James T Robbins

US Patent:

8356990, Jan 22, 2013

Filed:

Apr 29, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/770203

Inventors:

Brian Keeley - Beaverton MI, US
Albert Arends - Gladwin MI, US
James Martin - Beaverton MI, US
James Robbins - Midland MI, US

International Classification:

B29C 51/38

US Classification:

4254516, 100286

Abstract:

A drive system for double toggle mechanisms used to move upper and lower platens with an electric servo motor-gear box drive shaft driving a crank arm arranged to drive a respective double toggle mechanism in turn connected to the platen. The drive shaft axis is located below the toggle mechanism link pivots and driven in a direction so that the motor acts to assist the double toggle mechanism in lifting the platen, reducing the servo motor peak load. The various components are arranged for symmetrical loading of the pivots concerning the toggle links to increase the evenness of the platen when being raised or lowered.

US Patent:

20160200061, Jul 14, 2016

Filed:

Dec 7, 2015

Appl. No.:

14/960580

Inventors:

James Martin - Beaverton MI, US
Doug Harvey - Midland MI, US
James Robbins - Sanford MI, US
Kevin John Daley - British Columbia, GB

International Classification:

B30B 15/00
B26F 1/40
B30B 15/02

Abstract:

A thermoforming trim press has one or more connecting arms for a movable platen which each have a pivotal connection between the adjacent ends of two adjacent sections into which each connecting arm is divided. The pivotal connection is normally locked to keep the sections in end to end alignment during normal press operation, but can be released to allow pivoting between the sections to be able to draw the movable platen further back from the normal retracted position to increase the available clearance when changing or maintaining tools mounted on the movable platen. The pivoting ability of the connecting arm sections also simplifies adjusting the stroke of the press while this is normally done by relocating a crank pin on flywheels driving the connecting arms. The change of position does not affect the movable platen when the arm sections may pivot with respect to each other allowing relocating the crank pins to adjust the stroke without requiring disassembling of the crank pins. A counterweight may be driven by the crank pins to match the press stroke adjustments and to thereby correspond the movement of the counterweight to the movement of the movable platen.