Mold apparatus for making foamed-in-place double-skin building panel

Claim 2

Mold apparatus for positioning complementary facing sheets in fixed, juxtaposed, laterally offset relation, said mold apparatus comprising a set of end abutted lower mold platens and a set of end abutted upper mold platens, each of said mold platens including: a mold plate having opposite ends and first and second opposite side portions; a side rail secured to the first side portion of said mold plate and presenting an upper surface remote from said mold plate; and a spacer element secured to the second side portion of said mold plate; said set of upper mold platens being assembled in opposed relation with said set of lower mold platens, with the spacer elements of each said set engaging the side rails of the other said set; said set of lower mold platens and said set of upper mold platens when assembled, presenting confronting, laterally offset, upper and lower generally U-shaped cavities having opposite endS open to the atmosphere, each of said cavities being defined by the mold plates, the spacer elements and the side rails of one said set, and each being adapted to receive one of said complementary facing sheets.

Claim 3

The mold apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the mold platens of one said set present a lengthwise recess which is engaged by the confronting spacer element of the mold platens of the other said set thereby locking the mold platens against movement laterally of each other.

Claim 4

The mold apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said lengthwise recess is presented by the lower mold platens, exteriorly of the lower U-shaped cavity.

Claim 5

The mold apparatus defined in claim 1 including a lengthwise tongue extending from the side rail of the lower mold platens above said upper surface toward the mold plate of the upper mold platens.

Claim 6

The mold apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein each said side rail comprises: a body portion secured to said first side portion of the mold plate; and a resilient gasket secured to said body portion within the U-shaped cavity; said upper surface of each said rail being provided, at least in part, by said gasket.

Claim 7

The mold apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the spacer element of said lower mold platens includes a shoulder spaced-apart from the contiguous mold plate and disposed within the U-shaped cavity, said shoulder being engaged by the side rail of said upper mold platens.

Claim 8

The mold apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second side portions of the mold plates of one said set are longitudinally offset relative to each other; and the opposite ends of the mold plates of said one set being obliquely presented with respect to said side portions.

Claim 9

The mold apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the mold plates of one said set have a rhomboidal configuration.

Claim 10

The mold apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein the side rail and the spacer element of each mold platen of said one said set include ends extending beyond the corresponding ends of the mold plate and engaging the side rail and the spacer element, respectively, of the adjacent mold platens, whereby the confronting ends of adjacent mold platens are spaced-apart and present a gap therebetween.

Claim 11

The mold apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second side portions of the mold plates of each said set are longitudinally offset relative to each other; and wherein the opposite ends of the mold plates are obliquely presented; with respect to said side portions; whereby an end portion of each mold platen of one said set is presented in overlapping confronting relation with an end portion of an opposed mold platen of the other said set.

Claim 12

The mold apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the mold plates of each said set have a rhomboidal configuration.

Claim 13

The mold apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein the side rail and the spacer element of each mold platen of each said set include ends extending beyond the corresponding ends of the mold plate and engaging the side rail and the spacer element, respectively, of the adjacent mold platen, whereby the confronting ends of adjacent mold plates of each said set are spaced-apart and present a gap therebetween.

Claim 14

The mold apparatus of claim 1 wherein said opposite ends of said set of lower mold platens are parallel to each other but are not parallel to said opposite ends of said set of upper mold platens.

Claim 15

The mold apparatus of claim 1 including means presented by the mold platens of at least one said set for maintaining the confronting ends of ajdacent mold plates spaced-apart with a gap therebetween.

Claim 16

Mold apparatus for fixedly positioning complementary facing sheets in juxtaposed, laterally offset relation, comprising mold platens, each including: a mold plate having a first side portion and a second side portion; a side rail secured to the said mold plate along said firSt side portion and presenting an upper surface remote from said mold plate, said side rail having a first longitudinal face extending between said upper surface and said mold plate, and positioned intermediate of the first and second side portions of said mold plate; and a spacer element carried at one of said side portions of said mold plate and presenting a second longitudinal face; said mold platens adapted to be assembled in opposed pairs (a) with the upper surface of each said side rail confronting the second side portion of the opposing mold plate and (b) with a said spacer positioned between the upper surface of each said side rail and the second side portion of the opposing mold plate and (c) with the second longitudinal face of each said spacer element laterally offset from the first longitudinal face of the adjacent side rail and (d) with the upper surface of each said side rail presented in confronting relation with the opposing mold plate; said mold platens when assembled, presenting confronting, laterally offset, upper and lower generally U-shaped cavities, each defined by a said mold plate, the second longitudinal face of a said spacer element, and the first longitudinal face of a said side rail, said cavities being adapted to receive said complementary facing sheets and to retain the same in juxtaposed laterally offset, physically separated relation.

Claim 17

Mold apparatus for fixedly positioning complementary facing sheets in juxtaposed, laterally offset relation, comprising mold platens, each including: a mold plate having a first side portion and a second side portion; a side rail secured to the said mold plate along said firSt side portion and presenting an upper surface remote from said mold plate, said side rail having a first longitudinal face extending between said upper surface and said mold plate, and positioned intermediate of the first and second side portions of said mold plate; and a spacer element carried at one of said side portions of said mold plate and presenting a second longitudinal face; said mold platens adapted to be assembled in opposed pairs (a) with the upper surface of each said side rail confronting the second side portion of the opposing mold plate and (b) with a said spacer positioned between the upper surface of each said side rail and the second side portion of the opposing mold plate and (c) with the second longitudinal face of each said spacer element laterally offset from the first longitudinal face of the adjacent side rail and (d) with the upper surface of each said side rail presented in confronting relation with the opposing mold plate; said mold platens when assembled, presenting confronting, laterally offset, upper and lower generally U-shaped cavities, each defined by a said mold plate, the second longitudinal face of a said spacer element, and the first longitudinal face of a said side rail, said cavities being adapted to receive said complementary facing sheets and to retain the same in juxtaposed laterally offset, physically separated relation.

Claim 18

The mold apparatus defined in claim 15 wherein each said spacer element is secured to the said mold plate along the said second side portion thereof.

Claim 19

The mold apparatus defined in claim 15 wherein each said spacer element is connected to the said side rail above the said first side portion of said mold plate.

Claim 20

The mold apparatus defined in claim 15 wherein one of the mold platens presents a lenghtwise recess which is engaged by the confronting spacer element of the other mold platen thereby locking the mold platens against movement laterally of each other.

Claim 21

The mold apparatus defined in claim 18 wherein said lengthwise recess is presented by the lower mold platen exteriorly of the lower U-shaped cavity.

Claim 22

The mold apparatus defined in claim 15 wherein each said side rail comprises: a body portion secured to said first side portion of the mold plate; and a resilient gasket secured to said bdy portion within said U-shaped cavity; said upper surface of each side rail being provided, at least in part, by said gasket.