Thermoforming, filling, and capping receptacles

摘要

An apparatus and method for making a receptacle from a generally flat thermoplastic blank has an upstream conveyor extending along a path in a transport direction through a loading station, a heating station downstream of the loading station, and a forming station downstream from the heating station. The conveyor has a plurality of supports forming a plurality of respective throughgoing apertures spaced apart in the direction. A supply at the loading station positions a respective blank atop each of the apertures of the conveyor with a central region of each blank exposed through the respective aperture and a periphery of each blank engaging and supported by the respective support A drive connected to the conveyor advances it and the blanks carried on it step-wise through the heating and forming stations. At the heating station at least the central region of each blank is heated to a softening point. A die forming a cavity open transversely toward the path at the heating station coacts with a piston at the heating station displaceable transversely across the path into and out of the die. Displacement of the piston into the die at the forming station presses the heated central region of the blank therein into the die cavity and thereby forms the blank at the forming station into a receptacle.