Mobile means for plasticizing and applying thermoplastic materials and including injection molding and extrusion

Claim 1

IN A PORTABLE GUN FOR INJECTION MOLDING AND EXTRUDING THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL WHICH, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF HEAT AND PRESSURE, IS REDUCED TO ITS PLASTICATED CONDITION, SAID GUN INCLUDING A HOLLOW CASING PROVIDED WITH A HANDLE, THE COMBINATION OF: (A) A HOLLOW BARREL OF ESSENTIALLY UNIFORM INTERNAL DIAMETER THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH; (B) ELECTRICAL HEATING MEANS SURROUNDING ONLY SAID BARREL ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY ITS ENTIRE EXTENT; (C) AN ADJUSTABLE THERMOSTATIC SWITCH CONTROLLING SAID HEATING MEANS; (D) A NOZZLE DETACHABLY SECURED IN AXIAL TANDEM ALIGNMENT AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID BARREL; (E) A MATERIAL HOPPER SECURED IN AXIAL TANDEM ALIGNMENT AT THE REARWARD END OF SAID BARREL, SAID HOPPER BEING PROVIDED WITH A RADIAL INLET OPENING THROUGH WHICH SAID THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL IS INTRODUCED INTO SAID BARREL; (F) A RAM, SLIDABLE THROUGH SAID HOPPER, AND INTO SAID BARREL AS FAR AS SAID NOZZLE, THE FORWARD END OF SAID RAM BEING UNIFORM CROSS-SECTION, THE REARWARD END OF SAID RAM BEING BIFURCATED AND BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE PINS BRIDGING SAID FORK AND DISPOSED ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF AND SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE APART, AND A PLURALITY OF NOTCHES EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID BIFURCATED PORTION, SAID NOTCHES BEING DISPOSED ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF AND SPACED IN ALTERNATE ARRAY FROM SAID TRANSVERSE PINS, WHEREBY SAID RAM MAY BE ACTUATED MANUALLY TO BE PROPELLED FORWARDLY IN A SERIES OF SUBSTANTIALLY LONG DISCRETE STEPWISE ADVANCES; (G) MANUALLY ACTUATABLE MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID PINS TO PROPEL SAID RAM IN A FORWARD DIRECTION IN ORDER RAPIDLY TO EJECT THE PLASTICATED THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL FROM SAID BARREL BY A MINIMAL NUMBER OF STROKES OF SAID MANUALLY ACTUATABLE MEANS BEFORE SAID MATERIAL CAN CHILL AND REVERT TO ITS SOLID STATE IN SAID NOZZLE WHILE BEING INJECTED INTO A MOLD THROUGH SAID NOZZLE; (H) MEANS BIASED AUTOMATICALLY TO ENGAGE SAID NOTCHES TO PREVENT REARWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID RAM; (I) MEANS MANUALLY ACTUATABLE TO ENGAGE SAID MEANS (H) TO DISENGAGE SAID MEANS (H) FROM SAID NOTCHES TO PERMIT REARWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID RAM; SAID MEANS (G), (H) AND (I) BEING PHYSICALLY DISCONNECABLE FROM SAID RAM TO PERMIT SAID RAM TO BE AUTOMATICALLY PUSHED BACK IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED EXCESS PRESSURE GENERATED BY THE EXPANSION OF SAID PLASTICATED THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL IN SAID BARREL AGAINST THE FACE OF SAID RAM