Claims
- 1. A method for removing a prophylactic device from a mandrel, comprising the steps of:
- rolling up said prophylactic device a sufficient amount at its open end about said mandrel to form a ring at the open end;
- moving said mandrel downward into a position between a pair of open and opposing shoes for positioning said ring near bottom portions of said shoes;
- closing said shoes by moving them toward one-another to frictionally engage opposing portions of said ring, respectively;
- moving said mandrel upward to withdraw it at least partially from said pair of shoes for causing said prophylactic device to be at least partially rolled up toward its closed end about a bottom portion of said mandrel;
- opening said shoes by moving them away from one another a distance at least greater than the outside diameter of said ring at the time;
- repeating in successive order said mandrel downward moving step, shoe closing step, mandrel upward moving step, and shoe opening step, a sufficient number of times for causing said prophylactic device be rolled up and off of said mandrel.
- 2. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:
- moving a air nipple in one direction between said pair of shoes, the tip of said air nipple being positioned for following in close proximity the end of said mandrel as it is being withdrawn from said pair of shoes, for permitting said prophylactic device to fall from said mandrel onto a tip end of said air nipple; and
- injecting air through a longitudinal passageway through said air nipple and out of its tip end for supporting a closed end of said prophylactic device in an uncollapsed state until the closed end rests on an end of said air nipple.
- 3. The method of claim 2, further including the steps of:
- said step of moving said air nipple further including the step of moving said air nipple through a hole in a takeoff table before extending such movement of said air nipple between said pair of shoes; and
- moving said air nipple in an opposite direction while carrying said prophylactic device, for causing said prophylactic device to be deposited onto a top surface of said takeoff table when said air nipple moves back through the hole in said takeoff table.
- 4. The method of claim 3, further including the step of:
- applying a suction nozzle to an underside of said takeoff table for sucking said prophylactic device through the hole in said takeoff table and into said suction nozzle for transport to a remote collection point.
- 5. The method of claim 4, further including the step of:
- making the hole of said takeoff table smaller in diameter than said prophylactic device when rolled up, and providing a chamfer about the circumference of the hole, for causing said prophylactic device to be at least partially unrolled as it passes through the hole into said suction nozzle.
- 6. The method of claim 3, further including the step of powdering the inverted tip of said prophylactic device.
- 7. A method for removing a prophylactic device from a mandrel, comprising the steps of:
- forming a ring about an open end of said prophylactic device on said mandrel;
- positioning said mandrel with said ring between an upper portion of a pair of opposing shoes;
- moving said pair of opposing shoes into contact with opposing sides of said ring;
- causing relative movement between said shoes and said mandrel in a direction for at least partially rolling said prophylactic device up toward an end of said mandrel;
- moving said pair of opposing shoes away from one another out of contact with said ring; and
- successively repeating the immediately preceding four steps until said prophylactic device is rolled up and off of said mandrel.
RELATED APPLICATION
This Application is related to application Ser. No. 09/095,330, filed Jun. 10, 1998, entitled "Method and Apparatus For Manufacturing Prophylactic Devices", and assigned to the same Assignee as the present Application.
US Referenced Citations (20)