Packaging machine and process

Claim 2

Automatic packaging apparatus comprising a wrapping conveyor having an input and an output end for conveying successive articles to be wrapped, package receiving means adjacent the output end of said wrapping conveyor but spaced therefrom, carrier means carrying at least one wrap bar along a path which encircles said wrapping conveyor to wrap plastic wrapping film about an article on said conveyor, plastic wrapping film supply means located at a level below said wrapping conveyor, wrapper feeding means independent of said wrapping conveyor for lifting the leading end of a length of the plastic wrapping film to a predetermined location adjacent the input end of said wrapping conveyor, said wrapper feeding means including means to pick up the wrapping film at a point spaced from the input end of said wrapping conveyor and to invert the film from its initial condition so that its initially trailing end becomes its leading end, means producing an upward air jet adjacent the input end of said wrapping conveyor to lift the inverted trailing end of the wrapping film, which has become the leading end, to a position above and spaced from the upper surface of said wrapping conveyor, and to maintain such leading end projecting upwardly above said upper surface to intercept the unobstructed path of an incoming article to said wrapping conveyor, article feeding means for passing an article to be wrapped into contact with the leading end of the wrapping film and then onto the input end of said wrapping conveyor, to restrain the originally upwardly projecting leading end of the wrapping film between the bottom surface of the article and the upper surface of the wrapping conveyor, drive means for advancing the wrap bar along its path and against the trailing end of the wrapping film, while the article is on the wrapping conveyor with at least part thereof resting on the leading end of the wrapping film, to convey the trailing end thereof up over the article and down in front of it to the output end of said wrapping conveyor, and means for passing said article onto said package receiving means after said wrapping film has been so conveyed about the article to cause the trailing end of said wrapping film to overlap the leading end thereof underneath the article.

Claim 3

Automatic packaging apparatus comprising a wrapping conveyor having an input and an output end for conveying successive articles to be wrapped, package receiving means adjacent the output end of said wrapping conveyor but spaced therefrom, carrier means carrying at least one wrap bar along a path which encircles said wrapping conveyor to wrap plastic wrapping film about an article on said conveyor, plastic wrapping film supply means located at a level below said wrapping conveyor, wrapper feeding means independent of said wrapping conveyor for conveying a first length of said wrapping film to said wrapping conveyor and lifting the leading end of a said first length of the plastic wrapping film to a predetermined location above the wrapping conveyor adjacent its input end, said wrapper feeding means including airjet means producing an upward air jet adjacent the input end of said wrapping conveyor, effective before said wrapping film reaches said wrapping conveyor, to lift the leading end of the wrapping film from a position below to a position above, and spaced from, the upper surface of said wrapping conveyor, and to maintain such leading end projecting upwardly above said upper surface to intercept the incoming article to said wrapping conveyor, said wrapper feeding means also including means for holding said wrapping film to extend across the path of the wrap bar, wherein this extended film is picked up and carried by the wrap bar toward the input end of the wrapping conveyor, as the wrap bar passes along its path, to feed one end of said wrapping film into the path of the air jet, article feeding means for passing the front edge of a first article to be wrapped into contact with the leading end of the wrapping film and then past said leading end onto the input end of said wrapping conveyor, to restrain the originally upwardly projecting leading end of the wrapping film between the bottom surface of the article and the upper surface of the wrapping conveyor, rearwardly of the front edge of said article, drive means for advancing the wrap bar along its path and against the trailing end of the wrapping film, while said first article is on the wrapping conveyor with at least part thereof resting on the leading end of the wrapping film, to convey the trailing end of said film up and over said article and down in front of it to the output end of said wrapping conveyor, said wrapper feeding means being synchronized with said wrap bar for supplying a second length of wrapping material and advancing the leading end thereof to the input end of said conveyor while said wrap bar is conveying the trailing end of the first length up and over and down in front of the said first article, and means for passing said first article onto said package receiving means after said wrapping film has been so conveyed about said article to cause the trailing end of said wrapping film to overlap the leading end thereof underneath the article.

Claim 4

Automatic packaging apparatus comprising a wrapping conveyor having an input and an output end for conveying successive articles to be wrapped, package receiving means adjacent the output end of said wrapping conveyor but spaced therefrom, carrier means carrying at least one wrap bar along a path which encircles said wrapping conveyor to wrap plastic wrapping film about an article on said conveyor, plastic wrapping film supply means located at a level below said wrapping conveyor, wrapper feeding means independent of said wrapping conveyor for conveying a first length of said wrapping film to said wrapping conveyor and lifting the leading end of a said first length of the plastic wrapping film to a predetermined location above the wrapping conveyor adjacent its input end, said wrapper feeding means including airjet means producing an upward air jet adjacent the input end of said wrapping conveyor, effective before said wrapping film reaches said wrapping conveyor, to lift the leading end of the wrapping film from a position below to a position above, and spaced from, the upper surface of said wrapping conveyor, and to maintain such leading end projecting upwardly above said upper surface to intercept the incoming article to said wrapping conveyor, said wrapper feeding means also including means for holding said wrapping film to extend across the path of the wrap bar, wherein this extended film is picked up and carried by the wrap bar toward the input end of the wrapping conveyor, as the wrap bar passes along its path, to feed one end of said wrapping film into the path of the air jet, article feeding means for passing the front edge of a first article to be wrapped into contact with the leading end of the wrapping film and then past said leading end onto the input end of said wrapping conveyor, to restrain the originally upwardly projecting leading end of the wrapping film between the bottom surface of the article and the upper surface of the wrapping conveyor, rearwardly of the front edge of said article, drive means for advancing the wrap bar along its path and against the trailing end of the wrapping film, while said first article is on the wrapping conveyor with at least part thereof resting on the leading end of the wrapping film, to convey the trailing end of said film up and over said article and down in front of it to the output end of said wrapping conveyor, said wrapper feeding means being synchronized with said wrap bar for supplying a second length of wrapping material and advancing the leading end thereof to the input end of said conveyor while said wrap bar is conveying the trailing end of the first length up and over and down in front of the said first article, and means for passing said first article onto said package receiving means after said wrapping film has been so conveyed about said article to cause the trailing end of said wrapping film to overlap the leading end thereof underneath the article.

Claim 5

Automatic packaging apparatus comprising a wrapping conveyor having an input and an output end for conveying successive articles to be wrapped, package receiving means adjacent the output end of said wrapping conveyor but spaced therefrom, carrier means carrying at least one wrap bar along a path which encircles said wrapping conveyor to wrap plastic wrapping film about an article on said conveyor, the wrap bar being circular in cross-section and rotatable about its own axis, plastic wrapping film supply means located at a level below said wrapping conveyor, wrapper feeding means independent of said wrapping conveyor for lifting the leading end of a length of the plastic wrapping film to a predetermined location adjacent the input end of said wrapping conveyor, means producing an upward air jet adjacent the input end of said wrapping conveyor to lift the leading end of the wrapping film to a position above and spaced from the upper surface of said wrapping conveyor, and to maintain such leading end projecting upwardly above said upper surface to intercept the unobstructed path of an incoming article to said wrapping conveyor, cut-off means and means providing a surface adjacent the wrap bar path near the input end of the wrapping conveyor, said wrapper feeding means including means for holding said wrapping film to extend across the path of the wrap bar, wherein this extended film is picked up and carried by the wrap bar toward the input end of the wrapping conveyor, as the wrap bar passes along its path, the wrap bar pressing against and rotating along said surface, with the wrapping film between it and said surface, to tension the wrapping film against said cut-off means to cut off a sheet thereof of predetermined length, as the wrapping film is being carried by the wrap bar, and to advance one end of the sheet toward the input end of the wrapping conveyor into the path of the air jet, article feeding means for passing an article to be wrapped into contact with the leading end of the wrapping film and then onto the input end of said wrapping conveyor, to restrain the originally upwardly projecting leading end of the wrapping film between the bottom surface of the article and the upper surface of the wrapping conveyor, drive means for advancing the wrap bar along its path and against the trailing end of the wrapping film, while the article is on the wrapping conveyor with at least part thereof resting on the leading end of the wrapping film, to convey the trailing end thereof up over the article and down in front of it to the output end of saId wrapping conveyor, and means for passing said article onto said package receiving means after said wrapping film has been so conveyed about the article to cause the trailing end of said wrapping film to overlap the leading end thereof underneath the article.

Claim 6

Automatic packaging apparatus comprising a wrapping conveyor having an input and an output end for conveying successive articles to be wrapped, package receiving means adjacent the output end of said wrapping conveyor but spaced therefrom, carrier means carrying at least one wrap bar along a path which encircles said wrapping conveyor to wrap plastic wrapping film about an article on said conveyor, the wrap bar being circular in cross-section and rotatable about its own axis, plastic wrapping film supply means located at a level below said wrapping conveyor, wrapper feeding means independent of said wrapping conveyor for lifting the leading end of a length of the plastic wrapping film to a predetermined location adjacent the input end of said wrapping conveyor, means producing an upward air jet adjacent the input end of said wrapping conveyor to lift the leading end of the wrapping film to a position above and spaced from the upper surface of said wrapping conveyor, and to maintain such leading end projecting upwardly above said upper surface to intercept the unobstructed path of an incoming article to said wrapping conveyor, cut-off means and means providing a surface adjacent the wrap bar path near the input end of the wrapping conveyor, said wrapper feeding means including means for holding said wrapping film to extend across the path of the wrap bar, wherein this extended film is picked up and carried by the wrap bar toward the input end of the wrapping conveyor, as the wrap bar passes along its path, the wrap bar pressing against and rotating along said surface, with the wrapping film between it and said surface, to tension the wrapping film against said cut-off means to cut off a sheet thereof of predetermined length, as the wrapping film is being carried by the wrap bar, and to advance one end of the sheet toward the input end of the wrapping conveyor into the path of the air jet, article feeding means for passing an article to be wrapped into contact with the leading end of the wrapping film and then onto the input end of said wrapping conveyor, to restrain the originally upwardly projecting leading end of the wrapping film between the bottom surface of the article and the upper surface of the wrapping conveyor, drive means for advancing the wrap bar along its path and against the trailing end of the wrapping film, while the article is on the wrapping conveyor with at least part thereof resting on the leading end of the wrapping film, to convey the trailing end thereof up over the article and down in front of it to the output end of saId wrapping conveyor, and means for passing said article onto said package receiving means after said wrapping film has been so conveyed about the article to cause the trailing end of said wrapping film to overlap the leading end thereof underneath the article.

Claim 7

Automatic packaging apparatus comprising a wrapping conveyor having an input and an output end for conveying successive articles to be wrapped, package receiving means adjacent the output end of said wrapping conveyor but spaced therefrom, carrier means carrying at least one wrap bar along a path which encircles said wrapping conveyor to wrap plastic wrapping film about an article on said conveyor, wrapper feeding means for supplying the leading end of a length of the wrapping film to a predetermined location adjacent the input end of said wrapping conveyor, said wrapper feeding means including means for holding said wrapping film to extend across the path of the wrap bar, and means for advancing the wrap bar into the extended wrapping film to pick it up and carry it on the wrap bar as it passes along its path to said predetermined location, intermittently operating means actuated once said wrapping material has reached said predetermined location for producing an upward air jet adjacent the input end of the wrapping material to lift the leading end of the wrapping film and maintain it projecting upwardly above said wrapping conveyor in a position to intersect the path of an incoming article to said wrapping conveyor, article feeding means for passing an article to be wrapped into contact with the upwradly projecting leading end of the wrapping film and then onto the input end of said wrapping conveyor, to restrain the originally upwardly projecting leading end of the wrapping film between the bottom surface of the article and the upper surface of the wrapping conveyor, drive means for advancing the wrap bar along its path and against the trailing end of the wrapping film, while the article is on the wrapping conveyor with at least part thereof resting on the leading end of the wrapping film, to convey the trailing end thereof up over the article and down in front of it to the output end of said wrapping conconveyor, and means for passing said article onto said package receiving means after said wrapping film has been so conveyed about the article to cause the trailing end of said wrapping film to overlap the leading end thereof underneath the article.

Claim 8

Automatic packaging apparatus comprising a wrapping conveyor having an input and an output end for conveying successive articles to be wrapped, package receiving means adjacent the output end of said wrapping conveyor but spaced therefrom, carrier means carrying at least one wrap bar along a path which encircles said wrapping conveyor to wrap plastic wrapping film about an article on said conveyor, wrapper feeding means for supplying the leading end of a length of the wrapping film to a predetermined location adjacent the input end of said wrapping conveyor, said wrapper feeding means including means for holding said wrapping film to extend across the path of the wrap bar, and means for advancing the wrap bar into the extended wrapping film to pick it up and carry it on the wrap bar as it passes along its path to said predetermined location, intermittently operating means actuated once said wrapping material has reached said predetermined location for producing an upward air jet adjacent the input end of the wrapping material to lift the leading end of the wrapping film and maintain it projecting upwardly above said wrapping conveyor in a position to intersect the path of an incoming article to said wrapping conveyor, article feeding means for passing an article to be wrapped into contact with the upwradly projecting leading end of the wrapping film and then onto the input end of said wrapping conveyor, to restrain the originally upwardly projecting leading end of the wrapping film between the bottom surface of the article and the upper surface of the wrapping conveyor, drive means for advancing the wrap bar along its path and against the trailing end of the wrapping film, while the article is on the wrapping conveyor with at least part thereof resting on the leading end of the wrapping film, to convey the trailing end thereof up over the article and down in front of it to the output end of said wrapping conconveyor, and means for passing said article onto said package receiving means after said wrapping film has been so conveyed about the article to cause the trailing end of said wrapping film to overlap the leading end thereof underneath the article.