Patent ID: 7037101

Claim:
An ejection-assist apparatus for ejecting a container having a central axis from a mold cavity comprising: a first mold half cooperating with a second mold half to form the mold cavity; an ejection assist apparatus in said first mold half, said ejection assist apparatus comprising: an ejector rod having a back end and a contact end for contacting the container in a direction transverse to the central axis; a cylinder body around said ejection rod; a piston having a heel and a head and coupled to said back end of said ejector rod; a cylinder barrel around said piston having an end cap and a front end, said piston being slidable within said cylinder barrel, and said front end contiguous with said cylinder body; a forward fluid passage having a blowing end and a back end, said blowing end operative to blow fluid into said cylinder barrel through said end cap on said head of said piston and said back end connectable to a first external fluid supply; and a return fluid tube having a blowing end and a back end, said blowing end operative to blow fluid into said barrel cylinder on said heel of said piston and said back end connectable to a second external fluid supply, wherein blowing a fluid on said head of said piston moves said piston and said ejector rod into an extended position and blowing a fluid on said heel of said piston moves said piston and said ejector rod into a retracted position.