Runner manifold for injection molding machine

Claim 2

A runner manifold for conducting a synthetic resinous material in a flowable state from a source thereof to a plurality of injection nozzles in an injection molding machine, the manifold comprising: a hub member having an outer support surface, means defining concavity in the hub member adapted to communicate with the material source, and means defining a plurality of ports in the hub member in communication with the concavity; a plurality of sector-shaped elements surrounding the hub member and cooperating to define a radially inner surface complementary to the support surface and in engagement therewith, a radially outer surface, and a pair of opposed end surfaces extending between the radially inner and outer surfaces, each sector-shaped element having a pair of opposed lateral faces extending radially between the radially inner and outer surfaces and intersecting the end surfaces, each lateral face being in engagement with the corresponding lateral face of an adjacent sector-shaped element and having an elongate recess formed therein cooperating with the recess in said corresponding lateral face to define a runner passage having an inlet in communication with one of the ports in the hub member, and an inlet at one of the end surfaces; and a clamping ring surrounding the sectorshaped elements and having an inner surface complementary to and to engagement with the radially outer surface defined by the sector-shaped elements.

Claim 3

A runner manifold according to claim 1, including means preventing relative movement between the hub member and the sector-shaped elements in at least one axial direction.

Claim 4

A runner manifold according to claim 1, wherein the hub member includes a flange extending radially outwardly of the support surface in engagement with one of the end surfaces defined by the sector-shaped elements.

Claim 5

A runner manifold according to claim 1, including a retaining member secured to the hub member and engaging one of the end surfaces defined by the sector-shaped elements.

Claim 6

A runner manifold according to claim 1, wherein the hub member includes a hub extension of reduced transverse dimension relative to the support surface and projecting beyond the plane of one of the end surfaces defined by the sector-shaped elements, the manifold a retaining ring carried on the hub extension in engagement with said one end suRface, and means securing the retaining ring against movement relative to the hub member.

Claim 7

A runner manifold according to claim 1, wherein each lateral face is generally planar and is traversed by the elongate recess therein to deivide the face into two coplanar face portions lying on opposite sides of the recess, each of the face portions being in substantially continuous engagement with the corresponding face portion of an adjacent sector-shaped element.

Claim 8

A runner manifold according to claim 1, wherein each lateral face is traversed by the elongated recess therein and includes relieved portions thereof on each side of the recess in spaced relation thereto to provide a pair of unrelieved coplanar face portions lying on opposite sides fo the recess and immediately adjacent thereto, each of the unrelieved face portions being in substantially continuous engagement with the corresponding unrelieved face portion of an adjacent sector-shaped element.

Claim 9

A runner manifold according to claim 7, wherein each lateral face includes a second pair of unrelieved face portions coplanar with the first pair of unrelieved face portions and lying on opposite sides of and remote from the elongate recess, each of the second pair of unrelieved face portions being separated from the first pair of unrelieved face portions by one of the relieved portions, each of the second pair of unrelieved face portions being in engagement with the corresponding unrelieved face portion of an adjacent sector-shaped element.

Claim 10

A runner manifold according to claim 1, wherein the runner passages intersect the radially inner surface defined by the sector-shaped elements at the inlets of the runner passages, the hub member including a relieved portion dividing the support surface of the hub member into a pair of unrelieved support portions thereof, the ports in the hub member intersecting one of the unrelieved support portions, said one unrelieved support portion being in engagement with the radially inner surface at a zone thereof which includes the runner passage inlets.

Claim 11

A runner manifold according to claim 1, wherein the clamping ring is shrink-fitted over the radially outer surface defined by the sector-shaped elements.

Claim 12

A runner manifold according to claim 1, including means for heating the sector-shaped elements, the clamping ring being formed of a first material having a predetermined coefficient of expansion, the sector-shaped elements being formed of a second material having a predetermined coefficient of expansion greater than that of the first material, whereby when the heating means is energized, the sector-shaped elements are subjects to compressive stresses.

Claim 13

A runner manifold for conduting a synthetic resinous material in a flowable state from a source thereof to a plurality of injection nozzles in an injection molding machine, the manifold comprising: a hub member having a cylindrical outer support, means defining a concavity in one end of the hub member adapted to communicate with the material source, and means defining a plurality of ports in the support surface in communication with the concavity; a plurality of sector-shaped elements surrounding the hub member and cooperating to define a cylindrical radially inner surface complementary to the support surface and in engagement therewith, a cylindrical radially outer surface, a generally planar forward end surface, and a generally planar rearward end surface opposed to the forward end surface, the end surfaces extending between the radially inner and outer surfaces, each sector-shaped element having a pair of opposed lateral faces extending radially between the radially inner and outer surfaces and intersecting the end surfaces, each lateral face being in engagement with the corresponding lateral face of an adjacent sector-shaped element and having an elongate recess formed therein cooperating with the recess in said corresponding lateral face to define a runner passage having an inlet at the radially inner surface aligneD with one of the ports in the support surface, and an outlet at the front end surface; and a clamping ring surrounding the sector-shaped elements and having a cylindrical inner surface complementary to and in engagement with the radially outer surface defined by the sector-shaped elements.

Claim 14

A runner manifold for conduting a synthetic resinous material in a flowable state from a source thereof to a plurality of injection nozzles in an injection molding machine, the manifold comprising: a hub member having a cylindrical outer support, means defining a concavity in one end of the hub member adapted to communicate with the material source, and means defining a plurality of ports in the support surface in communication with the concavity; a plurality of sector-shaped elements surrounding the hub member and cooperating to define a cylindrical radially inner surface complementary to the support surface and in engagement therewith, a cylindrical radially outer surface, a generally planar forward end surface, and a generally planar rearward end surface opposed to the forward end surface, the end surfaces extending between the radially inner and outer surfaces, each sector-shaped element having a pair of opposed lateral faces extending radially between the radially inner and outer surfaces and intersecting the end surfaces, each lateral face being in engagement with the corresponding lateral face of an adjacent sector-shaped element and having an elongate recess formed therein cooperating with the recess in said corresponding lateral face to define a runner passage having an inlet at the radially inner surface aligneD with one of the ports in the support surface, and an outlet at the front end surface; and a clamping ring surrounding the sector-shaped elements and having a cylindrical inner surface complementary to and in engagement with the radially outer surface defined by the sector-shaped elements.

Claim 15

A runner manifold according to claim 12, wherein the hub member includes an annular flange concentric with and extending radially outwardly of the support surface at the end of the hub member having the concavity, the flange being in engagement with the rearward end surface defined by the sector-shaped elements, the hub member including at the other end thereof a hub extension of reduced transverse dimension relative to the support surface and projecting beyond the plane of the forward end surface defined by the sector-shaped elements, the manifold including a retaining ring carried on the hub extension in engagement with the forward end surface, and means securing the retaining ring against movement relative to the hub member.

Claim 16

In an injection molding machine having a source of synthetic resinous material in a flowable state, and a plurality of injection nozzles, a runner manifold for conducting the material from the material source to the nozzles, comprising: a hub member having a cylindrical outer support surface, means defining a concavity in one end of the hub member adapted to communicate with the material source, and means defining a plurality of ports in the support surface in communication with the concavity; a plurality of sector-shaped elements surrounding the hub member and cooperating to define a cylindrical radially inner surface complementary to the support surface and in engagement therewith, a cylindrical radially outer surface concentric with the radially inner surface, a generally planar forward end surface, and a generally planar rearward end surface opposed to the forward end surface and generally parallel therewith, the end surfaces extending between the radially inner and outer surfaces, each sector-shaped element having a pair of opposed lateral faces extending radially between the radially inner and outer surfaces and intersecting the end surfaces, each lateral face having an elongate recess formed therein extending from the radially inner surface to the forward end face, each lateral face having relieved portions thereof on each side of the recess in spaced relation thereto to provide a pair of unrelieved coplanar portions lying on opposite sides of the recess and immediately adjacent thereto, each recess cooperating with the recess in the corresponding lateral face of an adjacent sector-shaped element to define a runner passage having an inlet in the radially inner surface aligned with one of the ports in the support surface, and an outlet at the front end surface, each of the unrelieved face portions being in substantially continuous engagement with the corresponding unrelieved face portion of an adjacent sector-shaped element; and a clamping ring surrounding the sector-shaped elements and having a cylindrical inner surface complementary to and in engagement with the radially outer surface defined by the sector-shaped elements.

Claim 17

In an injection molding machine having a source of synthetic resinous material in a flowable state, and a plurality of injection nozzles, a runner manifold for conducting the material from the material source to the nozzles, comprising: a hub member having a cylindrical outer support surface, means defining a concavity in one end of the hub member adapted to communicate with the material source, and means defining a plurality of ports in the support surface in communication with the concavity; a plurality of sector-shaped elements surrounding the hub member and cooperating to define a cylindrical radially inner surface complementary to the support surface and in engagement therewith, a cylindrical radially outer surface concentric with the radially inner surface, a generally planar forward end surface, and a generally planar rearward end surface opposed to the forward end surface and generally parallel therewith, the end surfaces extending between the radially inner and outer surfaces, each sector-shaped element having a pair of opposed lateral faces extending radially between the radially inner and outer surfaces and intersecting the end surfaces, each lateral face having an elongate recess formed therein extending from the radially inner surface to the forward end face, each lateral face having relieved portions thereof on each side of the recess in spaced relation thereto to provide a pair of unrelieved coplanar portions lying on opposite sides of the recess and immediately adjacent thereto, each recess cooperating with the recess in the corresponding lateral face of an adjacent sector-shaped element to define a runner passage having an inlet in the radially inner surface aligned with one of the ports in the support surface, and an outlet at the front end surface, each of the unrelieved face portions being in substantially continuous engagement with the corresponding unrelieved face portion of an adjacent sector-shaped element; and a clamping ring surrounding the sector-shaped elements and having a cylindrical inner surface complementary to and in engagement with the radially outer surface defined by the sector-shaped elements.

Claim 18

A runner manifold according to claim 14, wherein each lateral face includes a second pair of unrelieved face portions coplanar with the first pair of unrelieved face portions and lying on opposite sides of and remote from the elongate recess, each of the second pair of unrelieved face portions being separated from the first pair of unrelieved face portions by one of the relieved portions, each of the second pair of unrelieved face portions being in engagement with the corresponding unrelieved face portion of an adjacent sector-shaped element.

Claim 19

A runner manifold according to claim 14, wherein the hub member includes a relieved portion dividing the support surface of the hub member into a pair of unrelieved support portions thereof, the ports in the hub member intersecting one of the unrelieved support portions, sAid one unrelieved support portion being in engagement with the radially inner surface at a zone thereof which includes the runner passage inlets.

Claim 20

In a runner manifold comprising means defining a plurality of runner passages for conducting a synthetic resinous material in a flowable state from a source thereof to a plurality of nozzles in an injection molding machine, each of the runner passage being adapted to communicate at one end thereof with the material source and at the other end thereof with one of the nozzles, the improvement comprising the feature that the passage-defining means includes a plurality of sector-shaped elements arranged in a continuous radial array, each sector-shaped element having a pair of opposed radially-extending lateral faces, each lateral face being in engagement with the corresponding lateral face of an adjacent sector-shaped element and having an elongate recess formed therein cooperating with the recess in said corresponding lateral face to define one of the runner passages.

Claim 21

In a runner manifold comprising means defining a plurality of runner passages for conducting a synthetic resinous material in a flowable state from a source thereof to a plurality of nozzles in an injection molding machine, each of the runner passage being adapted to communicate at one end thereof with the material source and at the other end thereof with one of the nozzles, the improvement comprising the feature that the passage-defining means includes a plurality of sector-shaped elements arranged in a continuous radial array, each sector-shaped element having a pair of opposed radially-extending lateral faces, each lateral face being in engagement with the corresponding lateral face of an adjacent sector-shaped element and having an elongate recess formed therein cooperating with the recess in said corresponding lateral face to define one of the runner passages.