Patent ID: 8123516

Claim:
An injection molding apparatus, comprising: a stationary platen having a mold mounting surface; a first movable platen having a mold mounting surface; a second movable platen disposed between said first movable platen and said stationary platen, wherein said first and second movable platens are movable along a horizontal reference axis between an open position and a closed position relative to said stationary platen, said second movable platen including: first and second opposing mold mounting surfaces; and an internal passageway disposed between said first and second opposing mold mounting surfaces said internal passageway being adapted to receive material and provide said material to said first and second opposing mold mounting surfaces; a vertical injection unit disposed vertically above said movable platens and having a nozzle operative to move vertically between an extended position to engage said internal passageway when said second platen is in said closed position and a retracted position to disengage from said internal passageway to permit said second platen to move to said open position, wherein the entirety of said vertical injection unit is selectively moveable in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the horizontal reference axis to selectively adjust a distance between said vertical injection unit and said stationary platen that is fixed during operation of the molding apparatus, wherein, upon being fixed at said distance, the nozzle aligns with the internal passageway in the second movable platen when the second movable platen is in the closed position, wherein movement of the first and second platens between the open and closed positions occurs free of horizontal movement of the vertical injection unit.