Wrapping machines

In a machine for forming bundles of articles wrapped in a tubular wrapper including a first panel having a first flap at each end thereof, an opposed second panel having a second flap at each end thereof, and a pair of opposed third panels interposed between said first and second panels respectively, each of said third panels having third flaps at the ends thereof, the combination comprising:

• an elongated substantially flat conveyor having a longitudinal line of movement for carrying said bundle through a series of bundle wrapping stations;
• a first stationary station disposed adjacent the inlet end of said conveyor for receiving a turbular wrapper with said flaps extending substantially straight outwardly and transversely with respect to said longitudinal line of movement of the conveyor and for forming an end closure at each end of the bundle, four pairs of spaced folding wings disposed in said first station, each of said pairs being movable between an open position and a closed position to each form a corner fold line between said second flap and the adjacent third flap respectively, the folding wings of each pair being hingedly connected together by hinge means, means mounting said folding wings so that in their open position they are substantially parallel to the third panels in a first plane extending transversely of said longitudinal line of movement of the conveyor and in their closed position they are substantially parallel to the second panel in a second plane normal to the first plane extending transversely of the longitudinal line of movement of the conveyor, the folding wings of each pair also partially folding each of said third flaps inwardly with respect to said conveyor when moving from their open position to their closed position;
• a second station, said conveyor serving to carry a bundle from said first station to said second station, means adjacent each side of the conveyor in said second station for folding said second flaps inwardly with respect to said conveyor to partially cover said third flaps respectively;
• a third station, said conveyor serving to carry a bundle from said second station to said third station, means adjacent each side of the conveyor in said third station for applying a line of adhesive extending across said second flap and partially across each of said third flaps;
• a fourth station, said conveyor serving to carry a bundle from said third station to said fourth station, means adjacent each side of the conveyor in said fourth station for completing the inward folding with respect to the conveyor of said third flaps and for folding said first flap inwardly with respect to the conveyor to engage said line of adhesive to seal the bundle.