Abstract A machine for automatically packaging heterogeneous grocery store articles in heat shrinkable, thermoplastic film. The machine has a loading station at one end and an endless conveyor having a series of loading zones which is advanceable in discrete loading zone increments along a treatment passageway. Upper and lower film feed rolls feed film ribbons above and below the articles when the film ends are anchored to the conveyor by grocery articles and the conveyor is advanced. When the conveyor is stopped, a welding and severing means at a downstream weld station descends to bond the film ribbons together and sever the covering film from the feeding ribbons. A carriage, on which infrared radiators are mounted at a further downstream shrink station, descends to shrink the film tightly around the articles during the next machine cycle. A subsequent cooling station permits sufficient heat loss for safe handling of the packages.
A heat shrink apparatus for heating heat shrinkable film surrounding an object and comprising: a. a perforate support platform on which said object may be positioned; b. an upwardly radiating electric infrared radiator means mounted below said platform; c. a carriage mounted for descendable reciprocation around said object; d. electric infrared radiator means mounted to said carriage for descending and being energized for each descent and for radiating heat energy onto said object and ascending; e. motor and drive means for at times driving said carriage in descendable and ascendable reciprocation; and f. a control means connected to said motor and drive means and comprising a radiation responsive temperature detector means aimed to detect the temperature of said infrared radiator means and connected for holding said carriage at its descended position at least until a selected temperature is detected.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
139 words
A heat shrink apparatus for heating heat shrinkable film surrounding an object and comprising: a. a perforate support platform on which said object may be positioned; b. an upwardly radiating electric infrared radiator means mounted below said platform; c. a carriage mounted for descendable reciprocation around said object; d. electric infrared radiator means mounted to said carriage for descending and being energized for each descent and for radiating heat energy onto said object and ascending; e. motor and drive means for at times driving said carriage in descendable and ascendable reciprocation; and f. a control means connected to said motor and drive means and comprising a radiation responsive temperature detector means aimed to detect the temperature of said infrared radiator means and connected for holding said carriage at its descended position at least until a selected temperature is detected.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
65 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said carriage comprises a rectangular, horizontally aligned shrink frame having infrared radiators mounted on the inside of each of its four sides and wherein a pair of vertical rack members are fixed to opposite sides of said shrink frame and extend downwardLy on opposite sides of said passageway into driving engagement with a pair of motor driven pinions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said apparatus further comprises a dwell timer means connected to said control means for holding said carriage at the bottom of its descent for a selected time interval after said selected temperature is detected.