Apparatus for differential pressure forming and trimming
First Claim
1. In combination:
- a differential pressure forming machine includinga frame;
means for supporting a thermoplastic sheet on said frame at a forming and trimming station;
a pair of opposed cooperating mold means, including means for applying differential pressure to said sheet, mounted on said frame for movement between spaced apart, open positions and closed positions engaging opposite sides of said sheet for differential pressure forming an article in said sheet at said forming and trimming station; and
means for relatively moving said pair of opposed mold means between said spaced apart, open positions and said closed positions engaging opposite sides of said sheet;
apparatus for trimming a formed article from said sheet at said forming and trimming station includinga pair of opposed trim dies mounted on said pair of opposed mod means for movement therewith between removed positions and less spaced positions engaging opposite sides of said sheet when said mold means are moved from said open positions to said closed positions, at least one of said trim dies being relatively moveable toward the other of said trim dies between said less spaced position and a sheet severing position; and
wedge means for incrementally indexing said one of said trim dies in a path of travel toward the other of said trim dies from said less spaced position to said sheet severing position to sever a formed article from said sheet at said forming and trimming station.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for differential pressure forming an article in a sheet of thermoplastic material having a pair of opposed differential pressure molds at a forming and trimming station moveable between open positions and closed positions engaging opposite sides of the sheet of thermoplastic material for differentially pressure forming an article in the sheet. Mechanism is provided for severing the article from the sheet and includes a pair of opposed trim dies mounted on the molds for movement therewith between spaced apart positions and sheet engaging positions when the molds are moved between open and closed positions. After the part is formed, wedge mechanism is moved transversely of the relative path of travel of the dies for incrementally indexing one of the dies toward the other of the dies to sever the article at the forming and trimming stations.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. In combination:
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a differential pressure forming machine including a frame; means for supporting a thermoplastic sheet on said frame at a forming and trimming station; a pair of opposed cooperating mold means, including means for applying differential pressure to said sheet, mounted on said frame for movement between spaced apart, open positions and closed positions engaging opposite sides of said sheet for differential pressure forming an article in said sheet at said forming and trimming station; and means for relatively moving said pair of opposed mold means between said spaced apart, open positions and said closed positions engaging opposite sides of said sheet; apparatus for trimming a formed article from said sheet at said forming and trimming station including a pair of opposed trim dies mounted on said pair of opposed mod means for movement therewith between removed positions and less spaced positions engaging opposite sides of said sheet when said mold means are moved from said open positions to said closed positions, at least one of said trim dies being relatively moveable toward the other of said trim dies between said less spaced position and a sheet severing position; and wedge means for incrementally indexing said one of said trim dies in a path of travel toward the other of said trim dies from said less spaced position to said sheet severing position to sever a formed article from said sheet at said forming and trimming station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. Apparatus for differentially pressure forming an article in a sheet of thermoplastic material at a forming and trimming station and for severing the article from said sheet at said forming and trimming station comprising:
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a frame; means for supporting a thermoplastic sheet of material on said frame at said forming and trimming station; a pair of opposed cooperating mold means, including means for applying differential pressure to opposite sides of said sheet, mounted on said frame at said forming and trimming station for movement between spaced apart positions and closed positions engaging opposite sides of said sheet for differential pressure forming an article in said sheet; means at said forming and trimming station for severing an article formed in said sheet including; first and second opposed trim dies relatively moveable in a first to-and-fro path of travel between removed positions and sheet engaging positions when said mold means move between said spaced apart positions and said closed positions engaging opposite sides of said sheet;
said opposed trim dies being relatively moveable in said first to-and-fro path of travel between said sheet engaging positions and sheet severing positions; andwedge means, moveable in a direction transverse to said first to-and-fro path of travel, for incrementally indexing one of said trim dies toward the other of said trim dies from said sheet engaging position to said sheet severing position to sever a formed article from said sheet at said forming and trimming station. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. Differential pressure forming apparatus including:
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a frame; means for supporting a thermoplastic sheet on said frame at a forming and trimming station; a pair of opposed cooperating mold means at said forming and trimming station, including means for applying differential pressure to opposite sides of said sheet, for engaging opposite sides of said sheet and differential pressure forming an article in said sheet; means for relatively moving said pair of opposed mold means between spaced apart, open positions and first closed positions engaging opposite sides of said sheet; and apparatus for trimming a formed article in said sheet from said sheet at said forming and trimming station including a pair of opposed cooperating trim dies mounted on said pair of opposed mold means for movement therewith between spread positions and less spread positions engaging opposite sides of said sheet adjacent the formed article when said mold means relatively move from said open positions to said first closed positions; and means for incrementally moving one of said mold means toward said other of said mold means from said first closed position engaging opposite sides of said sheet to further closed position to incrementally move one of said trim dies toward the other of said trim dies from said less spread position to a sheet severing position; said means for incrementally moving said one mold means including wedge means reacting between said frame and said one mold means.
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21. In combination with a differential pressure forming machine including
a frame; -
means for supporting a thermoplastic sheet on said frame at a forming and trimming station; a pair of opposed cooperating mold means at said forming and trimming station, including means for applying differential pressure to opposite sides of said sheet, for engaging opposite sides of said sheet and differential pressure forming an article in said sheet; and means for relatively moving said pair of opposed mold means between spaced apart, open positions and closed positions engaging opposite sides of said sheet; and apparatus for trimming a formed article from said sheet at said forming and trimming station including a pair of opposed trim dies on opposite sides of said sheet at said forming and trimming station, relatively moveable in a first to-and-fro path of travel between removed positions, less spaced positions engaging opposite sides of said sheet and, sheet severing positions; and wedge means, moveable in a direction transverse to said first to-and-fro path of travel, for incrementally indexing one of said trim dies toward the other of said trim dies from said less spread position to said sheet severing position to sever a formed article from said sheet at said forming and trimming station.
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22. Apparatus for differential pressure forming an article in a sheet of thermoplastic material and severing the article from the sheet comprising:
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upper and lower, opposed differential pressure molds at a forming and trimming station; means for moving a sheet of thermoplastic material to a position between said molds; means for moving at least said upper mold toward said lower mold to sandwich said sheet between and in sealing engagement with, said upper and lower molds; means for applying differential pressure to opposite sides of a portion of said sheet between said molds to integrally form an article in said sheet; means for severing said article from said sheet at said forming and trimming station including a pair of opposed, upper and lower cooperating trim dies, mounted on said upper and lower molds respectively; and means for upwardly indexing said lower mold to move said lower trim die toward said upper trim die and sever the formed article from the sheet including horizontally moveable wedge means for upwardly wedging said lower mold. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. Differential pressure forming and trimming apparatus comprising:
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a frame; upper and lower opposed, differential pressure molds relatively vertically moveable between spaced apart, open positions, less spaced apart closed molding positions, and sheet severing positions; means for moving a sheet of thermoplastic material between said molds; means for relatively moving said molds from said open positions to said closed molding positions to sealingly engage opposite sides of said sheet at a forming and trimming station; means for applying differential pressure to said molds to form an article in said sheet; upper and lower opposed trim die means mounted on said upper and lower molds for movement therewith for severing said formed article from said sheet; and indexing means for relatively moving said molds from said closed molding positions to said sheet severing positions to force said trim dies toward each other to sever the formed article from said sheet at said forming and trimming station; the improvement wherein said indexing means comprises horizontally moveable trim actuator wedge means for vertically wedging at least one of said molds toward the other of said molds between said closed molding position and said sheet severing positions. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. Apparatus for differential pressure forming an article in a sheet of thermoplastic material and severing the formed article from the sheet comprising:
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a frame; a pair of opposed differential pressure mold means, including means for applying differential pressure to opposite sides of said sheet, relatively moveable in a first path of travel toward and away from each other between spaced apart, open positions and closed positions wherein said mold means are sealed to opposite sides of said sheet for differential pressure forming an article in said sheet at a forming and trimming station; a pair of opposed trim die means mounted on said mold means for severing articles formed in said sheet from said sheet at said forming and trimming station; and index wedge means, moveable in a path of travel transverse to said first path of travel, for wedging at east one of said trim die means toward the other of said trim die means to sever said articles from said sheet at said forming and trimming station. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification