Appeal No. 1998-1821
Application No. 08/584,606
Claim 1. A method of injection molding a tie that
includes an elongated tongue with two ends and two broad
sides, a locking head at one end of the tongue, a first set of
ratchet teeth extending along one broad side of the tongue and
a second set of ratchet teeth extending along the other broad
side of the tongue, wherein the locking head has sides
defining a continuously bounded opening for receiving the
tongue, the sides include a movable pawl that is hinged at
one side of said opening and an abutment wall that is across
the opening from the pawl, and the pawl has at least one pawl
tooth disposed for engaging the set of first rachet teeth when
the tongue has been inserted through said opening with the
first set of rachet teeth facing the pawl, wherein the pawl,
when the at least one pawl tooth is so engaged, is movable
toward an abutment surface of the abutment wall in response to
pressure applied to the tongue in a direction opposite to the
direction of said insertion in order to force the second set
of ratchet teeth against the abutment surface; and wherein the
abutment surface includes at least one tooth for locking
engagement with the second set of ratchet teeth when the
tongue has been inserted through the opening with the second
set of ratchet teeth facing the abutment surface and the side
of the tongue including the second set of ratchet teeth is
forced against the abutment surface by movement of the pawl;
the method comprising the steps of
(a) providing a mold that includes mold parts for
defining a cavity between the mold parts in the general shape
of the tie;
(b) injecting molten plastic material into the mold
cavity;
(c) solidifying the plastic material in the mold cavity
to form the tie;
(d) separating the mold parts to enable removal of the
tie from the mold; and
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