Importance

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Abstract

An improved part removal assembly (17) particularly for a shuttle-type blow molding machine (10). The part removal assembly includes a plurality of suction cups (95) mounted on a vertically moveable piston (87) that travels along a vertically oriented rodless cylinder (81) and a plurality of suction cups (115) mounted on a horizontally moveable piston (107) that travels along a horizontally oriented rodless cylinder (83). A mold assembly (15) shuttles between an extruder head assembly (11) where a plurality of parisons of molten plastic are captured in mold cavities (25) in the mold assembly, and a blow station assembly (13) where the parisons are blown to form a molded workpiece (31). The mold assembly then opens which causes a flash removal assembly (57) to remove a waste flash portion (55) from a bottom portion (31a) of the workpieces. The bottom of the workpieces are then engaged by the vertically moveable suction cups which lower the workpieces to a position adjacent to a conveyor (117). The horizontally moveable suction cups then engage a side portion (31c) of the workpieces to move the workpieces to the conveyor. The mold assembly preferably provides for up to four cavities which are serviced by a corresponding number of vertically and horizontally moveable suction cups.

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First Claim