Method of and an apparatus for automatically compressing and banding a stack of articles

Claim 1

A method of compressing and banding a stack of compressible articles comprising the steps of feeding the stack of articles forwardly along a given path, conveying wrapper sheets on upper and lower compression belts while applying a pressure differential across at least the upper compression belt to hold a wrapper sheet thereon for movement into engagement with the top of a stack, moving the wrapper sheets into engagement with the stack, compressing the stack with oppositely acting forces and holding the stack compressed with wrapper sheets disposed thereon, folding portions of the wrapper sheets into an overlapped relationship and joining the overlapped ends by adhering the ends together to form an endless band and releasing the oppositely directed forces whereby the band holds the articles in a compressed state in a banded stack.

Claim 2

A method of compressing and banding a stack of compressible articles comprising the steps of feeding the stack of articles forwardly along a given path, conveying wrapper sheets on upper and lower compression belts while applying a pressure differential across at least the upper compression belt to hold a wrapper sheet thereon for movement into engagement with the top of a stack, moving the wrapper sheets into engagement with the stack, compressing the stack with oppositely acting forces and holding the stack compressed with wrapper sheets disposed thereon, folding portions of the wrapper sheets into an overlapped relationship and joining the overlapped ends by adhering the ends together to form an endless band and releasing the oppositely directed forces whereby the band holds the articles in a compressed state in a banded stack.

Claim 3

A method of banding and compressing a vertical stack of articles with an endless band comprising the steps of: continuously feeding a stack of compressible articles forwardly along a given path, sensing the position of the stack as it moves into a compressing and banding station, separating wrapper sheets from at least one continuous web of wrapper material, positioning a lower wrapper sheet beneath the stack and an upper wrapper sheet on top of the stack, compressing the stack of articles to reduce the height of the stack, folding the ends of the lower wrapper sheet upwardly to and about the sides of the stack and folding the ends of the upper sheet downwardly, overlapping and bonding the ends of the wrapper sheets and applying pressure to cause the wrapper ends to adhere to each other to form the band, and releasing compressing forces whereby the articles are held in a compressed state in the stack.

Claim 4

A method of banding and compressing a vertical stack of articles with an endless band comprising the steps of: continuously feeding a stack of compressible articles forwardly along a given path, sensing the position of the stack as it moves into a compressing and banding station, separating wrapper sheets from at least one continuous web of wrapper material, positioning a lower wrapper sheet beneath the stack and an upper wrapper sheet on top of the stack, compressing the stack of articles to reduce the height of the stack, folding the ends of the lower wrapper sheet upwardly to and about the sides of the stack and folding the ends of the upper sheet downwardly, overlapping and bonding the ends of the wrapper sheets and applying pressure to cause the wrapper ends to adhere to each other to form the band, and releasing compressing forces whereby the articles are held in a compressed state in the stack.

Claim 5

An apparatus for compressing and banding a stack of compressible articles comprising, means for conveying a stack of articles forwardly along a given path, means for moving wrapper sheets into engagement with the stack, means for compressing the stack with the wrapper sheets thereon and for moving the stack, means for bringing the ends of the wrapper sheets together for causing the same to be joined and thereby to hold the articles in a compressed state, said means for compressing the stack comprising a pair of endless, air permeable belts which compress the stack therebetween while moving the same forwardly along said path whereby a pressure differential established across at least one of said air permeable belts holds an associated wrapper sheet against movement relative thereto while moving the same into engagement with said stack of articles.

Claim 6

An apparatus for compressing and banding a stack of compressible articles comprising, means for conveying a stack of articles forwardly along a given path, means for moving wrapper sheets into engagement with the stack, means for compressing the stack with the wrapper sheets thereon and for moving the stack, means for bringing the ends of the wrapper sheets together for causing the same to be joined and thereby to hold the articles in a compressed state, said means for compressing the stack comprising a pair of endless, air permeable belts which compress the stack therebetween while moving the same forwardly along said path whereby a pressure differential established across at least one of said air permeable belts holds an associated wrapper sheet against movement relative thereto while moving the same into engagement with said stack of articles.

Claim 7

An apparatus for compressing and banding a stack of compressible articles comprising, means for conveying a stack of articles forwardly along a given path, means for moving wrapper sheets into engagement with the stack, means for compressing the stack with the wrapper sheets thereon and for moving the stack, means for bringing the ends of the wrapper sheets together for causing the same to be joinEd and thereby to hold the articles in a compressed state, means for supporting and unwinding a web of wrapper material from a supply roll, means for severing individual wrapper sheets from said web of wrapper material for application to said stack in timed relationship to the movement of said stack along said path, said means for severing wrapper sheets from said web including first and second sets of feed rolls spaced longitudinally along said web for feeding said wrapper sheet and said web, said web having weakened areas therein for separating upon the application of said tensile forces to said web when said web is in the nip of both said first and second sets of feed rolls, means for sensing an incoming stack for compression, means operable by said sensing means to cause said first and second sets of feed rolls to feed said web and to sever a wrapper sheet from said web, and means for sensing movement of said web and for positioning another weakened area between said first and second sets of feed rolls for separation with the next feeding operation of the sets of feed rolls.

Claim 8

An apparatus for compressing and banding a stack of compressible articles comprising, means for conveying a stack of articles forwardly along a given path, means for moving wrapper sheets into engagement with the stack, means for compressing the stack with the wrapper sheets thereon and for moving the stack, means for bringing the ends of the wrapper sheets together for causing the same to be joinEd and thereby to hold the articles in a compressed state, means for supporting and unwinding a web of wrapper material from a supply roll, means for severing individual wrapper sheets from said web of wrapper material for application to said stack in timed relationship to the movement of said stack along said path, said means for severing wrapper sheets from said web including first and second sets of feed rolls spaced longitudinally along said web for feeding said wrapper sheet and said web, said web having weakened areas therein for separating upon the application of said tensile forces to said web when said web is in the nip of both said first and second sets of feed rolls, means for sensing an incoming stack for compression, means operable by said sensing means to cause said first and second sets of feed rolls to feed said web and to sever a wrapper sheet from said web, and means for sensing movement of said web and for positioning another weakened area between said first and second sets of feed rolls for separation with the next feeding operation of the sets of feed rolls.

Claim 11

An apparatus for compressing and banding a stack of compressible articles comprising, means for conveying a stack of articles forwardly along a given path, means for moving wrapper sheets into engagement with the stack, means for compressing the stack with the wrapper sheets thereon and for moving the stack, means for bringing the ends of the wrapper sheets together for causing the same to be joined and thereby to hold the articles in a compressed state, and aligning means for aligning sides of said articles in said stack prior to compression thereof, said aligning means including end pushers for pushing against rearward sides of said articles and side pushers for pushing against the longitudinally extending sides of said articles.

Claim 12

An apparatus for compressing and banding a stack of compressible articles comprising, means for conveying a stack of articles forwardly along a given path, means for moving wrapper sheets into engagement with the stack, means for compressing the stack with the wrapper sheets thereon and for moving the stack, means for bringing the ends of the wrapper sheets together for causing the same to be joined and thereby to hold the articles in a compressed state, and aligning means for aligning sides of said articles in said stack prior to compression thereof, said aligning means including end pushers for pushing against rearward sides of said articles and side pushers for pushing against the longitudinally extending sides of said articles.

Claim 14

An apparatus for compressing and banding a vertical stack of disposable diapers, said apparatus comprising an infeed conveying and article aligning means having a pair of endless belts between which the stack of diapers are moved along a predetermined substantially horizontal path of movement, pushers carried by said endless bands for movement into engagement with the stack to push the same into alignment while being conveyed along said path, means for sensing the movement of said stack into position for receiving wrapper sheets, a means operable by said sensing means to separate an upper and lower wrapper sheet from continuous web of wrapper material, an upper and lower continuous air permeable compression belt for compressing the stack while conveying the same forwardly along said path, means for providing a pressure differential across a portion of said compression belts to cause the respective wrapper sheets to adhere thereto and to travel in timed relationship to the travel of said stack, said compression belts holding said wrapper sheets in engagement with said upper and lower disposable diapers in said stack while compressing the same to the maximum extent, means for folding ends of the upper and lower wrapper sheets into overlapped positions, and means for pressing the overlapped ends to cause adhesive materials to bond together the ends of the upper and lower wrapper sheets, said endless compression belts discharging said compressed and banded diapers.

Claim 15

An apparatus for compressing and banding a vertical stack of disposable diapers, said apparatus comprising an infeed conveying and article aligning means having a pair of endless belts between which the stack of diapers are moved along a predetermined substantially horizontal path of movement, pushers carried by said endless bands for movement into engagement with the stack to push the same into alignment while being conveyed along said path, means for sensing the movement of said stack into position for receiving wrapper sheets, a means operable by said sensing means to separate an upper and lower wrapper sheet from continuous web of wrapper material, an upper and lower continuous air permeable compression belt for compressing the stack while conveying the same forwardly along said path, means for providing a pressure differential across a portion of said compression belts to cause the respective wrapper sheets to adhere thereto and to travel in timed relationship to the travel of said stack, said compression belts holding said wrapper sheets in engagement with said upper and lower disposable diapers in said stack while compressing the same to the maximum extent, means for folding ends of the upper and lower wrapper sheets into overlapped positions, and means for pressing the overlapped ends to cause adhesive materials to bond together the ends of the upper and lower wrapper sheets, said endless compression belts discharging said compressed and banded diapers.