Mold latch and mold having mold latch

A mold latch for mounting on a mold having a first plate, a second plate, and a third plate, the second plate positioned between the first plate and third plate, the mold latch comprising:

• a latch bar, for attaching to the first plate;
• a housing, for attaching to the third plate, including a frame having two sidewalls and an opening through which the latch bar can pass;
• a traveler, for attaching to the second plate, including two sidewalls received between the two sidewalls of the frame and spaced apart to receive the latch bar between the two sidewalls of the traveler;
• and
• two linear followers, each of the two linear followers coupled to a respective one of the two sidewalls of the traveler, each of the two linear followers translatable, laterally relative to a respective one of the two sidewalls of the traveler, between an active position and an inactive position, in the active position, the latch bar can co-act with the two linear followers to allow the latch bar to translate with the traveler in a first direction, from the second plate towards the first plate, and in the inactive position, the latch bar cannot co-act with the two linear followers to allow the latch bar to translate with the traveler in the first direction,
• wherein the latch bar includes two driving wedge surfaces, each of the two linear followers includes a driven wedge surface, and the latch bar co-acts with the two linear followers by contacting each of the two driving wedge surfaces with the driven wedge surface of a respective one of the two linear followers,
• wherein the latch bar includes two opposite lateral surfaces, on a respective one of which a respective one of the two driving wedge surfaces is located,
• the mold latch further comprising a rotary follower rotatably mounted to the frame, the rotary follower including two lateral side surfaces, each of the two lateral side surfaces for confining a respective one of the two linear followers in the inactive position,
• wherein the rotary follower includes an arm having a rotation driven surface, the latch bar including a rotation driving surface for acting against the rotation driven surface to rotate the rotary follower in an angular direction into a position to confine the two linear followers in the inactive position, and
• wherein the rotary follower includes an another arm angularly spaced apart from the arm and having an another rotation driven surface, the latch bar including an another rotation driving surface for acting against the another rotation driven surface to rotate the rotary follower in an another angular direction opposite to the angular direction.