Releasable stop device for presses and the like

Claim 1

IN A COMPACTING PRESS AND THE LIKE, WHEREIN A PLATEN MUST BE SECURELY SUPPORTED TO WITHSTAND THE MOLDING PRESSURE, AND THEN MUST BE RELEASED FOR EJECTION OF A MOLDED PART AFTER A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF MOVEMENT OF ANOTHER PART OF SAID PRESS, A STOP ROD SECURED TO SAID PLATEN AND HAVING A SLOPING LOWER SURFACE, A WEDGE BLOCK HAVING A COMPLEMENTARY SLOPING UPPER SURFACE AND ARRANGED FOR LATERAL MOVEMENT UNDER PRESSURE FROM SAID STOP ROD, GUIDE MEANS ALONG WHICH SAID WEDGE BLOCK MAY MOVE LATERALLY, A FIXED LATCH ELEMENT SECURED TO SAID GUIDE MEANS, A RETRACTABLE LATCH ELEMENT MOUNTED IN SAID WEDGE BLOCK, MEANS FOR URGING SAID RETRACTABLE LATCH ELEMENT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIXED LATCH ELEMENT, A SLOT IN SAID WEDGE BLOCK, A LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID SLOT AND HAVING A FINGER ENGAGING SAID RETRACTABLE ELEMENT, A TRIGGER ROD MOUNTED IN SAID STOP ROD AND ADAPTED TO ACTUATE SAID LEVER, AND AN EJECTOR ROD SECURED TO SAID OTHER PART OF SAID PRESS AND ADAPTED TO ACTUATE SAID TRIGGER ROD JUST BEFORE IT ABUTS SAID STOP ROD, WHEREBY SAID STOP ROD IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID WEDGE BLOCK CAN SUSTAIN THE MOLDING PRESSURE, AND WHEREBY UPON SAID EJECTOR ROD ACTUATING SAID TRIGGER SAID LATCH IS WITHDRAWN, SO THAT SAID STOP ROD MAY MOVE WHILE SAID WEDGE BLOCK IS CAMMED LATERALLY.