Patent ID: 7931845

Claim:
A method for molding an article using a molding apparatus comprising a bottom platen, a bottom mold portion, a top platen overlying the bottom platen and the bottom mold portion, the top platen including at least one slot extending therethrough for receiving a molding material, and a top mold portion, with the top mold portion being moveable between a molding material loading position and an article forming position, the method comprising: moving the top mold portion to a molding material loading position so that the top platen overlies the bottom mold portion and the bottom platen, with the bottom mold portion to receive the molding material while being carried by an upper surface of the bottom platen, and with the molding material loading position corresponding to the top mold portion non-overlying the bottom mold portion and the bottom platen; injecting the molding material into the at least one slot extending through the top platen so that the molding material is gravity deposited in the bottom mold portion; moving the top mold portion from the molding material loading position to the article forming position, with the article forming position corresponding to the top platen carrying the top mold portion on an underside thereof while overlying the bottom mold portion and the bottom platen; and pressing the bottom and top mold portions together for molding the article while the bottom and top platens are not positioned between the bottom and top mold portions during the molding.