Destacking Assembly

This invention relates to an apparatus for selectively removing a hollow article from a stack of such hollow articles, and more particularly to a liner feeder apparatus for the selective removal of a hollow article from a stack thereof for use with an injection blow molding machine in the manufacture of hollow plastic articles and/or containers.

Various methods of molding hollow plastic articles and/or containers are well known in the prior art. Plastic containers have found substantial increasing applications; however, despite their weight and toughness, their use is restricted by the cost and characteristic of the plastic composition, particularly for storage of products which will deteriorate or be contaminated, inter alia, by water, carbon dioxide, oxygen and the like.

Recently a process has been advanced which produces a barrier container, i.e., a semi-rigid plastic container provided with a liner or inner layer of another material having properties different than the other layer thereof. In accordance with such process, a preformed liner or sleeve (manufactured, for example, by thermoforming techniques) is positioned over a core rod with a parison being subsequently formed about the liner in an injection station of an injection blow molding machine. The line parison is thereafter expanded in a blow molding station of the machine with the resulting lined container being removed from the core rod in a product receiving station.

In the aforementioned copending application there is disclosed a liner feeder assembly comprised of a liner supply assembly and the transfer assembly including a liner block having at least one cavity for receiving a preformed liner. The liner transfer assembly is provided with a pump and valve assembly in fluid communication with each such cavity for alternately placing such cavity in fluid communications with the suction side or the compression side of the pump for removing a liner from the liner supply assembly containing a supply of nestable liners and for the subsequent placing of the liner on a core rod or pin. At high speed operation, it is necessary to ensure for the positive removal successively of a single liner from a stack thereof to permit continuous operation over extended periods of time.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel de-stacker assembly to ensure the sequential removal of a single hollow article from a stack thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel assembly for selectively removing a preformed liner from a stack thereof.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel assembly for assuring the positive removal of a preformed liner from a liner supply station containing a supply of nestable liners.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment thereof and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in connection with the appended claims.

In accordance with the present invention there is disclosed a de-stacking assembly comprised of a storage assembly for receiving a plurality of nestable hollow articles having an outwardly extending upper lip portion, a support assembly disposed beneath such storage assembly, and a transfer assembly including a cavity to receive a hollow article. In a static condition, the plurality of nestable hollow articles is retained by the support assembly comprised of reciprocally mounted stack retainer and spring loaded separator plates. In operation, upon positioning of the transfer assembly beneath the storage assembly, the plates are caused to move outwardly from the stack of hollow articles to permit the stack to fall to a position where the stack is temporarily supported by the transfer assembly. The plates are then caused to be returned to a static position with the stack retainer plate thereby engaging the outwardly extending lip portion of the next succeeding hollow article. As the transfer assembly is withdrawn, the separator plates positively positions the article within the transfer assembly, with the operative steps being completed, such as disclosed in the hereinabove mentioned co-pending application.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the de-stacked assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial top elevational view of the support assembly of the de-stacking assembly taken along the lines 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, partially in section, taken along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 4 to 6 are side elevational views similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the operation of the de-stacking assembly of the present invention.

For a general understanding of the environment to which the present invention may be utilized, reference is made to the aforementioned co-pending application wherein operation is related to a four stage rotary injection blow molding machine.

The de-stacking assembly, generally indicated as 10, referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, is comprised of a supply assembly, a support assembly and a transfer assembly, generally indicated as 12, 14 and 16, respectively. The supply assembly 12 is comprised of upper and lower plates 18 and 20 spacially disposed from each other by a plurality of rods 22. The plates 18 and 20 are formed with a plurality of orifices 28 which are larger than the hollow articles to be positioned therein. The orifices 28 in the lower plate 20 are disposed in co-axial alignment with orifices 28 in the upper plate 18 with four rods 22 being evenly positioned about each orifice 28 in the corresponding plates 18 and 20 to form stack retainer chutes, generally indicated as 30. Mounted to the upper plate 18 in co-axial alignment with the orifices 28 formed therein, there are provided a plurality of cylindrically shaped guide members 32 for facilitating the loading of stacked hollow articles into the retainer chutes 30. The lower plate 20 of the supply assembly is mounted to a horizontally-disposed support plate 34, such as by screws 36 of a feeder assembly (not shown). The support plate 34 is formed with orifices 38 of a diameter larger than the hollow articles to be handled with such orifices 38 being in co-axial alignment with the orifices 28 in the lower plate 20 of the supply assembly 12.

The support assembly 14, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, is comprised of two horizontally disposed stack retainer plates 40 and 42 positioned beneath the support plate 34 and guidingly mounted for horizontal movement to the support plate 34 by L-shaped end members 44. Beneath the support plates 40 and 42 and mounted thereto by positioning assemblies, generally indicated as 46, there are disposed separator plates 48 and 50, respectively. The transverse end portions (See FIG. 3) of the support plate 34 are provided with downwardly extending lugs 52 in which are mounted, such as by nuts 54, fluid cylinder 56 including rods 58 which are mounted within downwardly extending ear portions 60 by bolts 62, formed on the retainer plates, such as by bolts 62.

The positioning assemblies are comprised of a cylindrically-shaped spring retainer 64 mounted to a stack retainer plate 42; a spring 66 disposed within the positioning assembly about a threaded rod 68 mounted to a respective lower separator plate, e.g. 50; a knurled tensioning adjustment member 70 threadably engaging the upper portion of rod 68; a separator plate spacing adjustment nut 72, and a locking nut 74.

In operation, at the completion of indexing of a platen of an injection blow molding machine (not shown) into a fixed position, the transfer assembly 16 of the liner feed assembly is disposed with cavities 76 therein in co-axial alignment with the chutes 30. The liner transfer assembly 16 is extended vertically upward by a fluid cylinder assembly generally indicated as 78, into contact against the spring-loaded separator plates 48 and 50. Upon the transfer assembly reaching an extended position the fluid cylinders 56 are actuated causing the retainer and separator plates 40, 42, 48 and 50 to move outwardly, as shown in FIG. 4, allowing liner stacks, generally indicated as 80, to fall by gravity into liner cavity 76 of the transfer assembly 16. The liner cavity 76 of the transfer assembly 16 at such time is placed in fluid communication with the suction side of the pump (not shown) to provide a means for seating the lower liner 82 in the cavity 76 as well as to provide a warning should no liner be deposited therein, by an appropriate control means (not shown) as is known to those skilled in the art.

The pneumatic cylinders 56 thereafter cause the stack retainer and separator plates to return to an initial position with the stack retainer plates 40 and 42 engaging a subsequent liner and thus the stack, as shown in FIG. 5, to prevent a plurality of liners from leaving a chute 30. The lower surface of the separator plates 48 and 50 are simultaneously caused to engage the top portion of the liner 82 disposed within the orifice 76 of the transfer assembly 16 to further ensure for the positive placement of the liner 82 therein. The liner transfer assembly 16 is retracted vertically downwardly as shown in FIG. 6 and completes the transfer cycle, as described in the hereinabove mentioned copending application.

The present invention has been described with reference to the removal of a liner from a stack thereof in connection with the formation of a barrier container; however, it will be understood that the concept of the present invention is applicable to the selective removal of an item from a stack thereof, eg., liquid vending machines and the like.

While the invention has been described in connection with an exemplary embodiment thereof, it will be understood that many modifications will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and that this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations thereof. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be only limited by the claims and the equivalents thereof.