US3750361A — Machine and method for wrapping three dimensional…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 448 words

In a machine for wrapping rectangular objects, in combination, a. a longitudinally extending machine frame, b. an object receiver at one end of said frame, c. object feeding means supported on said frame for moving objects away from said receiver, d. cycle initiating mechanism responsive to the arrival of an object at a predetermined location on said object receiver for energizing said object feeding means, e. a wrapper supply roll and means for feeding wrapper material from said roll and beneath the object, f. first conveyor means for feeding the object and the wrapper material together along said frame with the wrapper material on said conveyor means and the object positioned on the wrapper material at a place to provide a leading margin of wrapper material extending ahead of the object, g. a cutter for cutting off the wrapper material along a line spaced from the rear end of the object for forming a trailing margin of wrapper material, the total length of the cut off wrapper material being selected to provide a wrapper for a particular object, h. first control means responsive to the arrival of the object and the wrapper material at a selected position, i. said first control means functioning for stopping said first conveyor means and for actuating said cutter, j. means for applying a line of glue along the upper surface of one margin of the wrapper near the edge thereof, k. upwardly inclined wrapper guides engaged by the leading margin of the wrapper prior to the actuation of said first control means, for lifting the leading margin of the wrapper off of said conveyor means, l. an overhead feeding means engageable with the top surface of the object and means for driving said overhead feeding means at the same lineal speed as said belt means, said overhead feeding means being actuated concommitantly with said conveyor means, m. second control means actuated by said cutter upon completion of a cutting action of said cutter for re-energizing said conveyor means and said top feeding means, n. a wrapper girth-seal station on said frame, o. additional conveyor means energized by said second control means for feeding the wrapper and object to said station, p. means actuated by arrival of the object at said station for folding the leading and trailing maRgins of the wrapper up and around the forward and rear ends of the object, respectively, q. and means for sequentially sweeping the leading margin of the wrapper and the trailing margin of the wrapper on and over the top surface of the object with the glued edge of said one margin of the wrapper overlying the edge of said other margin of the wrapper.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 448 words

In a machine for wrapping rectangular objects, in combination, a. a longitudinally extending machine frame, b. an object receiver at one end of said frame, c. object feeding means supported on said frame for moving objects away from said receiver, d. cycle initiating mechanism responsive to the arrival of an object at a predetermined location on said object receiver for energizing said object feeding means, e. a wrapper supply roll and means for feeding wrapper material from said roll and beneath the object, f. first conveyor means for feeding the object and the wrapper material together along said frame with the wrapper material on said conveyor means and the object positioned on the wrapper material at a place to provide a leading margin of wrapper material extending ahead of the object, g. a cutter for cutting off the wrapper material along a line spaced from the rear end of the object for forming a trailing margin of wrapper material, the total length of the cut off wrapper material being selected to provide a wrapper for a particular object, h. first control means responsive to the arrival of the object and the wrapper material at a selected position, i. said first control means functioning for stopping said first conveyor means and for actuating said cutter, j. means for applying a line of glue along the upper surface of one margin of the wrapper near the edge thereof, k. upwardly inclined wrapper guides engaged by the leading margin of the wrapper prior to the actuation of said first control means, for lifting the leading margin of the wrapper off of said conveyor means, l. an overhead feeding means engageable with the top surface of the object and means for driving said overhead feeding means at the same lineal speed as said belt means, said overhead feeding means being actuated concommitantly with said conveyor means, m. second control means actuated by said cutter upon completion of a cutting action of said cutter for re-energizing said conveyor means and said top feeding means, n. a wrapper girth-seal station on said frame, o. additional conveyor means energized by said second control means for feeding the wrapper and object to said station, p. means actuated by arrival of the object at said station for folding the leading and trailing maRgins of the wrapper up and around the forward and rear ends of the object, respectively, q. and means for sequentially sweeping the leading margin of the wrapper and the trailing margin of the wrapper on and over the top surface of the object with the glued edge of said one margin of the wrapper overlying the edge of said other margin of the wrapper.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 23 words

A machine according to claim 1 in which the object receiver is a horizontal table adjacent the onside of the first conveyor means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 33 words

A machine according to claim 1 in which the means for applying a line of glue is adjacent the cutter and the glue line is applied across the surface of the trailing margin.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 33 words

A machine according to claim 1 in which the cutter is mounted on a carriage and track means for guiding said carriage and said cutter along a path extending perpendicularly across said frame.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 39 words

A machine according to claim 2 in which the object feeding means includes rollers mounted to move into and out of engagement with the underside of the object for feeding the object off of said table when engaged therewith.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 79 words

A machine according to claim 1 in which said means for feeding a wrapper material from the supply roll comprises a feeding roller and a nip roller adjacent the first conveyor means for feeding the wrapper material upwardly and forwardly with and under the object, a motor for rotating said supply roll and signal means located between said feeding roller and said supply roll for controlling said motor to unwind a length of wrapper off of said supply roll.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 93 words

A machine according to claim 6 in which the signal means comprises a vertically movable dancer roll that is engaged with the upper surface of the wrapper material and limit switch means effective at the lower end of the path of vertical movement of said dancer roll for energizing the wrapper roll motor when said dancer roll is lifted by the feeding of the wrapper material by said feeding roller and de-energizing said wrapper roll motor when said dancer roll is lowered by the feeding of wrapper material off of said wrapper roll.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 44 words

A machine according to claim 7 and a manually actuated control circuit for energizing said wrapper supply roll motor and said wrapper feeding roller for feeding wrapper off of said wrapper supply roll independently of said cycle initiating mechanism and said limit switch means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 41 words

A machine according to claim 1 in which the glue applying means is mounted on the carriage and travels with said cutter across the frame for applying the glue line adjacent the trailing edge of the trailing margin of the wrapper.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 44 words

In a machine according to claim 1, wrapper slitters for trimming the edges of the wrapper material to a width selected for the width of the object being wrapped, said slitters being mounted for simultaneous opposite adjustable movement laterally relative to said machine frame.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 413 words

A girth seal station for a wrapping machine, said machine having preceding means and mechanisms for positioning an object on a wrapper in a position whereby the wrapper has a leading margin extending ahead of the object, a main portion underlying the object and a trailing margin extending backwards from the object, the wrapper having a total length equal to the girth of the object plus a quantity for overlapping the ends of the wrapper, and the machine has means for applying a glue line along the edge of one margin of the wrapper; said station comprising in combination, a. an elevator frame, b. belts having webs extending longitudinally along the top of said frame, c. means for driving said belts for moving the wrapper and object onto said frame, d. means for stopping the object at a predetermined position on said frame with the leading margin of the wrapper bent loosely up along the front end of the object, e. means responsive to the arrival of the object at such position for lowering said frame, f. folding wings extending across the front and back of said frame and spaced fRom each other a distance to embrace the front and back ends of the object, said wings having inwardly extending lips at their upper ends, g. means for swinging said wings toward each other for folding the wrapper around the lower edges of the front and back ends of the object, h. means for moving said frame upwardly until the upper edges of the ends of the object engage the under sides of said lips on said wings for folding the wrapper tightly around said upper edges, i. a transversely extending front sweep bar mounted for movement from an elevated position downwardly and rearwardly over and in sweeping contact with the leading margin of the wrapper for spreading the leading margin rearwardly over the top of the object, j. a rear sweep bar similarly mounted for movement from an elevated position downwardly and forwardly into sweeping contact with the trailing margin of the wrapper for spreading the trailing margin forwardly over the top of the object, the edges of said margins being overlapped, and pressing the overlapped edges together for sealing the same, k. mechanism for sequentially moving said front and rear sweep bars, l. and means for moving said sweep bars back to their elevated positions, raising said frame and moving said belts for discharging the girth wrapped object from said station.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 413 words

A girth seal station for a wrapping machine, said machine having preceding means and mechanisms for positioning an object on a wrapper in a position whereby the wrapper has a leading margin extending ahead of the object, a main portion underlying the object and a trailing margin extending backwards from the object, the wrapper having a total length equal to the girth of the object plus a quantity for overlapping the ends of the wrapper, and the machine has means for applying a glue line along the edge of one margin of the wrapper; said station comprising in combination, a. an elevator frame, b. belts having webs extending longitudinally along the top of said frame, c. means for driving said belts for moving the wrapper and object onto said frame, d. means for stopping the object at a predetermined position on said frame with the leading margin of the wrapper bent loosely up along the front end of the object, e. means responsive to the arrival of the object at such position for lowering said frame, f. folding wings extending across the front and back of said frame and spaced fRom each other a distance to embrace the front and back ends of the object, said wings having inwardly extending lips at their upper ends, g. means for swinging said wings toward each other for folding the wrapper around the lower edges of the front and back ends of the object, h. means for moving said frame upwardly until the upper edges of the ends of the object engage the under sides of said lips on said wings for folding the wrapper tightly around said upper edges, i. a transversely extending front sweep bar mounted for movement from an elevated position downwardly and rearwardly over and in sweeping contact with the leading margin of the wrapper for spreading the leading margin rearwardly over the top of the object, j. a rear sweep bar similarly mounted for movement from an elevated position downwardly and forwardly into sweeping contact with the trailing margin of the wrapper for spreading the trailing margin forwardly over the top of the object, the edges of said margins being overlapped, and pressing the overlapped edges together for sealing the same, k. mechanism for sequentially moving said front and rear sweep bars, l. and means for moving said sweep bars back to their elevated positions, raising said frame and moving said belts for discharging the girth wrapped object from said station.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 48 words

A mechanism according to claim 11 in which the front sweep bar is a tube having a plurality of orifices along its length at approximately the line of tangency to the wrapper when the wrapper is apread over the object, and a vacuum line connected to said tube.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 83 words

A machine according to claim 12 in which the elevator frame has spaced front and back cross members, and support pulleys rotatably mounted on the respective cross members for the belts which extend therebetween and in which the respective one of the folding wings and the adjacent cross member are adjustably movable toward and away from the other of said cross members and wings longitudinally of said machine for selectively spacing said folding wings from each other for accepting objects of different lengths.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 53 words

In a machine according to claim 11, the improvement consisting of a temporary catch means positioned above the elevator frame for catching and holding that margin of the wrapper on which the glue line has been spread above the object, after the wrapper has been folded around the upper edges of the ream.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 360 words

A method for wrapping a stack of paper sheets which consists in the steps of: a. feeding a wrapper that is wider than the stack, thereby providing end seal portions, and that is longer than the girth of the stack, whereby the ends thereof may be overlapped to form a transverse girth seam, from beneath the front end of the stack to extend a leading margin of wrapper ahead of the stack, b. feeding the stack onto and with the wrapper until the stack and wrapper are moved a distance to provide a trailing margin of wrapper behind the stack, c. cutting off the wrapper at the rear edge of the trailing margin, d. applying a line of glue across one of said margins adjacent the edge thereof, e. loosely folding the leading margin of the wrapper up around the leading end of the stack and backwardly over the top thereof, f. tightly folding the wrapper at and around the top and bottom edges of the front and back ends of the stack, g. sweeping the other one of said margins of the wrapper over the top of the stack while holding the glued edge of the said one margin above the stack, h. moving a transversely extending perforated tube along the surface of said one margin of the wrapper while drawing a vacuum in the tube for increasing the sweeping friction against the wrapper, for sweeping the said one margin of the wrapper over the top of the stack and over the end of the other one of the said margins of wrapper for overlapping the ends of the margins of the wrapper with the glue line lying therebetween and leaving the end seal portioNs of the wrapper extending beyond the stack as two vertical and two horizontal webs and i. sequentially folding in the vertical webs of the end seal portions of the wrapper, folding down and up, respectively, the horizontal webs of the end seal portions of the wrapper while spreading a glue line on one of said horizontal webs and overlapping said horizontal webs with the glue line therebetween for sealing the ends of the wrapper.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 360 words

A method for wrapping a stack of paper sheets which consists in the steps of: a. feeding a wrapper that is wider than the stack, thereby providing end seal portions, and that is longer than the girth of the stack, whereby the ends thereof may be overlapped to form a transverse girth seam, from beneath the front end of the stack to extend a leading margin of wrapper ahead of the stack, b. feeding the stack onto and with the wrapper until the stack and wrapper are moved a distance to provide a trailing margin of wrapper behind the stack, c. cutting off the wrapper at the rear edge of the trailing margin, d. applying a line of glue across one of said margins adjacent the edge thereof, e. loosely folding the leading margin of the wrapper up around the leading end of the stack and backwardly over the top thereof, f. tightly folding the wrapper at and around the top and bottom edges of the front and back ends of the stack, g. sweeping the other one of said margins of the wrapper over the top of the stack while holding the glued edge of the said one margin above the stack, h. moving a transversely extending perforated tube along the surface of said one margin of the wrapper while drawing a vacuum in the tube for increasing the sweeping friction against the wrapper, for sweeping the said one margin of the wrapper over the top of the stack and over the end of the other one of the said margins of wrapper for overlapping the ends of the margins of the wrapper with the glue line lying therebetween and leaving the end seal portioNs of the wrapper extending beyond the stack as two vertical and two horizontal webs and i. sequentially folding in the vertical webs of the end seal portions of the wrapper, folding down and up, respectively, the horizontal webs of the end seal portions of the wrapper while spreading a glue line on one of said horizontal webs and overlapping said horizontal webs with the glue line therebetween for sealing the ends of the wrapper.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 278 words

A machine for wrapping reams of paper sheets, said machine comprising, in combination, a. a longitudinally extending frame, b. a wrapper supply roll journalled in said frame, c. means for unrolling and cutting off a measured length of wrapper, d. a girth seam station on said frame, e. means for feeding such length of wrapper and a ream of paper sheets resting thereon with margins of the wrapper extending outwardly from the edges of the ream on all sides, along said frame and to said girth seam station, f. means for loosely laying the front margin of the wrapper back over the front end and top of the ream of sheets, g. means actuated upon arrival of said ream at said station for tightly folding the front and rear margins of the wrapper at the upper and lower edges of the front and rear ends of the ream along parallel fold lines extending across said frame, h. means actuated immediately thereafter for sequentially sweeping the front margin of the wrapper over the top sheet of the ream and for sweeping the rear margin of the wrapper forwardly over the top sheet of the ream and overlapping the edge of the front margin of the wrapper along a girth seam extending across said frame, i. tuckers and folding shoes mounted on said frame at opposite sides of said frame, j. conveyor means energized by completion of said girth seam for moving the girth wrapped object away from said station and along a path between said tuckers and folding shoes for sequentially tucking in the margins of the wrapper at the top and bottom of the sides of the object.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 278 words

A machine for wrapping reams of paper sheets, said machine comprising, in combination, a. a longitudinally extending frame, b. a wrapper supply roll journalled in said frame, c. means for unrolling and cutting off a measured length of wrapper, d. a girth seam station on said frame, e. means for feeding such length of wrapper and a ream of paper sheets resting thereon with margins of the wrapper extending outwardly from the edges of the ream on all sides, along said frame and to said girth seam station, f. means for loosely laying the front margin of the wrapper back over the front end and top of the ream of sheets, g. means actuated upon arrival of said ream at said station for tightly folding the front and rear margins of the wrapper at the upper and lower edges of the front and rear ends of the ream along parallel fold lines extending across said frame, h. means actuated immediately thereafter for sequentially sweeping the front margin of the wrapper over the top sheet of the ream and for sweeping the rear margin of the wrapper forwardly over the top sheet of the ream and overlapping the edge of the front margin of the wrapper along a girth seam extending across said frame, i. tuckers and folding shoes mounted on said frame at opposite sides of said frame, j. conveyor means energized by completion of said girth seam for moving the girth wrapped object away from said station and along a path between said tuckers and folding shoes for sequentially tucking in the margins of the wrapper at the top and bottom of the sides of the object.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-08-06	1977-02-05	1977-08-07	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-08-06	1981-02-05	1981-08-07	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-08-06	1985-02-05	1985-08-07	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Machine and method for wrapping three dimensional rectangular objects

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