Quick change mold system

A quick change mold system for changing molds within a mold machine, the system comprising:

• a. a mold defining a mating surface configured to secure the mold to a platen surface of a mold machine;
• b. at least one lock pin extending away from the mating surface of the mold, wherein the at least one lock pin defines an elongate body having a reduced-diameter lock valley in the body, the lock pin including a lock head at an end of the lock pin farthest from the mating surface of the mold wherein the lock head has a longest diameter greater than a longest diameter of the reduced-diameter of the lock valley;
• c. a coupling plate secured to the platen surface of the molding machine, the coupling plate having a front surface for engaging and securing the mating surface of the mold adjacent the front surface of the coupling plate, the coupling plate having an opposed back surface secured adjacent the platen surface, the coupling plate defining at least one throughbore dimensioned to permit the at least one lock pin to pass into the coupling plate;
• and,
• d. a clamping mechanism affixed to the coupling plate, the clamping mechanism including a bar defining at least one key slot and configured so that the key slot is adjacent the at least one throughbore of the coupling plate, wherein the at least one key slot includes a wide-opening portion having an adequate diameter to permit the lock head of the lock pin to pass through the wide-opening portion, the key slot having an adjacent and contiguous narrow-opening portion configured to slide around and engage the reduced-diameter lock valley of the pin to thereby prohibit movement of the lock head and mold in a direction away from the coupling plate and clamping mechanism through the narrow-opening portion, and the bar being slidably engaged with the coupling plate so that the bar may selectively slide between a receiving position permitting the lock head of the lock pin to pass through the coupling plate throughbore and into the key slot, and a locking position wherein the key slot defined within the bar slides to engage the reduced-diameter lock valley in the narrow-opening portion of the key slot so that the locking pin and mold cannot move relative to the coupling plate.