Wrapping machine and method

A method of wrapping products in packages formed from a continuous film of packaging material comprising the steps of:

• shaping a continuous film of packaging material in a former by drawing the film past the former into the shape of a continuous tube;
• drawing the continuous film of packaging material past the former and past a cutting and sealing station at a velocity dependent upon a film velocity control signal;
• feeding products to be packaged into the former and the continuous tube of packaging material at a velocity dependent upon a product infeed velocity control signal;
• cutting and sealing the continuous tube of packaging material as each product moves past the cutting and sealing station;
• measuring the film velocity;
• measuring the product infeed velocity;
• and
• producing the film velocity control signal and the product infeed velocity control signal such that the control signal for one of said velocities is dependent upon the measured value of the other said velocity.

A wrapping machine for wrapping products in packages formed from a continuous film of packaging material, comprising:

• a former for shaping a continuous film of packaging material drawn past the former into a continuous tube;
• film drive means, responsive to a film velocity control signal, for drawing the continuous film of packaging material past the former and past a cutting and sealing station at a velocity dependent upon the film velocity control signal;
• product infeed means, responsive to a product infeed velocity control signal, for feeding products to be packaged into the former and the continuous tube of packaging material at a velocity dependent upon the product infeed velocity control signal;
• means for cutting and sealing the continuous tube of packaging material as each product moves past the cutting and sealing station;
• means for measuring the film velocity;
• means for measuring the product infeed velocity;
• and
• means for producing the film velocity control signal and the product infeed velocity control signal such that the control signal for one of said velocities is dependent upon the measured value of the other said velocity.

A wrapping machine for wrapping products and packages formed from a continuous film of packaging material, comprising:

• a former for shaping a continuous film of packaging material drawn past the former into a continuous tube;
• film drive means for drawing the continuous film of packaging material past the former and past a cutting and sealing station;
• product infeed means for feeding products to be packaged into the former and the continuous tube of packaging material;
• means for cutting and sealing the continuous tube of packaging material as each product moves past the cutting and sealing station;
• means for measuring at least one of said film velocity and infeed velocity;
• and
• means for controlling the other of said film velocity and infeed velocity, in response to the velocity measured by the means for measuring, by controlling the one of said film drive means and product infeed means associated with said other velocity.

A wrapping machine for wrapping products in packages formed from a continuous film of packaging material comprising:

• a former for shaping a continuous film of packaging material drawn past the former into a continuous tube;
• signal controlled film drive means for drawing the continuous film of packaging material past the former and past a cutting and sealing station;
• signal controlled product infeed means for feeding products to be packaged into the former and the continuous tube of packaging material;
• signal controlled cutting and sealing means for cutting and sealing the continuous tube of packaging material as each product moves past the cutting and sealing station, said film drive means, said product infeed means, and said cutting and sealing means being free of mechanical power-transmitting interconnections therebetween, whereby the speed of each can be independently controlled by control signals;
• and
• a microprocessor-based controller electrically interconnected with said film drive means, said product infeed means, and said cutting and sealing means for controlling the speed of each said means.

A method of wrapping products in packages formed from a continuous film of packaging material comprising the steps of:

• shaping a continuous film of packaging material in a former by drawing the film past the former into the shape of a continuous tube;
• drawing the continuous film of packaging material past the former and past a cutting and sealing station at a velocity dependent upon a film velocity control signal;
• feeding products to be packaged into the former and the continuous tube of packaging material at a velocity dependent upon a product infeed velocity control signal;
• cutting and sealing the continuous tube of packaging material as each product moves past the cutting and sealing station dependent upon a cutting and sealing control signal;
• and
• producing the film velocity control signal, the product infeed velocity control signal, and the cutting and sealing control signal utilizing a microprocessor-based controller.