Mold apparatus and method

An apparatus for creating designs on the interior and exterior of a mold, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a first resilient form with an exterior and an interior, with a design on said interior;
• b) a rigid base conformed to removably receive the exterior of said first resilient form;
• c) a second resilient form with an exterior and an interior, with a design on said exterior;
• d) a rigid support member removably attached to the interior of said second resilient form;
• and
• e) said rigid base and said interior of said first resilient form conformed to removably receive said rigid support member and said second resilient form in combination.

An apparatus for creating complex designs on an interior of investment cast cases, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a flexible sleeve with an exterior with a three dimensional design and no draft angle and an interior with a draft angle and a closed end and an open end;
• b) a support core conformed to just receive and support the interior of the flexible sleeve from the closed end to the open end;
• and
• c) a mold pattern conformed to releasably receive the support core and flexible sleeve in combination.

An apparatus for creating complex designs, including undercuts, notches, grooves, counter bores, slots, dimples and bosses, on an interior and an exterior of a mold, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a first flexible sleeve with an exterior with a draft angle and an interior with a complex design and no draft angle and a closed end and an open end;
• b) a rigid base conformed to removably receive the exterior of said first flexible sleeve;
• c) a second flexible sleeve with an exterior with a complex design and no draft angle and an interior with a draft angle and a closed end and an open end;
• d) a support core conformed to just receive and support the interior of the second flexible sleeve from the closed end to the open end;
• and
• e) said first flexible sleeve conformed to removably receive said support core and said second flexible sleeve in combination.

A method of creating a design on the inside of a mold, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) creating a resilient form with an exterior with a design and an interior, wherein said exterior has no draft angle and said interior has a draft angle;
• b) attaching a rigid support member to the interior of said resilient form;
• c) creating a mold pattern conformed to removably receive said resilient form and said rigid support member in combination;
• d) inserting said resilient form and said rigid support member in combination in said mold pattern;
• e) adding mold material to said mold pattern;
• f) removing said rigid support;
• and
• g) removing said resilient form from said mold pattern.

A method of creating a design on the inside and outside of a mold, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) creating a first resilient form with an exterior and an interior, with a design on the interior;
• b) holding the exterior of said first resilient form within a rigid base;
• c) creating a second resilient form with an exterior with a design and an interior;
• d) attaching a rigid support member to the interior of said second resilient form;
• e) inserting said second resilient form and said rigid support member in combination within the interior of said first resilient form;
• f) adding mold material between the interior of said first resilient form and the exterior of said second resilient form;
• g) removing the rigid base from the first resilient form;
• h) removing the first resilient form from the mold material;
• i) removing the rigid support member from the second resilient form;
• and
• j) removing said second resilient form from the mold pattern.

A method for forming an investment cast case with a three dimensional design on the interior of the case, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) creating a master pattern of the three dimensional design in a female receiver;
• b) creating a male rigid support core with a draft angle, conformed to fit within the female receiver and including a passageway for introducing gas;
• c) sealing the passageway with a removable pin so that the male rigid support core is a solid form;
• d) inserting the male rigid support core into the female receiver and introducing a flexible material forming fluid into the female receiver between the female receiver and the male rigid support core;
• e) allowing the flexible material forming fluid to cure and create a flexible sleeve with a three dimensional design on an exterior and an interior conformed exactly to the male rigid support core;
• f) removing the removable pin and blowing compressed gas into the passageway so that gas is introduced between the rigid support core and the flexible sleeve;
• g) removing the flexible sleeve from the master pattern female receiver;
• h) inserting the male rigid support core within the interior of the flexible sleeve;
• i) inserting the flexible sleeve and rigid support core in combination within a mold pattern conformed to form the exterior of a case;
• j) adding wax to the interior of the mold pattern and allowing the wax to harden;
• k) removing the hardened wax and the combination of the flexible sleeve and the rigid support core from the mold pattern;
• l) introducing gas into the passageway and removing the rigid support core;
• m) removing the flexible sleeve from the hardened wax;
• and
• n) creating a case with three dimensional designs on the inside of the case from the hardened wax by means of a lost wax process.

An apparatus for creating designs on an interior of a mold, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a resilient form with an exterior and an interior, with a design formed on the exterior;
• b) a rigid support member removably attached to the interior of said resilient form;
• c) a mold pattern conformed to removably receive said rigid support member and said resilient form in combination;
• and
• d) a vacuum application means for applying a vacuum to said resilient form
• wherein said vacuum application means further comprises a plurality of extensions conformed to create a draft angle.

An apparatus for creating complex designs on an interior of an investment cast case, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a flexible sleeve with an exterior with a three dimensional design and no draft angle and an interior with a draft angle and a closed end and an open end;
• b) a support core conformed to just receive and support the interior of the flexible sleeve from the closed end to the open end;
• c) a mold pattern conformed to releasably receive the support core and flexible sleeve in combination;
• and
• d) a passageway in the support core conformed to introduce gas at the closed end of the flexible sleeve.