Patent ID: 8376730

Claim:
A material-clamping unit for a forming machine that forms thermoplastic sheet material by an upper and a lower die, which sheet material is heated in advance to a predetermined temperature in a heating furnace, and thus softened, comprising: a pair of width-clamping devices having a plurality of first clamping means that are disposed along edges of first sides of the thermoplastic sheet material and that hold the edges of the first sides in a running direction in which a thermoplastic sheet material runs, a first clamp-hoisting mechanism that lifts and lowers each of the first clamping means and the thermoplastic sheet material held therebetween, each of the plurality of first clamping means being able to independently open or close and thereby independently release or hold, respectively, the edges of the first sides of the thermoplastic sheet material, and a first width-adjusting mechanism that adjusts the width of the plurality of first clamping means by moving the first clamp-hoisting mechanism in the width direction, which is perpendicular to the running direction of the thermoplastic sheet material; a pair of front and rear clamping devices having a plurality of second clamping means that are disposed at a front and rear position of the lower die of the forming machine, and that hold edges of second sides of the thermoplastic sheet material, which second sides are perpendicular to the running direction of the thermoplastic sheet material, a second clamp-hoisting mechanism that lifts and lowers each of the second clamping means and the thermoplastic sheet material held therebetween, and a second width-adjusting mechanism that adjusts the rear and front width of the plurality of second clamping means in the running direction by moving the second clamp-hoisting mechanism in the running direction of the thermoplastic sheet material; a transfer mechanism that transfers the pair of the width-clamping devices into and out of a position between the upper and the lower dies of the forming machine; a control device that controls, depending on a shape of the upper die, movements of the pair of the width-clamping devices and the pair of the rear and front clamping devices and a synchronizing means for synchronizing a speed at which the upper die is lowered, the speed at which the first clamp-hoisting mechanism is lowered, and the speed at which the second clamp-hoisting mechanism is lowered.