Abstract: A method of forming a stacked laminate mold.

Abstract: A microprism master mold is formed from a plurality of flat sheets having two mutually parallel major surfaces. On one edge thereof, there is provided a series of V-shaped grooves having a bottom angle of about 90.degree. and roof-shaped projections having a vertical angle of about 90.degree., successively formed at a fixed repeating pitch and in a direction perpendicular to the major surfaces. The flat sheets are stacked so that the vertices of the roof-shaped projections formed on each flat sheet meet the bottoms of the V-shaped grooves formed on an adjacent flat sheet. The microprism master mold includes two or more different types of roof-shaped projections and the thickness of each flat sheet is equal to 0.6-2.0 times the length of the shorter oblique sides of the roof-shaped projections. The master mold is useful for production of cube-corner type retroreflectors characterized by microprism having high brightness and excellent wide-angle properties.

Abstract: A method of making a mold for a given object includes forming a wire stack of elongated wire elements and aligning first ends of the wire elements to define a first end surface of the stack, displacing selected wire elements with respect to the first end surface of the stack by determined amounts in the longitudinal direction of the elements according to a shape of the object to be molded, and then fixing the wire elements of the stack from movement relative to one another after the wire element displacing step. A mold surface for the given object is thus defined according to the first end surface of the wire stack.

Abstract: A method of forming composite parts that consist of the steps of generating a part design in a computer graphics system, positioning an array of rubber blocks having an array of apertures with slidable pins therein and locking the rubber blocks together on a servo drive mechanism forming a tooling fixture. The array of pins has a flexible face sheet connected to them such that the array of pins is adjusted to form the face sheet to approximate the contour of the composited part to be manufactured. The tooling module is then removed from the base servo drive mechanism and used as a mold in an autoclave for cutting composite materials.

Abstract: A reconfigurable injection mold machine (10) having a fixed mold body (60, 60') and two movable mold bodies (62, 62' and 64, 64') that can be automatically repositioned with respect to each other to make different mold cavities for molding different parts. The three mold bodies (60,60', 62,62' and 64,64') each include a laminate subassembly (140,140', 142,142', 144,144') composed of a plurality of laminates (162,162', 164,164', 204,204', 234,234') and a mounting frame (146,146', 192,192', 218,218') arranged to hold and position the laminates during assembly to the mold. The mounting frame permits preassembly of the laminates on the workbench into a subassembly (140,140', 142,142', 144,144') that is then easily inserted into an opening in the mold (60,60', 62,62' and 64,64') and secured in place.

Abstract: An apparatus for molding a connector includes a stationary body, a moving body, a first and a second blocks detachably fixed to the moving body, and a core block having at least one core. The first block has at least one hole and the second block has at least one through-hole corresponding to the first hole. When the molding apparatus is closed, the stationary body, the moving body, and the first and the second blocks cooperate to define a cavity which will be filled with a molten plastic material and a leading end of the core fits through the through-hole of the second block and into the hole of the first block.

Abstract: A plate for press-moulding dies of refractory bricks and the like, including a bearing metal slab to one face of which a lining of high wear-resistant material, normally hard metal, is applied, which is formed by a number of adjacent tiles arranged in an orderly way along parallel lines. The adjoining sides between adjacent tiles are at least in part curved.

Abstract: A press working machine includes base members having concave portions, slider members arranged in the concave portions, link arms attached to first ends of the slider members respectively, and cylinders attached to the arms, for bending and extending the same. Furthermore, press members having curved mold-facing surfaces are arranged on the slider members. Molds having deformable structures are arranged on the press members. A workpiece is inserted between the molds, to be press-worked. The slider members are actuatable to press the press members against the molds, so as to deform the molds into different mold shapes. Thus, it is possible to press-mold workpieces into a plurality of shapes with a single mold assembly, thereby reducing the cost for manufacturing the mold assembly, omitting an operation of exchanging the mold assembly, and reducing the manufacturing cost.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming surface texture on contoured surfaces includes a laminar, dimensionally stable, flexible mold having an impression of the surface texture to be formed on one side thereof. An adhesive material is provided on the side of the mold opposite that having the impression of the surface texture for adhering the mold to a recipient surface. A plurality of backing strips are provided on the adhesive backed side extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the mold and are individually removable from the mold.

Abstract: A heat insulating panel (20) for a mold tool (14) includes a surface for being mounted onto a section of the mold tool. The panel has an exposed upper surface (29) and a thickness great enough to provide heat insulation sufficient to maintain the temperature at its exposed upper surface lower than the melting temperature of a powder plastic resin (13) that is melted and cured onto the mold tool. Any powder plastic resin on the upper surface remains in powder form during molding such that the powder may be returned to a powder box (12) and be reused. The heat insulating panel (20) has a periphery (21) that covers the entire periphery of the mold tool.

Abstract: Spacers or wedges are disclosed for use in combination with mold elements such as lens and/or reflex reflector pins in a pin block or matrix assembly. Such assemblies are used in the manufacture of molds for producing, for example, front and/or rear light units for motor vehicles. The wedges or spacers are selectively located between rows or banks of reflex or optic pins to provide required orientation to selected groups of the pins so that the necessary reflectivity of the finished product is provided in the curved portion thereof.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a stamper includes the steps of coating a flat surface of a substrate with photosensitive material; directing light to a specified position on the photosensitive material to expose it; developing the photosensitive material to make a minute photoresist pattern; etching the substrate to a specified depth with a mask of the photoresist pattern; removing the photoresist as the mask to make a glass master; arbitrarily forming a first nickel layer on a surface of the glass master; forming an intermediate layer of a metal having a smaller linear expansion coefficient than nickel over the first nickel layer; forming a second nickel layer on the intermediate layer to form a conductive film having a two- or three-stratum structure; arbitrarily subjecting the whole substrate to a process to make nickel passive; forming an electroformed layer on the conductive film by an electroforming process; and separating the conductive film from the glass master.

Abstract: A method of making design models allowing for CAD data verification of interior and exterior styled surfaces comprising the following steps. Initially, the interior and exterior surfaces of the proposed design are mathematically modeled. A series of separable parts of said design are defined. At least one bench mark plane is provided within the interior and exterior surfaces of a first part of the design. An exterior surface is shaped on an exterior portion of the first part of the design. Likewise, an interior surface is shaped on an interior portion of the first part of the design. The interior portion and the exterior portion are separated from each other at the bench mark plane when the interior portion is formed. The interior portion and exterior portion are assembled together at the bench mark plane. Finally, the separable parts or modules are assembled together at the boundaries. The method further allows for the disassembly of particular modules and their modification in holding fixtures.

Abstract: A plastics shaping mold comprising a layer of hardened resin material fixedly superposed on a metal mold and defining an uneven shaping surface for forming an uneven surface pattern on plastic articles. The plastics shaping mold is prepared by a method comprising the steps of superposing a resin material in a fluid state on a master in sheet form defining an uneven surface inverse to the uneven shaping surface to be formed, allowing the resin material to harden and removing the master, thereby to form the layer of hardened resin material defining the uneven shaping surface.

Abstract: A composite caul plate includes a replaceable insert plate bearing a wood-grain pattern. The insert plate is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to mount to the caul plate. The insert plate is secured in position by means of rib elements having formations for retaining the insert plate against a base plate.

Abstract: A mold (1) for cast-molding a slip is provided, which comprises a divsible casting mold including a plurality of mold portions to form a mold cavity (4) when mated together; each mold portion including an air-tight housing (2), an intermediate layer (5) of coarsely porous structure adjacent to the air-tight housing (2), and a solid synthetic resin filter layer (3) of fine open-cell structure; a slip supply duct (8) being connected with said mold cavity (4) and communicated with the outside of the air-tight housing (2); a fluid-flowing duct (9) being connected with said coarse intermediate layer (5) and communicated with the outside of the air-tight housing (2); said filter layer (3) being permeably joined to the coarse intermediate layer (5), and having substantially precise shape and dimension of substantially uniform fine open-cell structure.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing an embossed article of synthetic resin comprising heating a synthetic resin sheet to a softening temperature; overlaying the heated synthetic resin sheet on an embossing die made by an electro-chemical molding process and having an embossing surface with an embossing pattern thereon and a multitude of fine vacuum pores distributed uniformly over the entire embossing surface; and forcing the synthetic resin sheet against the embossing surface by applying suction through the fine vacuum pores to imprint the embossing pattern onto the synthetic resin sheet.

Abstract: Herein disclosed are a stamper for replicating a high-density data recording disk, wherein there is formed on a substrate a multi-layered metal film, in which a plurality of metals of different kinds are laminated and which has a thickness equal to the depth of a pit, by an etching technique having a selectivity for the kinds of metals and a process for producing that stamper. Since one or more pits having different depths are formed very precisely, the recording density is increased, and the quality of a readout data signal is improved while dispensing with the plating step. As a result, there can be attained an effect that the productivity and economy can be improved.

Abstract: A vacuum mold for vacuum-forming a plastic sheet heated to a high temperature to transfer grain patterns onto the surface of the plastic sheet, the mold comprising an electrocast shell formed, by an electroforming step, with a casting surface having the grain patterns thereon and a multitude of fine vacuum holes uniformly distributed at the casting surface. A back-up body is mounted at the rear surface of the electrocast shell and is provided with vent holes communicating with the vacuum holes in the shell.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing widgets from components and/or particulate; and to a can for containing such components and/or particulate during the consolidation into widgets. The method of the present invention can be used to form widgets from metals, ceramics, plastics, polymers, and/or combinations thereof. The materials used to form the widgets can be in the form of particulate, pellets, shard, and/or ribbon. The method of the present invention can also be used to join widgets and/or to heal ingot cracks.

Abstract: An overlay molding press which includes a pair of oppositely disposed jaw members. Each jaw member is provided with an elongate shoulder extending therealong and each jaw member has a forming surface extending its length with an edge of the surface at the shoulder of the jaw member. The forming surfaces of the two jaw members collectively form a mold cavity. The jaw members are rockable about an axis extending where their shoulders meet to produce a folding together of their forming surfaces and a decrease in the lateral dimension of the mold cavity.

Abstract: A method and means for contructing a three dimensional contour relief map, or the like, which comprises a housing having the opposite ends thereof open and having a plurality of upright side-by-side tubes disposed therein, the lower open end of the housing being in communication with a liquid reservoir, the lower end of each tube being open to the liquid through a check valve for controlling the admission of the liquid into the interior thereof, and the upper end of each tube being open, a pantograph type tracing or scribing instrument having a tracer for movement along the contours of the map being transformed into the three dimensional scale model and having an arm member movable over the open upper ends of the tubes simultaneously with the scribing of the map contour lines, a vacuum source in communication with the open upper ends of the tubes through the arm passing thereover for creating a selected pressure differential between the interior of the respective tube and the ambient pressure acting on the su

Abstract: Crinkle-free tube bends can be produced by introducing a flexible core into the straight tube length to be bent, bending the tube length around movable templates at the optimum thermoforming temperature and, while bending, laying an extensible insert between the tube length and the bending template.

Abstract: Preformed electroforms are sliced into elongated slab shaped bodies having spaced generally parallel respective side walls so that an edge wall thereof has defined therein cube corner retroreflective units. When a plurality of such slab shaped bodies are positioned together to provide a region of cube corner type retroreflective units, there results a mold element which can be incorporated into a mold for making reflector units of transparent solid material or the like wherein angled retroreflective units and so-called standard retroreflective units are distributable over the entire face of a product reflector unit and from which air in the mold cavity can readily escape during filling in a molding operation.

Abstract: A shim designed for insertion between mold segments on hot briquette rolls permits accurate alignment of the segments and at the same time, by virtue of its softening and melting temperatures permits uniform expansion of the segments on heating.

Abstract: A pin for use in making the reflector includes an elongated .[.snank.]. .Iadd.shank .Iaddend.of regular polygon outline and a cube-corner formation at one end. The cube axis of the cube-corner formation is at an angle other than zero degrees with respect to the pin axis. A group of such pins are assembled into a pin bundle for use in making a mold insert for the reflector.