Patent GB-1307477-A (GB)
Title: Method and apparatus for packaging articles within a tubular netting
IPC: B65C9/24
Filed: 1971-09-01
Abstract: 1307477 Packaging articles within tubular netting MANUFACTURE TOURANGELLE D'INSTRUMENTS DE PESAGE 1 Sept 1971 [1 Sept 1970] 40822/71 Heading B8C In a method of continuously packaging articles, such as fruit and vegetables of various shapes, within tubular netting the lower end of a length of the netting 4, rucked-up around a cylindrical throat 2 and drawn down over a collar 3 and below a pivotal valve 5, is initially closed by binding, clamping, or an adhesive strip &c., and a pre-weighed product 7 is fed into the throat 2 and is held therein by the valve 5 which is closed. When the latter is opened the product 7 falls, as a single block, to the bottom of the netting to pull the required length of netting from the throat 2, the length being monitored by an interrupter 8 the action of which recloses the valve 5 to arrest the descent of the product 7 and stretch the net extending between the product 7 and the valve 5. The exit funnel of a balance, not shown, which delivers successively equal lots of produce to the throat 2, is linked to a vibration unit, not shown. The upper end of the filled netting and the adjacent lower end of the netting for the successive package is sealed by two labels which carry material such as a coat, or hot melt spray, of glue, for sticking the two labels together. The labels may be pre-cut to the required dimen. sions, stacked, and taken away one-by-one from the stack, or two face-to-face labels can be used to make contact with each other across the mesh of the netting. Alternatively, a single length of label folded to U-shape to provide two interconnected labels can be used. After the labels have been fixed they are severed transversely intermediate their lengths to separate the packages. As shown, two strips 11a, 11b of interconnected labels, consisting of kraft paper coated on its upper face with polyethylene, are simultaneously fed forward, by respective pairs of feed rolls 12a, 13a and 12b, 13b, a label length at a time, to stations 18a, 18b where spring- loaded cutters, operated by jacks 20a, 20b cut off the leading labels, hot-melt glue may be sprayed on to their inner faces, their outside faces may be printed, and where they may be pre-heated. The upper rolls 13a, 13b of each driving pair are made of rubber, the lower rolls 12a, 12b being metallic. Pivotally mounted arms 22a, 22b, operated by pneumatic jacks 24a, 24b connected to a control unit 25, are raised to pick up the severed labels at the stations 18a, 18b and are then lowered again so that jaws 31a, 31b operated by pneumatic jacks 32a, 32b, can be brought together to fuse the two labels face-to-face in the spaces between the netting. When thermo-fusion polyethylene type glue material is used a heating system is added. The jaws 31a, 31b are made of hard copper one jaw being flat and the other fitted with frusto-pyramidal excrescences. The jaw supports 34a, 34b carry mesh separators 33a, 33b which stretch the netting and regularize its shape. When the netting has been closed by the pair of labels, and after possible cooling, the labels are cut in a median transverse plane at 35 so as to close the upper end of the filled package and the lower end of the succeeding package. The cutters 35 may comprise a hot iron, scissors, guillotine, or a disc cutter. The two labels may be additionally secured at each of their four corners by a clip. The cut-off package falls into a receiving tank 40 which is mobile and which tips under the influence of an ejection jack 41.