Apparatus and method for wrapping silverware within a napkin

An apparatus for wrapping a napkin about an item of silverware wherein the napkin has edge sections and a central section which is bounded by the edge sections, the apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• means supported by the frame defining an elongated, substantially horizontally-disposed trough having a bottom, two opposite sides and an upwardly-directed opening for accepting a napkin and an item of silverware positioned within the trough in preparation of a napkin-wrapping operation;
• means attached to the frame for moving a napkin from a supply of napkins to a spread condition over the trough at which the central section of the napkin spans the width of the upwardly-directed opening of the trough;
• means joined to the frame for delivering an item of silverware from a supply of silverware items onto the napkin spread over the trough so that the delivered item of silverware falls into the trough with the napkin so that the central section of the napkin is positioned between the delivered item of silverware and the bottom of the tough;
• and
• means associated with the trough for spinning the napkin and silverware item positioned within the trough so that the napkin is wound about the silverware item into a wrapped arrangement, wherein the means for spinning includes an elongated blade positioned within the trough and adjacent one side thereof, means for supporting the blade for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the trough, and means for rotating the blade about the longitudinal axis of the trough so that when rotated by the blade within the trough, the napkin is wound about the silverware item into a wrapped arrangement.

A method for wrapping a napkin about an item of silverware wherein the napkin has edge sections and a central section which is bounded by the edge sections, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongated, substantially horizontally-disposed trough having a bottom and an upwardly-directed opening for accepting a napkin and an item of silverware positioned therein in preparation of a napkin-wrapping operation;
• placing a napkin over the opening of the trough so that the central section of the napkin spans the width of the trough;
• delivering an item of silverware onto the central section of the napkin so that the silverware item and napkin fall into the trough under the weight of the silverware item and so that the central section of the napkin is disposed between the silverware item and the bottom of the trough;
• and
• spinning the napkin and silverware item about the longitudinal axis of the trough so that the napkin is wrapped about the silverware item into a wrapped arrangement, wherein the spinning step includes the steps of positioning an elongated blade within and adjacent one side of the trough so that the longitudinal axis of the blade is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trough, and rotating the blade about the longitudinal axis of the trough so that the napkin is wrapped about the silverware item by the rotating blade.

A method for wrapping a napkin about an item of silverware wherein the napkin has edge sections and a central section which is bounded by the edge sections, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongated, substantially horizontally-disposed trough having a bottom and an upwardly-directed opening for accepting a napkin and an item of silverware positioned therein in preparation of a napkin-wrapping operation;
• placing a napkin over the opening of the trough so that the central section of the napkin spans the width of the trough;
• delivering an item of silverware onto the central section of the napkin so that the silverware item and napkin fall into the trough under the weight of the silverware item and so that the central section of the napkin is disposed between the silverware item and the bottom of the trough;
• and
• spinning the napkin and silverware item about the longitudinal axis of the trough so that the napkin is wrapped about the silverware item into a wrapped arrangement;
• and
• wherein the step of placing a napkin over the opening of the trough includes the steps of providing a pair of rollers and pinching the top napkin in a stack between the pair of rollers and moving the rollers and the napkin pinched therebetween to a position over the trough and releasing the napkin from between the rollers so that the napkin falls into a spread condition over the opening of the trough.