Thermoforming a continuous foil

An apparatus for thermoforming an elongated foil, the apparatus comprising:

• a vertically displaceable upper die displaceable horizontally above a conveyor path from an upstream station toward a downstream station, the foil extending along the path through the stations;
• first and second lower dies each vertically displaceable between an upper position engaging the foil and a lower position disengaged from the foil and horizontally between the upstream and downstream stations;
• and
• control means including respective drives connected to the dies for
• sandwiching a section of the foil in an upstream station between the upper die and the first lower die and heat deforming the section into a cavity of the first lower die while simultaneously synchronously displacing the upper die, the first lower die and the foil horizontally downstream toward a downstream station,
• thereafter separating the upper die from the section of the foil and recirculating the upper die back to the upstream station while cooling the section of foil in the cavity of the first lower die and displacing the lower die with the section of the foil into the downstream station,
• after the first lower die is downstream clear of the first station and the upper die has been recirculated back to the upstream station and while the first lower die is still in the downstream station, sandwiching another section of the foil in the upstream station between the upper die and the second lower die and heat deforming the other section into a cavity of the second lower die while simultaneously synchronously displacing the upper die, the second lower die, and the foil horizontally downstream toward the downstream station, and
• disengaging the first lower die from the foil in the downstream station and recirculating the first lower die back upstream to the upstream station.