Pilot Industries, Inc.

Bruce Killingbeck

Clark D Mahan

Charles A Priese

John M Porter

A system is provided for unloading finished parts from and also loading new raw material into a compression mold having two halves in which the mold halves are in a spaced apart position. The system includes an elongated endless conveyor which extends laterally away from the mold halves. An unloader platform is secured to and spaced upwardly from the conveyor so that an opening is formed between the platform and the conveyor. Raw material is positioned on the conveyor such that, upon actuation of the conveyor, the raw material passes under the platform. The conveyor is mounted on rails while an actuator moves the conveyor between an extended position, in which the platform is positioned in between the mold halves, and a retracted position, in which the conveyor as well as the platform is spaced laterally from the mold halves. The conveyor is actuated in synchronism with the actuator so that the conveyor moves the raw material under the platform and into the mold halves while, simultaneously, a completed part is ejected onto and supported by the platform.

System for loading raw material and unloading finished parts from a compression mold

An apparatus is disclosed for coating fibers with a thermoplastic material. The apparatus includes a housing which defines a reservoir and having an open top open to the reservoir. A lid is selectively movable between an open and a closed position so that, in its open position, the lid exposes the reservoir and in its closed position, the lid overlies the open top of the housing and forms a slot between the lid and the housing at opposed ends of the housing. An elongated wiper is secured to the lid and this wiper extends into the reservoir when the lid is in its closed position. At least one infeed guide bar is secured to the housing between the wiper and one of the opposed ends of the housing and, similarly, at least one outfeed guide bar is secured to the housing between the wiper and the other of the opposed ends of the housing. Thus, with fibers extending between the slots at the opposed ends of the housing and the lid moved to its closed position, the wiper immerses a portion of the fibers into the reservoir which is filled with molten thermoplastic material. As the fibers are drawn through the housing, the wiper ensures that the fibers are immersed in the thermoplastic material thus coating the fibers.

Apparatus for coating fibers

A machine is disclosed having a frame with a work station adapted to receive a work member, such as a die set. The apparatus includes a turntable pivotally mounted to the frame at a position spaced from the work station. A first and second linear conveyor section are mounted to the turntable and each section has a first end and a second end. The second ends of the conveyor sections are adjacent each other and the conveyor sections extend outwardly on the turntable in a direction substantially perpendicular to each other. An actuator selectively pivots the turntable between a first position in which the first end of the first conveyor section is aligned with the work station, and a second position in which the first end of the second conveyor section is aligned with the work station. Each conveyor section supports one work member while a pusher selectively engages one of the work members on the conveyor section to move the engaged work member between an operable position in which the engaged work member is positioned at the work station, and a standby position in which the engaged work member is positioned at the second end of its respective conveyor section.

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Leroy, MI, United States of America

Bruce Killingbeck