Sweetheart Plastic, Inc.

Trafalgar House Company

Sweetheart Plastics, Inc.

Gaylord W Brown

A method of forming and removing thin walled plastic articles from a plurality of dies in a thermoforming apparatus is described. In the method, a plurality of articles are formed and trimmed in a plurality of dies of a thermoforming apparatus. The apparatus includes a flat movable extractor plate. After the articles are formed they are removed from the apparatus by opening the dies sufficient to permit entrance of the flat movable extractor plate between the dies. The extractor plate has a non-porous top plate and a bottom plate having a plurality of spaced holes. A suction chamber is formed by the top and bottom plates with that suction chamber connected to the outlet end of a vacuum source and the inlet end of the vacuum is connected to a pressure control valve with a vent valve between the inlet end of the vacuum source and the pressure control valve. The extractor plate is moved between the plurality of dies, a vacuum is applied from the vacuum source to the suction chamber controlled by the pressure control valve and vent valve to provide suction sufficient to hold the articles formed in the plurality of dies to the extractor plate without deformation of the articles. The extractor plate is withdrawn from between the dies, carrying the articles formed in the plurality of dies. The suction is released and air pressure is applied to the suction chamber for rapid release of the formed articles.

Method of forming and removing thin walled plastic articles from a

A thermoforming apparatus having a plurality of dies for forming a plurality of thin walled plastic articles in combination with an improved movable extractor plate assembly for moving an extractor plate between the plurality of dies of the thermoforming apparatus to remove formed articles is described. The movable extractor plate assembly includes an extractor plate having a vacuum chamber connected to the outlet end of a vacuum source and having at the inlet end of the vacuum source a pressure control valve and a vent valve between the vacuum source and pressure control valve. The assembly permits the control of pressure to the vacuum chamber to provide holding contact of articles formed onto the extractor plate without deformation of the thin walled articles. Additionally, the assembly permits the injection of air pressure into the vacuum chamber upon closing of the vacuum source to facilitate release of the formed articles from the extractor plate.

Movable extractor plate assembly for rapidly removing articles from a

Method and apparatus for stacking a plurality of plastic cups disposed within individual plastic envelopes including a frame, a conveyor on the frame, a stuffer swingably movable on the frame to stuff a portion of the envelope into the cup and move it into nested relation with the next adjacent downstream one of the cups to form a stack.

Tuck and nest method and apparatus

A trim press for severing articles differentially pressure formed in a thermoplastic sheet comprising a pair of dynamically balanced trim die members mounted for movement toward and away from each other between spaced apart positions and closed positions engaging opposite sides of the sheet to sever the article from the sheet. One of the trim die members includes an opening therethrough for receiving the article as it is being trimmed and for passing the article therethrough after it is trimmed and part receiver means stationarily mounted in alignment with the opening for receiving the articles from the moving trim die member.

Dynamically balanced trim press

A tamper-proof closure for a container including an endwall and an annular, threaded sidewall. The sidewall includes an internal projection for mating with a part of the container to prevent turning of the closure when the closure is mounted on said container. A tear tab is provided on the sidewall radially outwardly of the projection. The sidewall includes tear facilitating portions on circumferentially opposite sides of the tear tab to enhance tearing of the sidewall on opposite sides of the tear tab to permit the tear tab and the projection to be swung outwardly to a removed position in which the closure can be turned. Another aspect of the invention includes a method of making the closure.

Tamper-proof closure and method of making same

Apparatus for adjusting the rotary position of any selected one of a plurality of rotatable die bolts to control the position of a die lip and the size of a die opening adjacent the die lip comprising a reciprocable drive member movable in a to-and-fro path of travel and a plurality of bolt actuating members mounted on the drive member for movement therewith and for movement relative thereto between positions removed from the bolts and bolt drive positions in driving relation with any selected one of the bolts.

Mechanical die adjustment mechanism

Sheet supporting apparatus for a continuous sheet, differential pressure thermoforming machine comprising laterally spaced apart sheet support members for supporting the lateral edges of a formable sheet and for moving the sheet in a forward path of travel. The apparatus includes an open top, air receiving, sheet support box disposed interjacent the laterally spaced sheet support members upstream of a differential pressure mold, and mechanism for introducing air under pressure to the inside of the box for supporting a midportion of the sheet of plastic.

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Beaverton, MI, United States of America

Gaylord W Brown