Apparatus for controlling plastic melt flow in injection molding machines

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling plastic melt flow in an injection molding machine comprising: a thermally conductive housing having a fluid flow channel sealably disposed in the housing, the channel having an input end sealably connected to a source of flow of a plastic melt material and an output end for controllably delivering the flow of plastic material to an input aperture of a mold cavity; an elongated pin disposed within at least a portion of the channel for controlling output of the flow of plastic melt through the output end of the channel, the pin having a head end and a pin end and a length extending between the head end and the pin end; the pin being slidably mounted along its length through an aperture in the housing such that the pin is slidably movable through the aperture between at least one unrestricted flow position and at least one restricted flow position; the head end of the pin extending outside the housing and being readily connectable to and disconnectable from a pin reciprocating mechanism, the pin reciprocating mechanism being controllably operable to move the pin between an unrestricted flow position and a restricted flow position.