Patent ID: 7425126

Claim:
A molding-system valve for use with a screw being received in a barrel of a molding system, the molding system being configured to process a molten molding material, the molding-system valve comprising: a stem being configured to extend from the screw, the stem having a stem tip; a check ring defining a bore, the bore receiving the stem; a retainer extending from the stem, the retainer being offset from the stem tip of the stem; and a knockdown retainer being located proximate the stem tip of the stem, the knockdown retainer being located offset from the retainer, the knockdown retainer and the retainer cooperating to permit limited stroking of the check ring between the knockdown retainer and the retainer, the knockdown retainer defining a melt passage extending through the knockdown retainer, the knockdown retainer including: knockdown pieces being: (i) interleaved with each other, and (ii) interleaved with the stem, and after translating the screw so that the molding-system valve becomes pushed out from the barrel so that the stem, the check ring, the retainer and the knockdown retainer become exposed, the knockdown pieces being knocked down by striking the knockdown pieces so that the knockdown pieces become disengaged from each other, from the stem, and from the check ring.