AU704164B3 - Improvements in the tagging of nets - Google Patents

Description

P00012 Regulation 3.2 Revised 2/98

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act, 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION PETTY PATENT TO BE COMPLETED BY THE APPLICANT NAME OF APPLICANT: MARINUCCI PACKAGING PTY LIMITED ACN 060 398 996 ACTUAL INVENTOR: ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: CHARLES MARINUCCI Peter Maxwell Associates Level 6 Pitt Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 INVENTION TITLE: DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NO(S): IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TAGGING OF NETS

NIL

The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- The present invention relates to the net packing and labelling of materials and, in particular, to a process for the packing and labelling of food items, such as apples and onions, in netting.

Hitherto, net packing and labelling of fresh fruit and vegetables has been achieved in a generally multi-step process. The traditional approach to the packing of these food items in a net has been to use a net stapling or clipping machine that cramps a staple tightly around each of the opposed end portions of a double open ended net so that the net closes around the food items. This is accompanied by the step of labelling the net 10 with a label containing information to identify the packing company, the :type and variety of fruit or vegetable packed and the bar code. In most instances, a label is thrown or otherwise deposited into the net just prior to the cramping of the second staple to close the net around the food items.

More recently, electronic tagging machines have been used to tag the label S 15 to the outside of the net after packing has been completed.

Both approaches have been found to have shortcomings that may ultimately defeat the purpose of labelling the food items. For instance, when a label is deposited into the net, it does not always display the necessary information to the purchaser, as the label may, as a result of movement of the food items in the net, end up lying face down on or sandwiched between food items so as to conceal the information from view.

Also, an electronic tagging machine, as well as being expensive, is prone to suffer operating problems. Such machines have been found to break down and/or require service relatively frequently given the environment in which they normally operate and are not readily amenable to quick change of labels to identify different packing companies or the like 3 information, given that label changes require the substitution of one spool for another. Furthermore, electronic tagging machines are only able to tag one net at a time.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least substantially ameliorate the shortcomings and disadvantages of these prior art approaches to the packing and labelling of food items or the like in netting.

According to the invention, there is provided a process for the packing and labelling of materials in netting comprising the steps of:- 10 providing tubular netting having opposed end portions each of which is adapted to retain a desired amount of said materials therewithin, oo: and having a central portion therebetween adapted to be crimped on itself, (ii) providing a label blank adapted to be cut into two pieces, each piece comprising a label, the label blank including a common stem portion S 15 for each of the labels which is adapted to be cramped to the central portion when so crimped, ~(iii) stretching the central portion of the netting so that it is folded on itself and locating the stem portion of the label blank in parallel relationship with the central portion, so that the said central portion and said stem portion are stretchedly juxtaposed, and (iv) cramping a pair of cramping members securely about the said juxtaposed central and stem portions at spaced apart locations thereof and simultaneously cutting the netting and label blank at a location intermediate the pair of cramping members.

Preferably, the cramping members are staples.

It is preferred that the tubular netting is fed from a feed tube around which the netting is annularly folded.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred apparatus that may be used in the process of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side view of another preferred apparatus for use in the process of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a part perspective view of the apparatus of Fig. 1 showing part of the cramping and cutting head thereof, 10 Fig. 4 is a side view of adjacent severed tubular end portions of a crimped netting to which adjacent severed stem portions of a label blank have been cramped by respective staples, .o,.o Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a netting containing apples having *been packed and labelled in accordance with the process of S 15 the present invention, and Fig. 6 is a top view of a preferred label blank for use in the process of the present invention.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 has been conventionally used as a net stapler and cutter, and is manufactured by Able Cooke and is marketed under the name "ABLE NET STAPLER". It consists essentially of a support column 12 to which is mounted a height adjustable table 14, and a cramping and cutting head 15 consisting of a headstock 24, a pair of staple loaders 26, 28, and a headstock protective housing 30. The column 12 is supported on a base 22 to which is pivotally mounted a treadle 16 operable via a treadle backstroke spring 18 and a headstock actioning rod 20. There is a chute assembly 31 comprising a hopper 32, a feed tube 34, a net ring 36 and a hopper support column 38 connected to the base 22 by a link beam The apparatus shown side-on in Fig. 2 is generally similar to that shown in Fig. 1 except that the chute assembly is absent and the treadle is pivotally mounted to the support column, rather than to the base. Similar features in the apparatus of Fig. 2 to those in the apparatus of Fig. 1 are assigned identical numerals for the purposes of this description.

The process described hereinafter may employ either of the apparatus of Figs. 1 or 2, both of which utilise the cramping and cutting 10 head shown in detail in Fig. 3.

A tubular netting of the type conventionally used to retain fruit and o° S: vegetables is annularly folded in a concertina-like arrangement around the feed tube 34 and has one end thereof firmly pressed against the feed tube 34 by the net ring 36 so that it is stationary. An amount of a selected fruit 15 or vegetable to be packed in the netting is placed in the hopper 32 and may be fed through the feed tube 34 by an operator positioned adjacent to the "..table 14. At the start of the operation, the netting may be prefabricated so S: that the free end not held stationary by the net ring 36 against the feed tube 34 is either in open or closed end form.

Normally, tubular netting useful for the purposes of the present invention is supplied in double open end form so that, when a length of the tubular netting is pulled manually from around the feed tube 34, the leading open end must be cramped shut by operation of the cramping and cutting head 15 (to be described in detail later). If the leading end of the tubular netting is prefabricated in closed end form, then no such preliminary operation is required.

6 With the leading end of the tubular netting being suitably shut or closed, a sufficient length of the netting is pulled from around the feed tube 34 so as to define a leading end portion of netting into which a desired amount of the selected food items are then placed by allowing the food items to pass from the hopper 32 through the feed tube 34 and thus into the leading end portion of the netting.

With the leading end portion sufficiently filled with food items, a following adjacent portion of the netting is longitudinally stretched so that it is folded on itself, such as in circumferentially corrugated fashion, usually o. 10 by the operator pulling the said adjacent portion in opposite longitudinal directions with both hands, thereby also defining a generally unstretched *oo* a S°trailing end portion of netting between the said stretched adjacent portion and the portion of netting still held firmly around the feed tube 34 by the net ring 36.

S 15 The stretched adjacent portion is, therefore, located intermediate of, or centrally between, the leading and trailing end portions of the netting and will be hereinafter described as the central portion of the netting.

A label blank 44, as shown in Fig. 5, is provided having a stem portion 46 flanked at both ends by information containing label segments 48, 50. The label blank 44, which may be made of a "DUROTHERM" (trade mark) material, is adapted to be cut or severed into two pieces at or near the middle of the stem portion 46 so as to provide a pair of labels, (see portions of the labels 41, 43 in Fig. each of which consists of the remnant part of the stem portion after cutting and its adjoining label segment. Prior to cutting, the stem portion 46 of the label blank 44 is manually located by the operator in parallel relationship with the central portion of the netting so that they are stretchedly juxtaposed.

The stretchedly juxtaposed central portion and stem portion are then inserted by the operator into a slot 42 in the headstock 24 of the cramping and cutting head 15 shown in Fig. 3 where, by operation of the apparatus, a pair of cramping members 45, 47, in this instance a pair of staples, are cramped securely about the stretchedly juxtaposed central portion and stem portion at spaced apart locations thereof, thereby crimping the central portion on itself and cramping the stem portion 46 to the so crimped central portion at each of the two spaced apart locations. Simultaneously with the aforementioned cramping step, the cramping and cutting head 10 cuts the netting and label blank 44 at a location intermediate the pair of cramping members 45, 47, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to create a closed trailing end 49 of the leading end portion 51 of the netting and a closed leading end 53 of the trailing end portion 57 of the netting. The stem portion 46 should, of course, be of a length sufficient to extend beyond S 15 both sides of the head stock 24 and to allow the cramping members 47 to be cramped to the stem portion 46 at locations far enough away from the label segments 48, 50 that the resultant label affixed to the netting is clearly visible over the food items contained in the netting.

The cramping and cutting head 15 of Fig. 3 has a pair of staple loaders 26, 28 to which are connected dedicated staple holders 52, 54 of a supply of staples 55, and pivotable covers 56 therefor. The tightness of the closing grip of the cramping members or staples is adjustable by a cam dial 58 which varies the position of the anvils 60, 62 in the slot 42.

As a result of the first simultaneous cramping and cutting operation, the end portion of the netting which is downstream of the slot 42 the aforementioned leading end portion 51), and which already holds a first amount of food items, has been shut or closed off at both its ends (only 8 closed trailing end 49 shown), thereby stably retaining the food items therewithin, and a label 43 has been cramped stably to the netting holding the food items, utilising the same cramping member 47 as is used for cramping shut the last open end of the netting holding the food items. At the same time, the other cramping member 45 has both cramped shut the leading end 53 of the following length of netting which is upstream of the slot 42 the aforementioned trailing end portion 57) and cramped thereto a label 41.

The operation may then be repeated so as to fill the trailing end portion 57 of netting with a second amount of food items, and then pulling a sufficient new length of the netting from around the feed tube 34 as S•described earlier so that the simultaneous cramping and cutting operation may be carried out again, but without requiring the operator to locate a label blank in stretchedly juxtaposed relationship to the newly formed S 15 central portion of the new length of the netting (ie. the second operation).

A label blank is not required to be used in this second simultaneous cramping and cutting operation because a label 41 has already been cramped onto the leading end 53 of the netting containing the second :amount of food items by the completion of the first simultaneous cramping and cutting operation as mentioned above.

A label need only be cramped to a new length of netting at the next simultaneous cramping and cutting operation (ie. the third operation).

In this way, a label blank 44 only needs to be used in every second simultaneous cramping and cutting operation to cramp a label to netting containing food items, because the same cutting step that cuts the netting also cuts the stem portion of the label blank so as to form a pair of labels, each of which is cramped to its respective netting by the same cramping

I

member that cramps shut the adjacent end of the netting. Also, when a label is cramped to such netting, it is carried out simultaneously with the cramping shut and cutting of an end of the netting, thereby packing and labelling the food items in a single operation.

Food items, in this case apples 61, that have been packed and labelled in netting 63 in accordance with the process of the present invention, are shown in Fig. 6. The label 64 and the information it contains are clearly visible to the viewer and the label 64 is securely affixed via a cramping member 65 to the netting 63.

10 Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention.

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Claims (3)

1. A process for the packing and labelling of materials in netting comprising the steps of:- providing tubular netting having opposed end portions each of which is adapted to retain a desired amount of said materials therewithin, and having a central portion therebetween adapted to be crimped on itself, (ii) providing a label blank adapted to be cut into two pieces, each piece comprising a label, the label blank including a common stem portion ,5" Sso. for each of the labels which is adapted to be cramped to the central portion 0 when so crimped, e(iii) stretching the central portion of the netting so that it is folded on itself and locating the stem portion of the label blank in parallel S"relationship with the central portion, so that the said central portion and 5055 said stem portion are stretchedly juxtaposed, and (iv) cramping a pair of cramping members securely about the said juxtaposed central and stem portions at spaced apart locations thereof and simultaneously cutting the netting and label blank at a location intermediate the pair of cramping members.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the cramping members are staples.

3. The process of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the tubular netting is fed from a feed tube around which the netting is annularly folded. Dated this 20th day of January 1999. MARINUCCI PACKAGING PTY LIMITED By its Patent Attorneys PETER MAXWELL ASSOCIATES