Package wrapping machine

Claim 2

A package wrapping machine for covering a rectangular package with wrapping material on five sides, said machine comprising in combination; a conveyor means for supporting the package and transporting it from one work position to another; wrapping material storage and dispensing means for storing and dispensing a roll of wrapping material having a substantially constant width, said wrapping material storage and dispensing means being disposed over a portion of said conveyor means; wrapping material holding means for holding said wrapping material in position on at least three sides of said package; folding means for moving said holding means selectively against the leading and trailing ends of said package for folding said wrapping material against said package; fastening means for fastening said wrapping material to said package and thereby drawing said material from the storage upon the movement of said conveyor means; and slitting means for slitting said material to provide material of a proper length to wrap said package.

Claim 3

The machine of claim 1 wherein said wrapping material storage and dispensing means includes a distributing roller positioned above a package to be wrapped for holding wrapping material against the top of said package, and a pair of side rollers positioned adjacent each side of the package to be wrapped for holding material thereagainst.

Claim 4

The machine of claim 2 wherein said pair of side rollers are slanted and rotate to pull the wrapping material downwardly and rearward of the package for removing wrinkles and the like from the wrapping material.

Claim 5

The machine of claim 2 wherein said side rollers are positioned in parallel planes which are orthogonal to the plane of said distributing roller, thereby causing the ends of said wrapping material to go through a transition of substantially 90° between the position at which the ends contact said distributing roller and the position at which the ends contact said pair of side rollers.

Claim 6

The machine of claim 4 wherein said distributing roller has a center portion for contacting the center of said wrapping material, said center portion having a first diameter; and end portions which contact the ends of said wrapping material, said end portions being of a substantially smaller diameter than said central portion for providing a smaller radius for the ends of said wrapping material to pass around for enabling said material to extend through the 90° transition without tearing.

Claim 7

The machine of claim 1 and further wherein said wrapping material holding means comprises a plurality of perforated tubes having a partial vacuum disposed therein for holding said wrapping material thereagainst.

Claim 8

The machine of claim 1 wherein said folding means includes a first holding apparatus for disposing said holding means in a first orientation against the leading end of the package being wrapped, and a second folding apparatus for dispensing said holding means in a second orientation against the trailing end of a package being wrapped.

Claim 9

The machine of claim 7 wherein said folding means includes a pair of side fold frames and a center fold frame, with said side fold frames being disposed on either side of said conveyor means and said center fold frame being positioned between and above said side fold frames, and further wherein said first folding apparatus comprises one inner fold frame on each of said side and said center fold frames for folding wrapping material against the package leading end and wherein said second folding apparatus includes an outer fold frame on each of said side and said center fold frames for folding wrapping material against the package trailing end.

Claim 10

The machine of claim 1 wherein said fastening means includes a stapler head for applying staples to said package through said wrapping material.

Claim 11

The machine of claim 9 wherein said stapler head is attached to means for rotating said head into a first orientation for stapling a package leading end, a second orientation for stapling along a package side, and a third orientation for stapling along a package trailing end.

Claim 12

The machine of claim 10 wherein said stapler head is slidably mounted on a first beam for movement laterally of said conveyor means.

Claim 13

The machine of claim 11 wherein said first beam is slidably mounted on a second beam for movement longitudinally of said conveyor means.

Claim 14

The machine of claim 12 wherein said first beam is also pivotally attached to said second beam for allowing said stapler head to be forced against a surface being stapled by pivoting said first beam.

Claim 15

The machine of claim 13 wherein said first beam is also slidably mounted on a vertical beam for allowing vertical displacement of said stapler head.

Claim 18

The method of claim 15 including the step of stapling the wrapping material to the package sides while the package is being conveyed forwardly.

Claim 19

The method of claim 16 wherein the step of cutting the wrapping material includes moving a slitter up one side of the wrapping material, across the top of the wrapping material, and down the other side of the wrapping material, and then returning the slitter to its original position.

Claim 20

The method of claim 17 wherein the step of stapling the package trailing end is followed by the step of advancing the slit free end of the wrapping material into the holding apparatus in preparation for wrapping of another package.

Claim 21

An automatic package wrapping apparatus comprising: package handling means for horizontally conveying a package from one wrapping station to another; wrapping material supply means for supplying wrapping material of a predetermined width for wrapping the package; wrapping material holding means including a center holding means for holding the center of the wrapping material in a horizontal plane above a package to be wrapped, and a pair of side holding means for holding the wrapping material ends in spaced vertical planes; center folding means connected to said center holding means for moving the center holding means and thereby folding the center portion of said wrapping material selectively against the leading and trailing ends of said package; said folding means comprising a pair of side folders attached to said side holding means for moving the side holding means and thereby folding the sides of said wrapping material selectively against the leading and trailing ends of said package; and cutting means movable between an inoperative position and an operative position for slitting said wrapping material to provide a length sufficient to wrap said package, fastening means for fastening said wrapping material to said package and thereby drawing said material from the supply means upon the movement of said handling means.

Claim 22

An automatic package wrapping apparatus comprising: package handling means for horizontally conveying a package from one wrapping station to another; wrapping material supply means for supplying wrapping material of a predetermined width for wrapping the package; wrapping material holding means including a center holding means for holding the center of the wrapping material in a horizontal plane above a package to be wrapped, and a pair of side holding means for holding the wrapping material ends in spaced vertical planes; center folding means connected to said center holding means for moving the center holding means and thereby folding the center portion of said wrapping material selectively against the leading and trailing ends of said package; said folding means comprising a pair of side folders attached to said side holding means for moving the side holding means and thereby folding the sides of said wrapping material selectively against the leading and trailing ends of said package; and cutting means movable between an inoperative position and an operative position for slitting said wrapping material to provide a length sufficient to wrap said package, fastening means for fastening said wrapping material to said package and thereby drawing said material from the supply means upon the movement of said handling means.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 19 and further wherein said cutting means includes a cut end holding means for holding said wrapping material while it is being cut and holding the free end of said wrapping material after the cutting thereof.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 20 and further including translation means for moving said cutting means to a third position for transferring said cut free end from said cut end holding means to said wrapping material holding means.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said center holding means, said pair of side holding means, and said cut end holding means comprise vacuum tubes having apertures formed therein for communicating a partial vacuum to the wrapping material for holding the wrapping material against the vacuum tubes.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said center holding means is slidably mounted on said center folding means for longitudinal movement thereon to enable the wrapping material to be drawn tightly on the package being wrapped.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein each of said side holding means is slidably mounted on its respective side folding means for longitudinal movement thereon to enable the wrapping material to be drawn tightly on the package.