Method of making a molded article

A method of continuously molding articles, comprising the steps of:

• continuously moving the outer peripheral portion of a forming mold having a continuous channel with a plurality of spaced apart openings thereto, said channel extending the length of said mold in a first endless path defined by the outer peripheral portion;
• continuously moving a band-like molding member in a second endless path;
• continuously engaging a portion of the band-like molding member and the outer peripheral portion of the forming mold as they pass together through a region of engagement to form a continuously moving open-ended molding cavity;
• continuously injecting hardenable material through a group of said openings and into said molding cavity adjacent an initial section of engagement of said band-like molding member and said forming mold;
• intermixing hardenable material injected through foremost openings of said group of openings located closest to said initial section of engagement to flow toward said open end of said cavity where the speed of said mold and said band-like member maintains said injected hardenable material within said molding cavity in advance of said openings;
• compacting said hardenable material injected through said foremost openings by hardenable material injected through other openings of said group of openings as said previously injected hardenable material moves past said group of openings within said cavity;
• progressively hardening said hardenable material in the continuously moving molding cavity to form an article in solid form;
• continuously disengaging the band-like molding member from the outer continuous peripheral portion of the forming mold during their movement away from the region of engagement;
• and,
• removing the article during the disengaging step.