Sheet feeding

Claim 2

A foil loading mechanism comprising: a. a body forming the peripheral wall of a cavity for receiving and retaining a foil in distorted condition, said peripheral wall extending about an axis of said cavity and having an axially extending aperture through said peripheral wall; b. a guide means for positioning a foil exteriorly of said cavity with a part of a major face thereof overlying said aperture; and c. drive means operable on said foil part to drive the foil through said aperture into said cavity and across the same substantially transversely relative to the axis thereof.

Claim 3

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 1 in which said drive means comprises an actuator member.

Claim 4

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 2 in which said actuator member is disposed so as to engage that major face of a foil directed away from said aperture.

Claim 5

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 3 in which said actuator member carries foil centering projections.

Claim 6

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 1 in which said drive means comprise an air jet.

Claim 7

A foil loading mechanism comprising: a. a body forming the peripheral wall of a cavity for receiving and retaining a foil in distorted condition, said peripheral wall extending about an axis of said cavity, said cavity having an opening at one end and an axially extending, elongated aperture through said peripheral wall; b. guide means for positioning a foil exteriorly of said cavity with a part of a major face thereof overlying said aperture; c. drive means operable on said foil part to drive the foil through said aperture and into said cavity substantially transversely to the axis thereof; and d. ejector means operable to drive a foil axially of said cavity out of said open end of said cavity.

Claim 8

A foil loading mechanism comprising: a. a body forming the peripheral wall of a cavity for receiving and retaining a foil in distorted condition, said peripheral wall extending about an axis of said cavity, said cavity having an opening at one end and an axially extending, elongated aperture through said peripheral wall; b. guide means for positioning a foil exteriorly of said cavity with a part of a major face thereof overlying said aperture; c. drive means operable on said foil part to drive the foil through said aperture and into said cavity substantially transversely to the axis thereof; and d. ejector means operable to drive a foil axially of said cavity out of said open end of said cavity.

Claim 9

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 6 in which said ejector means comprise a pusher having parts which project into recesses in and extending axially of said peripheral wall of said cavity.

Claim 10

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 7 including a guide element projecting into said cavity to be engaged by juxtaposed edges of a foil during ejection of the foil from the cavity.

Claim 11

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 6 in which said drive means comprise an actuator member.

Claim 12

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 9 in which said actuator member is disposed so as to engage that major face of a foil directed away from said aperture.

Claim 13

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 10 in which said actuator member carries foil centering projections.

Claim 14

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 6 in which said drive means comprise an air jet.

Claim 15

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 1 in which said guide means include spaced foil engaging surfaces.

Claim 16

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 1 in which there are a plurality of said cavities, a foil magazine and a feeder mechanism movable between a foil pick-up station adjacent said magazine and a foil delivery staTion in respect of each guide means for each cavity.

Claim 17

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 14 in which said feeder mechanism comprises a head, a suction pad on said head, means biasing said head towards the magazine, a cam drive means to actuate said cam, a cam follower carried by said head to drive said head, said cam including lobes dimensioned to position said head successively at said different delivery stations.

Claim 18

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 15 in which said cam has cam surfaces engaged by followers respectively controlling valves in a line from said suction pad to a vacuum source and from a blower carried by said head to a pressure source, said blower being positioned to direct a foil toward a guide means at each delivery station.

Claim 19

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 16 in which a pusher in said magazine is biased towards said head, a thrust block being positioned ahead of said pusher in the direction of bias of the latter and a piston and cylinder means being provided between said thrust block and said pusher.

Claim 20

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 14 including a magazine for holding foils in superposed relationship, roller means for making frictional engagement with the lowermost foil in the magazine to present that foil to feed rollers, a pair of foil supports between which the roller means is located an which are independently movable to release the lowermost foil to one side of the roller means and then to the other side, and an angularly movable chute for feeding foils from said feed rollers successively to said guide means in respect of each cavity, wherein the roller means comprise one of two contacting rollers, the upper roller being rotatable to buckle the lowermost foil which, when clear of the upper roller, will under its inherent resilience spring the released foil edge into the bite of the two rollers.

Claim 21

A foil loading mechanism comprising: a. body means forming the peripheral walls of a plurality of cavities each for receiving and retaining a foil in distorted condition, each peripheral wall extending about an axis of said respective cavity, said cavity having an opening at one end and an axially extending aperture through said peripheral wall; b. guide means in respect of each cavity for positioning a foil exteriorly of said respective cavity into a part of a major face of the foil overlying said respective aperture; c. drive means in response of each cavity operable on said foil part to drive the foil through said respective aperture and into said respective cavity transversely relative to the axis thereof; d. ejector means in respect of each cavity operable to drive a foil axially of said respective cavity out of said open end of said cavity; e. a magazine for foils; and f. a feeder mechanism movable between a foil pick-up station adjacent said magazine and a foil delivery station in respect of each guide means for each cavity.

Claim 22

A foil loading mechanism comprising: a. body means forming the peripheral walls of a plurality of cavities each for receiving and retaining a foil in distorted condition, each peripheral wall extending about an axis of said respective cavity, said cavity having an opening at one end and an axially extending aperture through said peripheral wall; b. guide means in respect of each cavity for positioning a foil exteriorly of said respective cavity into a part of a major face of the foil overlying said respective aperture; c. drive means in response of each cavity operable on said foil part to drive the foil through said respective aperture and into said respective cavity transversely relative to the axis thereof; d. ejector means in respect of each cavity operable to drive a foil axially of said respective cavity out of said open end of said cavity; e. a magazine for foils; and f. a feeder mechanism movable between a foil pick-up station adjacent said magazine and a foil delivery station in respect of each guide means for each cavity.

Claim 23

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 19 in which said drive means comprise an actuator member.

Claim 24

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 20 in which said actuator member is disposed so as to engage that major face of a foil directed away from said aperture.

Claim 25

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 21 in which said actuator member carries foil centering projections.

Claim 26

A foil loading mechanism according to claim 11 in which said drive means comprise an air jet.

Claim 27

The combination of a foil loading mechanism according to claim 6 and an injection moulding machine having a male tool and a pair of female tools each cooperable with the male tool to define a moulding cavity, the female tools being each movable transversely out of said machine and wherein said foil loading mechanism is positioned on one side of said machine to load one of said female tools with foils when said female tool is moved out of said moulding machine.

Claim 28

The combination of a foil loading mechanism according to claim 19 and an injection moulding machine having a male tool and a pair of female tools each cooperable with the male tool to define a plurality of moulding cavities equal in number to the cavities of the foil loading mechanism, the female tools being each movable transversely out of said moulding machine, and wherein said foil loading mechanism is positioned on one side of said machine to load one of said female tools with foils when said female tool is moved out of said moulding machine.