Apparatus for molding an end of an annular article

Apparatus for molding an annular article of an organic material, said apparatus comprising:

• a mandrel having a body portion with an external surface, an annular inner surface of the annular article being moldable against said external surface, said mandrel further having an extension at an end of said body portion, said extension having less radial extent than said body portion, said extension further having a recess therein;
• an end cap releasably secured to said extension of said mandrel, said end cap having a transversely extending annular surface against which an end surface of the article is moldable, said end cap further having a passage extending therethrough and in a plane extending generally transversely to a longitudinal centerline of said extension, said passage having a main portion that is spaced from the longitudinal centerline of said extension by a distance at least equal to the radial extent of an adjacent portion of said extension;
• a locking member having a portion extending through said passage, said portion of said locking member being moveable within said passage between a first position and a second position, said portion of said locking member further having a second portion extending from an end of said portion, said second portion being engageable with said recess and said extension of said mandrel in one of said first position and said second position of said portion of said locking member and being out of engagement with said recess in the other of said first position and said second position of said portion of said locking member;
• and
• manually engageable and resiliently biased means for normally maintaining said second portion of said locking member in said one of said first position and said second position of said locking member.