KR20020033795A - Moulding machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to (a) a frame, (b) a pair of first mold portions disposed on the frame at spaced apart first and second molding stations, and (c) a frame disposed on the frame and to one another and A pair of mold part carriers movable relative to the second molding station, (d) a pair of second mold parts respectively mounted to one of the mold part carriers, and (e) aligning the second mold part with the first mold part and A mold apparatus is provided having an actuator disposed between the mold carriers to move in a released state.

Description

Molding Machine {MOULDING MACHINE}

Although the description below relates primarily to molding machines used to mold plastic articles, it should be understood that the same principles apply to the molding of rubber, aluminum, alloys, ceramics and other flowable materials such as food materials. In general, the molding of plastic materials, whether by injection molding, blow molding or other molding methods, depends on the use of the mold from which the article is made. The mold consists of a number of parts depending on the complexity of the article to be molded.

Furthermore, conventional molding machines rely on two parts of the mold to move towards each other to form the desired mold cavity. These two parts are generally supported on a single device.

Thus, there are inherent limitations on the production rate of articles that depend on the number of individual machines in operation.

In addition, a number of publications are known that have attempted to form a mold cavity with a mold mounted on a continuous belt in an effort to increase the production rate of a plastic article. However, they are complex and their use is limited for a wide range of flowable materials.

The present invention relates to a machine or an improvement therefor for molding an article. More particularly, the present invention relates to a molding machine adapted to produce a molded article at high speed.

1 is a perspective view of a mold apparatus according to the invention with the mold part set in the molding position;

2 is a perspective view of the mold apparatus of FIG. 1 with the mold portion separated;

3 is a side view of the mold apparatus of FIG. 1 with the second mold portion at a cooling station away from the first mold portion;

4 is a perspective view of the mold apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the article transferred from the second mold portion to the cooling apparatus.

5 is a perspective view of the mold apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the cooling apparatus in the article discharging position;

6 is a perspective view of a part of a mold apparatus according to the second embodiment;

7 is a perspective view of the mold apparatus of FIG. 6 showing a mold portion set together;

8 is a perspective view of the mold apparatus of FIG. 6 showing a cooling apparatus.

9 is a perspective view of a mold apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a perspective view of a mold apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a perspective view of a continuous molding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

12 is a perspective view of a continuous molding machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

13 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary machine cycle in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

14 is a side view of an alternative radial injection device.

15 is an end view of the radial injection device of FIG.

According to the first aspect of the present invention,

(a) the frame,

(b) a pair of first mold portions disposed on the frame at spaced first and second molding stations,

(c) a pair of mold part carriers disposed on the frame and movable relative to each other and to the first and second molding stations,

(d) a pair of second mold portions each mounted on one of the mold portion carriers,

(e) an actuator disposed between the mold carriers to move the second mold portion into alignment and release with the first mold portion;

There is provided a mold apparatus having a.

When the first mold portion is aligned with the corresponding second mold portion, all or part of the mold is formed. The mold has at least one mold cavity that houses the molding material for molding the article. However, it should be understood that the mold may consist of two or more parts. Likewise, the mold may have a plurality of mold cavities for molding a plurality of articles.

In one embodiment, the mold apparatus may further include at least one additional mold portion aligned with the separate first and second mold portions to form at least one molding cavity in which the article may be molded.

It is to be understood that the pair of the first mold portion and / or the second mold portion need not be the same, and thus the mold apparatus can produce a different article from each mold. It should also be understood that one of the mold carriers may carry an empty one, such as one of the second mold portions, such that the mold apparatus can be used to make an article from only one mold.

The mold apparatus may have one, two, three, four or any number of mold pairs composed of the desired first and second mold portions. Thus, the mold apparatus may have additional pairs of mold portions and mold carriers. Preferably, the mold apparatus has one or two pairs of molds, ie the mold apparatus has two or four molds.

In another embodiment, the mold apparatus,

(f) a pair of additional first mold portions disposed on the frame at spaced apart third and fourth molding stations,

(g) a pair of additional mold part carriers disposed on the frame and movable relative to each other and to the third and fourth molding stations,

(h) a pair of additional second mold portions each mounted on one of the mold portion carriers,

(i) an additional actuator disposed between the mold carriers to move the second mold portion into alignment and release with the first mold portion;

It is further provided.

The frame of the mold device is generally rectangular, but other frame shapes are also implemented within the scope of the present invention. For example, if there are two pairs of molds, namely four molds, the shape of the frame is cross-shaped.

Preferably, the first mold portion is fixed relative to the frame of the mold apparatus and the second mold portion is movable towards and away from the first mold portion.

The actuators may be any suitable mechanical and / or hydraulic means to facilitate movement of the mold carriers with respect to each other. For example, the movement is done by hydraulic and / or mechanical means. Other means by which the mold parts are moved relative to one another are implemented within the scope of the invention. For example, the second mold portion may be mechanically connected to the intermediate cam mechanism, whereby during operation of the cam mechanism, such as rotation, the second mold portion is movable towards and from the separate first mold portion. Do. Alternatively, the set of toggles may be coupled to the second set of mold portions to move the toggles away from each other and in alignment with the first mold portion due to the operation of the hydraulic device. The toggle then locks the mold portion to the alignment position while the article is being molded.

The mold apparatus according to the invention has at least one inlet for injecting molding material or other material for forming an article. There may be one inlet for all molds of a mold device in which only one molding material is used, or there may be more than one inlet which makes it possible to use several molding materials in a single mold device. Preferably, the mold apparatus may be provided with individual inlets for each mold such that several molding materials / materials can be used in each mold.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mold apparatus may be used in any orientation, such as upright or top down at its sides or ends. For example, the mold apparatus may be placed on its end such that the robot arm approaches and places the object in the mold from which the article is molded.

In the case of a mold having first and second mold portions during the molding process, it is important that an effective seal is formed between the individual molds that are moved in alignment. Such sealing can be accomplished by any method known to those skilled in the art. Preferably, the sealing is accomplished by having pressure means for applying pressure to the first mold portion and / or the second mold portion to hold the mold portions together. The sealing means is preferably a hydraulic bladder or ram or a mechanical means.

Following injection or addition of a material for molding in the mold, such as gas in the case of a blow molding operation, the article may be cooled in the mold for a period of time before being transported from the mold cavity.

The second mold portion is preferably adapted to hold the molded article after separation of the second mold portion from the first mold portion.

The article may be removed from the mold from a cooling station within the boundaries of the frame or at a cooling station away from the frame. The article may be removed from the mold by any suitable means. For example, it may be manually blown out by the robot arm, by vacuum or by air flow.

One of the mold portions is arranged to be movable to a station where the article is removed from the mold portion spaced from the frame. In general, where there are two molds each having a pair of opposed mold portions, one portion of each mold is fixed relative to the frame of the mold device and the other portion of each mold is separated from the first mold portion. It is movable and then moved to a station spaced apart from the stationary mold. After such operation, the mold portion is again aligned for a new molding cycle.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the second mold part is movable to a cooling station away from the first mold part. In general, the mold device is fitted to a lifting device capable of expansion and contraction to facilitate movement of the second mold part to a station away from the frame.

Once the mold portion reaches the station, the article may be conveyed to a cooling device disposed in the cooling station to receive the finished or cooled article while the article is still attached to the mold portion.

Depending on the molded article, the station may further include a cooling device disposed in the cooling station to receive the molded article. In this embodiment, the mold portion carrying the molded article is moved to a station where the article is conveyed to the cooling means. The cooling device may be connected to the frame. The cooling device may be removed from the frame. In such a configuration, the at least one article set may be molded by the mold while the at least one other article set is simultaneously cooled on the cooling device during the machine cycle.

The cooling device may be in any suitable form. For example, the cooling device may be in the form of a tower with one side, or the cooling device may be in the form of a rotatable triangular prism with three sides or a cylinder. By using a rotatable cooling device with multiple faces, the production speed can be increased if the cooling time is longer than the molding time. The cooling device is preferably adapted to receive one or more batches from the mold.

An important advantage of this preferred embodiment of the present invention is that a plurality of sets of articles are simultaneously molded by a mold and cooled by cooling means, thereby significantly increasing the production capacity of the machine during a single cycle.

The cooling device generally has a number of cavities corresponding to the number of cavities of the mold to accommodate the same number of articles as the number formed in the mold cavities. The cooling device may have a vacuum source to facilitate movement from the mold to the cavity of the cooling device. The vacuum source also facilitates holding the article in the cavity of the cooling device during cooling.

The cooled article is preferably discharged from the cooling device by vacuum, mechanical device, or gravity. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cooling device is movable relative to the frame of the mold device between a first position at which the article is received by the cooling device and a second position at which the article is discharged from the cooling device. The cooling device may be pivotable relative to the frame of the mold device such that the cooling device pivots outward relative to the mold device for discharge of the cooled article.

According to a second aspect of the present invention,

(a) a continuous molding path,

(b) A continuous molding machine is provided having a plurality of mold devices mounted on the molding path and at least one of which is as described above.

The continuous molding machine according to the invention may be in the form of an injection molding machine, a blow molding machine, or other suitable molding.

In another preferred form of the invention, the continuous molding machine further comprises (d) a cooling device for receiving the article from each mold for cooling.

In this configuration, the mold and the cooling device are separate so that at least one item set can be molded by the mold while at least one other item set can be simultaneously cooled by the cooling device during the machine cycle.

The continuous molding path may be formed in any suitable form. However, certain preferred forms of this pathway are nearly circular or partially circular. The continuous molding path may be a fixed platform or a moving platform. The stationary platform may be circular, linear, sigmoidal or otherwise shaped. The movable platform may be a movable circular platform or an elongated path formed by a conveyor surrounding two or more spaced wheels to form a substantially elliptical path.

The conveyor according to the invention is generally an endless conveyor, but it is obvious that other types of conveyors can be used in the practice of the invention.

If a molding path is provided by the movable platform, the molding material may be provided to the injection station through which the mold apparatus passes through the molding path.

If the molding path is a fixed platform, a single ring main feeder or multiple ring main feeders may be used to feed the molding material. If the mold apparatus has more than one inlet, several feed rings can function as each inlet so that one mold apparatus can produce multiple articles.

In another distinct embodiment,

(a) a continuous molding path,

(b) a plurality of mold devices mounted on the molding path and at least one of which is as described above;

(c) each mold device having an associated cooling device for cooling the molded article in the mold,

(d) means of moving goods from the station to the cooling device;

It provides a continuous molding machine having a.

In a separate embodiment of the present invention,

(a) a continuous molding path,

(b) a plurality of mold devices mounted on the molding path and at least one of which is as described above;

(c) an injection station disposed along a molding path having at least one injection nozzle for injecting a predetermined amount of molding material into each mold as the mold passes the injection station during the molding cycle, the injection nozzle being coupled into the mold, An injection station, which when detached and when joined, is releasably coupled with one of the molds and fixed in the molding path direction with respect to the mold;

(d) a controller which draws a predetermined amount of molding material from a large supply of molding material and supplies the amount to the nozzle;

It provides a continuous injection molding machine having a.

The controller generally includes a computer and attached sensing and / or monitoring equipment.

Continuous injection molding machines according to the invention generally have a cooling device in the cooling station as described above associated with each mold device.

One important advantage of the injection station is that the relative movement of the mold and the nozzle during joining, dismounting and while joining is small, which means that the alignment is achieved in a straight direction. In general, this can be achieved by having a plurality of injection stations arranged around the rotating device (eg wheel).

Alternatively, nozzles may be arranged around the radial device, and each nozzle may also be connected to a radial arm that is connected to the hub device. The hub device is in turn connected to a pressure supply system such as a single injection cylinder. In this configuration, each nozzle has a valve, the opening and closing of which are controlled by a controller. At the same time, in this configuration the individual injection cylinders associated with each nozzle are excluded and a relatively simple arrangement of valves can be used to convey the molding material to the mold.

Preferably, the molding machine according to the invention further comprises a detector for detecting a failure upon ejecting the molded article from the mold so that a corrective action is taken to maintain the operating efficiency of the machine.

With this configuration, it is possible to overcome the typical difficulties in the alignment of the mold parts when the mold parts are mounted on a counter rotating conveyor. By placing the mold mounted on the molding path in turn into the apparatus, the alignment and transport functions associated with the mold with multiple parts are separated.

A further advantage of the present invention is that the potential can be designed to have a relatively small size. For example, such a machine takes up less factory space than conventional molding machines while leading to significant production improvements.

The invention provides, in a separate embodiment, a method of making a molded article in a manufacturing cycle comprising a continuous molding path, a plurality of mold devices mounted on the path, and a mold device as described above.

(a) molding the mold;

(b) injecting molding material into the mold to mold the article,

(c) molding the article in the mold at the molding position;

(d) separating the mold to recover the article

It provides a method comprising.

In a preferred form, the method further comprises the step of (e) conveying the article shaped by the mold from the molding position to a cooling position for cooling the article.

The configuration is such that molding and cooling of the individual articles can occur simultaneously during the manufacturing cycle.

The method further includes a control step of controlling the factors of the manufacturing cycle. Factors in the manufacturing cycle may consist of control of metering the molding material into the mold, the rate of cooling of the article in the cooling position, and the speed and / or timing of the manufacturing cycle and the steps of the manufacturing cycle.

The present invention will now be further described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 shows a rectangular frame 21, a pair of first mold parts 22, 23 in the first and second molding stations 24, 25, a pair of mold part carriers 26, 27, A mold apparatus 20 is shown having a pair of second mold portions 28, 29 mounted on the mold portion carriers 26, 27, and an actuator 30. The mold apparatus 20 also has a pair of cooling devices 31, 32.

The mold part carriers 26, 27 are moved relative to each other and the first and second molding stations 24, 25 are second mold parts 28, 29 which align and release with the first mold parts 21, 22. Move it. The actuator 30 is disposed between the mold part carriers 26, 27 and connected to the second mold parts 28, 29 to align the second mold parts 28, 29 with the first mold parts 21, 22. And to release.

When the first mold part 21, 22 and the second mold part 28, 29 are aligned, they form a plurality of mold cavities so that a plurality of corresponding articles after receipt of the molding material through the inlets 33, 34. Can be easily formed.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the second mold part 28, 29 is in the molding position shown in FIG. 1 and the mold part is released by retraction of the second mold part 28, 29. It is movable relative to each other to the release position shown in FIG. The second mold portions 28, 29 are adapted to retain the molded article after separation of the second mold portions 28, 29 from the first mold portions 21, 22.

An actuator 30 in the form of a cam mechanism is mechanically coupled to the mold portions 28, 29 to move the second mold portions 28, 29 to align with the first mold portions 21, 22 and shown in FIG. 1. These are retained during molding of the finished article.

The cooling devices 31, 32 have a plurality of cavities for receiving articles which are arranged in the cooling station separated by the first mold parts 21, 22 and formed as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The second mold parts 28, 29 are moved to a cooling station away from the first mold parts 21, 22 by moving means (not shown). The moving means has a pair of hydraulically driven axially movable pistons connected to the proximal ends of the second mold parts 28, 29.

When the second mold portions 28, 29 reach a cooling station away from the first mold portions 21, 22, the actuator 30 is aligned with the cooling devices 31, 32 so that the second mold portions 28, 29. ), The molded article is accommodated in the cavities of the cooling devices 31, 32 as shown in FIG. A vacuum source (not shown) is connected to the cooling devices 31, 32 to assist in withdrawing the molded article from the second mold portions 28, 29 and formed in the cavity of the corresponding cooling device 31, 32. As the article is held, the second mold portions 28 and 29 are taken out of each cooling station and returned to the mold position shown in FIG. 1 while cooling of other articles is performed in the cooling stations 31 and 32. The molding cycle can be repeated by accommodating fresh material to form another batch of articles.

In particular, the pivot connections 36, 37 allow the cooling devices 31, 32 to move outward with respect to the frame 21 so that the molded article can be discharged from the cooling stations 31, 32. The cooled article may be discharged to a receiving station, such as a hopper (not shown).

In FIG. 6, the mold apparatus 40 includes an opposing mold composed of the first mold portions 41, 42 and the second mold portions 43, 44. The first mold portions 41, 42 generally have 52 mold cavities for molding 52 articles. The second mold parts 43, 44 are mounted on the mold part carriers 45, 46 and are movable relative to one another via a toggle 47, a hydraulic ram 48 and a locking toggle 49. The hydraulic bladder 50 provides pressure to seal the first mold portions 41, 42 and the second mold portions 43, 44 when they are aligned with each other as molds for molding the article.

FIG. 7 shows the first mold parts 41, 42 which align with the second mold parts 43, 44 due to the action of the toggle 47 and the locking toggle 49 in the locked position. FIG. 8 shows each other such that the second mold portions 43, 44 are separated from the first mold portions 41, 42 in preparation for moving the molded article to a cooling station and transporting the article to the cooling devices 51, 52. The locking toggle 49 is shown starting in the unlocked state so that it can move toward. The second mold parts 43, 44 are raised to the height of the cooling device by the third position, that is, by hydraulic pressure (not shown).

9 shows a pair of first mold portions 101, 102 and also a pair of first mold portions 103, 104, a pair of second mold portions 105, 106 and also a pair of second mold portions 107. 108, and actuator 109 are shown. The mold apparatus 100 further includes cooling devices 110, 111, 112, 113. The frame 114 holds the mold portion in cross shape so that there are two pairs of opposing molds, i.e., four molds. Actuator 109 is a hydraulic or mechanical means, for example a cam may be present in the center for actuating the toggle.

FIG. 10 illustrates a mold apparatus 150 having a frame 151, first mold portions 152, 153, second mold portions 154, 155, and actuator 156. The mold apparatus 150 further includes cooling devices 157 and 158. The cooling devices 157, 158 are triangular prisms that can be used to receive three faced articles from the second mold portions 154, 155.

FIG. 11 shows a continuous molding machine 200 having a mold apparatus 201 on a wheel structure 202 that is a fixed platform. The mold apparatus 201 has two inlets 203 and 204. Since the outer inlet 204 or the inner inlet 203 can have a separate single ring main feeder (not shown), the inner inlet 203 can be connected to the same single ring filler (not shown). . Each single ring main supply device is connected to a hopper (not shown) containing molding material (not shown).

12 shows a continuous molding machine 220 having a continuous molding path in the form of an endless conveyor 221 and a number of mold devices 222 mounted on the endless conveyor 221. The endless conveyor 221 is driven by drive means 223 in the form of a drive wheel. Other conveyor drive means are also implemented within the scope of the present invention.

A pair of rotary injection stations 224, 225 for providing a source of mold material to the mold of the mold apparatus 222 is disposed on either side of the mold path 221.

The rotary injection station 224, 225 has a wheel with a plurality of injectors 226 arranged in the circumferential direction, which injects the molding device 222 as it passes through the injection station 224, 225. A molding material is provided from the large raw material supply device (not shown) to the injector 226 to supply the molding material through 227.

Molding machine 220 may be supported in any suitable manner via support 228 or the like. Similarly, rotary injection stations 224, 225 may be supported by supports 229 arranged to facilitate mounting of injection stations 224, 225 for rotation. Other support configurations are implemented within the scope of the present invention.

As the molded article cools, the mold apparatus 222 is gradually reversed when moved along the molding path 221. In particular, by the pivot connection 230 of the cooling device 231, the cooling device 231 can be moved outward with respect to the molding path 221 so as to discharge the cooled article. The cooled article may be discharged to a receiving station, such as a hopper (not shown).

The injector 226 can be detachably coupled with the molds 21, 22 and is fixed in the molding path direction with respect to the mold when it is coupled to, separated from the mold and when bonded to the mold. As mentioned above, one of the advantages of the injection station is that the relative movement of the mold and the nozzle is small when the alignment means are achieved in a linear direction, in engagement, separation and during engagement.

As the mold apparatus 222 is moved along the molding path 221, after a short period of injection and cooling in the mold, an actuator (not shown) is activated to open the mold. When the mold is open, the mold is lifted by moving means (not shown) to move the molded article to the cooling device 231 and to align with the cavity of the cooling device 231 mounted above the molding position.

The actuator couples the second mold portion with the cooling device 231 to achieve movement of the molded article relative to the cooling device 231. A vacuum is applied to the cooling device 231 to move and support the molded article, which is still relatively soft. The molded article is kept along the molding path 221 in the cooling device 231 before being discharged by conduction from the mold device. While this holding takes place, the second mold part is returned to the molding position to prepare for the next molding cycle.

Cooling station 231 is rotated or inclined outwards and is finally inverted to discharge the finished article to a receiving station, such as a hopper or packaging system (not shown). During the phase of this cycle, the vacuum holding the cooled article is gradually turned off and a positive ejector is applied to eject the article from the cooling device 231. The cooling device is inclined so that the cooled article faces down prior to discharge into the packaging transport system.

Figure 13 illustrates a general machine cycle according to one embodiment of the present invention. The cycle includes the injection of molding material into a mold to form at least one set of articles in the injection zone and the simultaneous cooling of at least one individual set of shaped articles during the cycle. Therefore, in one cycle, molding material is injected into a plurality of closed molds as the mold passes through the injection zone 240.

As the mold passes along the molding path 241, the mold portion separates in the region 243 and the second mold portion (also indicated as the core block in FIG. 13) is raised to form the molded article in the region 244. After being delivered to the cooling station, the mold undergoes an in-mold cooling period in region 242. A vacuum is applied to the second mold portion and the article is moved to the cooling device of region 245.

The empty second mold portion is now separated from the cooling device of region 246 and lowered back to the molding position of region 247. The mold is closed in area 248 to prepare for injecting additional molding material. At the same time, the article cooled in the cooling device of the area 249 is gradually injected from the cooling device of the injection area 250 through the molding path 241. Additional molding material is injected into the mold in the injection zone 240 and the cycle is repeated.

14 and 15, an alternative injection station is schematically shown, which nozzle 273 from a large raw material feeder 272 to feed molding material through the inlet of the mold apparatus passing through the injection station. ) A wheel 270 having a central injector cylinder 271 that provides a molding material.

Nozzles 273 are disposed around the periphery of the radial device, and each nozzle is connected to a radial arm 274 which is also connected at the other end to the hub device 275. The hub device 275 is in turn connected to a central injector cylinder 271.

In this configuration, each nozzle 273 has a valve, the opening and closing of which is controlled by a controller (not shown). At the same time, in this configuration, the individual injection cylinders associated with each nozzle are excluded and a relatively simple arrangement of valves is used to mold from the central injector cylinder 271 through the hub device 275, the arm 274 and the nozzle 273. The molding material can be conveyed. However, the advantage that the relative movement between the nozzle and the mold is small is still achieved.

As used in this specification and in the claims, the forms of the word “comprising” and the word “comprising” do not limit the invention as claimed to exclude any variations and additions.

Modifications and improvements to the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and improvements are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (32)

(a) the frame, (b) a pair of first mold portions disposed on the frame at spaced first and second molding stations, (c) a pair of mold part carriers disposed on the frame and movable relative to each other and to the first and second molding stations, (d) a pair of second mold portions each mounted on one of the mold portion carriers, (e) an actuator disposed between the mold carriers to move the second mold portion into alignment and release with the first mold portion; Mold apparatus having a. The mold apparatus of claim 1, wherein each respective first and second mold portion forms at least one molding cavity in which the article can be molded when aligned with each other. The mold apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional mold portion aligned with the respective first and second mold portions to form at least one molding cavity in which the article can be molded. The mold apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an additional pair of mold portions and mold carriers. The method of claim 1, (f) a pair of additional first mold portions disposed on the frame at spaced apart third and fourth molding stations, (g) a pair of additional mold part carriers disposed on the frame and movable relative to each other and to the third and fourth molding stations, (h) a pair of additional second mold portions each mounted on one of the mold portion carriers, (i) an additional actuator disposed between the mold carriers to move the second mold portion into alignment and release with the first mold portion; Mold apparatus further comprising. The mold apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is mechanical and / or hydraulic. The mold apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the mold carriers further comprises a pressure device for applying pressure to the first and second mold portions after alignment. 8. The mold apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pressure apparatus is a hydraulic bladder or ram or mechanical means. The mold apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and / or second mold portion has at least one inlet through which molding material is passed into at least one cavity. The mold apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first mold portion is fixed relative to the frame. The mold apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second mold portion is adapted to hold the molded article after the second mold portion is separated from the first mold portion. The mold apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second mold portion is movable to a cooling station away from the first mold portion. The mold apparatus of claim 11, wherein a cooling apparatus for receiving the molded article is disposed in the cooling station. The mold apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cooling apparatus is connected to the frame. The mold apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cooling apparatus is detachable from the frame. 13. The mold apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cooling apparatus is adapted to receive one or more batches from the second mold portion. The mold apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cooling apparatus is movable relative to the frame between a first position at which the article is received by the cooling apparatus and a second position at which the article is ejected from the cooling apparatus. (a) a continuous molding path, (b) a plurality of mold devices mounted on the molding path and at least one of them according to claim 1 Continuous molding machine having a. 19. The continuous molding machine according to claim 18, further comprising: (c) a cooling device for receiving the article from each mold for cooling. The continuous molding machine according to claim 18, wherein the at least one mold apparatus according to claim 1 is mounted in one of upright and upper downward positions on its end or side. (a) a continuous molding path, (b) a plurality of mold devices mounted on said molding path and at least one of them according to claim 1, (c) each mold device having an associated cooling device for cooling an article formed in the mold device. (d) a moving device for moving the goods to the cooling device Continuous molding machine having a. The continuous molding machine according to claim 18, wherein the continuous molding path is a fixed platform on which a plurality of mold devices are mounted. 19. The continuous molding machine of claim 18, wherein the continuous molding path is circular, linear, or sigmoidal. 19. The continuous molding machine according to claim 18, wherein the continuous molding path is a movable platform on which a plurality of mold devices are mounted. 19. A continuous molding machine according to claim 18, wherein the continuous molding path is a moving circular platform or long path formed by a conveyor surrounding two or more spaced wheels and forming a substantially elliptical path. 23. The continuous molding machine according to claim 18 or 22, further comprising a molding material supply device which is a single ring main supply device or a plurality of ring main supply devices. (a) a continuous molding path, (b) a plurality of mold devices mounted on said molding path and at least one of them according to claim 1, (c) an injection station disposed along a molding path having at least one injection nozzle for injecting a predetermined amount of molding material through each injection hole into each aligned mold as the mold passes through the injection station, wherein the injection nozzle An injection station which is removably coupled to one of the molds when it is joined, separated and in the mold and is fixed in the molding path direction with respect to the mold, (d) a controller which draws a predetermined amount of molding material from a large supply of molding material and supplies the amount to the nozzle; Continuous injection molding machine having a. 19. The continuous molding machine according to claim 18, further comprising a detector for detecting a failure in ejecting the molded article from the mold. A method of making a molded article in a manufacturing cycle comprising a continuous molding path, a plurality of mold devices mounted on the path, and one of the mold devices according to claim 1, the method comprising: (a) molding the mold; (b) injecting molding material into the mold to mold the article, (c) molding the article in the mold at the molding position; (d) separating the mold to recover the article It is provided with. The method of claim 29 wherein (e) conveying the molded article by the mold from the molding position to a cooling position for cooling the article, wherein molding and cooling of the individual articles are such that they can occur simultaneously during the manufacturing cycle. Further comprising steps. 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising a controlling step of controlling the factors of the manufacturing cycle. The method of claim 31, wherein the factor of the manufacturing cycle is selected from the group consisting of control of metering the molding material into the mold, cooling rate of the article at the cooling position, and speed and / or timing of the manufacturing cycle and steps of the manufacturing cycle. .