Method of injection molding and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR MOLDING A SOLE ONTO A SHOE UPPER WHICH COMPRISES LASTING A SHOE UPPER ONTO A SHOE LAST, INSERTING THE LASTED SHOE UPPER INTO THE CAVITY OPENING OF A SOLE MOLD UNTIL THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE CAVITY OPENING OF THE SOLE MOLD ALONG ITS ENTIRE EXTENT ENGAGES THE SHOE UPPER A SLIGHT DISTANCE UP THE SIDE OF THE SHOE UPPER WHEREBY THE LASTED SHOE UPPER PROVIDES A CLOSURE FOR SAID SOLE MOLD AND WITH SAID SOLE MOLD PRODUCES A MOLD CAVITY HAVING THE GENERAL SHAPE OF THE SOLE DESIRED TO BE MOLDED ONTO SAID SHOE UPPER, INJECTING A HEAT-SETTABLE FLOWABLE MOLDING COMPOSITION INTO THE MOLD CAVITY FORMED BETWEEN AND BY SAID SOLE MOLD AND AID LASTED SHOE UPPER, DISCONTINUING THE INJECTION OF THE MOLDING COMPOSITION INTO THE SAID MOLD CAVITY WHEN A PRESELECTED PROPORTION OF THE MOLD CAVITY HAS BEEN FILLED WITH THE MOLDING COMPOSITION BY TRANSMISSION OF AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL TO AN ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED VALVE TO CLOSE THE SAID VALVE AND THEREBY PREVENT THE FURTHER INJECTION OF MOLDING COMPOSITON INTO THE MOLD CAVITY, THE TRANSMISSION OF SAID ELECTRICAL SIGNAL HAVING RESULTED BECAUSE OF THE CONTACT OF SAID MOLDING COMPOSITION INJECTED INTO THE SAID MOLDCAVITY WITH AN ELECTRICAL-CONDUCTIVE SENSING ELEMENT HOUSED IN ONE OF THE SAID COMPONENTS WHICH DEFINE THE CLOSED MOLD CAVITY HAVING THE GENERAL SHAPE OF THE SOLE DESIRED TO BE MOLDED ONTO SAID SHOE UPPER, SAID SENSING ELEMENT BEIN ELECTRICALLY-INSULATED FROM SAID COMPONENT IN WHICH IT IS HOUSED AND BEING EXPOSED WITHIN THE MOLD CAVITY WHICH CONTACT OF THE MOLDING COMPOSITION WITH THE SAID ELECELEMENT COMPLETES AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT IN WHICH SAID ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED VALVE IS INCLUDED AND IN WHICH MEANS FOR GENERATING THE SAID ELECTRICAL SIGNAL IS INCLUDED, THE UNFILLED PORTION OF THE MOLD CAVITY BEING SLIGHTLY LESS IN VOLUME THAN THE INCREASE IN VOLUME RESULTING FROM THERMAL EXPANSION OF THE MOLDING COMPOSTION IN THE MOLD CAVITY WHEN IT IS HEATED TO SET IT, AND HEATING THE MOLDING COMPOSITION IN SAID MOLD CAVITY TO A TEMPERATURE AND FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO THERMALLY EXPAND AND SET THE MOLDING COMPOSITION.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR MOLDING A SOLE ONTO A SHOE UPPER WHICH COMPRISES LASTING A SHOE UPPER ONTO A SHOE LAST, INSERTING THE LASTED SHOE UPPER INTO THE CAVITY OPENING OF A SOLE MOLD UNTIL THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE CAVITY OPENING OF THE SOLE MOLD ALONG ITS ENTIRE EXTENT ENGAGES THE SHOE UPPER A SLIGHT DISTANCE UP THE SIDE OF THE SHOE UPPER WHEREBY THE LASTED SHOE UPPER PROVIDES A CLOSURE FOR SAID SOLE MOLD AND WITH SAID SOLE MOLD PRODUCES A MOLD CAVITY HAVING THE GENERAL SHAPE OF THE SOLE DESIRED TO BE MOLDED ONTO SAID SHOE UPPER, INJECTING A HEAT-SETTABLE FLOWABLE MOLDING COMPOSITION INTO THE MOLD CAVITY FORMED BETWEEN AND BY SAID SOLE MOLD AND AID LASTED SHOE UPPER, DISCONTINUING THE INJECTION OF THE MOLDING COMPOSITION INTO THE SAID MOLD CAVITY WHEN A PRESELECTED PROPORTION OF THE MOLD CAVITY HAS BEEN FILLED WITH THE MOLDING COMPOSITION BY TRANSMISSION OF AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL TO AN ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED VALVE TO CLOSE THE SAID VALVE AND THEREBY PREVENT THE FURTHER INJECTION OF MOLDING COMPOSITON INTO THE MOLD CAVITY, THE TRANSMISSION OF SAID ELECTRICAL SIGNAL HAVING RESULTED BECAUSE OF THE CONTACT OF SAID MOLDING COMPOSITION INJECTED INTO THE SAID MOLDCAVITY WITH AN ELECTRICAL-CONDUCTIVE SENSING ELEMENT HOUSED IN ONE OF THE SAID COMPONENTS WHICH DEFINE THE CLOSED MOLD CAVITY HAVING THE GENERAL SHAPE OF THE SOLE DESIRED TO BE MOLDED ONTO SAID SHOE UPPER, SAID SENSING ELEMENT BEIN ELECTRICALLY-INSULATED FROM SAID COMPONENT IN WHICH IT IS HOUSED AND BEING EXPOSED WITHIN THE MOLD CAVITY WHICH CONTACT OF THE MOLDING COMPOSITION WITH THE SAID ELECELEMENT COMPLETES AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT IN WHICH SAID ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED VALVE IS INCLUDED AND IN WHICH MEANS FOR GENERATING THE SAID ELECTRICAL SIGNAL IS INCLUDED, THE UNFILLED PORTION OF THE MOLD CAVITY BEING SLIGHTLY LESS IN VOLUME THAN THE INCREASE IN VOLUME RESULTING FROM THERMAL EXPANSION OF THE MOLDING COMPOSTION IN THE MOLD CAVITY WHEN IT IS HEATED TO SET IT, AND HEATING THE MOLDING COMPOSITION IN SAID MOLD CAVITY TO A TEMPERATURE AND FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO THERMALLY EXPAND AND SET THE MOLDING COMPOSITION.