Abstract: A material receiving duct is provided for a comminuting apparatus. The material receiving duct includes a material entrance section, a material exit section, and a telescoping section. The material entrance section has a material entrance. The material exit section is provided beneath the material entrance section with a material exit configured to mate with an entrance enclosure of a comminuting apparatus. The telescoping section is provided between the entrance section and the exit section to adjust height of the material entrance.

Abstract: A thermoforming trim press is provided with a frame, a punch plate, a die plate, and a bushing. The frame has a guide post including a tapered outer surface with increasing cross-sectional dimension toward a closing position. The punch plate has a male cutting die. The die plate has a female cutting die configured to scissor in intermeshing relation with the male cutting die. The bushing has a tapered inner surface complementary and reverse to the tapered outer surface of the guide post. The bushing is adjustable in cross-sectional dimension and is configured to guide one of the punch plate and the die plate for axial reciprocation along the guide post. A method is also provided.

Abstract: A method for delivering web-supported articles between dies and punches of a trim press. The method includes providing a treadle having an article detector, while moving the web and the articles, guiding the web and the articles along the web and between a pair of the articles each provided in one of a pair of adjacent rows that extend along a travel path direction, detecting location of an article in the web using the article detector, and in response to detecting the location of the article, controllably moving the web to position the article between a corresponding punch and die of the trim press.

Abstract: A comminuting device is provided having a support structure, a set of intermeshing scissor rolls, at least two entrance openings, and a bulkhead. The support structure has an enclosure. The set of intermeshing scissor rolls are rotatably carried by the support structure. The at least two entrance openings are provided in the enclosure. The bulkhead is interposed between a first one of the entrance openings and a second one of the entrance openings. The bulkhead provides a first entrance shoot and a second entrance shoot, with the bulkhead including a mouth portion configured to transfer scrap products between the first entrance shoot and the second entrance shoot.

Abstract: A comminuting apparatus is provided with a housing, at least two intermeshing scissor rolls, a screen, and an access tray. The housing has an entrance opening for receiving waste material and an exit opening for removing subdivided waste material. The scissor rolls are carried within the housing between the entrance opening and the exit opening for subdividing the waste material. The screen is carried by the housing between the scissor rolls and the exit opening. The access tray is provided by the housing and is removably supported downstream of the screen to provide a shear outtake manifold between the screen and the access tray.

Abstract: A web conveyor is provided having a frame, a pair of conveyor rails, and at least one sag rail. The pair of conveyor rails is carried by the frame in laterally spaced-apart relation. The pair of conveyor rails is configured to support and convey respective edges of a thermoformable web of plastic material. The at least one sag rail includes a friction-reducing material provided along at least a portion of a top edge of the sag rail. The sag rail is provided between the conveyor rails and extends longitudinally along a web travel path. The sag rail is configured to support a web of material intermediate the conveyor rails. A web support apparatus having one or more of friction-reducing material, local, raised portions, and a temperature regulator is also provided.

Abstract: A comminuting apparatus is provided having a frame, a set of overlapping scissor rolls, a shear outtake manifold, and a pneumatic conveyor. The frame has an enclosure with an entrance for receiving waste material. The set of overlapping scissor rolls includes a feed scissor roll and a recirculation scissor roll, both the feed scissor roll and the recirculation scissor roll being carried for co-rotation within the enclosure and operative to comminute the waste material into subdivided pieces by drawing the received waste material beneath the feed scissor roll and up between the feed scissor roll and the recirculation scissor roll. The shear outtake manifold is beneath the scissor rolls and is configured to collect the subdivided pieces of waste material.

Abstract: A trim press article handling apparatus includes a frame, a punch, a die, and a treadle. The punch is carried by the frame. The die is carried by the frame and cooperates in relative movement with the punch to sever articles from a web. The treadle is carried for movement relative to the die. The treadle includes a web guide member, a primary guide strip spaced from the guide member slightly greater than a thickness of the web, a secondary guide strip spaced from the guide member at least four thicknesses of the web and spaced apart from the primary guide strip, and an article detector carried by at least one of the primary guide strip and the secondary guide strip. The article detector is operative to detect position of an article in the web by detecting the position of a protuberance in the web as the protuberance is conveyed between the primary guide strip and the secondary guide strip. A method is also provided.

Abstract: An oven control system and user interface are provided for setting a target temperature for different zones within an oven. A thermocouple is provided in each zone within the oven to monitor the realized temperature within the specific zone of the oven. A plurality of different heater elements are also provided within each zone of the oven. The control system enables a user to easily and efficiently select a target setpoint temperature for each zone within the oven, or for the chair rail, or the sag rails. For the case of the oven, the setpoint provides a virtual heat setpoint for the complete oven section which is then realized by controllably regulating operation of the various unique heating elements within that zone of the oven to realize the desired setpoint temperature within that specific zone of the oven.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for forming bag edges in a layered plastic film. The apparatus includes a heated seal bar and a seal bar anvil. The seal bar anvil has a resilient tube configured to deform as the seal bar is driven into the tube to seal and sever a bag edge therebetween. According to one construction, the resilient tube is pressurized pneumatically from the inside so as to impart a specific, desired resilience to the tube as the tube and seal bar co-act on either side of the layered plastic film.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for forming bag edges in a layered plastic film. The apparatus includes a heated seal bar and a seal bar anvil. The seal bar anvil has a resilient tube configured to deform as the seal bar is driven into the tube to seal and sever a bag edge therebetween. According to one construction, the resilient tube is pressurized pneumatically from the inside so as to impart a specific, desired resilience to the tube as the tube and seal bar co-act on either side of the layered plastic film.

Abstract: A comminuting apparatus is provided having a frame, a set of overlapping scissor rolls, a shear outtake manifold, and a pneumatic conveyor. The frame has an enclosure with an entrance for receiving waste material. The set of overlapping scissor rolls includes a feed scissor roll and a recirculation scissor roll, both the feed scissor roll and the recirculation scissor roll being carried for co-rotation within the enclosure and operative to comminute the waste material into subdivided pieces by drawing the received waste material beneath the feed scissor roll and up between the feed scissor roll and the recirculation scissor roll. The shear outtake manifold is beneath the scissor rolls and is configured to collect the subdivided pieces of waste material.

Abstract: A web conveyor is provided having a frame, a pair of conveyor rails, and at least one sag rail. The pair of conveyor rails is carried by the frame in laterally spaced-apart relation. The pair of conveyor rails is configured to support and convey respective edges of a thermoformable web of plastic material. The at least one sag rail includes a friction-reducing material provided along at least a portion of a top edge of the sag rail. The sag rail is provided between the conveyor rails and extends longitudinally along a web travel path. The sag rail is configured to support a web of material intermediate the conveyor rails. A web support apparatus having one or more of friction-reducing material, local, raised portions, and a temperature regulator is also provided.

Abstract: A method for delivering web-supported articles between dies and punches of a trim press. The method includes providing a treadle having an article detector, while moving the web and the articles, guiding the web and the articles along the web and between a pair of the articles each provided in one of a pair of adjacent rows that extend along a travel path direction, detecting location of an article in the web using the article detector, and in response to detecting the location of the article, controllably moving the web to position the article between a corresponding punch and die of the trim press.

Abstract: An article handling apparatus for a trim press includes a die and a cooperating punch configured to sever articles from a web, a treadle configured to move relative to the die, and a drive wheel assembly configured to move the web and the articles. The drive wheel assembly includes a pair of roller feed assemblies. Each of the roller feed assemblies include a knock-lever mechanism having a lever arm and a follower wheel, the lever arm being configured to contact the die as the treadle is moved towards the die. The the follower wheel is configured to retract from the respective drive wheel in response to contact of the lever arm with the die.

Abstract: An article conveying, guiding, and locating device includes a treadle including a web guide plate, a knock lever mechanism having a knock lever arm configured to co-act with a stationary platen as the treadle is moved relative to the stationary platen during a severing operation so as to retract the follower wheel away from the drive wheel to release a web carried therebetween to enable lateral centering of articles carried in the web. The device also includes a web conveyor having a servo pick assembly and a servo helper assembly driven by a servo motor. The web conveyor is configured to move a web of articles. The servo pick assembly is carried by the treadle.

Abstract: A comminuting apparatus is provided with a housing, at least two intermeshing scissor rolls, a screen, and an access tray. The housing has an entrance opening for receiving waste material and an exit opening for removing subdivided waste material. The scissor rolls are carried within the housing between the entrance opening and the exit opening for subdividing the waste material. The screen is carried by the housing between the scissor rolls and the exit opening. The access tray is provided by the housing and is removably supported downstream of the screen to provide a shear outtake manifold between the screen and the access tray.

Abstract: A trim press article handling apparatus includes a punch plate, a die plate, a plunger, and a receiver. The punch plate has a punch, and the die plate has a die cooperating in relative movement with the punch plate to sever articles from a thermoformable web. The plunger is carried by one of the punch plate and the die plate having a tapered advancing head. The receiver is carried by the other of the punch plate and the die plate having a tapered recess configured to receive the plunger. A tapered article locator provided within a thermoformed web also having articles therein is captured between the plunger and the receiver as the punch plate and die plate are brought together there about, thereby imparting alignment of an article in the web between the punch and the die. A method for aligning and severing articles from a web is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for comminuting solid waste material. The apparatus includes a frame, a set of overlapping scissor rolls, a separator screen and a recycle manifold section. The frame has an enclosure with an entrance for receiving solid waste material. The set of overlapping scissor rolls are rotatably mounted within the enclosure for shearing the waste material into subdivided pieces when the material passes between the scissor rolls. Each scissor roll has a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, with a first scissor roll elevated relative to a second adjacent scissor roll. The separator screen is carried by the frame beneath at least one of the scissor rolls. The separator screen has a plurality of apertures for separating pieces having a size less than a predetermined size which pass through a shear outtake manifold for separation while preventing large subdivided pieces having a size greater than the predetermined size from passing therethrough.

Abstract: A comminuting apparatus is provided having a frame, a set of overlapping scissor rolls, a shear outtake manifold, and a pneumatic conveyor. The frame has an enclosure with an entrance for receiving waste material. The set of overlapping scissor rolls is carried for co-rotation within the enclosure. The scissor rolls are operative to comminute the waste material into subdivided pieces. The shear outtake manifold is configured to collect the subdivided pieces of waste material. The pneumatic conveyor includes a source of air flow and a pneumatic duct. The pneumatic duct communicates with an upstream of the shear outtake manifold, and is operative to deliver an airstream from the source of air flow into the shear outtake manifold. The airstream entrains the subdivided pieces and removes the subdivided pieces from the shear outtake manifold.