Method and apparatus for packing amassed goods with airing

Abstract: In regard to the case when a stretch film is wound round in a state of tension on amassed goods (2) for packing the same, this invention is so designed that the film is split in the width direction and in parallel into a large number of narrow-width tapes, while it is stretched, in a process of winding the film around the goods and thereby diagonal spaces (21) are formed naturally on a desired circumference of the amassed goods, so as to produce an airing effect on the amassed goods.

Description: (TECHNICAL FIELD) In regard to the case when amassed goods are packed in one package by using a stretch-wrap film, this invention relates to a method and an apparatus for packing the goods so that they are kept aired. (PRIOR ART) Stretch-wrap film packing has been conducted for preventing the breakup of goods amassed by stacking a number of box bodies in a certain shape. Conventional methods therefor, however, are not suitable for packing fruits and the like which necessitate airing, since these goods are sealed up by the film owing to the adhesion of the film itself, and therefore net packing has been adopted for packing with airing. However, a net is much more expensive than the stretch-wrap film and, in addition, it needs to be fixed at the starting end and the terminal by an adhesive tape or the like in the case of pallet packing. Consequently the packing operation requires extra labor and time. US patent no. 4255918, on which the claims of the present application are based, describes an apparatus for applying stretch-wrap film for packing goods so that they are aired. Using this apparatus, stretch-wrap film is dispensed from a braked reel, is stretched, passes through a guide, and is wound around the goods. At the same time the reel and guide are traversed so that the stretched film is wound spirally or biasly with openings defined between consecutive film windings. The goods are aired, or can 'breathe', through these openings. STATEMENT OF INVENTION The invention provides a method and an apparatus for packing amassed goods as defined in independent claims 1 and 3 respectively. Preferred features of the invention are defined in the appendant subclaims. A method and an apparatus for packing are thus provided which enable maintenance of the same airing effect as conventional net packing, but with a stretch-wrap film. Advantageously the operation of fixing the opposite end parts of the film can be simplified by making use of the adhesion of the surface of the film, and an airing effect can preferably be obtained by forming a mesh-like airing part of a split film tape on the whole of amassed goods. The stretch-wrap film is preferably so designed that a film tape split in a prescribed width beforehand or a plurality of film tapes split in prescribed widths in the course of supply are wound round forward and backward on a pallet-amassed goods on a rotary table obliquely in the shape of a puttee (biasly) from the upper or lower end of the goods, while they are stretched in parallel simultaneously at a desired multiplication rate, so that diagonal or mesh-like space parts are formed. The treatment of the starting end and the terminal end of this film can be conducted in the same way as usual stretch film packing. Although a means for forming the split film tapes can be adopted arbitrarily in the present invention, a slitter using juxtaposed knife edges is convenient for the purpose. By controlling the operation of the slitter, it turns possible to seal up only the surface of the upper part of the goods by the stretch film, for instance, and thereby to prevent the infiltration of raindrops. By forming a fold-back part positively at the opposite edges of each split film tape so as to attain a strongly stretched and wound state, moreover, the area of an airing part is enlarged and also a mechanically stout packing form is obtained. A folded-part forming means for this purpose can be attained effectively by a relatively simple means such as a wedge or a rod by utilizing that the film is in a stretched state as a whole. (DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS) Fig. 1 is an entire plan view of an apparatus of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the principal part thereof; Fig. 3 is a surface view of the state of split tapes; Fig. 4 is a front view of a state of packing; Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of the principal parts of the apparatus of the present invention which are provided with folded-part forming means; Fig. 7 is a front view of the folded-part forming means of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a process of formation of narrow-width tapes; Fig. 9 is a front view of the folded-part forming means of Fig. 6; and Fig. 10 is a plan view showing a process of formation of narrow-width tapes. Slitters are omitted in Figs. 3, 8 and 10. (EMBODIMENT) Numeral 1 denotes a rotary table, 2 amassed goods and 3 a feed roll of a stretch-wrap film, and the film having a width of about 500 to 1000 mm is employed. 4 and 5 denote guide rolls and 6 a slitter having knife edges disposed at equal intervals in the direction of the width of the film, and the slitter is provided rotatably on an axis 7 so that it can be touched with or detached from the film, and is equipped with a rotational angle control device not shown in the figures. 8 denotes a brake roll, which can stretch the film by about 500 % ordinarily in accordance with the number of rotations of the rotary table. 8a denotes a case wherein driving and rotation speed control devices are incorporated. 9 denotes a rotary arm, 9a a pivotally fitting element, 10 a pressure roll, and 11 a guide roll. 12 denotes a support frame and 12a an extension frame, which are elevated along a mast 13 by a driving device not shown in the figure. 13a denotes a slide guide means. 14 denotes a folded-part forming means provided between the slitter 6 and the brake roll 8, and it is equipped with wedge-shaped guiding bodies 15 or rods 16 as shown in Fig. 7 or 9, which are provided with adjusting bolts 18 so that they can be adjusted thereby in positions along a shaft 17. It is advisable that the folded-part forming means is so provided that it can be touched with or detached from the split film in the same way as the slitter 6. 19 denotes a rotating means. A stretch-wrap film F from the feed roll 3 is split into five tapes T as shown in Fig. 3, for instance, by the slitter 6 and is stretched in parallel in accordance with the ratio in rotation between the brake roll 8 and the rotary table. Therefore, the respective width of the tapes is made small according to the multiplication rate of stretch and the tapes are wound round biasly in said tape widths on amassed goods. When a fold-back part 20 is formed in each tape, the narrow-width tape passing through the folded-part forming means 13 is stretched by a stronger force and wound round on the amassed goods 2 strongly. In this case, in other words, the edges of the tape is folded back to be double, and therefore a tear hardly occurs in the edges even when the strong force of stretch is applied thereto. In either of the above-described cases, winding can be started from either upper or lower end arbitrarily. When the winding is started at the pallet side, for instance, the film roll is raised gradually, and when it reaches the upper end, the slitter 6 and the folded-part forming means 14 are detached so that the film is wound as an ordinary stretch-wrap film. At the time of lowering, the slitter alone or both the slitter and the folded-part forming means are made to operate again, so that the film is wound biasly in the shape of tapes. Thereby diagonal airing parts 21 are formed on the lateral side of the intermediate part of the goods (Fig. 4). On the lower end side, each of the terminals of the tapes may be fitted in a sticking manner by utilizing the self-adhesion of the film, or it is also possible to wind the film round with the slitter set in non-operation. (EFFECT) In the present invention, the width of the tape to be wound can be adjusted arbitrarily by changing the multiplication rate of stretch and the number of the knife edges or the amount of fold at the opposite edges, and thereby the dimensions of the airing parts can be varied. Moreover, the density of the distribution of the airing parts can be changed according to the number of layers of the wound tapes. Besides, the upper part and/or the lower part of the goods can be sealed up as occasion calls for, and therefore a preferable packing form can be furnished appropriately in accordance with the properties of goods to be packed. The present invention needs only a slight alteration of existing equipment and, in addition, the method of operation according thereto is similar to that of conventional stretch-wrap film packing. Therefore it enables execution of economical packing with airing, in addition to excellent operability and the low cost of the film.

Claims: A method in which amassed goods (2) set on a rotary table (1) are packed by a film (F) stretched at a desired multiplication rate of stretch, and in which the amassed goods are packed with airing, characterised in that the film (F) is so split longitudinally as to be supplied as a plurality of film tapes (T) before it is wound round on the surface of the amassed goods, after which said split film tapes are wound round parallelly and biasly, so that mesh-like airing spaces (21) are formed on the surface whereon the film is wound. A method according to claim 1, in which the film tapes (T) are narrowed in width forcibly by a means (14) for forming folded parts (20) of the edges of the tapes, before being wound round on the amassed goods. An apparatus for packing with airing comprising a rotary table (1) for carrying amassed goods (2) and a mast (13) supporting a film roll (3) and a braking means (8) for stretching the film characterised by a slitter (6) for slitting the film longitudinally to form a plurality of split film tapes (T), the slitter being provided between the film roll and the rotary table and arranged so that it can be touched with or detached from the surface of the film, the split film tapes being stretchable before being wound round on the amassed goods parallelly and biasly. An apparatus according to claim 3, in which a means (14) for forming folded parts (20) of the edges of the split film tapes (T) is interposed on a running route of the tapes between the slitter and the amassed goods. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which the folded-part forming means (20) comprises guiding bodies (15) each having wedge-shaped sections and being adjustable in position. An apparatus according to claim 4 in which the folded-part forming means comprises rod members for contacting edges of the split film tapes and being adjustable in position.

Inventors: SUZUKI KEN ICHI, SUZUKI, KEN'ICHI
Applicants: TSUKASA KASEI KOGYO, TSUKASA KASEI KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B65B11
IPC codes: B65D75, B65B11, B65D81