Patent GB-1092050-A (GB)
Title: Machine for wrapping articles, particularly loaves of sliced bread, in wrapper sheets
Inventor: HOLT RONALD
IPC: B65B25/18
Filed: 1965-11-10
Abstract: 1,092,050. Endless conveyers; wrappingmachines. BATTLE CREEK PACKAGING MACHINE Inc. Nov. 10, 1965, No. 47644/65. Headings B8A and B8C. [Also in Division B6] In a wrapping machine, an article, e.g. a cut loaf of bread, is fed by conveyers 20, 22, Fig. 1, to a conveyer 27. Meanwhile, a wrapper cut from a web 43 in an assembly 25 (not detailed) has been delivered to the conveyer 27 ahead of its associated loaf, which is placed on the conveyer to overlap the leading edge of the wrapper. During passage along the conveyer, a mechanism (186, 201), moving with the conveyer, folds up the trailing edge of the wrapper over the trailing end, top and leading end of the loaf. During its transfer from the conveyer 27 to an end flap folding assembly 28, this end of the wrapper is folded under the leading bottom edge of the loaf and simultaneously the end flaps are folded in. The sliced loaves are fed from a conveyor 21 on to a support plate (56), Figs. 2, 3 (not shown), over which they are advanced by flight bars (55) of the conveyer 20, adjustable lateral rails (46) supporting the loaf slices. Then, in a similar way, they are advanced over a second support plate (57). A wrapper is fed over a support plate (87), Figs. 4, 5 (not shown), by belts (44) co-operating with weight biased rollers 45, to the sheet positioning assembly (26). In the assembly (26), the feed of the sheets is again carried out between belts (44), which operate in slots (86) in the support plate (87), and rollers (73). These rollers and side bars (72) on which they are mounted, can be raised by a cam to move them out of feeding engagement with the sheet. Simultaneously with the release of the sheet by the rollers (73) suction is applied to ports (90) to hold the sheet in position preparatory to its being picked up by the conveyer 27. The conveyer 27 comprises chain loops (98), Fig. 7, 8 (not shown), connected by flights (99) composed of a leading bar (101) with a downwardly stepped trailing portion (102), a flat intermediate bar (103), a bar (104) with loaf retaining fingers (170), a wrapper gripper bar (105), a spacer bar (106) and a rear bar (107) with a loaf forwarding plate (108) pivoted on it. The gripper bar (105) carries two sheet gripper blocks (111), laterally adjustably received in slots (109) at either end of the bar. Each block has a top rubber pad (114), Fig. 12 (not shown), with suction ports (116). Pivotally connected to one end of each block (111), is a gripper arm (123) which is spring biased downwardly against the rubber pad, but which may be held in open position by a cam. Thus, as the flight 99 moves on to the upper reach of the conveyer the gripper arms are raised and simultaneously the ports are connected to vacuum so that the leading edge of the already positioned wrapper is picked up by this flight bar. The gripper arms then snap back on to the leading edge of the sheet as the vacuum connection is broken. The bar (104) similarly carries blocks (167), see also Figs. 10, 11 (not shown), which are laterally adjustable in slots 168) at each end of the bar. The fingers (170), pivotally connected at (169) to the block, are initially held in position (107a) so that they do not interfere with the pick-up of the wrapper. As the loaf is deposited on the flight, the fingers are moved by a cam into engagement with it, before it leaves the side guide (65). Chains (100), Figs. 6, 7 (not shown), on either side of the conveyer chains (98) pivotedly support arms (186) which are connected at their ends by fold-over bars (201), weight biased to trail behind the flights so as not to interfere with the pick-up of the wrapper. As the conveyer advances along the upper reach, the arms (186) and bars (201) are caused to rotate, by a cam, in a clockwise direction, over the top of the loaf, to come to rest on the depressed portion (102) of the flight bar (101), in order to bring the superimposed wrapper over the loaf. As the loaf approaches the end of the upper reach of the conveyer, the wrapper gripper arms (123) are released and a horizontally reciprocating plate 47, Figs. 16, 17 (not shown), is projected under the leading edge of the loaf to force the free end of the wrapper under it and under the other end of the wrapper. Simutaneously folders 202, pivotally connected to the machine frame at (243), are swung inwardly and forwardly, to fold in the trailing side flaps of the wrapper. These folders temporarily take over the function of supporting the loaf slices so that the fingers (170) can be retracted. Vertically reciprocating folding plates (254) then descend on the ends of the wrappers to fold down the top end flaps, these plates also taking over the function of supporting the loaf slices from the folders 202. The loaves are then advanced by pusher bars 228 on an overhead conveyer, and are carried on supporting plates (213) of a lower conveyer 212, towards side plates 238 which fold in the leading side flaps of the wrapper. Finally, the bottom end flaps are folded in by engagement in slots (240) between side plates (238) and (239). The side plates and folders are all laterally adjustable to allow loaves of different lengths to be wrapped.