Method and apparatus for automatically wrapping utensils in a napkin

An apparatus for automatically wrapping a napkin around a set of utensils, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a utensil dispensing unit configured to hold a plurality of utensils and having a floor that is moveable between an extended and retracted position to eject one or more selected utensils such that the utensil dispensing unit is configured to selectively dispense a first utensil and a second utensil different from the first utensil from a utensil loading receptacle to a first transfer unit;
• a lift unit for storing a plurality of napkins and configured to automatically deliver a selected napkin to the first transfer unit;
• the first transfer unit configured to receive and prepare the first and second dispensed utensils and napkin for rolling and the first transfer unit further configured to automatically deliver the prepared utensils and napkin to a rolling unit and wherein the first transfer unit has a floor comprising a suction plate configured to receive the napkin from the lift unit and to provide the napkin to the first transfer unit and wherein the first transfer unit is movable from a loading position to a dispensing position aligned with the rolling unit;
• the rolling unit for wrapping the first and second dispensed utensils in a napkin, the rolling unit configured to receive the utensils and napkin from the first transfer unit, retain the utensils and further configured to wrap the napkin around the utensils wherein the rolling unit comprises a number of wheels forming a rolling cylinder around a rotatable folding mechanism, wherein the rotatable folding mechanism comprises a first fold bar and a second fold bar configured to fold a first and second portion of the napkin over the utensils wherein the folding mechanism rotates inside the rolling cylinder to complete the wrapping and securing of the utensils in the napkin;
• and
• a second transfer unit configured to automatically receive wrapped utensils from the rolling unit wherein the second transfer unit is also movable from a loading position to a dispensing position.