Apparatus and method for pressing a workpiece

Abstract

An apparatus for pressing a multi-layered skateboard deck having a variation in thickness is provided. The apparatus includes a mold assembly, a first liner, and a second liner. The mold assembly includes a first mold having a first surface and a second mold having a second surface. The first surface and the second surface are configured to collectively define a mold cavity configured to receive the multi-layered skateboard deck. The first liner is disposed adjacent to the first surface and the second liner is disposed adjacent to the second surface. The mold assembly is configured to apply a load when the multi-layered skateboard deck is disposed in the mold cavity. At least one of the first liner or the second liner is configured to deform in response to the applied load such that the multi-layered skateboard deck is compressed with a substantially uniform pressure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a mold assembly including a first mold and a second mold, the first mold including a first surface, the second mold including a second surface, the first surface and the second surface collectively defining a mold cavity configured to receive a multi-layered skateboard deck having a variation in thickness;   a first liner disposed adjacent to the first surface; and   a second liner disposed adjacent to the second surface,   the mold assembly configured to apply a load when the multi-layered skateboard deck is disposed in the mold cavity, at least one of the first liner or the second liner configured to deform in response to the applied load to compress the multi-layered skateboard deck with a substantially uniform pressure.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first liner or the second liner is configured to receive a part of the multi-layered skateboard deck when the load is applied to the multi-layered skateboard deck disposed in the mold cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the first liner or the second liner is configured to deform in response to a pressure exerted on a portion of the multi-layered skateboard deck reaching a predetermined threshold pressure. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first liner and the second liner are formed from a visco-elastic material. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mold assembly includes a heater configured to transfer heat to the skateboard deck when disposed in the mold cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-layered skateboard deck is a multi-layered skateboard deck from a plurality of substantially similar multi-layered skateboard decks, the mold assembly is configured to press each multi-layered skateboard deck from the plurality of multi-layered skateboard decks, each multi-layered skateboard deck from the plurality of multi-layered skateboard decks configured to form a skateboard deck. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a bottom layer of the multi-layered skateboard deck is a wood layer. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-layered skateboard deck includes at least two layers formed of a composite material. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-layered skateboard deck includes seven layers, at least two layers of the seven layers being formed of a composite material, and
 the multi-layered skateboard deck further having a first patch and a second patch formed of a composite material, each of the first patch and the second patch being disposed between two adjacent layers of the seven layers and having a size smaller than each layer of the seven layers, the first patch and the second patch resulting in the variation in thickness.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein each of the first patch and the second patch is disposed between a first pair of adjacent layers, the multi-layered skateboard deck further having a third patch and a fourth patch formed of a composite material, each of the third patch and the fourth patch being (i) disposed between a second pair of adjacent layers separate from the first pair of adjacent layers and (ii) aligned with and substantially the same size as the first patch and the second patch, respectively, and
 the first patch and the third patch collectively resulting in a first variation in thickness of the multi-layered skateboard deck and the second patch and the fourth patch collectively resulting in a second variation in thickness of the multi-layered skateboard deck.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a first mold having a first surface;   a second mold having a second surface, the first surface of the first mold and the second surface of the second mold collectively defining a mold cavity configured to receive a multi-layered skateboard deck having a variation in thickness, at least one of the first mold or the second mold configured to be moved to compress the mold cavity and apply a load on the multi-layered skateboard deck when disposed in the mold cavity;   a first liner removably coupleable to the first surface, the first liner defining a set of recesses; and   a second liner removably coupleable to the second surface, the second liner configured to deform in response to the applied load operable to compress the multi-layered skateboard deck disposed in the mold cavity with a substantially uniform pressure.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the set of recesses includes a first recess and a second recess. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the multi-layered skateboard deck includes at least two layers formed of a composite material, and
 the multi-layered skateboard deck further having a first patch and a second patch formed of a composite material, each of the first patch and the second patch being disposed between two adjacent layers and having a size smaller than each layer, the first patch resulting in the variation of thickness along a first portion of the multi-layered skateboard deck and the second patch resulting in the variation in thickness along a second portion of the multi-layered skateboard deck separate from the first portion.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the second liner is configured to deform in response to a pressure exerted on a portion of the multi-layered skateboard deck reaching a predetermined threshold pressure. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first liner is configured to deform in response to a pressure exerted on a portion of the multi-layered skateboard deck reaching a predetermined threshold pressure. 
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 disposing in a mold cavity of a mold assembly a skateboard deck having a plurality of layers and at least one variation in thickness, the mold assembly including a first mold, a second mold, a first liner removably coupled to the first mold, and a second liner removably coupled to the second liner, the first liner and the second liner collectively defining the mold cavity;   actuating the mold assembly to move at least one of the first mold or the second mold;   applying a load on the skateboard deck via the first liner and the second liner as a result of moving the at least one of the first mold or the second mold; and   deforming at least one of the first liner or the second liner in response to the applied load to compress the skateboard deck with a substantially uniform pressure.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the deforming the at least one of the first liner or the second liner is in response to a pressure exerted on a portion of the skateboard deck reaching a predetermined threshold pressure. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of layers includes at least two layers formed of a composite material, and
 the skateboard deck further having a first patch and a second patch formed of a composite material, each of the first patch and the second patch being disposed between two adjacent layers from the plurality of layers and having a size smaller than each layer from the plurality of layers, the first patch resulting in a first variation in thickness along a first portion of the skateboard deck and the second patch resulting in a second variation of thickness along a second portion of the skateboard deck separate from the first portion.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first liner defines (i) a first recess in a first position along the first liner that is substantially axially aligned with the first portion of the skateboard deck disposed in the mold cavity and (ii) a second recess in a second position along the first liner that is substantially axially aligned with the second portion of the skateboard deck disposed in the mold cavity. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 casting, via a liner mold, a unitary liner forming at least one of the first liner or the second liner.