Method of and apparatus for wrapping articles
AssigneeRanks Hovis McDougall Limited
InventorJeffrey G. Barker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Wrapping fragile or easily collapsible articles in foil, for example, aluminium foil by feeding the articles in succession along a track or slideway, forming a tube of foil about the articles, twisting the leading article and its surrounding foil about the main axis of the tube and severing the tube at the twist.
Claims11
A method of wrapping fragile or easily collapsible articles in foil, which includes continuously passing articles in spaced succession along a track, laying foil continuously over the articles to pass along the tracks therewith, continuously passing the articles and foil beneath a folding plate which forms the foil into a tube surrounding the articles, continuously feeding the articles and tube to a twisting and severing stations, arresting the forward motion of that article and its portion of surrounding tube which has entered the twisting and severing station, rotating said arrested article and its surrounding tube portion about the main axis of the tube to form a twist in the tube between that article and the succeeding article, the continuous feed of the other of said articles downstream of said arrested article causing the gap between said arrested article and said succeeding article to diminish during said rotating step, and thereafter severing said twist with a knife;
- and repeating said twisting and severing of the tube between successive articles.
Apparatus for wrapping fragile or easily collapsible articles in foil, including a slideway on which articles may be placed, first conveying means associated with the slideway for moving articles in spaced succession therealong, a folding plate located adjacent the slideway, said plate forming the foil into a tube surrounding the articles as the foil and articles proceed along the slideway, a twisting means for receiving and arresting an article and its surrounding tube portion and for twisting the same while arrested about the main axis of said tube to form a twist in said tube between said received article and the succeeding article, second conveying means for continuously moving articles and said surrounding tube to said twisting means so that while one article is arrested by said twisting means the gap between said arrested article and the succeeding article is dimished as a result of said continuous movement, and severing means for severing said tube at said twist.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.