Method and apparatus for packaging articles such as fruit

An apparatus for packaging articles within thermal sealing film, comprising:

• means for capturing and firmly clamping first and second film portions between first and second outer pairs of film clamping annuluses;
• feed means for moving an article between said captured film portions;
• means for moving at least one of the first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses toward the other for stretching the film portions over the article;
• means defining inner clamping annuluses disposed inwardly of said outer annuluses for clamping the two film portions together at an inner film gripping plane and for providing an isolated annulus of film between said inner and outer clamping annuluses;
• means for releasing said first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses for removing tension from and relaxing said isolated annulus of film;
• means for sealing the two portions of film together in the relaxed isolated annulus of film;
• and
• means defining an article catching assembly;
• said assembly comprising a pair of arms movable between an article catching position and an article releasing position, a pair of article catching wings pivoted to each arm with each pair of wings movable between a pivotally spread catching position and a parallel position, power means for moving said arms between said article catching position and said article releasing position, and control means for moving said wings when spread into article catching position to catch an article released from said feed means after said outer clamping annuluses have captured the pair of film portions and are spaced from each other, said wings and said captured film portions cooperating to retain the article in packaging position until said outer annuluses move toward each other to stretch the film portions about the article.

In an apparatus for packaging articles between two thermal sealing film strips comprising the combination of means defining two pairs of outer clamping annuluses for firmly clamping one portion of each film strip, first means for moving said pairs of outer annuluses between a film clamping and a film releasing position;

• power means for moving said two pair of annuluses between a retracted position and an extended position with the film portions clamped therein and first engaging an article for physically stretching the film portions over the article for conforming the shape of the film to that of the article, means defining a first inner clamping annulus having an inner and an outer pair of thin resilient pressure resisting annular pads secured thereto defining a planar sealing surface for engaging one of said clamped film portions, means defining a second annular clamping annulus aligned with said inner resilient pad, means for establishing relative movement between said inner clamping annuluses for moving the inner annuluses together for clamping the film strips together between said second annulus and said inner resilient pad, said two outer pairs of clamping annuluses when disposed at the ends of their film stretching stroke both being positioned on the same side of said planar surface of said first inner clamping means for assuring that annular portions of both films lie flat against each other and against said planar surface, annular sealing and severing means, and means for urging said sealing and severing means into sealing engagement with the annular portions of the film backed by said outer resilient pad after said outer clamping annuluses have released the film portions for sealing and severing the film portions in a relaxed area of the film for providing a superior seal.

An apparatus for packaging an article in a stretchable container formed from two strips of thermal sealing film disposed on opposite sides of a reference plane comprising:

• means defining a first packaging head on one side of the reference plane having a pair of relatively movable outer clamping annuluses between which one strip of film is intermittently fed and having a single inner clamping annulus disposed on the same side of the reference plane;
• means defining a second packaging head on the other side of the reference plane having a pair of relatively movable outer clamping annuluses between which the other strip of film is intermittently fed and a second single inner clamping annulus disposed on said other side of the reference plane, said second packaging head including means defining an annular sealing means for sealing the two film strips about an article for forming a package, packaging head power means for moving said packaging heads toward each other for first clamping the first and second film strips between said associated pair of outer clamping annuluses and for thereafter physically stretching the captured portions of film over said article for conforming the shape of the film to that of the article, second power means for moving at least one of said single inner clamping annuluses into clamping engagement with said film strips, means for releasing said outer clamping annuluses for clamping engagement with said film for providing a relaxed area of said film strips, and means for moving said sealing means into sealing engagement with said relaxed area of said film strips to seal the strips and package the article.

A method of packaging articles within stretchable film comprising the steps of:

• capturing and firmly clamping first and second film portions between first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses,
• moving an article between said captured film portions,
• stretching the film portions over the article by moving the first and second outer pairs of annuluses and captured film portions toward each other causing the film portions to first engage opposite sides of the article for physically stretching the film portions over the article for conforming the shape of the film to that of the article,
• clamping the first and second film portions together with inner clamping annuluses disposed inwardly of the outer annuluses for providing an annulus of film between said inner and outer annuluses,
• releasing the first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses for removing tension on the annulus of film for providing a relaxed annulus of film, and
• sealing the film portions together in the relaxed annulus for packaging the article.

A method of packaging articles within stretchable film comprising the steps of:

• capturing and firmly clamping first and second film portions between first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses,
• moving an article between said captured film portions,
• stretching the film portions over the article by moving the first and second outer pairs of annuluses and captured film portions toward each other, clamping the first and second film portions together with the inner clamping annuluses disposed inwardly of the outer annuluses for providing an annulus of film between said inner and outer annuluses,
• releasing the first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses for removing tension on the annulus of film for providing a relaxed annulus of film, sealing the film portions together in the relaxed annulus for packaging articles,
• severing the packaged article from scrap portions of the film forming large holes therein, said film portions being portions of two film strips unwound from a pair of supply rolls,
• continuously withdrawing the film strips longitudinally of the centerline thereof from said supply roll at a predetermined rate,
• terminating longitudinal movement of the film strips downstream of said captured portions while said portions are captured and are being sealed and severed to form a package and with said scrap portions of film having said large holes therein,
• accumulating a loop of film of each film strip upstream of said captured portions while the longitudinal movement downstream is terminated,
• intermittently advancing said downstream scrap portions of film by pulling said accumulated loops out until new portions of unsevered film are in position to be captured and the upstream and downstream portions are tensioned,
• draping the longitudinal side edges of the film portions of the edges of the outer clamping annuluses while advancing said film strips for stressing said film portions longitudinally and transversely thereby removing wrinkles from the portions of said film to be captured, and
• recapturing new portions of said film strips.