Patent GB-1505551-A (GB)
Title: Flat turret wrapping machine
IPC: B65B11/16
Filed: 1975-01-28
Abstract: 1505551 Flat-turret wrapping machine SCANDIA PACKAGING MACHINERY CO 28 Jan 1975 [15 April 1974] 3553/75 Heading B8C An apparatus for wrapping an article comprises means providing an article having a sheet of wrapping material draped therearound so that the ends of the sheet project outwardly from one side and along opposing edges of the article, means for moving the draped article along a path to a stationary folding work station, means 40 for folding one of the projecting ends B, Fig. 6, under the other projecting end A in overlapping relationship along said one side of the article which is maintained stationary in said folding work station, said folding means being located at said folding work station along said path and including a lifting mechanism 36 for lifting a first of the projecting ends away from the article, and a folding element 40 that folds the second projecting end along the edge of the article underneath said first end, and, means 42 for sealing the wrapping material along the overlapped ends of the wrapping sheet. A flat-turret wrapping machine 10 comprises a number of, e.g. ten, pockets 11 each comprising a carrier block 12, a tucker blade 15 secured by the plate 16 to the block 12 which carries stationary and spring-loaded side guides 13, 14 repectively, and three rollers (23) which engage in a channel on the frame (25) of the machine. The tucker blade 15, mounting plate 16 and a package stop member 5 can be changed to suit the dimensions of a certain package. The packets 11 are attached, by portions 12a, to a pair of double-conveyer, indexing chains which form a closed loop around an idler sprocket 28 and a sprocket 29 which is intermittently driven, the chain carrying pairs of stabilizing wings 30, 30 which are adapted to engage corresponding abutment surfaces 33 on the blocks 12 as the latter change direction. The sprockets 28, 29 have contoured surfaces 34 to accommodate the blocks 12. As each draped package in a pocket 11 is presented to a folding station the drive to the chains 27 is stopped and the first projecting end A of the wrapper sheet is lifted, by a vacuum plate 36 away from the package P and a second projecting end B is folded along the edge of the article underneath the first end by a folder blade 40, Fig. 6, the plate 36 then folding down the end A over the end B. A trailing fold holding bar 41 supports the wrapper sheet at the corner of the package, the blade 40 and the bar 41 being cam-operated. A single source of suction, controlled by a valve, is attached via a conduit (38), to draw a vacuum across the width of the plate 36. When the height of the package exceeds about 2 inches the vacuum manifold (49) is provided with three separate sections, a mask 54, Fig. 10, being placed over the vacuum plate to provide a centre vacuum section 55 and two outer vacuum sections 56. A first cut-off valve controls the outer sections 56 and a second cut-off valve controls the centre section 55 so that, after the trailing ends A, B have been overlapped, and just before the package begins a further step forward, the vacuum to the outer manifold sections 56, 56 is cut off, the vacuum to the centre manifold section 55 not being cut off until the package commences to move away so that the package material is pulled tightly around the package.