Patent ID: 6474041
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
A machine for packaging objects by wrapping heat-shrink material around the objects and shrinking the sheets onto the objects, said machine comprising;first conveyor means disposed at an upstream location along a path for supplying the objects longitudinally in a transport plane; second conveyor means downstream of said first conveyor means along said path and spaced from said first conveyor by a first aperture for receiving the objects from said first conveyor means and displacing the objects longitudinally along a wrapping plane, having an intake end and an output end; third conveyor means downstream of said second conveyor means along said path and spaced from said second conveyor means by a second aperture to receive the objects from said second conveyor means and displace the objects along said path away from the second conveyor means; wrapping means along said second conveyor means including suspended wrapping bars oriented transversely relative to a direction of advance of the objects and displaceable through said first aperture and second aperture, along an orbital path which circumscribes said second conveyor means for transporting the heat-shrink material around the objects to be packaged; supply means disposed beneath and aligned with said first aperture for supplying a tape of said heat-shrink material; cutting means disposed between the supply means and said first aperture for cutting the tape transversely; synchronizing means for synchronizing said conveyors and said wrapping, supply and cutting means with one another; and heating means disposed upstream of said supply means along said tape for heating a cold tape to a temperature which is at least equivalent to a defrosting temperature of the tape before said tape reaches said supply means whereby said supply means withdraws heated tape from said heating means and feeds heated tape to said wrapping means.