Axially compact compression mold
AssigneeFederal-Mogul Corporation
InventorsAdrian V. Ridgill, Mark O. Steele
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mold assembly for molding an elastomeric sealing element onto an annular seal case includes a spring-biased outer sleeve that exerts a clamping force on the seal case during the molding cycle. During the mold closing stroke the leading edge of the sleeve engages the seal case before an uncured elastomeric charge reaches the seal case. The sleeve therefore acts as a flow barrier to limit any outward escape of elastomer from the mold cavity during molding. By isolating the clamping and flow limiting outer sleeve from the hydrostatic molding forces, the spring force applied to the outer sleeve may be reduced and the axial height of the mold assembly may also be reduced.
Claims12
A mold assembly for molding a sealing member to a seal case, said assembly comprising;
- a first stationary mold member defining a first portion of said sealing member;
- a second movable mold member defining a second portion of said sealing member;
- said mold members cooperatively forming with said seal case a complete annular mold cavity when said second mold member is moved toward the first mold member and engages said seal case;
- an annular clamping sleeve slidably supported on said second mold member;
- resilient means engageable with said clamping sleeve for resiliently biasing said clamping sleeve against said seal case to retain said seal case in a fixed position on said first mold member;
- said clamping sleeve being oriented so that during a closing stroke of the second mold member toward the first mold member the clamping sleeve engages the seal case before completion of the closing stroke, and during an opening stroke of the second mold member away from the first mold member the clamping sleeve remains in engagement with the seal case while the second mold member separates from the molded sealing member;
- and
- said clamping sleeve having an annular end portion engageable with the seal case and said molding material prior to completion of the closing stroke so that said annular end portion forms a flash barrier for preventing flow of molding material radially outwardly from the mold cavity.
A mold assembly for molding an annular sealing member to an annular seal case, said mold assembly comprising;
- first and second mold members closeable together around said seal case to define a complete annular mold cavity, said first mold member having an outer annular surface adapted to support said seal case and an inner annular shelf surface adapted to support a charge of molding material, said second mold member having an outer annular end surface engageable with the seal case to complete a closing stroke required to form the mold cavity;
- and
- an annular clamping sleeve slidably supported on the second mold member so that during the closing stroke the clamping sleeve achieves clamping engagement with the seal case prior to completion of the closing stroke so that said clamping sleeve engages said molding material and acts as a flash barrier prior to completion of the closing stroke.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.