavity and said casting cavity; and mandrel-positioning means in each of said stations for engaging said mandrel means at the first and second ends thereof to control its radial and lateral position in said station.

Claim 18

A diecasting and trimming machine as described in claim 14 wherein each support area defines a slot and each mandrel means has a first end floatably disposed in a different one of said slots and a second end extending outwardly from the periphery of said rotatable means, the position of said second end of each mandrel means being controlled in each station by mandrel-positioning means associated with said station.

Claim 19

A diecasting and trimming machine as described in claim 15 wherein each mandrel means includes spring means for biasing the mandrel means in said slot so that, in the absence of the application of positioning forces to said mandrel means, the mandrel means is centrally positioned in its associated slot.

Claim 20

A diecasting and trimming machine as described in claim 15 wherein each mandrel-positioning means includes a yokelike element for engaging said mandrel means when said mandrel means is in the station with which said yokelike element is associated, to apply positioning forces thereto to control the position of the second end of said mandrel means in the station.

Claim 21

A diecasting and trimming machine as described in claim 17 wherein said rotatable means comprises a turntable and wherein each slot is T-shaped having a leg section in a radial direction with respect to a center of rotation of said turntable and a cross section in a direction perpendicular to said radial direction, said leg section extending from said cross section to the periphery of said turntable, and the first end of each mandrel means is T-shaped, floatably located in its associated T-shaped slot, the second end of each mandrel means being cylindrically shaped, and each yokelike element of each mandrel-positioning means havIng an elongated semicircularly shaped yoke cavity for engaging the cylindrically shaped second end of said mandrel means to control the position thereof in the station.

Claim 22

A diecasting and trimming machine as described in claim 18 wherein the T-shaped first end of each mandrel means defines a central bore and the mandrel-positioning means in each station further includes shot pin means for controlling the radial position of said first end of said mandrel means in the station when said shot pin means engage said mandrel means at a central bore of its T-shaped first end.

Claim 23

A die casting and trimming machine as described in claim 19 wherein each mandrel means includes spring means for biasing the mandrel means in its associated slot so that, in the absence of the application of positioning forces to said mandrel means, the mandrel means is centrally positioned in its associated slot.