Mold ring transfer apparatus

摘要

An improved apparatus for the transfer of mold rings in a centrifugal casting process. One type of forming process for the funnel portions of color television picture tube envelopes utilizes a centrifugal casting process for the glass. This process requires a main mold body. An indexing mechanism moves from a station at which the mold ring is deposited on the main mold to a station where the mold ring is removed from the main mold after completion of the casting process. A movable shuttle member is connected to pivotally mounted pairs of support fingers for the mold rings through connecting rods. An external drive motor operates a single actuator at each machine cycle. This single actuator causes the entire shuttle to shift and a mold ring to be deposited at one station and a second mold ring to be simultaneously picked up at another station. Because of the mechanical linkage design, one pair of support fingers always opens while all the others close when the single actuator is operated.