Rotating fixture-mold for fabricating printing drums

Claim 2

A rotating fixture-mold for fabricating printing drums from a plurality of character-bearing print members comprising: a cylindrical wall open at each end, closure walls closing each end of said cylindrical wall and cooperable therewith defining a fixture chamber, locating members on at least one of said walls, said members projecting inwardly into said fixture chamber and concentric therewith providing means to locate and align the plurality of character bearing print members within said fixture chamber, and a cap cooperating with one of said closure walls to define an inlet chamber, said one closure wall having a port therethrough to effect communication between said inlet chamber and said fixture chamber for the introduction of a moldable material into the fixture chamber.

Claim 3

The rotating fixture-mold according to claim 1 wherein the locating members are a plurality of angularly and axially spaced projections on the cylindrical wall.

Claim 4

The rotating fixture-mold according to claim 2 wherein the projections are in the form of a frustum of a cone extending inwardly from the cylindrical wall a predetermined distance.

Claim 5

The rotating fixture-mold according to claim 3 wherein the outboard surface of said projections has an impression of one of the type of the print members to receive the corresponding type on the print member for supporting the print member thereby.

Claim 6

The rotating fixture-mold according to claim 1 wherein the locating members are a plurality of axially opposed spacers equally and angularly spaced on each of the closure walls for maintaining the print members parallel to the axis of rotation of the fixture-mold.

Claim 7

A rotatable fixture-mold for fabricating drum rims comprising a cylindrical sleeve, closure members closing the ends of said sleeve, elongated rim segments having a flanged portion thereon extending in the direction of length of said segments, spacers on the inner faces of said closure members for holding said rim segments in angular spaced apart relationship about the axis of said sleeve and said spacers cooperable with said flanged portions for defining a fixture chamber and a molding chamber surrounding the fixture chamber and a cap cooperating with one of said closure members defining an inlet chamber, said one closure member having ports therethrough adjacent to and inwardly of said spacers for effecting communication between said molding chamber and said inlet chamber for the introduction of a moldable material into the molding chamber.

Claim 8

A rotatable fixture-mold for fabricating drum rims comprising a cylindrical sleeve, closure members closing the ends of said sleeve, elongated rim segments having a flanged portion thereon extending in the direction of length of said segments, spacers on the inner faces of said closure members for holding said rim segments in angular spaced apart relationship about the axis of said sleeve and said spacers cooperable with said flanged portions for defining a fixture chamber and a molding chamber surrounding the fixture chamber and a cap cooperating with one of said closure members defining an inlet chamber, said one closure member having ports therethrough adjacent to and inwardly of said spacers for effecting communication between said molding chamber and said inlet chamber for the introduction of a moldable material into the molding chamber.

Claim 9

A rotatable fixture-mold according to claim 6 wherein said rim segments have a T-shaped cross section extending in the direction of length of said segments and flanged cross bar of said cross section being a separating member between said fixture chamber and said surrounding molding chamber.

Claim 10

A rotatable fixture-mold according to claim 6 wherein the other of said closure members has an aperture therein substantially the diameter of said fixture chamber for limiting the amount of moldable material in said molding chamber thereby limiting the thickness of the drum rim.

Claim 11

A rotatable fixture-mold for molding a plurality of rim segments into a drum rim structure, said fixture-mold comprising: a cylindrical sleeve open at each end, a first and second plate enclosing each end of said sleeve, each of said plates cooperating with the inner surface of said sleeve forming an annular molding chamber therein, a plurality of axially opposed alignment members equally and angularly spaced on said plates extending inwardly of said annular molding chamber, said members for aligning and supporting the rim segments, an inlet chamber adjacent to said first plate and having a flarred end substantially equal in dimension to said annular molding chamber for receiving and directing the molding material thereto, and a plurality of equally and angular spaced apertures in said first plate interconnecting the flarred end of said inlet chamber with the annular molding chamber for transferring the molding material from said inlet chamber to said annular molding chamber.

Claim 12

A rotatable fixture-mold for molding a plurality of rim segments into a drum rim structure, said fixture-mold comprising: a cylindrical sleeve open at each end, a first and second plate enclosing each end of said sleeve, each of said plates cooperating with the inner surface of said sleeve forming an annular molding chamber therein, a plurality of axially opposed alignment members equally and angularly spaced on said plates extending inwardly of said annular molding chamber, said members for aligning and supporting the rim segments, an inlet chamber adjacent to said first plate and having a flarred end substantially equal in dimension to said annular molding chamber for receiving and directing the molding material thereto, and a plurality of equally and angular spaced apertures in said first plate interconnecting the flarred end of said inlet chamber with the annular molding chamber for transferring the molding material from said inlet chamber to said annular molding chamber.