Device for the production of molded articles from foamable plastics

Claim 1

An apparatus for producing molded articles from expandable plastics, such as polyurethane, comprising: a. a lower platen, b. a pair of spaced, parallel guide posts rigidly mounted on opposite sides of the lower platen proximate one end thereof and perpendicular thereto, c. a traversing member slidably mounted on the guide posts and parallel to the lower platen, d. an upper platen hinged at one end to the traversing member about an axis perpendicular to the guide posts and laterally offset from the lower platen, the upper platen resting on the traversing member in a position parallel to the lower platen and being pivotable about its hinge axis in a direction upward and away from the lower platen, e. a bipartite, split mold whose mating halves are individually mounted on the respective upper and lower platens facing each other, and f. a double acting extendable and retractable fluid operating cylinder and piston rod assembly, one end of said assembly being hingedly mounted to the lower platen and the other end of said assembly being hingedly mounted to the upper platen proximate the hinge axis thereof, whereby the upper platen and mold half mounted thereon is movable toward and away from the lower platen and mold half mounted thereon with both platens being maintained parallel to each other, and wherein the further extension of the cylinder and piston rod assembly after the traversing member has reached its upper limit of travel pivots the upper platen upward and away from the lower platen.

Claim 2

An apparatus for producing molded articles from expandable plastics, such as polyurethane, comprising: a. a lower platen, b. a pair of spaced, parallel guide posts rigidly mounted on opposite sides of the lower platen proximate one end thereof and perpendicular thereto, c. a traversing member slidably mounted on the guide posts and parallel to the lower platen, d. an upper platen hinged at one end to the traversing member about an axis perpendicular to the guide posts and laterally offset from the lower platen, the upper platen resting on the traversing member in a position parallel to the lower platen and being pivotable about its hinge axis in a direction upward and away from the lower platen, e. a bipartite, split mold whose mating halves are individually mounted on the respective upper and lower platens facing each other, and f. a double acting extendable and retractable fluid operating cylinder and piston rod assembly, one end of said assembly being hingedly mounted to the lower platen and the other end of said assembly being hingedly mounted to the upper platen proximate the hinge axis thereof, whereby the upper platen and mold half mounted thereon is movable toward and away from the lower platen and mold half mounted thereon with both platens being maintained parallel to each other, and wherein the further extension of the cylinder and piston rod assembly after the traversing member has reached its upper limit of travel pivots the upper platen upward and away from the lower platen.