CA2212778A1

CA2212778A1 - Method and apparatus for packaging food

Info

Publication number: CA2212778A1
Application number: CA 2212778
Authority: CA
Inventors: Robert F. Mcpherson, Jr.; Michael P. Gorlich
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: World Class Packaging Systems Inc
Priority date: 1995-02-10
Filing date: 1996-02-01
Publication date: 1996-08-15
Also published as: AU4969796A; JPH11502157A; WO1996024470A1; EP0808234A1; AU705773B2

Abstract

A method and apparatus of packaging food that involves severing plastic film by contacting it with a blade (110) at a temperature sufficient to cause plastic vaporization. The film is then secured to the tray to form the package. A mounting system for the blade permits the blade to expand as it heats up and to contract as it cools down.

Description

W O 96/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING FOOD

This invention relates to m~chinPs for parl~ging food products and related methods. In one embo 1imPnt the p~ gP~ product may be ~ ~1 in one condition under certain P~ and then converted to another co~ition For eY~mp1e, during l~ s~ll~tion the 5 food p~c~ge might ",;.in~ an inert gaseous ~tmo~rhPre and then, when the p~rL~e reaches a s~ .k-l or other retail outlet, the food parl~ge will permit ~ JO:~Ule of the food product to the ~mhient ~tmosrhPre. While a wide variety of food products can be p~c~gPd in accordance with the tP~-hings of this invention, it is particularly advantageous in c~ ~;l;o.- with the p~rk~f~ing of meat in a m~riifiPd atmosphere package such that the meat may be L~dns~olled in a 10 relatively inert atmosphere and then caused to bloom when it reaches a retail outlet by exposure to oxygen.

~ i~t~rir~11y, meat products have been butchered and p~r~ed in each su~~ t or other retail outlet. It has long been recognized that this arrangement is extremely inPffl~i.ont and 15 expensive. Tn~tP~l, it would be pl~r~l~ble to permit the meat to be butchered and packaged at an Pffi~iPnt facility which benefits from economies of scale and thereafter to be shipped to individual :~U~ l k~tc or other retail outlets.

In the past, this desirable goal has riot been achievable because most consumers prefer to 2o buy meat which is red in color as a result of exposure to oxygen. However, the meat .Il~ in~
its red color for only one to two days. Thereafter, it turns to a purple color which is nndecir~hle to most consumers. Therefore, if the meat was butchered and packaged in one location and then shipped to another location for eventual sale, by the time the package reached the retail outlet the meat would have undergone the transformation to the purple color and would be 2s effectively unsalable.
To overcome these problems, there have been a number of efforts to m~int~in the food product in a first atmosphere during shipping and a second atmosphere when the meat product is ready for retail sale. It is not believed that any of these techniques have yet achieved ~ignifi~ ant commercial acceptance. Therefore, it is highly desirable to provide a package that would W O 96/24470 PCT~US96/01366 permit remote meat ~lc~A~AI;~ n and subsequent sale after the passage of rnore than a couple of days. It is equally ~le~ hle to have an a~dldLus and method for pAr~ Iping such pl~lu.;L~ in an ~.ffiri~nt and cost-effective way despite the fact that most con~nmPr.c would prefer not to invest a large amount of money in ~ldboldL~ pAr~ges Thus, it should be a~ t that there is a cu~ p- need to solve the l-~"~ p, problem of providing a package which permits meat or other food products to be pAr~geA at one lnr-Ati~n and then to be sold sometime later under dirr~ t c~n-lition~ One approach to solving these problems which has shown con~i~lç~dble commercial promise is r~ osed in U.S.
Patent No. S,348,752 to Mi~'hrAPl P. C~orlirh In this patent, a depression is provided in the tray which allows the cutting blade to cut plastic film from a web in place on a tray without /1A I ~ ~AP i t-g the pArlr~ping-It is very ill~lL~lt in pAr~ging applications, inrhllling the modified Al.--osl.h~e 15 pAr~ging, to cut pidStiC film reproducibly at high speeds. This means that the film not only is cut very quickly, but that it is cut repe~t~-Aly in the exact same way, completely through the film.

Plastic film has conventi~nAlly been cut by a vanety of blades which may include20 sPm~tPci snrf,lrçs which are pressed through plastic film to sever the film in place. These systems require a suitable backing plate or anvil to receive the cutting blade. This is because plastic films tend to be extremely flexible and moreover, are often quite elastic. Thus, plastic films tend to flex and deform, and even stretch when cutting is ~LLe~ L~d. While cutting these mAtPriAlc at relatively slow speeds does not tend to be a particular problem, the difficulties 2 5 intensify at higher speeds.

ConventinnAlly, plastic films are cut to fit on trays and other surfaces in convçntionAl pArl~ging applications. Cutting the film to size within the confines of the tray has not been alL~ Led because of the AhsPncP of a suitable support to receive the blade or because of the 30 likelihood that the blade would damage the package tray. Moreover, because it is often =

W 096/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 n~c~,y to cut a piece out of a plastic web, the web must be cut clean through all the way around the closed cut.

While heated cutting blades are known in connF~ti- n with cutting and sealing plastic, the 5 I~ ;s utili~d co~ olld to plastic sealing Lelllpeldtules. Plastic is usually sealed at its ~r,~.-i.-g ~ ---t;. Thus, these heated blades are often fouled with so~Pned plastic and must be cleaned regularly.

It would be highly desirable to have a severing system which cuts film either inside the 10 conl i~-Pc of a package or at p~ge edges in a rapid and reproducible fashion. Moreover, such a system which does not require excessive c~lP~ning would be particularly desirable. While such a system would have a variety of applications, it would be highly desirable to have a high spe d plastic film severing system useful for severing plastic film for trays, inrlntling trays used for modified atmosphere p~ ging In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a p~ ging method using a plastic film cutting tool having a cutting blade includes the steps of heating a portion of the blade to a tel~laLul~ sufficient to vaporize the film to be severed and cont~-ting the film with the heated portion of the blade.
~ -In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a p~t~k~gin~ m~-hinP has a cutting tool for severing plastic film. The m~-hin~ includes a heated cutting blade having a blade tip heated by a heating Pl~om~nt ext~n~ling along its length. The cutting tool is adapted to enable the blade tip to reach ~ n ~ ~ ~s in excess of 600~ F.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a p~-k~ging m~hin~
incl~ s an ~ p~UdLlls for cutting a film portion from a plastic film web. The apparatus has a blade arranged in a ~5~ ti~11y closed geometrical shape, a heating ~-lPmPnt for heating the blade, a m~h~nicm for moving the blade towards and away from the web to be cut, and a blade W 096/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 ..... u.~ device. The device conn~ctC the mPrh~ni~"~ to the blade, and is adapted to permit heat ~Yp~nci-~n of the blade relative to the mPrh~nicm In acco,~lce with yet another aspect of the present invention, a p~rk~ging m~rhinP is 5 capable of supplying a desired p~rk~ginv gaseous envilun,,,el,l to a p~r~ge inrln-ling a tray and a plastic film for covering the tray. The m~rhin~ inrl~ Ps a cha,-,beL having an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion. The rh~mhPr is adapted to sealingly sandwich the plastic film such that the ~li~llGly of the plastic film is rl~mped between the upper and lower housing portions. A film clamp is ~r~ngPA to hold the film between s~lcceccive trays inside the 1 0 ~ " ,l ,t~, In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a p~r~ging m~rhinP for covering a plurality of trays with plastic film inchldec a conveyor for loading a plurality of trays into the machin~ at one time. A pr~ mm~hle sensing device C~ PC the presence of a 15 desired l~u~b~r of trays on the conveyor, in position to be loaded into the machine. The device is pl'~ h1P to adapt to dirrtlc;l,L tray sizes or different desired nllmhPrc of trays.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a p~rk~ging m~rhinP for covering trays with a plastic film inrlucles an apparatus for unloading the completed packages.
2 0 The unlo~riP-r inrlud~Pc a pusher arranged to push a plurality of the packages from the m~rhinP at one time. The pusher is adapted to offset the pack~ages with respect to one another in the direction the packages are ~licpl~reA

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a p~rk~ging m~rhine for 2 5 covering a plurality of trays with plastic film includes a conveyor for loading a plurality of trays into said m~rhine A first stop is located to control the access to the m~chinp of the next tray on the conveyor to be loaded. A second stop is located to control the access to the m~rhine of a tray second in line to be loaded. A pusher is provided for pushing the next tray and the second in line tray apart from one another.

W O 96/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 Figure 1 is a cross-s~tinn~l view taken gen.or~lly along the line 1-1 in Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the embodiment shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is an lonl~rf~ed top plan view of a portion of the embo limPnt shown in Figure 1, ~h~w~lg the loading area receiving trays to be packaged;

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the portion shown in Figure 3;

Figure !j is a front elevational view corresponding to that shown in Figure 4 after a row of trays has been po~itionP~i atop a receiving platform;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the portion shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a vertical, cross-sectional view partially broken away so as to show two rather than four stations and with vacuum and gas supplying means removed;

Figure 8 is a view co~ ~nding to Figure 7 after the platform has been removed from the rotary arrns;
:
Figure 9 is an enlarged, plan view of the quick disconnect tooling at the station 22a;

Figure 10 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 10-10 in Figure 9;
Figure 11 is a partial, side elevational view of the unloading station;

Figure 12 is a partial, side elevational view of the unloading station after a platform has been raised to an "up" position;

W 096/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 Figure 13 is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure 12 after the trays have been pushed onto the nnlo~-ling conveyor;

Figure 14 is an enlarged, partial, cross-sectinn~l view of the bottom of the surge tank;

Figure lS is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention taken gen~.~lly along the line 15-15 in Figure 20;

Figure 16 is a cross-secti~-n~l view taken generally along the line 16-16 in Figure 20 10 ~ wil~g the movable blade support assembly with the seal bar removed;

Figure 17 is a cross-section~l view taken generally along the line 17-17 in Figure 20 showing the fixed blade support ~ mhly with the seal bar removed;

Figure 18 is a cross-s~ction~l view taken generally along the line 18-18 in Figure 16;

Figure 19 is an enlarged side elevational view showing the connection of a column to the blade;

2 o Figure 20 is a cross-sectinn~l view taken generally along the line 20-20 in Figure 15;

Figure 21 is a top plan view of another embodiment of tray unlo~-1er;

Figures 22a and 22c are enlarged top plan views of another embodiment of a tray loader 2 s while Figures 22b and 22d are side elevational views of the tray loader;

Figure 23 is a top plan view of another tray loader with two trays ov~lla~ g;

Figure 24 is a side elevational view of the tray loader of Figure 23;

W 096/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 7 _ Figure 25 is a top plan view of the tray loader of Figure 23 after the overlappe~d trays havebeen~ A;and Figure 26 is a side elevational view of the tray loader shown in Figure 25.

l?P-ff rring to the drawing v~h~ like l~r~lc"ce rh~r~rtt--r.C are used for like parts Illruu~ ul the several views, a ~L;-~;Q~ m~rhine 20, as shown in Figure 1, inrlll(iec four stations 22. While the m~rhin~ is illllstrAt~ in a four-station emboriim~nt it should be lm~lrr~ctc~ that one or more of the inrlir~t~A stations may be unused and that in any particular 10 ~"~bodi~ent it may be possible or ~eci~bl~ to have more or less than four st~tinnc. The four stations 22 operate on packages which are moved circularly from one station to the next.

The p~rL~es to be produced are held on a platform 24 which in the illllctr~t~
emboclim~nt inrllltles slots 26 to receive four package trays. A variety of p~rk~ge types may be 15 utili7~cl One type of package type uses a relatively rigid molded plastic tray which is covered by either a film or an ~ liti-m~l plastic domed closure. Examples of packages of this type are ~icrlosf~l in U.S. Patent No. S,348,752 and copending patent applic~tion and 08/098,530, filed July 28, 1993. Both the pending patent application and issued patent are hereby ~A~lc~s~ly incorporated by reference herein.
The platforms 24 are calTied on mounting arms 28 which in turn connect to rotatable ring 30. The ring 30 is driven by the merh~nicm 32 which may be of any conv.~ntion~l type but is illl-s~ t~A as being a drive chain and motor arrangement.

The entire m~t~hine 20 is supported atop a base 34 on feet 36, as shown in Figure 2.
Base 34 also supports a surge tank 38, which in turn supports a hanger assembly 40. The surge tank 38 provides a central support for mounting the ring 30 and drive mechanism 32. The base 34 and hanger assembly 40 may be utilized to support various equipment pocitinn~d at the stations 22 for ~L;ldlil~g on the food trays contained within the platform 24. For example, as 3 0 shown in Figure 2, a tray load m~h~nicm 42 is ~c50ci~t~d with the station 22a and supported W 096/24470 PCTrUS96101366 on the base 34. Simil~rly, a tooling assembly 44 inclllcles an upper portion 46 llluullL~d on the hanger 40 and a lower portion 48 mounted on the base 34. The upper portion 46 inr~ c a hnucin~ or ~'h,.."h~. 47 and the lower portion 48 inrlllcles a housing or rh~mhPr 49.

The tray load ~"~h~icm 42, shown in Figure 5, inrlll-les a tray conveyor 50 and a tray loader 52. The conveyor 50 may be a convPntinn~l belt conveyor Wll~lC;ill the trays 55 are motinnP1 onto the tray conveyor 50. They are aligned by a stop bar 54 powered by a cylinder 56. At the a~ uyl~le interval, the trays 55 may be advanced to a second stop bar 58 so that the yO~LiOIl previously occupi~A by the trays 55 may be filled by ~ lition~l trays. The stop bar 0 58 is controlled by a second cylinder 60. The trays 55 may be pre-loaded with the food product to be p~r~ A

Below the ~ldlrc,llll 24a, there is a cylinder 62 that powers a bed 64 upwardly and downwardly. The bed 64 inr~udes a stop 66 on its inward end. Each bed 64 is ~ecignrA to receive a tray !;5 from the tray conveyor 50 and to lower it into a platform slot 26. Thus, there would be a plurality of m~h~nicmc 62 and 64, one for each of the slots 26 in a platform 24a.

In the illllctr~t~A emb~Ylim~nt the station 22b is an inactive station which is not used.
However, in the other applications, it may be desirable or ne~s~ry to perform all or part of the 2 o operation which is done at another station at the station 22b. The station 22b could be used, for Py~mpl~P, to load the food product into the trays 55.

The station 22c inrhlcles a tooling assembly 44 made up of an upper portion 46 and a lower yortion 48. As shown in Figure 2, the upper chamber 47 is mounted on a ml-rh~nicm 68 2 5 which allows it to be raised and lowered towards and away from the platform 24. Likewise, the lower chamber 49 is mounted on a m--rh~nicm 70 which raises and lowers the lower portion 48 towards the underside of the platform 24. If desired, either the upper chamber 47 or lower çh~mhPr 49 may be st~ti~,n~ry.

W O 96/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 g The Illuulllillg of a platform 24 on the arms 28 is shown in Figures 7 and 8. As shown in Figure 7, the pl~ffcnn 24 is mounted on the arms 28 by a plurality of ~~pst~n~ling pins 72.
- Each pin 72 inrll~ 5 a tapered upper portion 74 which fits in a mating tapered portion 76 in the unrlP~ of the yldLrCIllll 24. Thus, the pldlr)llll 24 is removably located ûn the arms 28 by 5 way of the pins 72.

The lower ~ .h~ 49 inrluri~s a pair of upst~n-ling pins 78 with tapered portions 80 which mate in holes 82 in the platform 24. Thus, when the lower chamber 49 moves upwardly to engage the platform 24, the tapered portions 80 of the pins 78 mate with the holes 82 in the 10 pldlrullll 24. In this way, the yldlr~llll 24 is very precisely centered and pocitionPd within the station 22c. As shown in Figure 8, the lower d~alllbel 49 actually lifts the platform 24 off of its pins 72 to achieve the precise ~lignmP.nt The upper chamber 47 and lower ~h~mhPr 49 contain seals 84 which provide an air tight seal with the upper and lower surfaces of the platform 24, again as shown in Figure 8.
The configuration of the upper and lower portions 46 and 48 of the tooling assembly 44, shown in Figure 10, inrl~ Ps a sealer 86, a cutter 88, and a web winding system 90. The web 92 may be unrolled from a roll 94, ~,~ cessed inside the tooling assembly 44 and transferred to a waste roll 96. The film 92 may be made of any plastic film used for food p~rl~ginginr.lllrling COlllpO:ii~ films of plastic, aluminum foil, paper, or cardboard.

With the film 92 po.citionPIl over the tray 55, it may be sealed by the sealer 86 which is mounted on a shaft 108. The seal bar may be telescopically reciprocated up and down at the ay~r~liat~ times in order to seal the film 92 to the tray 55. A wide variety of sealers 86 may 25 be utili7pli~ however one convPntic-n~l sealer uses electrical recict~nce heaters 100 in order to heat seal the film to the tray 55. The extent of upward and downward movement of the shaft 108 is controlled by the medial stops 102 under the influence of a conventional fluid energy source. The medial stops 102 are part of a tube 98 which is sealing secured to the shaft 108.

W 096/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 The sealer 86 may be removed from the m~ch~ni~m for repair or c~ ning when desired simply by ulllhl~;ad..lg the nut 106. When this is done, the shaft 108 and sealer 86 may be removed downwardly from the ~ n;cm.

The cutter 88 inç.llldes a pair of blades 110 po~itioned to enter the recess 112 in the l~lr.,..~ 24. These blades cut the film 92 completely around the upper cil.;ulllr~ ce of the tray so that it c4llr~lllls to the configuration of the tray 55. Of course, any conv~ntinn~l severing technique may be utilized in~ ling cutting or heat severing. Also, more than one web or film may be severed for ~tt~hm~nt to the tray 55. Like the sealer 86, the cutter 88 ~ lu~s upwardly and duwllwaldly around the sealer 86. It is controlled by stops 114 on arms 116 under the infl~ .nr,e of a convPntion~l fluid energy source.

The cutter 88 also in~,ludes an internal coolant circulation passage 118. Connected to a source of ~Yt~.rn~l cooling liquid, the passage 118 provides a medium for cooling the cutter 88.
The cutter 88, in close ~lU~UIlli~y to the sealer 86, is subject to possible heat related malfi-n~finn.~ By cooling the cutter 88, the precision of the cutting operation may be ...~i..~;,i.~ even in a relatively hot envir~)nm.-nt The lower chamber 49 cont~in~ a gas exchange passage 130 in its lower surface, while the upper chamber 47 incllldes a gas exchange passage 132 in its side wall. The lower portion 48 may include filler 134. Each platform 24 includes a plurality of gas exchange passages 136.
The gas eYçh~nge passage 132 comml-nic~tes with a vacuum source by way of the quick ~li$rnnnfY~t device 138, shown in Figure 9. That device is secured to the upper chamber 47 by threaded knobs 140. ~imil~rly, device 142 is connected by threaded knobs 144 to lower ~h~mh~-r 49 to provide gas ~oY~çh~nge via opening 130.

Referring to Figure 9, it is evident that the connections to the upper and lower portions 46 and 48 are all of the quick disconnect variety so that the m~,hin~,ry ~ tP~ with any particular station 22 may be readily removed from the remainder of the m~.hin~o.20. Moreover, 3 o the connf~ction,~ for power and fluid may likewise be of the quick disconnect variety. Thus, the W O 96/24470 PCTnUS96/01366 c~onll~.;!;on~ such as those shown at 120 may be disconnected by simply pulling them apart or unscrewing them and then the mPch~ni~m~ 146 holding the upper and lower chambers 47 and 49 may be ~li~nl~ in the same fashion so that the upper and lower ch~l..h~, 47 and 49 may be quickly removed.

The un1n~1in~ station 22d, shown in Figure 11, inrl~ s an lmlo~tiing conveyor 126 and a tray pusher 128. At the app~o~liate time, the trays 55 in a platform 24 are pushed upwardly by the cylinder 130 of the pusher 128. Then the trays are pushed laterally by the slider 132 ~we~d by cylinder 134. The trays are pushed onto the conveyor 126 as in~1ir~t~rl in 10 Figure 13.

The m~t~.hinto iS o~l~led generally as follows. Initially, a plurality of trays 55 are f~ on the conveyor S0 of the tray load assembly 42. As in~1ir~t~cl in Figures 3 and 4, the trays are formed into two rows of four trays through the operation of the stop bars S4 and 15 58. Trays are ori~in~lly allowed to ride up against stop bar S8 so that they slide relative to the rotating conveyor S0. A second row of trays then back up to the first row of trays.
-As shown in Figures 5 and 6, at the a~ iate time, the second stop bar 58 is lowered allowing the first row of trays to pass on to the bed 64. Each bed 64 is Lh~ ~earl~l lowered so 2 0 that each tray SS is held in a slot 26 in the platform 24.

After a passage of time, the platform 24 is rotated 90 degrees to the station 22b.
Thel~arL~" the stop bar S8 is operated to allow the second row of trays SS to be loaded into a subsequent plalrullll 24 rotated into station 22a from station 22d. From station 22b, the ~lalro,m 24 rotates into the station 22c as shown in Figure 1.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, at the tooling assembly 44, the platform 24 is lifted from its ,.~ , 72 and held between the upper chamber 47 and lower chamber 49 of assembly 44.
Precise ~lignment is achieved through the operation of the pins 78 which engage mating holes 3 0 82 in the platform 24. The tapered portions on the pins 78 and holes 82 interact to guide the CA 022l2778 l997-08-08 W 096/24470 PCT~US96/01366 p~ r~"~" into the desired portion within the station. In this way, the trays 55 are precisely po~itinnPd with respect to the tooling assembly.

After the p]~ ll 24 is in position, a vacuum is drawn in the upper çh~mhP.r 47 through 5 the gas ~Ych~n e passage 132. This is possible since the upper cl.~...l.~. 47 sealingly ~ngavP$
the film 92 through o-ring seals 84. After the drawing of a vacuum is begun in upper ~ ."l~
47, a vacuum is begun to be drawn in the lower .',h~."ll~.. 49 via a vacuum tube 139. This is pu~ lc because the lower cl~".l~el 49 sealingly Png~gP~ the plaL[o~lll 24, against the upper ~h~ml~er 47, through an o-ring seal 84.

As a result, good fluid col.~.n~ tic-n is achieved with the exterior of the tray 55, under the film 92. This is because the vacuum in the upper chamber 47 lifts the film 92, allowing air to be ~ ed from the tray 55 through a series of holes on slots 150 in the bottom of recess 112 of the platform and out the opening 130. The provision of the filler 134 makes this process 15 pl~)ceed more quickly.

After the vacuum is drawn, a desired atmosphere is then pumped into the tray via the openings 151 and 136 from the gas tube 137. This atmosphere is preferably one which is ced in oxygen content to extend the life of the packaged food product.
As shown in Figure 10, the film 92 may be heat sealed to the tray 55 using the sealer 86. This operation may be a conventional heat sealing operation. The sealer 86 reciprocates dc,w,lwanlly under the control of the stops 102 in response to ~h~nging fluid pressure in the cl~allll)~r 103.
After the film 92 is sealed to the tray 55, the film is cut by cutter 88. The cutter 88 reciprocates downwardly to cut the film 92, eventually entering the recess 112. The movement of the cutter 88 is controlled by the fluid pressure in the chamber 117. In this way the desired ~tmo~hPre may be sealed into the package. Of course, other gas exchange techniques may be W 096/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 utilized as well. Advantageously, the atmosphere inside the assembly 44 is reduced in oxygen content so that the food product will have a longer useful life.
-The opP~tinn of the cutter 88 may be adversely ~ rr~;led by the ~mhient heat within the5 :~mhly 44 which is greatly ;lllp.~ ~ by the heat created by the heat sealing ope~ti~
n This heat may distort the cutting blades and cause in~C~ ies therein. For this reason, a source of cooling fluid, for ~ ~ ~ '~ water, may be circulated through the passage 118 so as to cool the cutter 88.

After this opPr~tion is csmpl~~e, the upper chamber 47 and lower portion 49 may be moved apart and the rolls 96 and 94 advanced so as to bring a new section of film into position bc;Lw~n the ~ "he~ 47 and 49. Trays 55 are then advanced to the next station 26d.

As shown in Figure 11, in station 22d the trays 55 are po~ition~d over the tray pushers 128 and cylinders 130. At the a~ iate time, one or more trays 55 are pushed upwardly through the action of the cylinders 130 and pushers 128 as shown in Figure 12. Thereafter, the trays may be pushed laterally by the slider 132 and its cylinder 134 as shown in Figure 13.
Then the trays may be taken away from the rotary conveyor by the llnln~-ling conveyor 126.

The entire operation is f~rilit~t~cl by the rotary arrangement of the stations 22. The operation of the conveyor is continuous since it is laid out in the rotary arrangement. In this way, problems arising from the need to return the platforms 24 to the initial position at the end of a linear conveyor are elimin~t~l 2 5 Moreover, with the rotary arrangement the central area may be occupied by the conveniently located surge tank 38. This tank supplies a source of fluid pressure for the various operations in the surrounding rotary conveying apparatus. The tank 38 is normally closed by caps 154 on both ends. As shown in Figure 14, a drain 152 is provided at the bottom of the surge tank 38 for r.ol~ing a ~nili~ g solution. The drain may be closed by a removable cover 156. The interior of the tank 38 may be washed with the bacteriostatic solution to .. i.~ i,P

W 096/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 b~rtPri~ transfer to the pAr~gin~ The tank 38 also provides the support for the drive mf~h~ , . . 32 and rotatable ring 30.

lrlitinn, because of the rotary arr~nf~PmPnt of the conveyor, any particular station 5 may be easily ~r~e-c~l for removal from the rest of the m~rhine Any particular station may be easily rep~ d with a more a~lo~ ; station for any particular operAtion Also, a m~lfimrti-~nin~ ~"dlu~ may be replaced with a working a~ dlllS. Re~ll~ of the rotary ~",.~l~e-~ t, access to the individual stations for repair is fAcilit~t~d Repair and rerl~cP-mPnt is also fAcilitAted by making the various connP~ti~n~ to the stations for Pl~cJrir~l and fluid power of the quick disconnect variety. Moreover, by making the means of ~tt~rhmPnt of the particular apparatus to each station of a quick discu-~lecl variety it is pcs~il,le to change stations quickly to convert the mArhine for other uses or to replace a broken piece of equipment.
An ~lt~rn~tP cutting system 288 includes a blade 290, as shown in Figure 15.
Particularly, a cutting blade 290 is mounted on a support assembly 292 which in turn is :,u~l~o-L~d on a reciprocating bed 294. The movement of the bed 294 is controlled by cylinders 296 and 298. Also mounted on the bed 294 are a set of opposed film holders 300 which may 2 0 have a vertical length somewhat longer than the vertical length provided to the blade 290.

As shown in Fig. 18, the blade 290 may have a closed configuration such that it is capable of plln~hing out a portion of film from the web 92. The blade 290 is ideally made of low mass such that the heat ~ cir~ti~n of the blade is minimized. The support assembly 292 provides for slight relative movement between the bed 294 and the blade 290. In this way, expansion arising from heating of the blade 290 may be allowed. Also, the support assembly 292 may thermally insulate the blade 290.

A heater 302 extends along the periphery of the blade 290 as close as possible to the cutting edge 304 of the blade 290. By minimizing the mass of the blade 290 and ~itn~tin~ the W 096/24470 PCTrUS96101366 heater 302 close to the cutting edge 304, the heat ~iiCcir~tion can be reduced. This permits the use of relatively high t~ s at the cutting edge 304. In the ill-lct~tPd elllbodilllen~ the - heater 302 is received in a slot 303 in the blade 290, as shown in Figure 16.

The heater 302 may be a cable heater that incl~ s a pair of high ~ lC~ C~
heating wires s~ l~l from an outer metal sleeve by an pl~tric~l inc~ tnr. Ideally, the heater 302 is on the order of 1/16" thick so that it can be placed very close to the cutting edge 304.
Moreover, the blade 290 may be made relatively small, for eY~mple, on the order of 1/2" high and 1/4" wide.

It is dP-sir~hle that the cutting edge 304 be of a small width. In one embo lim.-nt the cutting edge 304 has a width of less than 20 mils and, ideally it has a width of about lS mils.

The heater 302 is supplied with electrical current from a current source not shown.
~L.r~l~ly, the current source and the heater 302 are configured to allow heating of the cutting edge 304 to extremely high le~--~l~lul~s, for example, greater than 500~ F. Preferably, the heater heats the film to be cut to the point where it quickly vaporizes. In a plc~rc~ d forrn of the present invention, heater tPm~.,.l...~s on the order of about 600~ to 900~ F are achieved.
The precise t~ pel~L~lre used dep~n-lc on the vaporization point and thit~knecc of the particular 2 o m~tPri~l being cut.

The cylinders 296 and 298 may be air cylinders which quick~y move the bed 294 downwardly and upwardly. Ideally, the down cycle of the bed 294 may be on the order of tiorlc of a second. Cutting may be advantageously achieved through the appli~tion of heat 2 5 rather than with ~Jl'~i~iUlt~.

The film 92 to be cut may be held by holders 300 which include clamps 340 connected to the bed 294 by spring biased bolts 342, as shown in Figure 16. The bolts 342 may be mounted on an o-ring 344. The ends of the holders 300 have bumpers 346. Coil springs 343 3 0 encircle the bolt 342, and are retained at the lower end by the clamps 340.

W O 96/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 12.~rr. 1;1~g to Figure 20, the ~n~ngPmPnt of the holders 300 is ill~lctr~tPd, with the web 92 direction in-lir~t~ by the arrows l~hPllP~I "W." The trays SS are s~P~I~ rll by a width slightly greater than the width of the clamps 340. Thus, the film 92 is ret~inf~ r~
l~ww.~ the trays 55 by the clamps 340. The prriphP.r~l portions of the film 92 are held by the ~"~l~;"g action of the upper ~ ."b.~.r 47 and tray plate 24. This is particularly advantageous in that the amount of film which is devoted to film holding is ",;.)i.,.i,PA This means that less film is wasted.

Referring to Figure 16, the cutting blade 290 is connPrtPA to the movable bed 294. The .mhly 292 may indude a set of spring biased pins 308 that may be used to mount a carrier 310 for up and down movement. Two opposed sets of stanchions 313 and a movable strap 312 are sllq~-ntlp~d by pins 314.

As shown in Figure 17, the st~nrhicm~ 313 also connect the fixed strap 316 to the blade 290. The strap 316 fixedly c~ P~!~; to the blade 290 at 318. Relative movement between the blade 290 and the strap 316 may be provided by the slot 319. In this way, the blade 290 can expand in length relative to the strap 316. The fixed strap 316 may connect to the bed 294 by spring biased pins 308, the carrier 310, and the pins 314.
The movable straps 312 include oversized holes 322, as shown in Figure 19. The pins 314 have reduced ~ mpter ends 315 which are held in the holes 322 by retaining rings 323.
The st~nr,hions 313 pass through the straps 312 and connect the straps 312 to the blade 290.
The sf~nrhion~ 313 have a ceramic bushing 324 and washer 326 between themselves and the straps 312 to provide incul~tiQn against heat transfer from the blade 290 to the rest of the m~rhine. The same system is used to provide heat insulation on the fixed strap 316.

The connections to the blade 290 are shown in Figure 18. The fixed strap 316 allows the blade 290 to expand along its length only, because of the slot 319, which allows blade e~cp~n.~inn relative to the fixed connection at 318. The pins 314 connect the strap 316 to the -ca~Tier 310 between the slot 319 and point 318. The other three sides of the blade 290 are su~ d by moveable straps 312. Each strap 312 connects to the carrier 310 by pins 314.
- Each pin 314 is received in an oversized hole 322 which allows movement of the strap 312 in all directions relative to the blade 290. The moveable straps 312 then are connected to the 5 blades by ~uLwanlly located ct~n~hinnc 313.

Through the operation of the system 292, the blade 290 can accommo l~tP ~cc~Pnti~lly any heat ~ m~o.~ related stresses. Moreover, because of the inc~ tion capabilities of the system 292, the blade heat fiiCcir~tion is reduced.

The present invention can be used to cut a variety of plastic films. This incll-dPs films that are elastic and inel~cti- That is, the same machine may be capable of cutting both types of films. Where elastic films are l-tili7Pd, it is desirable in many cases to cause the elastic film to be tPncion~i. In this way, when the film is cut, it tends to pull back after it is cut. This aids the 15 cutting process while prod~ ng a better looking edge. Moreover, the use of heat chrinkin~ film may improve both the cutting action and aL,~ ce of the finiche~ product.

The present invention advantageously involves the use of lwn~ldLllres which are s--ffi~ ntly high to cause plastic vaporization. This accomplishes both rapid and reproducible 2 0 cutting without blade fouling. For example, a coextrusion of polyethylene and ethylene vinyl acetate may be severed with the present system. At approximately 250~ F this material softens s--ffici~-ntly to be sealed to other layers. At about 350~ F, melting begins. At about 600~ F, some v~ on occurs, but cutting may not be clean all around. Plastic strings may be created. However, at about 800~ F for example, there is effective v~oliz~lion of the film.
25 The film may be cut deanly and reproducibly. The use of force is ~-nn~-~çcc~ry to the cutting and no b~-lfing plate is nPcecc~ry on the side of the film opposite the blade.

The system 288 may be operated in the following fashion. Upon activation of the bed 294, the blade 290 moves quickly downwardly and through the film 92. The severing action is 3 0 the result of film ~ ion CA 022l2778 l997-08-08 W 096/24470 PCTnUS96/01366 Prior to cutting, the film is held at two spaced l~tion.c. On one side, it may be held by the sealer 86. On the other side, it may be held by the holders 300 which initially extend past the blade 290, and the upper . l .~ . 47.

13. lw~~l the point where the film is held by holders 300, the sealer 86, and the upper rh~ 47, the film may be un~u~,~;l. It is at this unsupported intPrmPAi~te position that the film, most adv~nt~Poucly, is cut. The film 92 may be sealed to the tray 55 on contact by the sealer 86.

The improved film cutting system 288 may be used in place of the system 88. It is also possible to seal the film in one station and to cut the film at a subsequent station under ~lirr~
~tmn~hPric con~litionc. For eY~mphP-, the film may be sealed under vacuum con~iitinnc at one station and severed at a sul,sequenl station under atmospheric conditions.
A stair-stepped tray unloading slider 432, shown in Figure 21, in~ rles a stair-stepped series of pushers 434. When the cylinder 134 reciprocates, each of the trays 55 are pushed a dirr~ n~ t~nce onto the conveyor 126.

~t The trays 55 may then be off-loaded to a second conveyor (not shown) which advantageously may be a belt conveyor operated at a higher speed than the conveyor 126. In this way, the initial orr~~ g provided by the slider 432 can be amplified sufficiently that each of the ~ays are offset at least one tray length from one another. Using an a~ )liate guide (not shown), the suitably offset trays may be easily guided into a single file line of trays.
A tray loader me~h~ni~m 542, shown in Figure 22, includes a system to enable different sizes of trays to be accomm~l~tPli by essentially the same p~ck~ging m~hin~ While the pldlrc.,l" 24 illnstr~t~d in Figure 22 may accommo l~te four trays S5 at one time, it may be desirable to operate the machines with a dirr~nt number of trays per platform. For example, 3 o with wider trays, it may be desirable to operate with three trays per platform.

W 096/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 The station 22a may advantageously be designed to operate only when all available rn....24 o~~ gs 26 are filled. This may be accomrli~hrd using a series of pivotal flags 544 and an ~ILal~d light llel~ p device 548. The flags 544 pivot about the pin 546 from the 5 "up" position shown in Figure 22a to the "down" position shown in Figure 22c. A light beam "B" ~xluced by an infrared light source 547 is blocked when any of the series of flags 544 are in the "up" po~iliun, as ill~ d in Figure 22a. So long as one flag 544 is in the "up"
po~itinn, the station 22a may be ~li~hl~

Advantageously, a series of flags 544 are positioned across the width of the conveyor 50. Each flag 544 protrudes upwardly in the "up" position above the upper surface of the conveyor 50. The conveyor 50 may be formed of a plurality of thin belt strips 550 which are str~ by the flags 544, for .ox~mrl~

In this way, when a tray 55 passes over a flag 544, the flag 544 is pivoted to the down po~itinn. If the flags 544 are suitably spaced across the width of the conveyor, any possible tray width will be sensed. Thus, at one time, the m~rhinP can be run with four trays per platform and at other times, it may be run, for example, with three trays per platform. Re~llse the flag system detects the absence of a full contingent of trays, and because n.-i-ec~. y flags, such as 2o the flags 544a in Figure ~c, may be set in the "down" position, tl~e machine quickly accollllllodates dirr~l~nl tray sequences. Flags may be latched down using a suitable catch (not shown).

When the ~lugl,.l~ l~ tray sequence is present as sensed by a full contingrnt of "down"
flags, the light beam "B" is ~let~t~ by a suitable detector 548. The stop bar 58 may be lowered to allow tray loading. On the other hand, so long as even one flag 544 is "up," tray loading will be prevented. Since the lower ends of the pivoted flags are heavier than the upper ends, the flags 544 return to the "up" position after the trays move over the flags.

W O 96/24470 PCTrUS96/01366 A tray loader 550 which in~ des the capability to separate trays that have become inadvertently con.~P~ d to one another is shown in Figures 23 through 26. As shown in Figure 23, a pair of trays 55a and 55b may have their flanges overlapped so that the trays become stuck to one another and travel along the conveyor 50 together. This may be lm~iecir~hl~.
5 be~ ce when the trailing tray is stopped, the leading tray may not proceed onto the tray platru~ 24 at the desired time.

As shown in Figure 24, tray loader SS0 includes a modified stop bar 554 ~w~d by a pair of cylinders 556 and 558. The cylinder 558 connects to the element 560 to allow upward and downward reciprocation of its free end 562. Astride the P,lPmpnt 560 is an elPmPnt 564 having a free end S66. The elemPnt 564 connects to the cylinder 556 in such a fashion that it may pivot towards and away from the element 560 in the direction of movement of the conveyor 50. As shown in Figure 23, a pair of elements 560 and 564 may be used with each tray, if desired.
Referring to Figures 25 and 26, the trays 55~ and 55b may be s~,~l~i from one another by op~ldling the cylinder 556 to pull the element 564 in one direction causing pivoting movement of its free end 566 forwardly. As shown in Figure 26, the elP-mpnt 564 may be angled to ~llgmPnt the forward movement provided to the lead tray 55b. If the sel)~dl(~r 20 mPrh~nicm is u~c;ldLillg in every in.ct~nce, any time trays which are overlapped exist, they will be aulon~alically se~dled. Moreover, the acceleration provided to the lead tray helps it to stay in contact with the conveyor 50. After one cycle, the cylinder 556 may be operated to return the Pl~omP.nt 564 to the position shown in Figures 23 and 24.

2 5 While the present invention has been described with respect to one pl~r~;lled embodiment, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations thtlerlul.l. The appended claims are intended to cover all such mo-lific~ti-)ns and variations which occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

CLAIMS: - 21 -

1. A packaging method using a plastic film cutting tool having a cutting blade, comprising the steps of heating a portion of said blade to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the film to be severed and contacting said film with said heated portion of said blade.

2. The method of claim 1 including the step of transferring heat to said blade at a location proximate to the location where said blade contacts said film.

3. The method of claim 1 including the step of insulating said blade from the remainder of the tool to prevent heat dissipation from said blade.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said portion is heated to a temperature greater than 500° F.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said portion is heated to a temperature of from about 600° to 900° F.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said cutting tool is quickly retracted from the film after cutting.

7. The method of claim 1 including the step of maintaining the temperature continuously above 500° F.

8. The method of claim 1 including the step of holding said film at two closely spaced locations during cutting.

9. The method of claim 1 including the step of tensioning said film prior to cutting.

10. The method of claim 1 including the step of supporting the blade to allow for heat expansion.

11. The method of claim 1 including the step of cutting a shape from a web of plastic film.

12. The method of claim 11 including the step of supporting said blade for heat expansion.

13. The method of claim 12 including the step of fixing said blade at one point and allowing relative movement between said blade and the rest of said tool at other points.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said blade has one degree of freedom at a first location and more than one degree of freedom at another location.

15. A packaging machine having a cutting tool for severing plastic film comprising a heated cutting blade, said blade having a blade tip heated by a heating element extending along its length, said cutting tool adapted to enable said blade tip to reach temperatures in excess of 600° F.

16. The packaging machine of claim 15 wherein said blade is insulated from the remainder of said tool.

17. The packaging machine of claim 16 wherein said blade is supported by a plurality of columns.

18. The packaging machine of claim 17 wherein said blade is a substantially continuous closed shape, along one side said blade being mounted to said columns for limited movement and elsewhere said blade being mounted for free movement relative to said columns.

19. The packaging machine of claim 15 wherein said blade is reciprocatable toward and away from said film.

20. The packaging machine of claim 15 including a device to hold the film during cutting.

21. The packaging machine of claim 18 wherein said device is adapted to tension the film.

22. The packaging machine of claim 15 wherein said blade is less than about 20 mils in width.

23. A packaging machine including an apparatus for cutting a film portion from a plastic film web, said apparatus comprising a blade arranged in a substantially closed geometrical shape, a heating element for heating said blade, a mechanism for moving said blade towards and away from the web to be cut, and a blade mounting device, said device connecting said mechanism to said blade, said device adapted to permit heat expansion of said blade relative to said mechanism.

24. The machine of claim 23 wherein said device includes insulation to decrease the heat transfer from said blade to the rest of said machine.

25. The machine of claim 23 wherein said device is resiliently connected to said mechanism.

26. The machine of claim 23 wherein said blade is connected to said mechanism at a series of spaced locations.

27. The machine of claim 26 wherein said blade is connected to said mechanism so as to prevent expansion of said blade relative to said device at at least one of said locations.

28. The machine of claim 26 wherein said blade is connected to said mechanism so as to provide at least one degree of freedom for expansion at a plurality of said locations.

29. The machine of claim 28 wherein said blade is connected to said mechanism so as to prevent expansion of said blade relative to said device at at least one of said locations, and said blade is mounted for unrestrained expansion of said blade at a plurality of said locations.

30. A packaging machine capable of supplying a desired packaging gaseous environment to a package including a tray and a plastic film for covering said tray, said machine comprising:
a chamber including an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion, said chamber adapted to sealingly sandwich said plastic film such that the periphery of said plastic film is clamped between said upper and lower housing portions;
and a film clamp arranged to hold said film between successive trays inside said chamber.

31. The machine of claim 30 wherein said clamp is spring biased and is adapted to secure said film in a direction transverse to the machine, direction.

32. The machine of claim 30 having a reciprocal sealing bar and a reciprocal film severing device in one of said housing portions, said clamp adapted to reciprocate toward and away from said film.

33. The machine of claim 32 wherein said clamp is situated to secure said film before said film is contacted by said sealing bar or said severing device.

34. A packaging machine for covering a plurality of trays with plastic film, said machine comprising:
a conveyor for loading a plurality of trays into said machine at one time; and a programmable sensing device for determining the presence of a desired number of trays on said conveyor, in position to be loaded into said machine, said device being programmable to adapt to different tray sizes or different desired numbersof trays.

35. The machine of claim 34 wherein said programmable sensing device includes a plurality of tray detectors arranged across the width of said conveyor, said detectors spaced apart a distance less than the minimum tray width for said conveyor, said tray detectors arranged to determine the presence or absence of a tray in a location on said conveyor aligned with one of said predetermined positions in said machine.

36. The machine of claim 35 wherein said tray detectors include flags moveable from one position when a tray is absent to a second position when a tray is present, said machine being operable only when all of said flags indicate the presence of trays.

37. The machine of claim 36 wherein unnecessary tray detectors may be temporarily activated to the second position so that the machine may be adapted to operate with different tray configurations.

38. The machine of claim 37 wherein said flag positions are detectable by an infrared beam such that said beam is blocked when any one of said flags is in a said first position and only when all of said flags are in said second position does said beam pass unblocked.

39. A packaging machine for covering trays with a plastic film, said machine comprising an apparatus for unloading the completed packages, including a pusher arranged to push a plurality of said packages from said machine at one time, said pusher adapted to offset said packages with respect to one another in the direction said packages are displaced.

40. The packaging machine of claim 39 wherein said package pusher includes a stair-stepped pusher bar.

41. A packaging machine for covering a plurality of trays with plastic film, said machine comprising:
a conveyor for loading a plurality of trays into said machine;
a first stop located to control the access to the machine of the next tray on the conveyor to be loaded;
a second stop located to control the access to the machine of the tray second in line to be loaded; and a pusher for pushing the next tray and the tray second in line apart from one another.

42. The packaging machine of claim 41 wherein said first and second stops are members that reciprocate up and down through said conveyor.

43. The packaging machine of claim 42 wherein said second stop includes a first element which reciprocates up and down through said conveyor.

44. The packaging machine of claim 43 wherein said second stop further includes a second element reciprocatable with said first element and displacable in the direction of advance of said conveyor.

45. The packaging machine of claim 44 wherein said second element includes an angled bar adapted to contact said trays.