Importance

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Abstract

Apparatus and a method is provided for high pressure, solid phase forming of an image bearing relatively thin sheet. Each sheet to be formed is moved to a pickup station, the sheet is picked up by a heated vacuum pickup, and then transferred to a preheat station while held by the heated vacuum pickup. The heated vacuum pickup is lowered at the preheat station to bring the sheet into engagement with preheater structure therebelow so that heat is applied by direct engagement to both sides of the sheet at the preheat station. The preheated sheet, still attached by vacuum to the heated vacuum pickup is then moved into a forming station of a floating bolster supported die set assembly while the pressure chamber die set unit and a forming die set unit of the die set assembly are in vertically spaced relationship. The sheet is registered with the forming die while retained on the heated vacuum pickup by X axis adjustment of the pickup supporting the sheet and Y and .theta. axis adjustment of the bolster supporting the die set assembly. The sheet is next transferred to a vacuum frame surrounding a forming die of the lower die set unit, the pressure chamber die set unit is lowered into engagement with the vacuum frame, vacuum is transferred from the heated vacuum pickup to the vacuum frame so that the sheet as now held by the vacuum frame and high pressure fluid is introduced into the pressure chamber die set unit to pressure form the sheet against the forming die. Lifting of the pressure chamber die set unit allows the vacuum frame to strip the formed sheet from the forming die permitting the sheet to be removed from the die set and delivered to an off-loading conveyor.

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First Claim