Patent GB-1315126-A (GB)
Title: Method of and means for the wrapping and packaging of books
IPC: B65B25/14
Filed: 1969-09-08
Abstract: 1315126 Moulding foam packaging IPC SERVICES Ltd 2 Sept 1970 [8 Sept 1969] 44364/69 Heading B5A [Also in Division B8] In a method of packaging articles such as books a book 1 is moved laterally into a curtain 4, 11 of shrink film material, such as polythene, extending between supply and take up rolls 5, 6 to form a sheath, or loop, 7 about the book, the book, surrounded by the severed sheath 7, is placed into a mould casing 13-16 having its ends open, and the ends of the sheath 7 are shrunk, by heated members 77, around corresponding nozzles 20, in end plates 17, 18 of the mould which are then moved to close the mould. Liquid-foam plastics is then injected, through the nozzles 20 and into the sheath, to expand the latter into the shape of the mould. The sheath 7 is severed from the curtain 4, 11 by sealing and cutting elements 8, 9 which, when moved together, form a longitudinal seal 12 along the sheath, and fuse together the portions 10, 11 of the film curtain to form a fresh curtain and sever the sheath. The ends of the sheath are shrunk around the nozzles 20, which are adjustably mounted in the end plates 17, 18 by first inserting rods 75 through the end plate 17 to extend through the sheath 7 and hold its ends open, and then introducing the nozzles 20 into the ends of the sheath as the rods are withdrawn. The heat sealing elements 77 are then swung upwardly to shrink the ends of the sheath 7 around the nozzles 20, whereupon the ends 17, 18 are fitted to the mould. After removal from the mould the package may be subjected to further heat treatment to shrink tightly the sheath 7 on to the block of foam material. The nozzle 20 may be arranged to direct the liquid foamplastics material into a particular section of the sheath and, if it is desired to enclose completely the book in foam plastics, the book can be placed on legs (23), Fig. 9, not shown. In a modification, Fig. 11, the top and side plates of the mould are relatively movable by motors to adjust the size of the mould. The book may be subjected to a pre-shrink wrapping operation to form an initial film covering before the book is placed in the sheath. The rods 75 may be inserted in the sheath 7 during the sealing of the edges at 12, and the sheath 7 may be formed from a pre-cut sheet of film. A label may be placed between the lower face of the book and the sheath. A number of articles may be arranged on a base board with pre-formed pieces of foam cushioning before being placed in the sheath. In an automatic packaging apparatus articles, such as books, are enclosed in an envelope of polythene at station 46, Fig. 13, and conveyed through a heat-shrinking tunnel 48, to a cooling conveyer 47 which passes them to a rotary packing device 50 having a plurality of moulding cavities 55 each fitted with a vertically displaceable bottom plate 56. At station I each article is placed into a bag formed of heatshrinkable material and arranged in a mould cavity. Liquid-foam material is introduced into the bag at station II, the upper end of the bag being sealed by a heat sealer 59 which is swung downwardly from its upper, non-operative position. As the sealed bag rotates its upper sealed end presses against a cover-plate 69, the shaped package being ejected at station VII by an ejecting mechanism (68), Fig. 14, not shown, which lifts the bottom plate 56 of the respective mould, the plate 56 being provided with rounded projections (70). A package is moved by conveyers 71, 72, 73 to the heating tunnel 48 to shrink the outer sheath, the package being delivered from the machine by a conveyer 74. The initially shrink-wrapped article may be placed in a mould cavity without a bag, the moulded block then being subjected to a shrinkwrapping operation to completely enclose the cushioning material.