Thermoforming apparatus
AssigneeM. L. Shelley & Partners Limited
InventorLeslie M. Perryman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Thermoforming apparatus having a heating station and a forming station provided with upper and lower heaters for softening the thermoplastics sheet material. One of the heaters is movable between the heating and forming stations and is arranged to convey heated sheets from the heating station of the forming station.
Claims12
Thermoforming apparatus of the kind having a heating station and a forming station wherein at the heating station there are provided upper and lower heaters for softening the thermoplastics sheet material, means for moving one of said heaters between the heating and forming stations, and means on the movable heater for gripping the plastics sheet along substantially the whole of its periphery whereby the movable heater is arranged to convey heated sheets from the heating station to the forming station while preventing shrinkage of the sheet.
Thermoforming apparatus comprising a sheet loading station, a heating station, a forming station and an unloading station which stations are disposed in a rectilinear array, and means for conveying a sheet to be thermoformed between the stations, the conveying means comprising a guide track extending between the stations, a carriage on the guide track, a heater mounted on the carriage for movement therewith, sheet gripper means on the carriage for gripping the sheet on all sides to prevent shrinkage thereof when heated, means for moving the carriage between adjacent stations and means for moving the guide track vertically to provide clearance to enable the sheet to be advanced between successive stations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.