US 4,218,863 AGranted

Continuous motion wrapping machine

AssigneeAmerican Can Company

InventorsThomas B. Howard, Christof Stary

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A synchronized wrapping machine which receives a series of articles to be wrapped and forms and heat seals a wrap of heat sealable material around each article. The incoming articles are longitudinally aligned and are thereafter conveyed in preselected spaced relation into a tube continuously formed of longitudinally overlapped heat sealable material, with the tube thereafter being heat sealed together and severed intermediate adjacent articles. The overwrapped articles are engaged by upper and lower article carrier holding cups and are transported longitudinally between upper and lower indexing conveyors which drive the article carriers. During traverse of the indexing conveyors, the overwrapped articles are turned 90.degree. by the article carriers and the severed ends of the wrapping are tucked and folded before engagement with an end sealer which heat seals the ends together. The wrapping of the articles is thereby accomplished through the machine in substantially continuous motion with a minimum of speed limiting vibration.

Claims25

Dependent claims

Apparatus for wrapping articles with heat sealable material, comprising:

(a) tube forming means for receiving a web of heat sealable material and forming the same into tubular form with the longitudinal edges of the material in overlapped relation;
(b) article feeding means adapted to receive articles to be wrapped and for feeding the same in longitudinal alignment and selected spaced relation into the tube of heat sealable material formed by said tube forming means;
(c) means for drawing the tubular formed material with the articles contained therein from said tube forming means;
(d) a heat sealer positioned to heat seal the overlapped edges of the tubular formed material being drawn by said means for drawing comprising,
(1) an endless heat sealing belt having perforations therein distributed over the length of said belt,
(2) a belt carriage supporting said sealing belt for continuous motion with a portion of said sealing belt being linearly disposed and adapted for heat sealing contact with the overlapped edge portions of the tubular formed material,
(3) means for directing heated air at a first position on the linearly disposed portion of said sealing belt to heat the material under said belt above the sealing temperature of the material by the heated air passing through the perforations in said belt,
(4) means for directing cooling air at a second position on the linearly disposed portion of said sealing belt spaced in the direction of travel of said belt from said first position to cool the overlapped heat sealable material underneath said belt below the sealing temperature of the material,
(5) means operatively associated with said belt carriage for driving said sealing belt in substantially synchronous contact with the overlapped tubular formed material during forward motion of the formed material;
(e) means for severing the heat sealed tubular formed material substantially midway between adjacent articles to thereby leave overwrapped material about each article having open ends extending from the article;
(f) indexing means for grasping the severed overwrapped articles, rotating the articles from a longitudinal to a transverse orientation, and transporting the overwrapped article longitudinally with the open severed ends of the wrapping extending transversely to the direction of travel;
(g) means for tucking and folding the severed ends of the overwrapped material about each article as it is transported by said indexing means in a transverse orientation;
and
(h) means for heat sealing the tucked and folded ends of the overwrapped material about each article.

11 more elements

Apparatus for wrapping articles with heat sealable material, comprising:

(a) tube forming means for receiving a web of heat sealable material and forming the same into tubular form with the longitudinal edges of the material in overlapped relation;
(b) article feeding means adapted to receive articles to be wrapped and for feeding the same in longitudinal alignment and selected spaced relation into the tube of heat sealable material formed by said tube forming means;
(c) means for drawing the tubular formed material with the articles contained therein from said tube forming means;
(d) heat sealer means for forming a continuous heat seal between the overlapped longitudinal edge portions of the tubular formed material being drawn by said means for drawing;
(e) means for severing the heat sealed tubular formed material substantially midway between adjacent articles to thereby leave overwrapped material about each article having open ends extending from the article;
(f) a pair of indexing conveyors spaced apart to define a linear longitudinal path through which the overwrapped articles can be transported, each said indexing conveyor including,
(1) a plurality of article carriers each having a holding cup adapted to engage a portion of the periphery of the overwrapped article,
(2) means for supporting said article carriers for continuous motion about said indexing conveyors such that an article carrier on one of said indexing conveyors is in adjacent registered relation and moves in synchrony with an article carrier on the other of said indexing conveyors when said adjacent article carriers are supported along the linear path between said indexing conveyors, said holding cups of said adjacent article carriers being positioned to engage an overwrapped article between them after severing of the tubular formed material by said means for severing and to hold the overwrapped article during traverse of the linear path between said indexing conveyors,
(3) means for turning said article carrier holding cups during traverse of the linear path between said indexing conveyors from a longitudinal orientation of said holding cup to a transverse orientation and for returning said holding cup back to a longitudinal orientation before said article carriers re-enter the linear path between said indexing conveyors,
(g) means for tucking and folding the severed ends of the tubular overwrapped material extending from the articles held by said article carriers when said holding cups on said carriers are turned to a transverse orientation;
and
(h) means for heat sealing the tucked and folded ends of the tubular overwrapped material about each article.

9 more elements

Improved apparatus for wrapping articles with heat sealable material having means for receiving articles and feeding the same in selected spaced relation, means for overwrapping the articles with heat sealable material with the longitudinal edges of the heat sealable material overlapped and with the open ends of the material extending from the article, means for forming a heat seal between the overlapped edge portions of the heat sealable material about each article, means for tucking and folding the open ends of the overwrapped material about each article, and means for heat sealing the tucked and folded ends of the material, wherein the improvement comprises:

a pair of indexing conveyors spaced apart to define a linear longitudinal path through which the open ended overwrapped articles can be transported, each said indexing conveyor including:
(a) a plurality of article carriers each having a holding cup adapted to engage a portion of the periphery of the overwrapped article;
(b) means for supporting said article carriers for continuous motion about said indexing conveyors such that an article carrier on one of said indexing conveyors is in adjacent registered relation and moves in synchrony with an article carrier on the other of said indexing conveyors when said adjacent article carriers are supported along the linear path between said indexing conveyors, said holding cups of said adjacent article carriers being positioned to engage and hold an overwrapped article between them during traverse of the linear path between said indexing conveyors;
(c) means for turning said article carrier holding cups during traverse of the linear path between said indexing conveyors from a longitudinal orientation of said holding cup to a transverse orientation and for returning said holding cup back to a longitudinal orientation before said article carriers re-enter the linear path between said indexing conveyors;
said means for tucking and folding being positioned to tuck and fold the overwrapped material extending from articles carried by said article carriers when said holding cups on said carriers are turned to a transverse orientation, and said means for heat sealing the ends of the material being positioned to engage the tucked and folded ends of the heat sealable material on articles carried by said holding cups, whereby overwrapped articles have the extending ends of the wrapping thereon are tucked, folded and heat sealed in continuous linear longitudinal motion.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 05/962,949Filed 22 Nov 1978
Granted: 26 Aug 1980
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification33 codes

B65B 25/146
Packaging paper or like sheets, envelopes, or newspapers, in flat, folded, or rolled form: packaging rolled-up articles
B29C 65/10
By heating, with or without pressure: using hot gases or flames coming in contact with at least one of the parts to be joined
B29C 66/0044
Of the joining tool and the parts to be joined: using a separating sheet, e.g. fixed on the joining tool
B29C 66/0342
Thermal after-treatments: cooling, e.g. transporting through welding and cooling zone