Patent ID: 9409368
Filing Date: 2016-08-09
CPC Classification: B29C,B29L,B31B,B65B

Claim Text:
1. A folding unit for producing packages of pourable food products from sealed packs having each a main portion and opposite end portions arranged on opposite sides of said main portion, with a longitudinal sealing band extending along the main portion and being located on the end portions; each pack comprising, for each end portion, an end fin and a pair of flaps projecting laterally from said main portion; said unit comprising: a conveyor which is fed with a plurality of said packs and which feeds the pack along a forming path; and folding means which interact with each said pack along said forming path to fold a respective end fin onto a respective end portion; said conveyor comprising at least one first link and one second link articulated to each other; said second link being arranged downstream of said first link, with reference to a first direction, along which said conveyor advances along said forming path; said first link including a slot that receives said end fin; wherein said folding means comprise: the slot that receives the end fin, and a slide operatively connected to said second link and movable between a detached position in which the slide is detached from the slot and an engaged position in which said slide at least partially engages said slot, so as to fold said end fin onto said respective end portion and in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, the folding of the end fin in the second direction resulting in folding of the end fin away from the longitudinal sealing band on the respective end portion.