Patent ID: 6479005
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: B43K

Abstract:
A method for forming soft annular casing sleeves having multi-colored and raised decorations comprising the following steps:A. Preparing a mold consisting of two symmetrical halves adapted to produce articles through injection molding of general soft plastic material; B. Symmetrically forming plural mold cavities at inner sides of each of the two halves of said mold; C. Forming a plurality of sets of recesses on surfaces of said mold cavities of one of said halves of said mold at predetermined positions to form mirror images of selected letters, words or design with said plurality of sets of recesses angularly spaced on said surfaces of said mold cavities to form said selected letters, words or design on circumferential outer surface of said soft annular casing sleeve; D. Laying the half of said mold having said recesses formed in said mold cavities in a horizontal position, so that a first part of said recesses is located at a horizontally lowest position relative to said mold cavities in which said recesses are formed; E. Injecting differently colored soft plastic materials into said recesses at the horizontally lowest position; F. Orienting said mold differently so that additional parts of said plurality of sets of recesses are one by one positioned at a horizontally lowest position relative to any other parts of said recesses in the same mold cavity at an interval determined by a time needed for said differently colored soft plastic materials to set in said recesses, and sequentially injecting said differently colored soft plastic materials into each part of said plurality of sets of recesses that have been positioned to the horizontally lowest position in said mold cavities; G. Closing the two halves of said mold when said differently colored soft plastic materials injected into said recesses are set; H. Turning said closed mold with a suitable tool so that said mold is in an upright position; I. Inserting a core rod into each pair of said mold cavities; J. Injecting another amount of differently colored soft plastic materials into clearances between said mold cavities and said core rods, so that a soft casing sleeve is molded in each pair of said mold cavities; K. Removing said core rods from said mold cavities after said another amount of soft plastic material has set; and L. Separating the two halves of said mold to remove from said mold cavities individual soft casing sleeves that have multi-colored and raised decorations thereon.