APPARATUS FOR MOLDING ARTICLES CONTAINING INSERTS AND MEANS FOR FEEDING INSERTS TO THE MOLD

Apparatus for mass-manufacturing elongated hollow plastic objects, such as covers for electronic thermometer probes, and ball point pens, having inserts at the ends thereof. The inserts are automatically loaded, by vibrating the same into pockets and then lifting them out of the pockets into suction tubes which pass through a horizontal transfer plate into nests in a vertical transfer plate. Vacuum is employed to maintain the inserts in the nests during movement of the vertical transfer plate to positions adjacent the distal ends of hollow core pins through which air is sucked. The vacuum in the vertical transfer plate is then converted to pressure to cause the inserts to fly across the air gaps to the core pin ends, following which the inserts are maintained on such ends by suction. The mold is then closed to cause the inserts to engage spring-biased plungers, following which the plastic is injected.