Wrapping machine

Claim 1

IN A WRAPPING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION OF AN ARTICLE INFEED CONVEYOR, AN ARTICLE TRANSFER, A GUIDE SURFACE FOR A WRAPPER, SAID WRAPPER HAVING HEAT-SEALABLE CHARACTERISTICS, MEANS FOR HOLDING A WRAPPER ON SAID SURFACE WITH THE LEADING EDGE THEREOF DRAPED IN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF AN ARTICLE ONTO SAID TRANSFER, MEANS FOR DRAPING THE LEADING END OF SAID WRAPPER IN SAID PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID ARTICLE, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE LEADING EDGE OF SAID WRAPPER IN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF AN ARTICLE FROM SAID ARTICLE INFEED CONVEYOR TO SAID ARTICLE TRANSFER, SAID MEANS INCLUDING SPACED SUPPORT ELEMENTS FOR THE LEADING EDGE OF SAID WRAPPER, SAID SUPPORT ELEMENTS HAVING RAISED SECTIONS FOR ENGAGING THE LEADING EDGE OF SAID WRAPPER AND MAINTAINING IT THEREAGAINST IN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID ARTICLE FROM SAID INFEED CONVEYOR TO SAID ARTICLE TRANSFER, MEANS FOR MOVING AN ARTICLE FROM SAID INFEED CONVEYOR AGAINST SAID DRAPED END OF SAID WRAPPER AND ONTO SAID TRANSFER WITH SAID WRAPPER PARTIALLY ENCIRCLING SAID ARTICLE WITH PORTIONS OF SAID WRAPPER EXTENDING UNFOLDED BEYOND THE ENDS OF SAID ARTICLE, MEANS ON SAID ARTICLE TRANSFER FOR FOLDING A PORTION OF SAID UNFOLDED WRAPPER AGAINST THE ENDS OF ITS ASSOCIATED ARTICLE, AN ARTICLE FOLDWAY POSITIONED ABOVE SAID INFEED CONVEYOR, MEANS MOUNTING SAID ARTICLE TRANSFER FOR MOVEMENT FROM SAID ARTICLE INFEED CONVEYOR TO SAID FOLDWAY TO DELIVER PARTIALLY-WRAPPED ARTICLES THERETO FROM SAID ARTICLE INFEED CONVEYOR, OPPOSED PAIRS OF PLATES SUPPORTED IN VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP ON EACH SIDE OF SAID FOLDWAY FOR COMPLETING THE FOLDING OF THE END FLAPS OF SAID WRAPPER AS AN ARTICLE IS MOVED ALONG SAID FOLDWAY BETWEEN SAID PLATES, PUSHER FLIGHTS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND MOVE ARTICLES ALONG SAID TABLE WITH THE WRAPPERS THEREOF DISPOSED IN OVERLAPPED RELATIONSHIP FORMING THE BOTTOM SEAM OF SAID WRAPPER, AN ENDLESS TRAVELLING SURFACE FOR SUPPORTING AND TRAVELLING ARTICLES ENGAGED BY SAID FLIGHTS ALONG SAID FOLDWAY, MEANS MOUNTING SAID CONVEYOR FOR MOVEMENT ALONG THE BOTTOM OF SAID FOLDWAY, MEANS FOR SEALING THE END FLAPS OF SAID WRAPPER, A PLURALITY OF SPACED HEATING ELEMENTS FORMING PART OF SAID CONVEYOR, SAID HEATING ELEMENTS BEING SUPPORTED IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID FLIGHTS WITH THE BOTTOM SEAM OF THE WRAPPER OF AN ARTICLE ENGAGED BY SAID FLIGHTS BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID HEATING ELEMENT, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CONVEYOR TO TRAVEL ARTICLES THEREON THROUGH SAID FOLDWAY AND MEANS FOR ENERGIZING SAID HEATING ELEMENTS FOR SECURING SAID WRAPPER ABOUT THE GIRTH OF ITS ASSOCIATED ARTICLE AND SEALING SAID BOTTOM SEAM DURING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID ARTICLE THEREWITH ALONG SAID FOLDWAY.

Claim 5

THE METHOD OF FOLDING AND SEALING A LENGHT OF HEATSEALABLE WRAPPER ABOUT AN ARTICLE COMPRISING FOLDING SAID WRAPPER ABOUT THE GIRTH OF SAID ARTICLE WITH THE PORTION OF SAID WRAPPER ADJACENT THE BOTTOM OF SAID ARTICLE DISPOSED IN OVERLAPPED RELATIONSHIP AND WITH PORTIONS OF SAID WRAPPER EXTENDING BEYOND THE ENDS OF SAID ARTICLE, MOVING SAID ARTICLE ON A TRAVELLING SUPPORT SURFACE FROM AN ARTICLE DELIVERY STATION TO AN ARTICLE DISCHARGE STATION, FOLDING THE EXTENDING PORTIONS OF SAID WRAPPER AGAINST THE ENDS OF SAID ARTICLE ON SAID SUPPORT SURFACE, APPLYING HEAT TO THE ENDS OF SAID ARTICLE ON SAID SUPPORT SURFACE FOR FORMING THE END SEALS OF SAID WRAPPER AND APPLYING A ZONE OF HEAT TO A SELECTED SECTION ONLY OF SAID OVERLAPPED PORTION OF SAID WRAPPER DURING THE TRAVEL OF SAID ARTICLE ON SAID SUPPORT SURFACE AND CONCOMITANTLY WITH THE FORMATION OF SAID END SEALS.

Claim 6

THE METHOD OF FOLDING AND SEALING A LENGHT OF HEATSEALABLE WRAPPER ABOUT AN ARTICLE COMPRISING FOLDING SAID WRAPPER ABOUT THE GIRTH OF SAID ARTICLE WITH THE PORTION OF SAID WRAPPER ADJACENT THE BOTTOM OF SAID ARTICLE DISPOSED IN OVERLAPPED RELATIONSHIP AND WITH PORTIONS OF SAID WRAPPER EXTENDING BEYOND THE ENDS OF SAID ARTICLE, MOVING SAID ARTICLE ON A TRAVELLING SUPPORT SURFACE FROM AN ARTICLE DELIVERY STATION TO AN ARTICLE DISCHARGE STATION, FOLDING THE EXTENDING PORTIONS OF SAID WRAPPER AGAINST THE ENDS OF SAID ARTICLE ON SAID SUPPORT SURFACE, APPLYING HEAT TO THE ENDS OF SAID ARTICLE ON SAID SUPPORT SURFACE FOR FORMING THE END SEALS OF SAID WRAPPER AND APPLYING A ZONE OF HEAT TO A SELECTED SECTION ONLY OF SAID OVERLAPPED PORTION OF SAID WRAPPER DURING THE TRAVEL OF SAID ARTICLE ON SAID SUPPORT SURFACE AND CONCOMITANTLY WITH THE FORMATION OF SAID END SEALS.