Process and apparatus for forming plastic cups or the like

Claim 2

THE PROCESS OF FORMING A CUP OR THE LIKE OF PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES SUPPORTING A SHEET OF SUCH MATERIAL IN PLASTIC CONDITION IN SPACED RELATION FROM A FEMALE MOLD CAVITY HAVING A CENTRAL PROJECTION EXTENDING INTO THE CAVITY FROM THE BOTTOM THEREOF, MECHANICALLY DRAWING A PORTION OF SAID PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL INTO SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY WITH AN IMPLEMENT HAVING AN IMPERFORATE CENTRAL RECESS ALIGNED WITH SAID CAVITY PROJECTION, EFFECTING A SEAL BETWEEN THE MECHANCALLY DRAWN PLASTIC MATERIAL AND SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY TO TRAP AIR BETWEEN SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC MATERIAL AND SAID FEMAL MOLD CAVITY TO HOLD A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID PLASTIC MATERIAL OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY UTILIZING THE TRAPPED AIR TO DISTEND THE PLASTIC MATERIAL PART WAY INTO THE RECESS OF THE MECHANICAL DRAWING IMPLEMENT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY ESTABLISHING A DIFFERENTIAL OF FLUID PRESSURE ACROSS THE MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC MATERIAL WITH GREATER PRESSURE WITHIN THAN WITHOUT SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC MATERIAL TO CONFORM SAID PLASTIC MATERIAL TO SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY.

Claim 3

APPARATUS FOR FORMING A CUP OR THE LIKE OF PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING MEANS FOR SUPPPORTING A SHEET OF SUCH MATERIAL IN PLASTIC CONDITION, A FEMALE MOLD CAVITY DISPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID SHEET IN SPACED RELATION THERETO, A PLUNGER DISPOSED ON THE OTHR SIDE OF SAID SHEET IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY, SAID PLUNGER HAVING A SEALED RECESS IN THE ENTERING CAVITY, SAID PLUNGER HAVING A SEALED RECESS IN THE ENTERING END, MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID PLUNGER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SHEET MATERIAL MECHANICALLY TO DRAW A PORTION OF SAID SHEET MATERIAL INTO SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY, MEANS FOR EFFECTING A SEAL BETWEEN THE MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL AND SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY TO TRAP AIR BETWEEN SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC MATERIAL AND SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY, MEANS EFFECTIVE AFTER SUCH SEALING RELATIVELY TO ADVANCE SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL AND SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY TO COMPRESS THE AIR TRAPPED AND THEREBY TO HOLD AT LEAST SOME OF SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN SHEET MATERIAL OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY AND TO DISTEND SOME OF SAID PLASTIC MATERIAL INTO SAID RECESS, MEANS FOR THEREAFTER ESTABLISHING A FLUID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACROSS SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL TO FORCE SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN SHEET MATERIAL INTO CONFORMING RELATION WITH SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY, SAID MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING A FLUID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACROSS SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING A SLEEVE EXTENDING FROM THE END OF SAID PLUNGER OPPOSITE THE ENTERING END, SAID SLEEVE HAVING A PLURALITY OF RADIAL APERTURES THEREIN FOR DISCHARGING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE ABOUT THE ADJACENT END OF SAID PLUNGER.

Claim 4

APPARATUS FOR FORMING A CUP OR THE LIKE OF PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING MEANS FOR SUPPPORTING A SHEET OF SUCH MATERIAL IN PLASTIC CONDITION, A FEMALE MOLD CAVITY DISPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID SHEET IN SPACED RELATION THERETO, A PLUNGER DISPOSED ON THE OTHR SIDE OF SAID SHEET IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY, SAID PLUNGER HAVING A SEALED RECESS IN THE ENTERING CAVITY, SAID PLUNGER HAVING A SEALED RECESS IN THE ENTERING END, MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID PLUNGER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SHEET MATERIAL MECHANICALLY TO DRAW A PORTION OF SAID SHEET MATERIAL INTO SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY, MEANS FOR EFFECTING A SEAL BETWEEN THE MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL AND SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY TO TRAP AIR BETWEEN SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC MATERIAL AND SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY, MEANS EFFECTIVE AFTER SUCH SEALING RELATIVELY TO ADVANCE SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL AND SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY TO COMPRESS THE AIR TRAPPED AND THEREBY TO HOLD AT LEAST SOME OF SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN SHEET MATERIAL OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY AND TO DISTEND SOME OF SAID PLASTIC MATERIAL INTO SAID RECESS, MEANS FOR THEREAFTER ESTABLISHING A FLUID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACROSS SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL TO FORCE SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN SHEET MATERIAL INTO CONFORMING RELATION WITH SAID FEMALE MOLD CAVITY, SAID MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING A FLUID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACROSS SAID MECHANICALLY DRAWN PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING A SLEEVE EXTENDING FROM THE END OF SAID PLUNGER OPPOSITE THE ENTERING END, SAID SLEEVE HAVING A PLURALITY OF RADIAL APERTURES THEREIN FOR DISCHARGING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE ABOUT THE ADJACENT END OF SAID PLUNGER.