Apparatus for wrapping cigarette packs and the like

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING CIGARETTE PACKS AND ANALOGOUS COMMODITIES IN ENVELOPES OF SHEET MATERIAL, IN COMBINATION, A PLURALITY OF INSTRUMENTALITIES OPERATIVE TO MOVE THE COMMODITIES SERIATIM ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH AND TO APPLY AND DEFORM BLANKS OF SHEET MATERIAL AROUND SUCCESSIVE COMMODITIES TO CIVERTD SUCH BLANKS INTO ENVELOPES EACH HAVING AT LEAST TWO ADJOINING PORTIONS WHICH CAN BE SECURED TO EACH OTHER BY THE APPLICATION OF HEAT; MULTIPLE-SPEED DRIVE MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID INSTRUMENTALITIES AT A PLURALITY OF SPEEDS INCLUDING A FULL SPEED; AT LEAST ONE HEAT-APPLYING ELEMENT MOVABLE BETWEEN A HEAT-TRANSMITTING FIRST POSITION WITH REFERENCE TO SAID ADJOINING PORTIONS OF SUCCESIVE ENVELOPES AND AT LEAST ONE RETRACTED SECOND POSITION; SHIFTING MEANS OPERATED BY SAID DRIVE MEANS, AND ARRANGED TO MOVE FIRST POSITION MENT TO FIRST POSITION WITH REFERENCE TO SUCCESSIVE ENVELOPES AND TO MAINTAIN SAID ELEMENT IN SUCH FIRST POSITION FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME IN RESPONSE TO OPERATION OF SAID INSTRUMENTALITIES AT SAID FULL SPEED; AND CON TROL MEANS COMPRISING TIME-DELAY MEANS FOR MOVING SAID ELEMENT FROM FIRST POSITION TO SECOND POSITION AFTER ELAPSE OF SAID PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME IN RESPONSE TO OPERATION OF SAID INSTRUMENTALITIES AT LESS THAN SAID FULL SPEED.