Thermoformable Web Joining Apparatus

An apparatus for joining together thermoformable sheets, comprising:

• a frame;
• an entrance vacuum clamping bar assembly supported by the frame and having a vacuum clamping member supported for movement toward and away from a vacuum servo member, the vacuum clamping member further supported for retraction and extension generally along the sheet travel path;
• an exit vacuum clamping bar assembly supported by the frame downstream of the entrance vacuum clamping bar assembly and having a clamping member supported for movement toward and away from a vacuum servo member, the vacuum clamping member further supported for retraction and extension generally along the sheet travel path;
• a sheet severing mechanism for severing an old sheet and new sheet;
• and
• at least one actuator carried by the frame and configured to move each of the vacuum clamping members toward and away from a splice to retract scrap sheet away from a splice line between the entrance vacuum clamping bar assembly and the exit vacuum clamping bar assembly;
• wherein one of the entrance and exit vacuum clamping members is provided above the respective vacuum servo member and another of the entrance and exit vacuum clamping members is provided below the respective vacuum servo member.

A thermoformable sheet joining apparatus, comprising:

• a frame;
• an entrance vacuum clamping bar assembly supported by the frame and having a vacuum clamping member supported for movement toward and away from a vacuum servo member, the vacuum clamping member further supported for retraction and extension relative to the sheet travel path;
• an exit vacuum clamping bar assembly supported by the frame downstream of the entrance vacuum clamping bar assembly and having a clamping member supported for movement toward and away from a vacuum servo member, the vacuum clamping member further supported for retraction and extension relative to the sheet travel path;
• a kinematic linkage carried by the frame and configured to move each of the vacuum clamping members toward and away from a splice to retract scrap sheet away from a splice line between the entrance vacuum clamping bar assembly and the exit vacuum clamping bar assembly;
• wherein one of the entrance and exit vacuum clamping members is provided above the respective vacuum servo member and another of the entrance and exit vacuum clamping members is provided below the respective vacuum servo member.