Trim press with oscillating canopy sheet feed

In a method of assisting the feed of synthetic plastic sheet material having articles differential-pressure-formed therein at uniformly spaced intervals along the length of the sheet to cyclically operating, trim press, severing die mechanism which moves angularly to the sheet and its path of travel to sever articles from the sheet;

• the sheet being guided by an overhead downwardly concave canopy having an elongate upper portion defining a sheet approach portion of the feed path of the sheet extending from a downwardly directed canopy discharge end above the die mechanism to a remote sheet receiving end;
• the steps of:
• swinging the canopy in a first direction away from the die mechanism through an arc which advances the portion of the sheet on the canopy by raising the sheet and by slipping the canopy along the sheet;
• and
• reversing the canopy to swing it in a second forwarding direction toward the die mechanism through an arc which lowers said portion of the sheet while frictionally gripping the sheet, to further advance the sheet.

In apparatus for assisting the feed of synthetic plastic sheet material having articles differential-pressure-formed therein at uniformly spaced intervals along the length of the sheet to cyclically operating, trim press, severing die mechanism which move angularly to the sheet and its path of travel to sever articles from the sheet;

• the combination with said die mechanism of a swingably mounted, overhead, downwardly concave canopy having an elongate upper portion defining a sheet approach portion of the feed path of the sheet extending from a downwardly directed canopy discharge end above the die mechanism to a remote sheet receiving end, the canopy having means thereon for frictionally gripping the sheet when the canopy is moved in one direction and releasing when the canopy is moved in the other direction;
• means for swinging the canopy in a first direction away from the die mechanism through an arc which advances the portion of the sheet on the canopy by raising the sheet and slipping the canopy along the sheet, and for swinging the canopy in a second reverse direction toward the die mechanism through a return arc while frictionally gripping the sheet to lower said portion of the sheet and advance the sheet through the remaining portion of its increment of travel;
• and means operated synchronously with the canopy swinging means for operating the severing die mechanism to sever articles from the sheet.

In a method of assisting the feed of synthetic plastic sheet material having articles differential-pressure-formed therein at uniformly spaced intervals along the length of the sheet to cyclically operating, trim press, severing die mechanism which moves angularly to the sheet and its path of travel to sever articles from the sheet;

• the sheet being guided by an overhead downwardly concave canopy having an elongate upper portion defining a sheet approach portion of the feed path of the sheet extending from a downwardly directed canopy discharge end above the die mechanism to a remote sheet receiving end which receives the sheet from a take-up loop between a differential pressure sheet former and the canopy;
• the steps of:
• permitting a first portion of the sheet downstream from the canopy to remain stationary and severing articles from said portion of the sheet while advancing an upstream portion of the sheet on the canopy and pulling the sheet forwardly from the take-up loop;
• and indexing the first portion of the sheet relative to the die mechanism to locate the next articles to be severed opposite the die mechanism.

In apparatus for assisting the feed of synthetic plastic sheet material having articles differential-pressure-formed therein at uniformly spaced intervals along the length of the sheet to cyclically operating, trim press, severing die mechanism which moves angularly to the sheet and its path of travel to sever articles from the sheet;

• the combination with said die mechanism of an overhead, downwardly concave canopy having an elongate upper portion defining a sheet approach portion of the feed path of the sheet extending from a downwardly directed canopy discharge end above the die mechanism to a remote sheet receiving end which receives the sheet from a supply loop;
• means for operating the severing die mechanism to sever articles from the sheet;
• means permitting a first portion of the sheet downstream from the canopy to remain stationary while said severing is taking place and simultaneously advancing an upstream portion of the sheet on the canopy while pulling the sheet forwardly from the supply;
• and means for then indexing the said first portion of the sheet relative to the die mechanism to locate the next articles to be severed opposite the die mechanism.