Means and methods for controlling the operation of article processing machines particularly wrapping machines

Claim 1

A CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A WRAPPING MACHINE HAVING A BELT CONVEYOR FOR ADVANCING ARTICLES THERETO, A FIRST MOTOR FOR DRIVING SAID BELT CONVEYOR, AND A FEEDER FOR CONTROLLING THE ADVANCE OF ARTICLES ON THE BELT CONVEYOR AND FOR PASSING SUCCESSIVE INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES TO THE MACHINE AND IN SPACED APART RELATION, SAID WRAPPING MACHINE COMPRISING AN INFEED CONVEYOR HAVING SPACED FLIGHTS FOR RECEIVING ARTICLES FROM THE FEEDER AND ADVANCING THEM TOWARD A POINT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH WRAPPERS TO THIS POINT MEANS FOR ADVANCING SUCCESSIVE WRAPPERS TO THIS POINT OF ENGAGEMENT, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING INDIVIDUAL WRAPPERS TO SAID WRAPPER ADVANCING MEANS WHEREIN THE WRAPPER ADVANCING MEANS ARE OF A LENGTH SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMMODATE THE SAME NUMBER OF WRAPPERS AS THE NUMBER OF OPERATIVE CONVEYOR FLIGHTS BETWEEN SAID FEEDER AND SAID POINT OF ENGAGEMENT, A SECOND MOTOR FOR DRIVING THE WRAPPING MACHINE, FEEDER AND WRAPPER SUPPLY MEANS, AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING AND DE-ACUTATING SAID FEEDER AND WRAPPER SUPPLY MEANS INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OPERTION OF SAID MACHINE AND IN THE SAME CYCLE OF OPERATION THEREOF, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS COMPRISING MEANS FOR CLUTCHING AND DECLUTCHING THE DRIVE FOR SAID FEEDER AND SUPPLY MEANS FROM SAID SECOND MOTOR.