Mold apparatus for forming profile employing reinforcing preform

Claim 1

A horizontally elongated mold having horizontally elongated upper and lower mold parts with a parting plane therebetween for permitting vertical separation between the parts, said parts having cooperating wall means which, when the parts are closed, define a profiled mold cavity which is elongated in the elongated direction of the mold, said wall means including upper and lower walls on said upper and lower parts respectively, a plurality of preform support means mounted on said mold parts at selected fixing points along said elongated direction and projecting into said mold cavity for permitting an elongated reinforcing preform to be fixedly supported within said cavity in spaced relationship to said wall means, said preform support means including first and second pin means fixed to said lower part and projecting substantially vertically upwardly from said bottom wall into said mold cavity, said first and second pin means being laterally spaced apart and defining thereon upper surfaces adapted to supportingly engage a lower surface on the preform, said first and second pin means also defining a pair of oppositely directed side surfaces adapted to respectively engage opposed oppositely directed side shoulders on the preform for preventing transverse movement of the preform relative to the mold, said preform support means also including third pin means fixed to said upper part and projecting substantially vertically downwardly from said upper wall into said mold cavity, said third pin means having a lower surface adapted to supportingly engage an upper surface on the preform for vertically confining the preform between said first, second and third pin means.