Patent ID: 7611657

Claim:
A mold clamp assembly for a blow molding machine, the assembly comprising: a frame; first and second mold halves on the frame; a slide member connecting said mold halves to said frame to permit movement of the mold halves toward and away from each other; an extendable and retractable drive having opposed drive ends, said drive located adjacent the first mold half; a shift member attached to one end of the drive and to said first mold half; a shift rod attached to said shift member and extending past the mold halves; a first tension member attached to the other end of the drive, said tension member extending past the mold halves; a pivot arm mounted on the tension member adjacent the second mold half, the pivot arm having a first end connected to the shift rod, a second end connected to the second mold half and a pivot connected to the tension member; said shift member, said shift rod, and said tension member being movable relative to the frame without transmitting forces to the frame; wherein actuation of said drive closes the mold halves without transmitting clamp forces through the frame.