CA2386084A1 - Method for packaging a block consisting of compressible material, a device for carrying out said method and a correspondingly packaged block - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for packaging a block of material consisting of a compressible material. According to said method, a block of material is compressed by bringing together two compression units (120, 122) and in its compressed state is either pushed against a stretched film web and enveloped by the same, or alternatively the film web is pushed against the block of material and pulled over the latter. The ends of the fi lm web are welded together.

Description

Advasccd Alriafd Technologies inc. ?t.3.2002 METHOD h'OR PACKAGI11TC3 A HLOCK CONSISTING O1?' A COMPRE63IHLE
MATERIAL, A DEVICE FOR CARRYINQ OUT BAtD METHOD AND A CORRE
BPONDINGLY PACIi;AGED HLOCIf.
This invention relates to a method for packaging a block consisting of a com-pressible material accordinb to the preamble of clairn 1, a corresponding device for packaging the block according to the prearr~hle of claim 6 awl the block that is packaged by meaixs of this method and device.
These types of methods and devices are used m particular' for blocks of material which consist of an airlaid matrrtal and are intended for further prace:c~ing to manufacture hygiene articlPS.
A block of material of this type is disclosed in e.g. DE 299 10 039 U1. This block of material consists of a plaited web of material which is divtded into several ad-~acent strips and is perforated. The ends of the indtvtdual strips a~~e sewn toge-ther in a special way to form a continuouA strip.
After fabrication, the block of nyatcr'ial i9 compressed to a certain dc~grc:c. and inserted ini;o a pla.9tic bag in this compressed stale.
After the plastic bag has been glued shul manually, the pressure ors the block of material is released, whereupon ii expa>ads so that it presses against every part of the inside wait of the plastic brig. 1w this state, the block of material has 3 re lativcly law transport volume and high stability.
The disadvantage is that the Insertion of the cof»pressed bloclc of material into the plastic bag, the scalin fi of the plastic bag and the handling of both the c~npty and filled plastic bags are all done manually. t his makc4 the production process slow and fihe block of the matcrts~l is therefore expcnstve.
DI: 196 40 953 A1 discloses a rnethod for packaging compressible hygiexyc~ aa'-ticles in which several identical hygiene a~rliclcs are ortcnted parallel Lo each other and pushed as a block through a tapering inlet pipe into a continuous pla-3~ stic hose.
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Advanced Alrlaid ?cehaologlea inc. 21.3.2002

2 _ F111ed in this way, the plastic hose is then cut between every two adjacent bloclcs and wcld~d. One disadvantage amongst others of this method is that the movc-mcnt to insert tyre hygiene article into the plastic hose has to be transverse to the previous transport movement of the hygiene articles, which considerably en-larges the amount of space required for such a packaging machine, thereby nrra-king the machine more expensive. A further disadvantage is that only a limited length of plastic hose can be employed, which is therefore all used up within a short time. This means frequent intcrluptions to the otherwise continuous packaging process. laurthermore, a plastic sleeve of this type is relatively cxpcn-live. There is also a signitlc<mt technical disadvantage to this method 1n that it requires a push-in force which subdivides at the tapering inlet pipe and pushes the hygiene article into the hose with the ,greater force component whilst at the same time ensuring the compression of the hygiene article with the: smaller force component. Larger blocks of material cannot be sufficiently compressed. Simply increasin6 LhC overall push-in force, however, would damage the hygiene article.
The invention is therefore based on the leak of developing a generic method of packaging a block consisting of a corr~pressible material which allows the use of large compressing forces and a continuous work. cycle..
~1 further t<~sk of the invention is to develop a corccsnondtng device for carrying out the method, which is robust yet simple and cost-saving.
Anotluer task of this invention is to create an accordtngiy packaged block.

The method-related t<~sk is solved by the features of c:lairn 1. Va,rlailons of the method are described in sub-claims 2 to '7.
The device-related task is solved by the features of claim 8, with advantageous variations thereof in the following sub-claims 9 to l4.
The features of the block are described in claim 25.
The invention overcomes the quoted disadvantages of the state of the art.

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Advanced Atrleid 9'cchnologied Inc. Z l .3.2002

- 3 The special advantage of the invention residca in the exceptionally rational con-struction of the device, which fits very well into the upstream production pro-cess. 'This is due primarily to the fact that the direction in which the block c~f material is packaged coincides with the previous direction of transport of the block of rrraterial. Furthermore, no expensive, difficult-to-handle film bags or film sleeves arc used as generally disclased elsewhere, but rather a siznrle and inexpensive film web. This film web can easily be erected crosswise to the direc-tion of ta-ansport of the block of maccriai. 'this means It is very simple to realise two types of embodiments in line with the type of existing pre-manufacturing plant, in flat either the stretched film web is rnoved towards the stationary block of material. or the block of material is moved towards the stationary film web. It is also possible, of aourbe. to move the block of material and the trans-verse ftlm web towards each other at the same rate.
It is very advantageous to use a filrn web wound on a roll of film. Thlet ensures a long and uninterruptxd production process. In practice, a section of film web of the required wrapping length is cut out of the: continuous stretched film web and the two ends of tic stretched film web and the iwu ends of the cut-out portion of film w4b arc wcld~d together simultaneously.

As already mentioned briefly, the invention compi-tses lwo c:rnbodiments. In the first embodirncnt, the film web is pulled over the block of material and in the: se-coixd e:mbodtment, the block of material is pushed through a curtain formed by the tllm web.
'fhe device for packaging a compressiule block of matEn-lal can be adapted in a modified forrrr to the most varied of production equipment. 7 his broadens the scope of use of this device.
'fhe inventian will now be described in rnorh detail i~clow with referra~ce to one embodiment by way of example and the enclosed drawings in which:
Fig. 1 shows a side view of the device according to the mv~ntion. in the position in which the block of material is cornpresscxl;
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Advanced Airlatd Technoiogies Inc. 21.3.2002

- 4 -Fig. 2 shows a hide view of the devise, in the position in which the block of material is transferred to a mobile packaging apparatus:
Fig. 9 shows a side view of the device, in the position in which the block of rnatei-ial is enveloped by a film web;
Fig. 4 shows the compression unit in a first position:
Fig. 5 chows the corr~pression unit in a second position;
P'lg. 6 shows the compression unit in a third position;
Fig. 7 shows the eornpressioo unit in a fourth position:
Fig. 8 shows a diagrammatic side view of a device according to the inven-tion:
P'ig. s Rhows a top plan view of Fig, 8.
According to lr'ig. 1, the device essentially comprises a compression apparatus 1 and a packaging apparatus 2 for a block of material 3 consiAting of an airlatd material.
Compression apparatus 1 is positioned at the end of a transport chain which is not shown here, being indicated z»crcly by a directton arrow. Compression appa-ratus 1 consists of a frame ~ with a frame base 5, several framr pillars 6 and a top frzme plate 7.
Fixed to tap frame plate 7 there icy ti hydc'aulic cylinder unit 8 with a cylindrr ~J
and a piston rod I0.
sJ
Between the pivot arils of piston rod 10 and bae~e 5, ifiere is a compression unit 11 which is shown in more dett~il in Figures 4 to 7 in various positions, and which is designed to receive the block of material 3.
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Advanced Atrtald ?echnologioa I»c. 21.3.2t10a -For this purpose compression unit 11 consists of a bottom, flxcd compression plate 12 and a top corx~pression plate 13 which can be vertically displaced to a 1t-rnlted degree by means of piaton rod 10. Disposed between the bottom compres-sion plate 12 and top compression plate 13 in the direction of transport of the

5 block of material 3, there arc two bottom angled compression rails x4 and two top angled compression rails 15 whose two sets of arms arc adapted to the posi-tion and si~.r of the four body edges of the block of material 3 showing in the di-rection of transport.
'fhe two bottom angled comprcssior~ mails 14 and the two top angled compression rails 15 are contrived such that they are vertically displaceable in a certain man-ner in relation to each other and in relation to the bottom compreRSiori plate and the top compression plate 13. Thus the two bottom angled compression rails 1 ~~ can be moved in relation to the bottom fixed compression plate 12 by a height 16 which. when bottorrt angled compression rails 14 reach their top position, forn~s a bottom fret area 16, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. I ikewiae, the two top angled compression rails 15 can be moved in relation to top compression plate 13 by a height which forms a maximum uppcx free area 17. Compression unit 11 is also equipped with a clamping device (not shown) which floes tree two buttorr~
quaked compression rails 1~ in relation to the two top angled cornpresston rails 18 so 1:1~mt the compressed black of material 3 can be lifted without any less of pressu-re.'ChiR cis~mping device is preferably hydraulic.
The packs;girig apparatus 2 includes a film stretchinb unit 18, a film welding unit 19 and a movable unit 20 which arc: disposed in this scquenc;e downstream of compression apparatus 1. The ihm stretching unit. 18 consist.R of a bottom pi-vot bearing for a roll of film 21 ant! a top tensioning roller 22 for a film web 23 whose width coincides with tine width of the block of material 3.
The tcrasioning roller 22 is pre-tcn5ioned to such a de6rce that film web 23 can be pushed out from its vertical starling position under a horizontal load and, if such a load is removed, will revert to its vertical starting position. Between the roll of film 21 and tensioning roller 22, a bottom pair of rollers 2~ is disposed be-low thQ block of material 3 and a top pair of rollers 25 is disposed above the 85 block of material 3, both designed to guide and deflect film web 23 on both s1-des.
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Advanced Atde~id Technologtos Inc. 21.3.200?

6 These two pairs of rollers 24,25, the roll of film 21 and tensioning roller 22 are preferably mounted on frame 4 of compression apparatus 1.
Movable unit 20 essenttally consists of a frame 26 and a movable slide 27. On b the side facing compression apparatus 1, this movable slide 27 haq a bottom re-mover grippcr 28 and a top remover gripper 29 which are vertically dtsW raced from each other to coincide with the height of the block of material 3. The top re-mover grirper 29 is aiso contrived to be vertically displaceable and is conrmcted to a drive device (not shown). '11~e length of the two remover gi-ippers 28,29 and the position and length of the displacement path of movable slide 27 are contri-ved so that, in one end position of the movable unit 20, the two remover grlppers 28.29 engage in compression unit 11 of compression apparatus 1 and grip hold of the block of rnatcr~al 3 over itA entire depth, and in the other end position are completely removed from compression unit 11.
As shown in 1~'y. 7. the two remover grlPpra-s 28,29 are made from a flat material and have cross-section dimensions which allow them to be inserted between the two adjacent angled compression rails 14.15.
Both the bottom remover grlpper 28 and the top remover gl-tpper 29 arc: fitted on their frcx ends closest to film wch 23 with a crosswise fllrn hush rod 3U
wl~tch comes into contact with ihc full width of film web 23. These two film push rods are fixed a certain disttince. below the bottom remover gy~ipper 28 and above top remover gripper 29 to compensate for the material thickness of angled com-25 pression rails 14.15.
Between filin web 23 and the film push rods 30 in their starting position there is sufficient space in which to dtspose film welding unit 19. 'This film welding unit 19 is fitted with two vertically dishlaccable weldin6 beams 31 which grip the en-30 tire width of film web 23 and w7~ieh, in theft starting position, rest outsklc the scope of action of movable unit 20 and conrc~ into contact with each other in their workix~g position. One of welding beams 31 is fitlcd with an additional se-parattng wire which extends across the entire length of welding beam 31, run-ntng along the middle of welding beam 31.
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Advanced Airlald Technologfea inc. _-~ 21.3.21702 I
l This separating wire is disposed in such a plane to tt~e heating surface of wel-ding beam 31 so that film web 23 is welded ilrst and hen separated within the welded surface. Other welding technologies can also be'used.
S In the starting position according to Figure 1, the bloGlc of material 3 is moved into the position shown, where it is deposited on they two 'bottom angled com-pression rails 14. By operating the Yrydraulic cylindci< unit 8, the compression unit x It is then activated, as a result of which the two top angled C0111preSSlOn rails 15 move downwards and exert pressure on the blpck of material 3 until the block of material 3 is sufficiently c;omprES.~ed. This pdsiti.on is shown in Fig. 4.
The clamping device (not shown) is than activated, which fixes the two bottom angled compression rails 14 and the two top angled compression rails 15 in rela-lion to each other. The pressuir. is haw tzkcn off campresslon unit 11, which is moved apart in the upwards direction. 'rop compression plate 13 first lifts up from tht two top angled compression rails 15 and forms the top free space 17 as shown in hlgure 5. A.s this movernE.~t proceeds: the top angled compression rails 15, the block of :xiatemal 3 and the bottom an6lcd c:ompre5sion rails 14 lift up as a whole from the bottom compression platE 12 and form thc°. bottom fray space 16 (1~ lyre C).
As shown in Figure 2, the muvalalc; slide 27 of movable unit 20 theca moves into the opetxccl compression unit 11. As this happens, the bottom rnmovcr grlpper 2fi with its film hush rod 30 rnovcs into the bottom free space 16 and the lop re-mover gripper 29 wlih ite film push rod 30 shoves into the top free space 17 as shown in Figure 7.
During this displacement, the two film push rods 30 come into contact with film web 23 and pull it with the help of the two pairs of rollers 24,25, into the two free spaces lfi and 17. The top rcxnovcr grtpper 28 than moves downwards and holds the block of material 3 in place between both remover grtppers 28.29.
The pressure 1e then taken off the clar7l>ing device for the bottom and top angled compression rails 14.15, thereby releasing the block of material 3 au tY~at the movable slide 27 on the movable unit 20 moves back into its darting position with the partially enveloped block of material 3 as shown in P~gurG 3.
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Advanced AWald'rcehr~olo$le~ Ins. 21.3.2002 _ g During this movement of the movable slide 27, the film web 23 is const<~ntly held taut by the pre-tensioning of tensioning roller 22. After reaching the end position of the movable slide 27, both welding beams 31 move together and pull the flIm web 23 with it until both welding beams 31 lie on top of each other and hold the double film web 28 in place. The two superposed film webs 23 are then welded together by means of heat and pressure and subaequent)y separated by the separating wire down the centre of the weld scam. 'Ihe block of material 3 ie now completely enveloped by a piece of fiim web cut out of film web 23 and wel-ded inside it and fihc cut illm web 23 is welded to re-forrn a continuous film web 23.
A second embodiment of the invention wfll now be described with reference to Fi-gures $ and 9.
figures 8 and 9 show from left to right a compression apparatus 110, a subse-quent packaging apparatus 112 and another ad,~oining station on the ri6~ht-hand sfdc of Figures 8 and 9. which could be designated as a second packaging appa-ratus but will be called a wrapping urvit 114 for ihc sake of differentiation.
Z~ie compression apparatus 114 has a slim, relatively tall frame with n rectangu-lar base plate 116 and a total of four upwardly pro,~cctlng pillars 11E3 a.t the four comers. A frame-fixed, pressure-resistant conveyor belt 120 is disposed between pincers 118 in the; lower portion. This conveyor belt can he c.g. n slat conveyor made from hinglngly connected alurrdniwm slats. The conveyor device runs from left to right in Figurc~.s 8 and 9, i.c. from compression apparatus 110 to packa-ging apparatus 112.
The compresbiun appsxratus 110 also has a top conveyor belt 122 which essan-cislly matches bottom conveyor bell 120, but can be moved vertic2~lly along the frame or, more precisely. along pillars a 18 of the frame. 1'or this purpose, gutdeb 124,126 are provided on pillars 118, and on both sides of the frame, i.e. in front of and behind the plane of the drawings in Figures 8 and ~, there are verlicirlly disposed rotatable threaded spindlr:x 128 which are accommodated by spindle nuts 130, which are fixed to the top conveyor belt 122.
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Advanced Atrlaid Tcclmologice Inc. 21.3.2002 Threaded spindlEs 128 ate mounted in top and bottom connecting struts 192,134, which each connect the top and bottom portions of side pillars 118 po-sitioned behind each other in the direction of transport of conveyor belts 120, x22. Mounted on the top connecting strut 132 them is a conncreting shaft 136 which rune transverse to the direction of transport, which can be driven by an electric motor 138 and also engages drivingly with the two threaded spindles 128 via angular gears which arc not shown in detail. The rotation of the electric motor 138 therefore prompts a rotation of thrP.aded spindles 128, which are syn-ehronised v1a connecting shaft 136, therefore causing the top pressure:-resistant conveyor belt 122 to lift up and down.
in the direction of transport, i.e. towards the night in Figures 8 and 9, the packs grog apparatus 112 follows on from compression apparatus 110. The packaging apparatus also has a base plate 140 plus four pillars 142,144,146.148 in the four corners of the rectangular base elate 140.
On the input side of packaging apparatus 112, i.e. to the left of p'Igures 8 and 9.
there arc feeder dEVices which permit the formatton of a vertical film web curtain in front of the input bide with the help of film webs f~:d irx from the lop and bot-taro. en detail, these feeder deviceR consist of top and bottom dcfle:caing rollers 150.152,154,1 i56. The two film webs are puued off from rollq of material 1 fi0, l 62 not shown in Figure 8, which, as can be seen in Figure 9, are located to the side of packaging unit 112 a»d are deflected via the oblique deflecting rollers 130,152.

Fixed to the frame of packaginf; apparatus 112, which is embodied here by the four pillar9 142.144, there is a bottom frame-fixed conveyor belt 164 which lies in the plane of the above-described belt c:onvcyor 120 of the compression appa-ratus and can be driven in the saran direction from left to right. Conveyor belt 164 may also be a slat coxweyor made from e.g. aluminium slats. Whatev~.~r the case. it is designed to be pr ensure-resistant. Conveyor bclk 164 works together with a top conveyor 'belt 166, which cart be raised and lowered In relation to the bottom conveyor belt 164. For this purpose the top conveyor belt 166 is suspen ded with the help of threaded spindles 168.170 from lateral tap longitudinal S5 spars 172.174 of the frame of packaging apparatus 112.
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Advanced Airlaid Technoloatea Inc. Z 1.3.2002 The rotation of threaded spindles 161;,170 allows top conveyor belt 166 to be rai-sed or lowered. Abp conveyor belt 166 is adjusted so that the compactiara and compression obtained in the compression apparatus 110 is maintained in packaging unit 112.
The compression app;~ratuA 110 and the packaging apparatus 112 work as fol-lows.
'1'o start with, a stack of articles for packaging. e.g. non-woven materials far ma-nufacturing nappies, feminine sanitary pads etc. is placed from the left ire Figu-res 8 and 9 onto the bottom conveyar belt 120 of compression apparatus 110.
Threaded spindlre l2FS are then rotated by electric motor 188 to lower the top conveyor belt 122 and the sCaclc is compressed so that the air is removed from the stack and the packaging volume is decreased. 'fhe two conveyor belts 1.20.122 are then ~aet in motion ,o that the compressed stack is pushed frorr~
left to right to the input side of pack:i,ging apparatus 112. It comes into contact here with the vertical curtain fonmcd by the tap and bottom film webs which, in a pre-vious step. have been welded approximately arid-height between the two con-veyor 'belts to the left and right of the curtain.
The compressed stack transporl.cd towards the right in Figures 8 and 9 takes the cwrtain consisting of the two film webs with it towards the right into the opa-ce between the two conveyor belts 164,166 of the packaging apparatus 112 and, in the process, is also pulled oft from the 'two feeder rollers. Once the stack is 26 completely in position between the two coraveyor bolts 164,166, the film webs fed into from the top fund bottom engage with top and bottom deflecting rollers 176,x78, which arc vcriically displaceable on guide.R 180. Guides 180 are lacated directly an the input side of the packaging apparatus on lateral vertical supports 182. Once the two film wvcbs from the top and bottom rolls have: ueen brought together at mid-height, tt~Ey arc: walded together by a welding and euttlr~g unit which is not shown in, detail, and then sc:paratrd so that, on the ane hand, they are connected at the baclc of the exiting stack of material and. on the other band, remain in contact as the said curtain. 't'rac next stack can now be pushed against the curtain.
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Advanced Airlafd Tech~ologicx~ Inc. 21.3.2001 A,ecording to this invEntion, the film web described so far consists of a relatively good quality material of e.g. 100 m tMckness. its function is ko absorb the enti-re elastic recovery force of the stack dvc to compression. This filrn web need not necessarily stretch across the entire width of the stack. The function of the illu-6 strafed film web is not to cover the stack completely against dust, humidity and other contamination, but simply to absorb the elastic recovery force. The packa ging of the material that is required for hygienic reasons takes place according to the ixvention at another station which, in this context, is located downstream of the packaging apparatus and will be designated as the wrapping apparatus 114.
The wrapping apparatus 114 i8 merely indicated dia,~h'ammatically. its function 1e to wrap an Inexpensive thinner filrr~ material around the stank ~xosswise to the direction of transport. perpendicular to the: film web used in the packaging apparatus. '!"his can be done; in that the stack is rotated around an axis running parallel to the direction of transport, or in that a film web is wrapped around the stack in the manner of a sate111te.
Wrapping devices of this type are disclosed in rnany embodiments a.nd are not the subject of this invention. However, the invi:ntiun does include the idea that a hygienically packaged, compressed, essentially squarE-shaped stack of rv:boun-ding material can be, packaged iY~ that to start with, a illm web of expcynaivc, strong material is wound around the stack and then a cheaper. thinriur, lceg strong fl)m material is wrapped around the stack in a direction offset by 90° so that a largely irnpcr~ett able hygienic closure is obtaW ea.

Downstream of wrapping apparatus 114 there is as output table .184, from which the wrapped stacks c;an be removed by hand or using a fork-lift track.
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Claims (25)

-12-

1. A method for packaging a block consisting of a compressible material, in which a load is applied to the block of material (3) in one direction by a force de-signed to produce a compression, in which the block is wrapped in a film in this loaded state and is then released from said load once wrapped, characterized in that - the block of material (3) to which the load is applied and a film web (23) ten-aloned parallel to the direction of force are brought together. thereby wrapping three of the circumferential surfaces of the block of material (3) with film web (23).
- the force required to generate the compression is replaced by a force acting in the same direction on the already wrapped surfaces of the block of material (3) to maintain a compression of the same order, and - the film web (23) is pressed together, welded and separated at the fourth cir-cumferential surface of the block of material (3).

2. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the block of material (3) is pus-hed towards the tensioned film web (23).

3. The method of claim 2, characterized in that the film web (23) is unwound from a roll of film (21).

4. The method of claim 3, characterized in that the film web (23) is unwound from the roll of film (21), welded together and separated along the middle of the weld seam.

5. The method of one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the block of materi-al (8) is compressed by two pressure-resistant conveyor belts (120,122) and, in the compressed state, is pushed by the latter towards the taut film web and bet-ween two pressure-resistant conveyor belts of the downstream packaging appa-ratus (112).

6. The method of claim 5, characterized in that a welding and cutting device (176,178) is provided which draws together the film webs fed in from the top and bottom at mid-height behind the block of material positioned in packaging appa-ratus (112), welds them together and then separates them in such a way that the film webs remain connected both at the back of the block of material and in-side the new curtain.

7. The method of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the block of material is first wrapped in one direction with a strong, good quality film which is chosen for its capacity to absorb the elastic recovery forces generated by the compressi-on, and in that the block of material is then wrapped in a direction perpendicu-lar to the first direction with an inexpensive thinner film that functions as a hy-gienic seal.

8. A device for packaging a block consisting of a compressible material compri-sing a compression apparatus (1,110) for producing a compressed block of mate-rial (3) and a packaging apparatus (2,112) for packaging the block of material (3).
characterised in that, the compression apparatus (1.110) comprises a driveable compression unit (11) with means for gripping the block on opposite sides, in that the packaging appa-ratus (2,112) has means for receiving the block of material (3) and for maintai-ning the compressed state of the block, in that between the compression appara-tus and the packaging apparatus there is a film tensioning unit (18) for tensio-ning a film web parallel to the compression apparatus, and in that a film welding unit (19) is disposed between the film tensioning unit and the packaging appara-tus (112).

9. The device of claim 8, characterized in that the compression unit (11) has two bottom angled compression rails (14) and two top angled compression rails (15) and a clamping device which grasps angled compression rails (14,15) for the purpose of sustaining a preferred position.

10. The device of claim 9, characterized in that the compression unit (11) has a bottom fixed compression plate (12) and a top driveable compression plate (13), and the two angled compression ra~ls (14,15) are contrived so that they can be raised with respect to the bottom compression plate (12) to create free spaces (16,17) in the clamped position.

11. The device of claim 8, characterized to that the film tensioning unit (18) is fitted on the one hand with a roll of film (21) with a continuous film web (23) and, on the other hand, with a tensioning roller (22), with tensioning roller (22) being pre-tensioned so that under a horizontal load, it is pushed out of its verti-cal starting position and, when the horizontal load is removed, reverts to its star-ting position.

12. The device of claim 8, characterized in that between the roll of film (21) and tensioning roller (22). two rollers for guiding and deflecting film web (23) are dis-posed at a distance from each other that is bigger than the block material (3).

13. The device of claim 9, characterized in that the two rollers for guiding and deflecting the film web are a bottom pair of rollers (24) and a top pair of rollers (25).

14. The device of claim 5, characterized in that the film welding unit (19) has two welding beams (31) for connecting the free ends of film web (23), with at least one welding beam (31) being driveably contrived.

15. The device of claim 11, characterized in that one welding beam (31) is addi-tionally fitted with a separating wire which extends along the entire length of welding beam (31) and runs in the middle of welding beam (31), with the separa-ting wire being disposed in such a plane to the heating surface of welding beam (31) that film web (23) is first welded and then separated inside the welded sur-face.

18. The device of claim 8, characterized in that the receiver unit of the packa-ging apparatus (2) has at least one bottom remover gripper (28) and one top re-mover gripper (29), the position and dimensions of which are designed to coinci-de with the position and dimensions of the free spaces (16,17) of compression unit (11), and which each have a film push rod (30) on the ends closest to com-pression unit (11).

19. The device of claims 8 to 17, characterized in that the receiver unit of the packaging apparatus (2) is contrived as a movable unit (20) with a frame (26) and a movable slide (27), which can be displaced in relation to the fixed com-pression unit (11) of compression apparatus (1).

18. The device of claim 8, characterized in that the means of the compression apparatus (110) for gripping the block of material from opposite sides are pres-sure-resistant conveyor belts (120, 122) which compress the compressed block as a result of being brought together, with the block then being transferred to the packaging apparatus (112) by driving the conveyor belts forward.

19. The device of claim 8, characterized in that the means of the packaging ap-paratus (112) for gripping the block of material and sustaining the compressed stag are pressure-resistant conveyor belts (164,166) which can be driven in the direction of the exit of the packaging apparatus.

20. The device of one of claims 18 or 19, characterized in that the conveyor belts (120,122.164,166) of the compression apparatus (110) and/or the packa-ging apparatus (112) have slat plates consisting of rigid slats.

21. The device of one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that the means of the compression apparatus for compressing the block of material, and of tire packa-ging apparatus (112) for sustaining the compressed stale comprise bottom, fra-me-fixed and top, lowerable and stoppable conveyor belts (120,122,164,166).

22. The device of one of claims 18 to 21, characterized ire that on the input side of packaging apparatus (112) there are top and bottom feeder devices (150,132,154,156,158,160,162) for film webs.

23. The device of claim 21, characterized in that the feeder devices are deflec-ting rollers (150.152,154,156,158) which allow the film webs to be guided per-pendicularly from above and below to in front of the input side of the packaging apparatus.

24. The device of one of claims 18 to 23, characterized in that on the input side of packaging apparatus (112) there is a vertically displaceable welding and cut-ting device (176,178).

25. A packaged block of material consisting of compressible material, charac-terized in that the essentially square-shaped block of material is wrapped in a first direction with a strong plastic film selected for its capacity to absorb the elastic restoring forces of the compressed material, and in that the block of ma-terial is completely wrapped in a second direction perpendicular to the first di-rection with an appropriate light material as protection against dirt arid moistu-re.