Thermoforming machine with cutting press connected thereafter

In an apparatus for the molding of thermoplastic synthetic resin sheet stock into articles and for punching these articles from the sheet length, said apparatus including a thermoforming machine having a heating unit for the sheet stock, a forming station, and a sheet conveying means with an intermittent drive, and the cutting press disposed immediately after said thermoforming machine and having a vertically movable top platen with a cutting die, a rigid table, and a separate sheet conveying means for conveying the formed sheet material across said table;

• the improvement wherein each of said conveying means includes a substantially horizontal sprocket conveyor chain guided for rotation on rotatably mounted sprocket wheels, and means are provided for operatively connecting a first of said sprocket wheels disposed at the output end of said conveying means of said thermoforming machine to a second of said sprocket wheels disposed at the input end of said conveying means of said cutting press so that said conveying means of said thermoforming machine is drivingly connected to said conveying means of said cutting press.