Method and apparatus for blocking a lens blank

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR BLOCKING A LENS BLANK COMPRISING A MOLD HAVING A MOLD OPENING EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, A RESILIENT ANNULAR LIP FORMING AN EXTENSION OF THE MOLD OPENING AT ONE END THEREOF, SAID LIP BEING FORMED OF AN ELASTICALLY STRETCHABLE RUBBERLIKE MATERIAL, MEANS FOR INSERTING THE LENS BLANK IN THE LIP WITH THE EDGES OF THE LENS BLANK BEING COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY SAID LIP AND ENGAGED BY SAID LIP CLOSING OFF THE ONE END THEREOF, SAID LIP HAVING A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH WHICH IS GENERALLY CONSTANT IN INTERNAL CONFIGURATION IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AXIS THEREOF AND IS DEFINED BY INWARDLY FACING SURFACES WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE OUTER EDGES OF THE LENS BLANK, AND MEANS FOR PLACING MOLDING MATERIAL IN THE OTHER END OF THE MOLD OPENING AND INSIDE OF SAID LIP PASSAGE SO THAT THE MOLDING MATERIAL PASSES INTO THE REGION WHERE IT IS SURROUNDED ANNULARLY BY THE LIP, SAID LIP BEING SUFFICIENTLY RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE TO PERMIT REMOVAL OF THE LENS AND MOLDING MATERIAL FROM THE MOLD AFTER THE MOLDING MATERIAL HAS HARDENED.

Claim 5

THE METHOD OF BLOCKING A LENS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A MOLD WITH A MOLD SURFACE OPENING OF CONSTANT CROSS SECTION AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY COMPLETELY THROUGH SAID MOLD, RESILIENTLY DEFORMING SAID MOLD AT THE LOWER END THEREOF TO INSERT AND DISPOSE A LENS BLANK TO BE BLOCKED WITHIN THE LOWER END OF SAID OPENING WITH THE LENS EDGE WITHIN THE OPENING, POURING THE BLOCKING MATERIAL INTO THE MOLD CAVITY THROUGH THE UPPER END OF SAID MOLD OPENING AND AFTER THE BLOCKING MATERIAL IS HARD WITHDRAWING THE BLOCKED LENS FROM THE LOWER END OF THE MOLD BY RESILIENT DEFORMATION OF THE MOLD WHEREBY DESTRUCTION OF THE MOLD IS AVOIDED.

Claim 6

THE METHOD OF BLOCKING A LENS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A MOLD WITH A MOLD SURFACE OPENING OF CONSTANT CROSS SECTION AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY COMPLETELY THROUGH SAID MOLD, RESILIENTLY DEFORMING SAID MOLD AT THE LOWER END THEREOF TO INSERT AND DISPOSE A LENS BLANK TO BE BLOCKED WITHIN THE LOWER END OF SAID OPENING WITH THE LENS EDGE WITHIN THE OPENING, POURING THE BLOCKING MATERIAL INTO THE MOLD CAVITY THROUGH THE UPPER END OF SAID MOLD OPENING AND AFTER THE BLOCKING MATERIAL IS HARD WITHDRAWING THE BLOCKED LENS FROM THE LOWER END OF THE MOLD BY RESILIENT DEFORMATION OF THE MOLD WHEREBY DESTRUCTION OF THE MOLD IS AVOIDED.