Patent ID: 8266877

Claim:
A packing method for folding a sheet ( 5 ) of packing material about a substantially parallelepiped-shaped article ( 2 ), the packing method comprising the steps of: feeding the article ( 2 ) along a path (P 1 ); feeding the sheet ( 5 ) of packing material perpendicularly to the path (P 1 ) and in front of the article ( 2 ), so the article ( 2 ), as it moves forward, intercepts and gradually folds the sheet ( 5 ) of packing material into a “U”; positioning two lead-in devices ( 19 ) on opposite sides of the article ( 2 ), so the article ( 2 ) is enclosed between the two lead-in devices ( 19 ); feeding the two lead-in devices ( 19 ) parallel to the path (P 1 ) and together with the article ( 2 ), so the sheet ( 5 ) of packing material is also intercepted by the lead-in devices ( 19 ); positioning two folding members ( 30 ) on opposite sides of the path (P 1 ) and spaced apart to allow the article ( 2 ), together with the lead-in devices ( 19 ), to pass between the two folding members ( 30 ); feeding the two folding members ( 30 ) parallel to the path (P 1 ) and ahead of the article ( 2 ), so the sheet ( 5 ) of packing material is intercepted and folded partly into a “U” by the folding members ( 30 ), before being intercepted by the article ( 2 ) together with the two lead-in devices ( 19 ); feeding the article ( 2 ), together with the two lead-in devices ( 19 ), between the two folding members ( 30 ), so the article ( 2 ), together with the two lead-in devices ( 19 ), intercepts the partly U-folded sheet ( 5 ) of packing material; positioning a pocket ( 15 ) of a packing conveyor ( 13 ) downstream from the sheet ( 5 ) of packing material in the travelling direction of the article ( 2 ); and inserting the article ( 2 ) and the sheet ( 5 ) of packing material, folded into a “U” about the article ( 2 ), into the pocket ( 15 ).