Tray-forming and apparatus

An apparatus for forming discrete three-dimensional containers from a continuous roll of flat paper stock by scoring said stock, and thereafter simultaneously cutting and forming said containers comprising:

• a) transfer means for transferring said stock to a scoring station and, thereafter, to a combined cutting and forming station by intermittent movement of a length of said stock equal to, or a fraction of, the distance between the centerline of said scoring station and the centerline of said cutting and forming station;
• b) scoring means comprising a set of scoring knives and a set of opposing recesses in a counter block, said scoring knives mounted on a hydraulic or mechanical press means for movement normal to said stock and disposed to score said stock appropriately for the shape of the container to be formed;
• c) cutting and forming means comprising a forming cavity, a blanking punch, a stripper plate, draw ring, a blanking die, and a forming punch die, mounted on said press means for movement normal to said stock and cooperating to cut said stock after scoring at the outer edges of the container to be formed and to form said container thereafter in a single movement by gripping the cut edges of said container and drawing said cut stock over said forming punch until said forming cavity engages said forming punch, thereby forming a finished three-dimensional container;
• d) ejecting means to separate the three-dimensional container formed in (c) from said forming cavity and the remainder of said stock.