Apparatus for forming at least one continuous strip of containers

Forming apparatus for forming at least one continuous strip of containers, comprising:

• a feed line for indexing along a preset route in an advance direction two continuous portions of film material that face each other;
• one or more operating stations arranged along said preset route to transform said portions into at least one continuous strip of containers;
• wherein
• at least one of the operating stations is a heat-sealing station provided with two opposed operating elements between which said portions pass and which can reach a closed position in which said opposed operating elements heat-seal said portions together in preset zones to define alveoli, each of said alveoli being provided with at least one opening on an edge, said heat-sealing station having a length in said advance direction;
• said heat-sealing station comprises a movable separator having an end that can be inserted between two open longitudinal flaps of said portions, said separator extending along said advance direction by a length which does not exceed the length of said heat-sealing station;
• said separator is provided with a positioning device so configured as to move said separator transversely of said advance direction between an active position, in which said separator is moved against said flaps so as to press said flaps against said opposed operating elements, and an inactive position, in which said separator is moved away from said opposed operating elements while being kept between said flaps, so that said flaps can be slidably indexed in said advance direction;
• a forming station is provided downstream of said heat-sealing station, said forming station having a plurality of nozzles for injecting a forming fluid into said alveoli, the nozzles protruding from a support body movable in a direction perpendicular to said advance direction in order to insert said nozzles between, and move said nozzles away from, said flaps;
• the end of said separator is wedged-shaped and, in the closed position of the opposed operating elements of the heat-sealing station, said end presses said flaps without leaving any clearance against walls of a groove defined between said opposed operating elements, so that said flaps are thermoformed by said separator in an open configuration that allows said nozzles to be inserted between said flaps in said forming station.