The Sputtering Labor Force of the 21st Century. Can Social Policy Help?

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for continuously molding plastic parts. Basically, the apparatus comprises a pair of spaced, rotatable, indexable trunnion transfer units or wheels having a plurality of cradles thereon for receiving and transporting carrier bars. The wheels are indexable to a number of stations at which various activities take place and are positioned on either side of the mold area of a conventional molding machine. A carrier bar having affixed thereto a plurality of cores for the part to be molded, for example, is transported by the rotating wheel from the bottom of the first wheel to a first station where an insert may be added to the core and thence to the top position of the wheel where the carrier bar is transferred to a conveyor which in turn transports the carrier bar to the mold. After completion of the molding cycle, the carrier bar with the molded parts thereon, is transported by the conveyor to the top of the second wheel where it is inserted thereon. The second wheel is then rotated to a first station where additional parts may be affixed to the molded part and thence to a second station where the molded parts are unloaded from the cores on the carrier bar. After unloading, the parts are moved by conveyor or other means for further processing or are deposited in a storage container. Thereafter, the second wheel is indexed to a third station where the empty carrier bar is transferred to an inclined track for return to the first wheel where the process is repeated. The method and apparatus can be employed to transport a carrier bar having either cores or inserts thereon depending upon the part to be molded.