Abstract: A sheet fastener hinge device to removably hinge a second cumulative stack of flexible sheets to a first cumulative stack of flexible sheets. A first elongated panel has a pair of spaced holes or an elongated slot to receive the prongs of a first sheet fastener extending through a pair of apertures spaced adjacent one edge of the sheets in the first stack to removably attach the first panel to the front of the first stack. A second elongated panel has a pair of integral spaced prongs extending therefrom or a pair of spaced holes to receive a second sheet fastener to provide a pair of spaced prongs extending therefrom. The prongs extend through a pair of apertures spaced adjacent one edge of the sheets in the second stack to removably attach the second stack of sheets to the second panel.

Abstract: An injection molding nozzle upon which a thermocouple element can be removably mounted and be self-retained in place. The nozzle has a front portion and a larger diameter rear collar portion with a thermocouple element duct therethrough. A thermocouple element bore extends rearwardly from the front end of the nozzle and a thermocouple element groove extends outwardly across the rear end from the thermocouple element duct. A front portion of a suitably bendable and retentive thermocouple element is inserted into the bore in the front end and bent to extend rearwardly to the duct through the rear collar portion. A rear portion of the thermocouple element is bent into place in the groove in the rear end. The thermocouple element securely retains itself in this position while the nozzle is being installed in the mold.

Abstract: Valve gated injection molding apparatus with a spring mounted on a central pin adjacent the head of a valve member in a spring chamber in each of the pistons. The spring is compressed between the base of the pin and the cap of the piston to preload it. When the valve member and piston are driven forwardly to the closed position, the head of the valve member retracts somewhat into the spring chamber against the force applied forwardly against the head of the valve member by the spring. This cushions the impact of the front end of the valve member in the gate and provides for tight seating of the front end of the valve member in the gate without requiring all of the components to be made to precise tolerances with exact allowance for thermal expansion. The spring is a number of selected disc springs stacked in sets facing in opposite directions, from which the force applied to the head of the valve member is predetermined.

Abstract: Injection molding apparatus for valve gating in which the valve member extends through a locating insert mounted at the front end of the nozzle. The locating insert has a pair of spiral blades extending inwardly from an outer collar. The spiral blades have curved inner edges which encircle the valve member sufficiently to maintain the valve member in accurate alignment with the gate as it reciprocates between the open and closed positions.

Abstract: A heated injection molding nozzle having a melt channel which branches outwardly to several spaced edge gates. The nozzle has alternate thermocouple element receiving bores spaced longitudinally along a temperature gradient extending between the heating element and the front end of the nozzle. The nozzle facilitates the temperature control of materials having different thermal characteristics. When molding an amorphous material, a temperature somewhat lower than the prescribed operating temperature is desirable so the thermocouple element is mounted in the rearward bore closer to the heating element. If it is critical to maintain the temperature of the melt near the prescribed operating temperature for a material such as a crystalline material, the thermocouple element is received in the forward bore further along the temperature gradient from the heating element.

Abstract: Injection molding apparatus wherein a torpedo is mounted at the front end of a nozzle to provide a fixed ring gate. The torpedo has an elongated central shaft with a nose portion which projects forwardly into a cylindrical opening extending through the mold to the cavity. The outer surface of the nose portion is sufficiently spaced from the inner surface of the opening to form the ring gate through which the melt flows into the cavity. The nose portion of the central shaft enhances heat transfer during the injection cycle and thus reduces cycle time and provides cleaner gates.

Abstract: A heated injection molding nozzle having a cylindrical locating flange extending forwardly from a rear collar portion to mount the nozzle in a well in a cooled mold. The nozzle has a cylindrical central portion with an insulative air space extending between it and the surrounding cooled mold. A hollow thermocouple tube extends through the rear collar portion and along the inner surface of the locating flange to removably receive a thermocouple element which extends from the rear end of the nozzle and through the insulative air space to monitor the operating temperature near the forward end of the nozzle. In the event of pressurized melt escaping to fill the air space, contact of the thermocouple tube with the locating flange cools the melt which flows into the thermocouple tube sufficiently to freeze it and prevent leakage out amongst the wiring in other parts of the mold.

Abstract: A two-piece injection molding nozzle seal. The inner piece through which the melt duct extends is formed of a highly thermally conductive material to enhance heat transfer during the thermodynamic cycle. The surrounding outer retaining piece which extends from the heated nozzle into contact with the cooled mold to provide the necessary seal is formed of a substantially less conductive material to avoid undue heat loss.

Abstract: Injection molding apparatus wherein a torpedo is mounted in the front end of a heated nozzle. The torpedo has spaced blades extending inwardly from an outer collar to an elongated shaft which extends centrally in the melt bore. The torpedo shaft has an elongated central portion which is securely press fitted in a steel outer sleeve from which the blades extend. The elongated central portion of the torpedo shaft extends forwardly into the gate, and is formed of an engineered ceramic such as silicon carbide which is very thermally conductive as well as abrasion and corrosion resistant. In one embodiment, the gate extends through a gate insert which is also formed of a thermally conductive and abrasion and corrosion resistant engineered ceramic material.

Abstract: An injection molding nozzle and method of making it having an electrical heating element extending in a pair of alternating coils in a spiral channel around a central melt passage. The heating element has a U-shaped bend near the forward end of the nozzle and two ends at an external terminal near the rear end. A central wire in the heating element has a fine coiled heating portion extending between two larger diameter conductive portions which extend to the terminal. One of the conductive portions of the central wire is a predetermined length longer than the other and extends in one of the alternating coils of the heating element along a rear portion of the nozzle adjacent the terminal. The heating portion of the wire extends in both of the alternating coils of the heating element along a forward portion of the nozzle so the heating element provides substantially less heat along the rear portion than along the forward portion of the nozzle.

Abstract: A microphone mask to be worn in front of the mouth of an underwater diver has a microphone assembly and a teethpiece assembly mounted in a rubber waterproof enclosure. The enclosure has an air passage extending from an inlet opening to a rear outlet opening. The teethpiece assembly includes a plastic insert with a vertical plate mounted in the enclosure. The vertical plate has openings for the air passage as well as to allow sound to travel from the diver's mouth to the microphone assembly. A teeth member extends rearwardly out of the outlet opening into the diver's mouth where it is held between the diver's teeth. The teeth member is connected to the insert by resilient spring members which draw the enclosure rearwardly against the diver's face. There is a sealing surface around the outlet opening, and this seals it around the outside of the diver's mouth. This eliminates the need for a headband and facilitates the use of the microphone mask for the combination of breathing and speaking.

Abstract: A seating and sealing insert for mounting a heated injection molding nozzle in a well in a mold. The hollow insert has a cylindrical central portion extending between a rear seating portion and a forward sealing portion. The rear seating portion is outwardly flanged to seat in the well in the mold and forms an inner seat to receive a cylindrical support flange of the nozzle to accurately support the nozzle in the well in the mold. The forward sealing portion has a V - shaped forward face and inner and outer surfaces which are forced outwardly by melt pressure to seal against the nozzle and the mold. Thus, the seating and sealing insert provides an insulative air space between the heated nozzle and the surrounding mold and the forward sealing portion prevents the escape of pressurized melt into the insulative air space.

Abstract: A heated injection molding nozzle having a rear member and a forward member which is removable. A channel extends through the rear and forward members to convey pressurized melt to one or more gates extending through the mold to a cavity. The rear member has an electrical heating element with a spiral portion which extends around the melt channel. The forward member has a tapered rear portion which extends rearwardly into a matching tapered well in the rear member. The taper is sufficient so the tapered portion is frictionally retained in the well to removably mount the forward member to the rear member. This allows the forward member to be easily turned or driven out of engagement in the well to replace it with a new forward member or a forward member having a different configuration to provide a different type or arrangement of gating.

Abstract: An injection molding probe with an elongated outer body has an electrical heating element wound in a helical coil around a central thermocouple tube integrally braze filled in silver in the body. A thermocouple bore extends through the tube into the silver adjacent the forward end of the body. This improves temperature control of the melt flowing around the probe and also facilitates manufacture.

Abstract: Valve gated injection molding apparatus for coinjecting and/or sequentially injecting two different fluids through a gate into a cavity. An elongated valve pin member is received in an elongated valve sleeve member in alignment with the gate and both are reciprocated rotatably as well as axially by separate actuating mechanisms to control the flow of the fluids through the gate. Each actuating mechanism has a piston driven rack member to provide rotary motion which is then converted to axial movement of the corresponding valve member between the retracted open and forward closed positions. In one embodiment, helical threads on the valve members engage fixed teeth extending inwardly from the surrounding nozzle to convert the rotary motion of each valve member to corresponding axial movement. Linear position transducers on the rack members provide for accurate control of the valve members.

Abstract: A method of making an injection molding nozzle having an electrical heating element wound in a channel. The heating element has two terminal wires which extend radially outward parallel to each other from either a common end portion or two separate end portions of the heating element. After the heating element is wound in the spiral channel in the nozzle body, forward and rear collar portions are mounted around the nozzle body to form a radial slot or opening between them through which the end portion or portions of the heating element project. A stud portion is mounted to extend radially outward from the slot with a single bore or two parallel bores through which the end portion or portions extend. These components are then brazed together in a vacuum furnace to form a strong integral structure with the end portion or portions of the heating element secured in place. In one embodiment, a spacer portion having two parallel bores is mounted with ceramic paste to the stud portion.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a hot runner manifold composed of two parallel hot runner plates disposed in parallel, one behind the other, to feed at least two different plastic materials along horizontal hot runners to injection nozzles bolted to the front hot runner manifolds.

Abstract: An injection molding nozzle having a melt channel with a number of diagonal portions which branch to equally spaced outlets for multi-cavity molding. The nozzle has an integral electrical heating element with a forward portion which extends adjacent the forward face of the nozzle between the spaced outlets of the melt channel. The forward portion of the heating element is integrally brazed in channels in the forward face of the nozzle and has a number of radially extending arms. One of the arms extends outward midway between each two adjacent outlets. This provides additional heat to the melt near the outlets and ensures it is evenly balanced between the diagonal portions of the melt channel.

Abstract: This invention relates to a hot tip gated injection molding apparatus having a heated manifold to distribute melt to a number of spaced gates. An unheated sealing and conductive member is mounted directly between the heated manifold and the cooled cavity plate in alignment with each gate. The sealing and conductive member has an elongated hot tip shaft which is connected to extend centrally through the bore of an outer collar portion by a number of spaced spiral blades. The collar portion bridges an insulative air space between the hot manifold and cooled cavity plate to prevent melt leaking into it. Heat received through the rear end of the collar portion which abuts directly against the heated manifold is transferred through the blades and the hot tip shaft to the gate area which is aligned with the pointed forward end of the hot tip shaft. The rear end of the hot tip shaft extends rearwardly into a branch of the melt passage to pick up heat from the surrounding melt.

Abstract: An intraoral appliance to be worn for the diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint dysfunction. The appliance has upper and lower members which fit respectively on the person's maxillary and mandibular arch. The lower member has an upward projection which makes low friction gliding contact against a smooth surface located anteriorly on the upper member. This maintains vertical clearance between the maxillary arch and the mandibular arch and ensures free horizontal movement of the mandible to allow it to assume a position wherein the masticatory muscles are allowed to relax. Wearing the appliance for a period of time relieves the symptoms of acute and/or chronic headaches which result from temporomandibular joint dysfunction.