Continuous product wrapping method and machine
AssigneeG.D Societa' Per Azioni
InventorMario Spatafora
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and machine for continuously wrapping a product, whereby a sheet of wrapping material is transferred, from an output of a line for supply wrapping material, into a seat of a wrapping conveyor onto which the sheet of wrapping material, folded into a U, is released by a folding spindle about which the sheet is folded at least partly into a U before being transferred into the seat; the seat and the sheet are then fed through a loading station to receive the product.
Claims21
A method of continuously wrapping a product, the method comprising the steps of feeding a sheet (3) of wrapping material to an output (19) of a line (18) for supplying wrapping material (21);
- coupling said sheet (3) with a folding spindle (17), about which said sheet (3) is folded at least partly into a U;
- feeding said folding spindle (17) together with said sheet (3) to a first loading station (8);
- inserting, at said first loading station (8) said folding spindle (17) into a seat (6) on a wrapping conveyor (4) for feeding the sheet (3) arranged in a substantially U-folded configuration inside said seat (6), said seat (6) being defined by a bottom wall (54) and by two lateral walls (55);
- feeding the seat (6) and the sheet (3) through a second loading station (9) to receive said product (2);
- and feeding the seat (6) together with the sheet (3) and the product (2) through at least one folding station (12, 13) to fold said sheet (3) about said product (2);
- the method being characterized in that said seat (6) is set in a first open position, in which each of the said lateral walls (55) forms with said bottom wall (54) an obtuse angle, to receive said sheet (3) and said product (2) and in a second closed position, in which each of the said lateral walls (55) forms with said bottom wall (54) a substantially right angle, to hold together said sheet (3) and said product (2) during the folding of the sheet (3) about the product (2).
A machine for continuously wrapping a product, the machine comprising a line (18) for supplying wrapping material (21) and having an output (19);
- at least one seat (6) defined by a bottom wall (54) and by two lateral walls (55) for receiving and conveying said sheet (3) of wrapping material and a respective product (2);
- a wrapping conveyor (4) carrying said seat (6) and having a first loading station (8) for a sheet (3) of wrapping material, a second loading station (9) for said product (2), located downstream from said first loading station (8) in a traveling direction of said seat (6), and at least one folding station (12, 13) to fold said sheet (3) about said product (2);
- at least one folding spindle (17);
- and first actuating means (15) for feeding the folding spindle (17) through said output (19) to pick up and fold said sheet (3) of wrapping material at least partly into a U about the folding spindle (17), and then through said first loading station (8) to insert said folding spindle (17) into said seat (6) for feeding the sheet (3) arranged in a substantially U-folded configuration inside said seat (6);
- the machine being characterized in that said two lateral walls (55) are rotary connected to said bottom wall (54);
- the machine further comprising second actuating means (57) for setting said seat (6) in a first open position, in which each of the said lateral walls (55) forms with said bottom wall (54) an obtuse angle, to receive said sheet (3) and said product (2) and in a second closed position, in which each of the said lateral walls (55) forms with said bottom wall (54) a substantially right angle, to hold together said sheet (3) and said product (2) during the folding of the sheet (3) about the product (2).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.