Machine for producing blister packages

Claim 1

In a machine for the production of blister packages, comprising a molding station with a reciprocating die holder adapted to press a preheated thermoplastic carrier strip through a die with at least one cavity onto an abutment plate having a channel opposite said cavity connected to a source of compressed air whereby blisters conforming to said cavity are produced in said carrier strip, a filling station downstream of said molding station having loading means for introducing goods to be packaged into the blisters of said carrier strip, a sealing station downstream of said filling station including a roller means for bonding an overlying cover strip to said carrier strip whereby the blisters thereof are hermetically closed against the atmosphere, and feed means for advancing said carrier strip through said molding, filling and sealing station at a controlled speed, the combination therewith of a die positioned on said die holder and provided with cavities having identical deep central portions surrounded by rim zones which are recessed away from said central portions outwardly, said rim zones being adjacent the path of said carrier strip, forming shoulders with said deep central portions and converging toward cavity bottoms remote from said rim zones that are vented to the atmosphere, said feed means including a transport roller with peripheral indentations having mouths whose outlines substantially correspond to those of the rim zones of said cavities for closely surrounding base portions of blisters formed in said cavities, said roller means including a counterroller coacting with said transport roller for compressing said carrier and cover strips therebetween during positive entrainment of said carrier strip by said transport roller, said die being removable from said die holder for replacement by another die differing therefrom only in the configuration of its cavities at locations adjoining said rim zones.