ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 6 -- United States Patent no. 12,459,179, issued on Nov. 4, was assigned to S.I.P.A. SOCIETA' INDUSTRIALIZZAZIONE PROGETTAZIONE E AUTOMAZIONE S.P.A. (Vittorio Veneto, Italy).

"Preform mold component" was invented by Marco Sorgato (Vigonza, Italy), Giovanni Lucchetta (Schio, Italy), Leonardo Orazi (Riccione, Italy), Davide Masato (Arlington, Mass.), Federico Bessegato (Badoere di Morgano, Italy), Andrea Cavalet (Ponte Nelle Alpi, Italy) and Matteo Zoppas (Conegliano, Italy).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A component of a mold for molding preforms made of thermoplastic material, comprising at least a first part (10) and at least a second part (20) adapted to mold part of th...