Casting mold for fabricating a flexible product

Claim 1

A mold for casting a flexible piece of material, said mold having a regular pattern of depressions defined by surrounding side walls, and the land area of said walls defining an interconnected grid comprising: a. a base plate, b. a plurality of core members provided on said base plate in a regular pattern of parallel rows, the core members in each row being substantially equally spaced, and the core members in alternate rows being staggered with respect to the core members in adjacent rows thereby providing a regular, interconnected network of spaces between core members, and c. end plates attached to the sides of said base plate defining the boundaries of said mold, said end plates having spaced, inwardly protruding half-core members in staggered relation with the core members in the adjacent first row of core members mounted on said base plate, d. said core members having a surface for firmly contacting said base plate at their junction therewith to prevent flashing of the material being mOlded, and having bases and integral pins extending from the bases to form apertures in the material being molded, said pins joining said bases in a circumferential flare at the junction thereof.