Apparatus for forming an article

An apparatus for forming an article from a sheet of material, the apparatus comprising:

• a female die having an inner peripheral female die surface defining an opening intersecting one end of the female die;
• a male die shaped such that at least a portion of the male die is positionable in the opening of the female die, the male die movable between a discharge position wherein the male die is removed from the opening of the female die such that the sheet of material is positionable between the male die and the female die and a forming position wherein at least a portion of the male die is disposed in the opening of the female die so as to form the article from the sheet of material positioned between the male die and the female die, the range of motion of the male die relative to the female die defining a zone of operation of the male die and the female die;
• presence sensing means for sensing the presence of an operator in a sheet feeding area which is located between an operator's station and the zone of operation of the male die and the female die;
• control means for initiating an article forming sequence, wherein the male die is moved from the discharge position to the forming position to form the article from the sheet of material and subsequently returned to the discharge position, in response to the operator clearing the presence sensing means subsequent to the operator breaking the presence sensing means while positioning the sheet of material between the male die and the female die via the sheet feeding area;
• means for selectively supplying a stream of air between the formed article and the inner peripheral female die surface to release the formed article from the inner peripheral female die surface when the male die and the female die are in the forming position;
• and
• means for holding the formed article against the male die to remove the formed article from the female die as the male die and the female die are positioned from the forming position to the discharge position.