Patent ID: 7976298

Claim:
A steam chest mold apparatus for forming a molded article having at least one out of die draw feature comprising: a first mold portion and a complementary second mold portion for defining a mold cavity therebetween, said first mold portion including a cavity wall and a fill plate having an inlet for introducing an expandable plastic material into the mold cavity; and a cavity pull system comprising an actuator, a cylinder shaft operably coupled to the actuator and extending through the fill plate, a shaft housing coupled directly to the cavity wall of the first mold portion, and a gear mechanism disposed within the shaft housing, the gear mechanism including a pinion engaging the cylinder shaft within the shaft housing and a rack pin engaging the pinion within the shaft housing, the rack pin substantially at a right angle to the cylinder shaft and extending from the shaft housing into the mold cavity, the engagement of the cylinder shaft and the pinion causing linear motion of the rack pin into the mold cavity for forming the at least one out of die draw feature.