Patent ID: 8876518

Claim:
A forming apparatus for forming a formable material or materials, said apparatus comprising a first forming tool set, a second forming tool set, each forming die or tool of said second forming tool set being adapted to co-act with one or more forming die or tool of said first forming tool set, or vice versa, to form a co-acting forming tool in a pressure forming zone, said tool applying pressure to the material or materials, a first forming tool set guide about which said first forming tool set is moved about a first circuit, a second forming tool set guide about which said second forming tool set is moved about a second circuit, at least one primary first drive to move, in serial progression said forming dies or tools of said forming tool sets about said guides, in a machine direction, wherein, at a lead-in zone prior to said pressure forming zone, adjacent forming dies or tools of said first forming tool set are movably supported such that an only relative movement is a motion of said adjacent forming dies or tools that is towards the forming dies or tools of the said second forming tool set with which they co-act, said forming dies or tools of the first forming tool set at said lead-in zone present or recede stepwise in an otherwise aligned condition relative to each other, without any forming die or tool forming tool gaps likely to entrap said formable material, and adjacent forming dies or tools of said second forming tool set forming a continuous surface over at least the lead-in zone and the pressure forming zone, and wherein at least one of the forming tool sets and guides is moved relative to the other forming tool set and guide so as to effect opening or closing of the forming tools and forming surfaces of the pressure forming zone to at least vary a pressure in the pressure forming zone on a per-process basis.