Mold design incorporating a collet

Claim 2

A mold construction for forming a molded product having a tubular portion and a radial irregularity formed integrally in or on the tubular portion, comprising: mold means including first and second separable mold parts cooperating to define therebetween a generally tubular mold cavity; one of said mold parts including collet means defining a portion of the periphery of said mold cavity, said collet means comprising an elongated, tubular, one-piece collet member having a plurality of slits extending axially inwardly from one end thereof, said slits dividing said one end of said collet member into a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient jaws disposed in an annular configuration and movable radially between an operative, or molding, and an inoperative, or release, position, said jaws having wall means which define one wall of said mold cavity when said jaws are in said operative position, and said wall means having a radial irregularity in continuous communication with said mold cavity when said jaws are in said operative position for permitting formation of an integral radial irregularity on or in the tubular portion of said molded product; means coacting with said jaws of said collet means for permitting movement of said jaws between said operative and inoperative positions, said jaws when in said inoperative position being disengaged from the radial irregularity; and said mold means including opening means therein in communication with said mold cavity for permitting a moldable material to be supplied to said mold cavity for filling same.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1, wherein the collet moves from its operative position radially outwardly to its release position, wherein said plurality of jaws form an annular sleevelike body having inner and outer annular peripheral surfaces, one of said inner and outer annular surfaces having a conical configuration disposed for coaction with a similar conical surface formed on the other mold part, whereby movement of said collet means in its axial direction relative to said other mold part causes said conical surfaces to coact for permitting said jaws to be moved between said operative and inoperative positions, and said radial irregularity being associated with the other annular surface of said sleevelike body and positioned substantially radially opposite the conical surface formed on said collet means.

Claim 4

A mold construction for forming a molded product having a tubular portion and a radial projection integral with the tubular portion, cOmprising: mold means including first and second separable mold parts cooperating to define therebetween a closed, annular, ringlike mold cavity; one of said mold parts including collet means defining a portion of the periphery of said mold cavity, said collet means comprising an elongated, tubular, one-piece collet member having a plurality of slits extending axially inwardly from one end thereof, said slits dividing said one end of said collet member into a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient jaws disposed in an annular configuration and movable radially between an operative and an inoperative position, said jaws having wall means which define a portion of the periphery of said mold cavity when said jaws are in said operative position, and said wall means having groove means formed therein in continuous communication with said mold cavity when said jaws are in said operative position for permitting formation of an integral radial projection on the tubular portion of said molded product; means coacting with said jaws of said collet means for permitting movement of said jaws between said operative and inoperative positions, said jaws when in said inoperative position being disengaged from the radial projection; and said mold means including opening means therein in communication with said mold cavity for permitting a moldable material to be supplied to said mold cavity for filling same.

Claim 5

A mold construction for forming a molded product having a tubular portion and a radial projection integral with the tubular portion, cOmprising: mold means including first and second separable mold parts cooperating to define therebetween a closed, annular, ringlike mold cavity; one of said mold parts including collet means defining a portion of the periphery of said mold cavity, said collet means comprising an elongated, tubular, one-piece collet member having a plurality of slits extending axially inwardly from one end thereof, said slits dividing said one end of said collet member into a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient jaws disposed in an annular configuration and movable radially between an operative and an inoperative position, said jaws having wall means which define a portion of the periphery of said mold cavity when said jaws are in said operative position, and said wall means having groove means formed therein in continuous communication with said mold cavity when said jaws are in said operative position for permitting formation of an integral radial projection on the tubular portion of said molded product; means coacting with said jaws of said collet means for permitting movement of said jaws between said operative and inoperative positions, said jaws when in said inoperative position being disengaged from the radial projection; and said mold means including opening means therein in communication with said mold cavity for permitting a moldable material to be supplied to said mold cavity for filling same.

Claim 6

A mold construction according to claim 3, wherein said groove means as formed in said jaw means is arranged in a helical pattern to permit formation of a helical screw thread on said molded product.

Claim 7

A mold construction according to claim 3, wherein said resilient jaws are normally resiliently urged radially outwardly into said inoperative position, and said groove means being formed on the inner peripheral surface of said jaws.

Claim 8

A mold construction for forming a molded tubular product having integral radially projecting rib means substantially encircling same, comprising: mold means including first and second separable mold parts coacting to define a mold cavity therebetween; said first mold part having first wall means thereon defining a first portion of the surface of said mold cavity; said second mold part having second wall means thereon defining the remaining portion of the surface of said mold cavity; said first mold part including a mold element having a recess therein, and said second mold part including a core adapted to extend into said recess for at least partially defining said mold cavity therebetween; said second mold part including a one-piece tubular collet disposed in surrounding relationship to said core and having a plurality of resilient jaws disposed in an annular configuration and movable in a substantially radial direction between open and closed positions, said jaws when in said closed positon being disposed directly adjacent and in alignment with said recess for defining at least a part of said remaining portion of said mold cavity surface, whereby a portion of said mold cavity is defined between said core and said jaws; said jaws further having annular groove means formed therein with said groove means communicating with and comprising a part of said mold cavity when said jaws are in said closed position, actuator means coacting with said collet for forcibly moving said jaws into one of said open and closed positions, said jaws being normally resiliently urged in a direction toward the other of said open and closed positions; and said mold means having opening means therein communication with said mold cavity for permitting a moldable material to be supplied to said mold cavity for filling said cavity, including said annular groove means, to permit formation of a tubular molded product having radially directed rib means integrally connected thereto and substantially encircling same.

Claim 9

A mold construction for forming a molded tubular product having integral radially projecting rib means substantially encircling same, comprising: mold means including first and second separable mold parts coacting to define a mold cavity therebetween; said first mold part having first wall means thereon defining a first portion of the surface of said mold cavity; said second mold part having second wall means thereon defining the remaining portion of the surface of said mold cavity; said first mold part including a mold element having a recess therein, and said second mold part including a core adapted to extend into said recess for at least partially defining said mold cavity therebetween; said second mold part including a one-piece tubular collet disposed in surrounding relationship to said core and having a plurality of resilient jaws disposed in an annular configuration and movable in a substantially radial direction between open and closed positions, said jaws when in said closed positon being disposed directly adjacent and in alignment with said recess for defining at least a part of said remaining portion of said mold cavity surface, whereby a portion of said mold cavity is defined between said core and said jaws; said jaws further having annular groove means formed therein with said groove means communicating with and comprising a part of said mold cavity when said jaws are in said closed position, actuator means coacting with said collet for forcibly moving said jaws into one of said open and closed positions, said jaws being normally resiliently urged in a direction toward the other of said open and closed positions; and said mold means having opening means therein communication with said mold cavity for permitting a moldable material to be supplied to said mold cavity for filling said cavity, including said annular groove means, to permit formation of a tubular molded product having radially directed rib means integrally connected thereto and substantially encircling same.

Claim 10

A mold construction according to claim 6, further including means mounting said collet on said secoNd mold part in surrounding but slideable relationship relative to said core.

Claim 11

A mold construction according to claim 6, further including ejection means coacting with said first mold part for removing said tubular molded product from said core after said first mold part has been separated from said second mold part, said ejection means including an ejector sleeve positioned within said tubular collet and slideably disposed on said core in surrounding relationship thereto.

Claim 12

A mold construction according to claim 8, wherein said collet is mounted for axial displacement relative to both said core and said ejector sleeve.

Claim 13

A mold construction according to claim 9, further including separation means coacting between said ejector sleeve and said collet for normally maintaining same in a predetermined relationship relative to one another while permitting relative movement between said collet and said ejector sleeve during a part of the ejection stroke of the ejector sleeve.

Claim 14

A mold construction according to claim 10, further including actuator means operatively associated with said ejector sleeve for permitting simultaneous linear movement of said ejector sleeve and said collet in the longitudinal direction of said core for permitting ejection of said molded product from said core after said first mold part has been separated from said second mold part; and said first mold part having stationary wedge means mounted thereon and coacting with said collet for forcing said jaws radially inwardly to said closed position whenever said collet is in one extreme position, movement of said collet to its other extreme position by said actuator means enabling said jaws to be resiliently moved radially outwardly to said open position to permit said jaws to disengage the rib means formed on said tubular product.

Claim 15

A mold construction according to claim 11, further including stop means mounted on said first mold part and coacting with said collet for defining said other extreme position, said actuator means causing movement of said ejector sleeve relative to said collet for permitting said tubular product to be completely ejected from said core.

Claim 16

A mold construction according to claim 6, wherein the annular groove means formed in said collet jaws comprises an annular helical groove to permit formation of a helical screw thread on said tubular product.