US4642969A — Method and apparatus for wrapping blocks of cheese

Claim 1

Independent Claim 314 words

In apparatus for wrapping blocks of cheese, tube former means, means for feeding blocks of cheese in spaced relation into the tube former means, means for feeding a web of heat shrinkable and sealable plastic film wrap to the tube former means for entubement of the spaced blocks of cheese in an elongated tube of plastic film wrap, said film wrap including lateral edge portions of said web that overlap each other over the length of the tube, vertically spaced endless conveyors disposed between the tube former means and a cutoff station and sandwiching the entubed blocks of cheese therebetween with a gripping pressure, drive means for the endless conveyors for advancing the entubed spaced blocks of cheese from the tube former means to the cutoff station, heating means adjacent at least one of the endless conveyors whereby the endless conveyor passes between said heating means and said entubed spaced blocks of cheese such that said endless conveyor transfers heat from said heating means to said entubed blocks of cheese for heating the entubed blocks of cheese and thereby shrinking the plastic film wrap tightly onto surfaces of the blocks of cheese extending in the direction of travel to drive air out from between the cheese and the film wrap and sealing the overlapped edge portions of the wrap as the entubed blocks of cheese are advanced by the endless conveyors toward the cutoff station, means at the cutoff station for severing the tube corresponding to each block of cheese with the severance being effected intermediate the space between adjacent blocks and leaving each block with opposed severed tube ends, means for folding the severed tube ends against a surface of each wrapped block of cheese extending in the direction of travel, and means to heat the separate individually wrapped blocks of cheese to seal the respective tube ends together and against said surface.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 314 words

In apparatus for wrapping blocks of cheese, tube former means, means for feeding blocks of cheese in spaced relation into the tube former means, means for feeding a web of heat shrinkable and sealable plastic film wrap to the tube former means for entubement of the spaced blocks of cheese in an elongated tube of plastic film wrap, said film wrap including lateral edge portions of said web that overlap each other over the length of the tube, vertically spaced endless conveyors disposed between the tube former means and a cutoff station and sandwiching the entubed blocks of cheese therebetween with a gripping pressure, drive means for the endless conveyors for advancing the entubed spaced blocks of cheese from the tube former means to the cutoff station, heating means adjacent at least one of the endless conveyors whereby the endless conveyor passes between said heating means and said entubed spaced blocks of cheese such that said endless conveyor transfers heat from said heating means to said entubed blocks of cheese for heating the entubed blocks of cheese and thereby shrinking the plastic film wrap tightly onto surfaces of the blocks of cheese extending in the direction of travel to drive air out from between the cheese and the film wrap and sealing the overlapped edge portions of the wrap as the entubed blocks of cheese are advanced by the endless conveyors toward the cutoff station, means at the cutoff station for severing the tube corresponding to each block of cheese with the severance being effected intermediate the space between adjacent blocks and leaving each block with opposed severed tube ends, means for folding the severed tube ends against a surface of each wrapped block of cheese extending in the direction of travel, and means to heat the separate individually wrapped blocks of cheese to seal the respective tube ends together and against said surface.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 25 words

The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the plastic film wrap is a polyethylene film having a thickness of 100 gauge or less.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 21 words

The structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein the several heating means are capable of developing up to 220° F.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 22 words

The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tube former means provides for entubement of generally rectangular blocks of cheese.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 22 words

The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tube former means provides for entubement of generally wedge-shaped blocks of cheese.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 22 words

The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tube former means provides for entubement of generally cylindrically-shaped blocks of cheese.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 42 words

The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein nozzle means are associated with the tube former means and serves to purge the environment of the blocks of cheese with carbon dioxide or other suitable gas prior to entubement of the cheese.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 34 words

The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the upper endless conveyor includes a plurality of outwardly disposed blocks of sponge rubber to accommodate and firmly grip blocks of cheese of random height.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 25 words

The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein heating means are associated with each of the endless conveyors and comprise electrically energized hot plates.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 40 words

The structure as set forth in claim 9 wherein the hot plate associated with the lower conveyor serves to support the upper reach thereof, and the hot plate associated with the upper conveyor serves to support the lower reach thereof.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 32 words

The structure as set forth in claim 9 wherein further heating means in the form of heating rollers serve to heat the transversely spaced side surfaces of the entubed blocks of cheese.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 23 words

The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein further heating means are interposed between the tube former means and the endless conveyors.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 28 words

The structure as set forth in claim 12 wherein the further heating means between the tube former means and the endless conveyors is an electrically energized tunnel-shaped heater.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 28 words

The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the heating means may additionally include hot air blowers for directing heated air against the entubed blocks of cheese.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 35 words

The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein a cutoff wheel is provided at the cutoff station and rotates on an axis that generally parallels the direction of travel for the blocks of cheese.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 240 words

In a method for wrapping blocks of cheese comprising feeding the blocks of cheese in spaced relation to a wrapping station, feeding a web of heat shrinkable and sealable plastic film wrap to the wrapping station, enveloping the advancing spaced blocks of cheese at the wrapping station in an elongated tube formed from the plastic film wrap with the lateral edge portions of said web being disposed in overlapping relation over the length of the tube, advancing the entubed spaced blocks of cheese by vertically spaced endless conveyors that pass between the entubed spaced blocks of cheese and a heating means to heat said spaced endless conveyors such that said conveyors impose a gripping pressure on the blocks from the wrapping station to a cutoff station and said heated endless conveyors simultaneously heat the entubed spaced blocks of cheese to shrink the plastic film wrap tightly onto the blocks of cheese and thereby drive air out from between the cheese and film wrap and to seal the overlapped edge portions of the film wrap together, severing the tube corresponding to each block of cheese at the cutoff station with the severance being effected in the space between adjacent blocks and leaving each block with severed tube ends, folding the severed tube ends against a longitudinally extending surface of the wrapped block of cheese, and heating the separate blocks of cheese to seal the tube ends together and against said surface.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 240 words

In a method for wrapping blocks of cheese comprising feeding the blocks of cheese in spaced relation to a wrapping station, feeding a web of heat shrinkable and sealable plastic film wrap to the wrapping station, enveloping the advancing spaced blocks of cheese at the wrapping station in an elongated tube formed from the plastic film wrap with the lateral edge portions of said web being disposed in overlapping relation over the length of the tube, advancing the entubed spaced blocks of cheese by vertically spaced endless conveyors that pass between the entubed spaced blocks of cheese and a heating means to heat said spaced endless conveyors such that said conveyors impose a gripping pressure on the blocks from the wrapping station to a cutoff station and said heated endless conveyors simultaneously heat the entubed spaced blocks of cheese to shrink the plastic film wrap tightly onto the blocks of cheese and thereby drive air out from between the cheese and film wrap and to seal the overlapped edge portions of the film wrap together, severing the tube corresponding to each block of cheese at the cutoff station with the severance being effected in the space between adjacent blocks and leaving each block with severed tube ends, folding the severed tube ends against a longitudinally extending surface of the wrapped block of cheese, and heating the separate blocks of cheese to seal the tube ends together and against said surface.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 33 words

The method according to claim 16 including purging the environment of the blocks of cheese at the wrapping station and prior to entubement with a suitable gas to displace air from that environment.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1990-02-16	1990-08-18	1991-02-17	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1994-02-16	1994-08-18	1995-02-17	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1998-02-16	1998-08-18	1999-02-17	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and apparatus for wrapping blocks of cheese

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