Apparatus for molding a protective pad

An apparatus for molding a protective pad adapted to be positioned on an elbow or heel of a patient and characterized by a generally circular outline and a generally converging concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration, said apparatus comprising

• a male mold canister comprising a generally cylindrical said wall, and a generally convex mold surface extending transversely across one end of said side wall,
• a female mold canister comprising a generally cylindrical side wall, and a generally concave mold surface extending transversely across one end of said side wall and having a plurality of relatively small perforations distributed over the area thereof, said concave mold surface having a somewhat shorter radius of curvature than that of said convex mold surface,
• means for mounting said male and female mold canisters for movement with respect to each other and between a non-operative position wherein the canisters are separated and the cancave mold surface of said female mold canister faces upwardly to permit receipt of the material to be molded therewithin, and an operative position wherein said concave and convex mold surfaces are in spaced apart, face to face relationship to define a mold cavity therebetween having a generally converging concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration,
• means for drawing a partial vacuum within said female mold canister such that the vacuum acts through said perforations to maintain a predetermined distribution of the material to be molded within the concave mold surface during the transfer of the canisters from said non-operative position to said operative position, and
• means for heating the interior of said mold cavity when said mold canisters are in said operative position to thereby heat the material to be molded.

An apparatus for molding a protective pad adapted to be positioned on an elbow or heel of a patient and characterized by a generally circular outline and a generally arcuate cross-sectional configuration, said apparatus comprising

• a frame,
• a male mold canister fixedly mounted on said frame and comprising a generally cylindrical side wall, and an upwardly facing generally convex mold surface extending transversely across the upper end of said side wall and having a plurality of perforations substantially evenly distributed over the entire area of said convex mold surface,
• a female mold canister comprising a generally cylindrical side wall, and a generally concave mold surface extending transversely across one end of said side wall and having a plurality of perforations substantially evenly distributed over the entire area of said concave mold surface,
• means for mounting said female mold canister on said frame generally above said male mold canister and to permit pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis and linear movement along a substantially vertical direction, whereby the female mold canister may be translated between a non-operative position wherein the canisters are separated and the concave mold surface faces upwardly to permit receipt of the material to be molded therewithin, and an operative position wherein said concave and convex mold surfaces are in spaced apart, face to face relationship to define a mold cavity therebetween having a generally arcuate configuration,
• means for selectively drawing a partial vacuum within said female mold canister to maintain a predetermined distribution of the material to be molded within the concave mold surface during the transfer of said female mold canister from said non-operative position to said operative position, and
• means for selectively introducing steam into said male mold canister to thereby heat the material positioned within said mold cavity.