Apparatus for molding thermoplastic material

Claim 1

In apparatus for molding decorative features in a base layer of thermoplastic material which is formed by casting dry thermoplastic particles having a fusion temperature against a heated mold surface, the improvement comprising; a casting mold having a mold surface with recesses formed therein having closed marginal edges defining a decorative feature; a combined mask and container means connectable with respect to said casting mold; said combined mask and container means including heat resistant foot portions with sealing edges of a form to correspond to said closed marginal edges of said recesses and with end surfaces engageable with said mold to cover said mold surface in surrounding relationship to said recesses to as to prevent fusion of thermoplastic material thereon other than in said recesses; first distribution means including said combined mask and container means operable to supply a plurality of different colored dry thermoplastic materials and to distribute different colored particles to preselected ones of said recesses when said sealing edges are in alignment with said marginal edges thereof while said end surfaces are masking thermoplastic material from other portions of said mold in surrounding relationship to said recesses; means for heating said mold surface to a temperature less than said fusion temperature of said thermoplastic material to produce a semi-cured deposit of material in said recesses; said first distribution means operable to return excess thermoplastic from said heated mold surface when said combined mask and container means is disconnected from said heated mold surface; and second distribution means for distributing color contrasting base layer of thermoplastic material onto said semi-cured deposit of material for subsequent curing and bonding of said semi-cured deposit and base layer of thermoplastic material prior to cooling said and stripping said mold.