Patent ID: 6241457
Filing Date: 2001-06-05
Classification: B29C,B65G

Abstract:
A stacking apparatus for a thermoforming machine having an intermittent foil transport, an upper forming die and a lower forming die for producing selectively a series of deep-drawn cups and covers, said apparatus comprising:a stacking-apparatus support;a lower stacking plate on said support for receiving deep-drawn articles produced by said thermoforming machine;an upper stacking plate movable along a path including a position in which the upper stacking plate is juxtaposed with said lower stacking plate and complementary thereto for receiving deep-drawn articles from said lower stacking plate and for retaining a column of said articles;a pivot arm mounted upon said support and carrying said upper stacking plate, said upper stacking plate being raisable and lowerable on said pivot arm;a carriage to which said pivot arm is articulated for swingable movement of said pivot arm about an arm pivot on said carriage;a slider having rollers and coupled with said pivot arm;a guide bar swingably mounted at a horizontal pivot axis on said support and engaged by said rollers for guiding said slider therealong whereby a column of said articles on said upper stacking plate is swingable from a position wherein said articles are collected from said lower stacking plate into a position in which said articles are deposited on a surface; andmeans for securing said guide bar selectively in a first angular position about said horizontal pivot axis in which said upper stacking plate is constrained to deposit columns of said covers forming said articles in a vertical orientation on said surface and columns of said cups forming said articles in a horizontal orientation on said surface.