Vertical trim press and stacking apparatus and method of trimming and stacking articles

A method of trimming and stacking articles which have been formed in a sheet of thermoplastic material from the sheet comprising the steps of:

• horizontally indexing a thermoplastic sheet of material, having articles formed therein, in a horizontal path of travel to successively present successive articles in said sheet at a trim station;
• trimming the articles at said trim station from said sheet and allowing the severed articles to vertically free-fall under the force of gravity;
• interrupting the vertical travel of a predetermined number of articles at a predetermined level to accumulate a predetermined number of said severed articles to form a partial vertical stack;
• releasing the partial vertical stack for free-fall to a lower predetermined level and allowing the vertical passage of said articles at said predetermined level to accumulate a greater predetermined number of said severed articles to complete a vertical stack at said lower predetermined level;
• and
• downwardly releasing the completed vertical stack from said lower predetermined level for vertical free-fall under the force of gravity.

A trim press for severing and stacking articles which have been integrally formed in a sheet of thermoplastic material from the sheet comprising:

• a frame;
• means on said frame for horizontally indexing a sheet of thermoplastic material, having articles formed therein, in a horizontal path of travel to a trim station;
• upper and lower trim dies mounted on said frame for relative vertical movement toward and away from each other between removed positions and trimming positions engaging vertically opposite sides of a sheet disposed therebetween to sever articles at said trim station and allow the articles to free fall;
• said dies in said removed positions being spaced apart a predetermined distance;
• said lower tim die including a vertical passage therethrough for receiving and vertically passing freely falling, trimmed articles;
• and
• accumulator means in vertical juxtaposition with said vertical passage for receiving and accumulating freely falling severed articles in vertically stacked relation to form a vertical stack of nested articles;
• said accumulator means including a storage member having a vertical stack receiving opening therethrough and air escapement passage means therein in fluid communication with said vertical opening to receive and pass ambient air escaping the undersides of said freely falling articles;
• said air escapement means includes at least one additional vertical passage in open fluid communication throughout its length in fluid communication with said vertical opening.

A trim press for severing and stacking articles which have been integrally formed in a sheet of thermoplastic material from the sheet comprising:

• a frame;
• means on said frame for horizontally indexing a sheet of thermoplastic material, having articles formed therein, in a horizontal path of travel to a trim station;
• upper and lower trim dies mounted on said frame for relative vertical movement toward and away from each other between removed positions and trimming positions engaging vertically opposite sides of a sheet disposed therebetween to sever articles at said trim station and allow the articles to free fall, said dies in said removed positions being spaced apart a predetermined distance;
• said lower trim die including a vertical passage therethrough for receiving and vertically passing freely falling, trimmed articles;
• and
• accumulator means in vertical juxtaposition with said vertical passage for receiving and accumulating freely falling severed articles in vertically stacked relation to form a vertical stack of nested articles;
• said accumulator means including upper and lower storage bars having substantially identical, vertically aligned passages therethrough for receiving and vertically passing severed articles in a vertical path;
• and first stacking plate means mounted on an underside of said lower storage bar, having first passage means therethrough corresponding to said vertically aligned passages;
• means mounting said stacking plate means for horizontal movement between a blocking position in which a portion of said plate means is disposed in the vertical path of said severed articles to allow the articles to accumulate thereon to form a stack of a predetermined number of severed articles and a non-blocking position in which the stack of articles is allowed to freely fall through said first passage means;
• said accumulator means including second stacking plate means disposed between said upper and lower storage bars and having second passage means therethrough corresponding to said vertically aligned passages;
• means mounting said second stacking plate means for movement between a blocking positions, in the path of said freely falling severed articles, when said first plate means is in said non-blocking position, and a non-blocking position allowing the severed articles to freely pass through said second passage means when said second plate means is in said blocking position.

A trim press for severing and stacking articles which have been integrally formed in a sheet of thermoplastic material from the sheet comprising:

• a frame;
• means on said frame for horizontally indexing a sheet of thermoplastic material, having articles formed therein, in a horizontal path of travel to a trim station;
• upper and lower trim dies mounted on said frame for relative vertical movement toward and away from each other between removed positions and trimming positions engaging vertically opposite sides of a sheet disposed therebetween to sever articles at said trim station and allow the articles to free fall;
• said dies in said removed positions being spaced apart a predetermined distance;
• said lower trim die including a vertical passage therethrough for receiving and vertically passing freely falling, trimmed articles;
• and
• accumulator means in vertical juxtaposition with said vertical passage for receiving and accumulating freely falling severed articles in vertically stacked relation to form a vertical stack of nested articles;
• said accumulator means including upper and lower storage bars having substantially identical, vertically aligned passages therethrough for receiving and vertically passing severed articles in a vertical path;
• and first stacking plate means mounted on an underside of said lower storage bar, having first passage means therethrough corresponding to said vertically aligned passages;
• means mounting said stacking plate means for horizontal movement between a blocking position in which a portion of said plate means is disposed in the vertical path of said severed articles to allow the articles to accumulate thereon to form a stack of a predetermined number of severed articles and a non-blocking position in which the stack of articles is allowed to freely fall through said first passage means;
• said stacking plate means including a pair of horizontally disposed, vertically stacked plates having substantially identical openings moveable into and out of vertical registry with said vertical passages;
• and means for alternately and oppositely moving said pair of stacked plates.

Apparatus for trimming and stacking articles which have been formed in a sheet of thermoplastic material from the sheet comprising:

• apparatus for horizontally indexing a thermoplastic sheet of material, having articles formed therein, in a horizontal path of travel to successively present successive articles in said sheet at a trim station;
• upper and lower trim dies releatively vertically movable between vertically spaced apart positions and vertically closed positions engaging vertically opposite sides of said sheet to sever article at said trim station from said sheet and allow said severed articles to freely fall under the force of gravity;
• partial stack forming means for interrupting the vertical travel of a predetermined number of freely falling, severed articles at a predetermined level to accumulate a predetermined number of said severed articles to form a partial vertical stack;
• releasing and accumulating means for releasing the partial vertical stack for free fall to a lower predetermined level and allowing the vertical passage of said articles at said predetermined level to said lower predetermined level and accumulating a greater predetermined number of said severed articles to complete a vertical stack at said lower predetermined level;
• and
• means for releasing the completed vertical stack from said lower predetermined level for vertical free fall under the force of gravity. PG,30

Apparatus for severing and vertically stacking articles which have been differentially pressure formed in a thermoplastic sheet comprising:

• a frame;
• means on said frame for successively horizontally indexing a thermoplastic sheet having articles formed therein in a horizontal path of travel to a trim station;
• upper and lower trim platens, including upper and lower trim dies respectively, mounted on said frame on vertically opposite sides of said sheet at said trim station;
• at least one of said upper and lower platens being vertically moveable toward and away from the other of said upper and lower platens between a vertical spaced position and a closed position in which said upper and lower trim dies engage upper and lower sides of said sheet to sever an article at said trim station from said sheet to provide a trimmed article severed from said sheet which free-falls under the force of gravity;
• said lower trim die including a vertical opening therethrough for vertically receiving and passing said trimmed article as it free-falls;
• said lower platen mounting said lower trim die having a vertical passage therethrough in alignment with said opening for vertically passing the free-falling trimmed articles;
• and
• accumulator means disposed below said trim dies for receiving a predetermined number of said free-falling trimmed articles, accumulating them to form a completed vertical stack, and then releasing said completed vertical stack;
• said accumulator means including first interrupting means disposed at a predetermined level and moveable between a stack forming position in the path of said free falling severed articles to form a completed stack of a predetermined number of said articles and a stack releasing position to release said stack for vertical free-fall under the force of gravity, and second interrupting means disposed at a higher predetermined level and moveable between a remote position out of said path of said free-falling trimmed articles and an operative position disposed in said path to receive and store a partial stack of a predetermined lesser number of said articles while said first interrupting means is in said stack releasing position.