Pillow pack wrapping technique and related apparatus
AssigneeDetail Machine Company
InventorTerrance VanAlstine
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for hermetically sealing a bulk article wherein a strip of wrapping material is initially positioned onto an article such that extending ends of the wrapping material strip extend from away from an edge of the article, each end having a different length. The article is rotated to cause the ends of the strip to cover an uncovered side of the article with a fin-like section extending therefrom away from the article which can be sealed without contacting the article. The fin-like section is cooled and folded onto the top of the article so as to form an axial seam. Lateral ends of the wrapping material strip are then sealed to complete the hermetic sealing process.
Claims13
A method for hermetically wrapping a bulk article, said method comprising the steps of:
- placing a strip of wrapping material about an article, such that ends of said strip extend parallel to one another from parallel edges of said article, one of said ends being longer than the other of said ends;
- wrapping each of said ends about said article such that a fin-like section containing each said end extends therefrom;
- heat sealing the fin-like section together;
- cooling the fin-like section;
- and
- sealing lateral ends of said strip about said article to complete the hermetic seal.
An apparatus for wrapping at least one bulk article, said apparatus comprising:
- a rotary wheel having a plurality of pockets disposed along an outer periphery thereof, said wheel being supported for rotation about a center axis of the wheel wherein a bulk article is fed into a first pocket of said wheel and into a strip of wrapping material supported thereupon, said strip of wrapping material being sized to be fitted about the periphery of the article and including a pair of ends of dissimilar length extending from respective sides of the article in which said article is rotated to a second position by the pocket wheel which folds each of the ends of the wrapping material strip over an edge of the article and forms a fin-like section extending away from the article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.