Patent GB-1239220-A (GB)
IPC: B65B11/16
Filed: 1967-12-01
Abstract: 1,239,220. Packaging. MASSON SCOTT THRISSELL ENG. Ltd. 28 Nov., 1968 [1 Dec., 1967], No. 54714/67. Heading B8C. A method of wrapping a thin rectangular article 10 such as a gramophone record from a rectangular blank 16 of wrapping material, e.g. of transparent plastics material, comprises making two cuts 22, 23 extending towards each other from opposite edges 18, 20 of the blank, the cuts being spaced from a third edge 19 of the blank by substantially one of the larger dimensions of the article, and the inner ends of the cuts being spaced apart by substantially the other of the larger dimensions of the article, folding on to the blank the two flaps 24, 25 formed by the cuts to produce a rectangular panel 29 substantially of the dimensions of the largest rectangular face of the article, folding the rectangular panel down on to one of the largest rectangular faces of the article to coincide therewith, folding the remainder of the blank on to the other largest rectangular face so as to leave a side margin on three sides thereof, folding the two oppositely disposed side margins 30, 32 around the article, and folding down the third side margin 31 on to the article. As shown, the side margins, Fig. 5, are tucked in to formed triangulated ends, and a tear strip 33 is secured to the face of the blank. In modifications, the tucked-in side margins and the cuts 22, 23 are omitted. In the apparatus for carrying out the wrapping of the article, the tear strip TS, tensioned by a weighted belt 40A passing around a reel 40, runs between a glue-applying roller and a roller 42A and then together with a continuous web WW passes beneath brushes 43D to secure the strip TS to the web. Roller 44A and driven roller 44B feed the web to a continuously rotating carrier 46 which carries a knife 46A cooperable with a stationary knife 45 to make a semicircular cut and to produce the semicircular piece 33A, Fig. 1, and two knives 46B which simultaneously make the cuts 22, 23. The web then passes over a plate 47 and drum 48 to be severed transversely to form separate wrapper blanks 16; the drum carries a knife 48F which at each revolution of the drum co-operates with a stationary knife 54 to sever the web WW so that the leading portion thereof becomes a blank 16 the web being cut in line with the tear strip end 33A so that the trailing edge of the blank is the edge 21 and the leading edge is the edge 19. When the spring-loaded cam follower 48L on the drum runs down into the indentation 52A of a cam 52 on the drum a deflector member 48H is actuated to push the leading edge of the web away from the drum and between guide plates 49A, 49B. By means of a tensioned belt 63 driven from the drum by a belt 67 the blanks are carried downwards between the guide plates to a position where members 87 carried by a shaft 88 are moved outwardly by engagement, a cam 80 with a cam follower 89 on the shaft whereby the side flaps 24, 25 are folded around the outer edges of the plates 49A and at right angles to the blank after which the flaps pass between ploughs 90B to be folded flat around the guide plates to a position shown in Fig. 1. When the blank has been partially fed through the base-plate 41C, the lowermost record sleeve 10 in a magazine 91 is moved from the magazine by a pusher 92C on to an endless conveyer 92 and plunged into the wrapper blank to be carried with the blank between guides 93B, which maintains the side margins 30, 32, and under a plate between the guides which folds down the portion 29, the side margins then being folded up at right angles by ploughs 93G and afterwards downwardly by ploughs 93J; the partially wrapped sleeve runs under a heated roller which heat seals the wrapper. Transversely of the conveyer 92 is a conveyer 94 which moves intermittently and on to which the partially wrapped record sleeves are moved by a pivoted pusher arm 95 operated by a cam 95A after which a plough member, Fig. 17 (not shown) tucks in successively the side margins 31, 32 and 30, 31, folders fold down the corners 30C, 32C, and ploughs fold up the leading end of the margin 31 against the edge 13 of the sleeve and then down on to the sleeve, the side margins 30, 31, 32 finally being heat sealed to the wrapper portion 29 by heater bars, Figs. 18 and 27 (not shown), which are lowered when the wrapped sleeve has been moved into the sealing position.