EP0913327B1

EP0913327B1 - Apparatus for wrapping medium-sized products, particularly confectionery products

Info

Publication number: EP0913327B1
Application number: EP98119740A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sandro Salicini
Original assignee: A M S Srl
Current assignee: A M S Srl
Priority date: 1997-10-28
Filing date: 1998-10-21
Publication date: 2002-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 2018-10-21
Also published as: EP0913327A1; DE69805732D1; ITBO970642A1; ITBO970642A0; DE69805732T2; IT1295647B1

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for wrapping medium-sized products, particularly confectionery products, such as chocolate eggs provided with a surprise.
Currently known wrapping machines automatically wrap confectionery products, for example products such as eggs made of chocolate.
In particular, wrapping machines are known which have a disk or chain type feeder and a wrapping head provided with grippers which rotate respectively about a vertical axis and a horizontal axis.
The individual products to be wrapped are supplied to respective receptacles which are distributed along the peripheral region of said feeder disk with a vertical axis. The products fed by means of the disk device are transferred, one after the other, from the corresponding receptacles into one of the grippers of the wrapping head, together with a piece of material in sheet form which is handled in the same head and is meant to wrap and enclose the product.
The transfer of the product is performed, in a corresponding station, by an extractor which, by means of an ascending stroke, passes through an opening formed in the feeder disk at each receptacle, so as to lift the corresponding product up to the corresponding gripper of the wrapping head.
With a subsequent descent stroke, the extractor ceases to intersect the horizontal feeder disk, allowing it to rotate freely to bring a new receptacle, with the corresponding product, into said transfer station.
Limited operating speed is often found to be a problem in conventional wrapping machines; said limited speed is due to the reciprocating movement of the extractor, which must be coordinated with the intermittent advancement of the feeder disk.
Said machines are furthermore bulky and complicated, particularly due to the kinematic chains required to actuate the various elements.
Wrapping machines are known from the documents EP-A-0 444 229 and US-A-2 642 707, both teaching wrapping products in wrappers closed by heat sealing.
The aim of the present invention is to solve the above-cited problem, by providing an apparatus for wrapping medium-sized products, particularly confectionery products, designed so as to have high productivity and be particularly compact.
Within the scope of this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for wrapping products of the cited type which is very simple and cheap to manufacture and offers great reliability and safety in operation.
This aim, this object and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved, according to the invention, by an apparatus for wrapping medium-sized products, particularly confectionery products, having the features set forth in claim 1.
Further charateristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for wrapping the above-cited products, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a general side view of the apparatus according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of said product feeder, at the transfer station;
Figure 3 is a detail side view of said product extractor;
Figure 4 is a corresponding front view of said extractor;
Figure 5 is a detail side view of means for removing, finishing and unloading the products wrapped by said wrapping head;
Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of said removal means;
Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of a step for the partial wrapping of said piece of material in sheet form on a corresponding product;
Figures 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d are schematic side views of said wrapping head in successive operating steps;
Figure 9 is a general side view of an apparatus provided with finishing means executed according to a different embodiment;
Figure 10 is a detail side view of the finishing means with which said apparatus is provided;
Figure 11 is a corresponding plan view of said finishing means;
Figure 12 is a sectional view thereof, taken along the plane XII-XII of Figure 11.
With particular reference to the above figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates an apparatus for wrapping medium-sized products 2, particularly confectionery products such as for example chocolate eggs provided with a surprise.
The apparatus 1 has a feeder 3 for products 2 to be wrapped which has conveyor means 4 which can move in a horizontal advancement direction with the orientation indicated by the arrow A. The conveyor means 4 are substantially constituted by a pair of toothed belts 5 which are arranged side by side and wind around a pair of respective pulleys 6 which are supported so that they can rotate about horizontal axes by a fixed frame 10 of the apparatus; the belts 5 are actuated so as to jog forward by a suitable motor element, not shown, by means of a respective flexible transmission element 7.
A plurality of elements 8 for receiving a respective product 2 is distributed on the belts 5; said elements are shaped like a tray and are provided with a median opening through which passage is allowed along a vertical plane which is longitudinally aligned with said horizontal advancement direction A. More specifically, each one of the belts 5 supports one half of said trays 8, which are symmetrically shaped.
As shown in Figure 2, said halves of the trays 8 form, for example, respective portions 8a and 8b of a receptacle which is shaped complementarily to the product 2 to be wrapped.
The trays 8 are meant to be supplied, at an upper active portion of the conveyor means 4, with the products 2 to be wrapped, which are for example deposited manually in the receptacles formed by said trays 8.
An auxiliary conveyor 9 is associated with the feeder 3, at said active upper portion of the conveyor means 4, and is constituted by a belt which is arranged longitudinally to the belts 5 along the median opening of the trays 8. The auxiliary belt 9, actuated in the same direction A by motor elements which are not shown, has an active upper portion which protrudes above the corresponding upper portion of the belts 5 so as to partially lift the products 2 from the bottom of the trays 8 to settle the position of said products 2.
An extractor 11 cooperates with the feeder 3 at the output region of the conveyor means 4 and is suitable to remove and transfer the products 2. The extractor 11 can move on said vertical feeding plane so as to pass through said median opening of a receiving tray 8 arranged in a transfer station during an active stroke between a lowered position and a raised position and during the corresponding return stroke.
The extractor 11, which is shown in detail in Figures 3 and 4, is constituted by a shaped arm 12 which is flat on a vertical plane which substantially coincides with said feeding plane; the arm 12 is provided, at the top, with a pusher 13 which is shaped so as to match the curvature of the product 2. The arm 12 is fixed to a first rocker 14, of which it is the upward extension.
The rocker 14 is part of an articulated quadrilateral which substantially lies on said vertical plane and comprises a first crank 15, a second crank 16 and a traction element 17. The rocker 14 is articulated at 20 to the first crank 15; the traction element 17 is articulated at 18 and 19 to the rocker 14 and to the second crank 16, respectively.
Said articulated quadrilateral is actuated by a cam device, not shown, whereby during part of the operating cycle the extractor 11 moves between a lowered position and a raised position, shown in solid lines in Figure 3; the lowered position is determined by the combined angular rotation of the cranks 15 and 16 into the positions indicated by the dashed lines 15a and 16a. The second crank 16 in fact actuates the oscillation of the rocker 14 on the axis of the pivot 20, as shown by the dashed line 14a, while the first crank 15 actuates the angular movement of said pivot 20 so as to determine a sideways movement of said rocker 14, as shown by the dashed line 14b. Due to the movement imposed to the extractor 11, the product 2 performs a suitable angular stroke.
An auxiliary gripper 21 cooperates with the extractor 11 and is constituted by an arm 22 which is pivoted at 23 to a second rocker 24; the arm 22 supports, at its end, a bracket 25 on which a pad 26 is fixed; said pad is conveniently shaped according to the profile of the product 2 to be transferred.
The rocker 24 can rotate in a downward region on a fixed pivot 27; said pivot 20 for the articulation of the first rocker 14 to the crank 15, throughout the step for the transfer of the product and in the initial portion of the return stroke, is coaxial to said fixed pivot 27.
A spring 28 tends to keep the lower end of the arm 22 in abutment against an adjustment screw 29.
The extractor 11 is suitable to cooperate with a dispenser 31 for a piece of material in sheet form 30 for transferring the product 2 to be wrapped and said piece of material in sheet form 30 to a head 40 for wrapping said product 2.
The material in sheet form unrolls from a roll 32, after which conventional cutting elements 33 are arranged.
It should be noted that in the grip position and during the product transfer step, as well as in the initial portion of the return stroke, said pivot 20 for the articulation of the rocker 14 to the crank 15 is coaxial to the fixed pivot 27 of the rocker 24, so that there are no relative angular movements, not even minimal ones, between said rockers 14 and 24, thus ensuring a perfect transfer of the product and of the material in sheet form 30.
Preferably, the wrapping head 40, which rotates intermittently in the direction B about a horizontal axis, is of the type with three stations, as shown in Italian Patent Application No. BO96A 000169 in the name of the same Applicant.
The extractor 11 determines the insertion in a gripper 41a, which has arrived in an open position in a first one of said stations, of a product 2 and of a corresponding piece of material in sheet form 30 which is partially wrapped around said product. In the second station, which has a gripper 41b in the idle position, the wrapping of the piece of the material in sheet form 30 on the product 2 is completed, while in the third station the wrapped product is ready to be removed by the gripper 41c.
A fixed folding element 34 lies between the first and second stations of the wrapping head 40 at said longitudinal vertical plane and has an active surface which is substantially shaped like a circular arc.
The fixed folding element 34 cooperates in wrapping the piece of material in sheet form 30 around the product 2 to be wrapped.
A cross-member 34a is rigidly coupled to the lower end of the folding element 34 and is suitable to act on the upper edge of the piece of material in sheet form 30; a corresponding lower cross-member 34b, rigidly coupled to the fixed part of the apparatus, in a parallel position with respect to the upper cross-member 34a, is meant to act on the lower edge of the piece of material in sheet form 30 (see Figure 7 in particular). To the rear of the lower cross-member 34b there is provided a strip 35 which can move on a plane which lies transversely to the product advancement direction and is suitable to be actuated by means of a lever system 36 so as to fold said piece of material in sheet form 30 onto the product 2 when it enters the gripper 41a of the head 40.
Depending on the type of material in sheet form used for wrapping, for example relatively light material, it is possible to provide for the use of elements for following the piece of material in sheet form 30 during the step for the transfer of the product 2 and of said material to the wrapping head 40. Said followers substantially have a pair of shaped flaps 37 which are supported at the ends of a fork-shaped frame 38 so as to engage the end portions of the piece of material in sheet form 30, which is partially wrapped around the product 2. The frame 38 is fixed to a lever 39 which oscillates on a longitudinal vertical plane synchronously with the movement of the extractor 11 and of the auxiliary gripper 21.
A first auxiliary folding element 42 and a second auxiliary folding element 43 act at the second station of the wrapping head 40 and are meant to fold the end portions of the piece of material in sheet form 30 which is partially wrapped around the product 2.
Each one of the folding elements 42 and 43 is provided with a pair of lever- like arms 44 and 46 and with a second pair of lever- like arms 45 and 47 which are conveniently spaced and can rotate on a vertical plane that lies longitudinally with respect to said product feeding plane. Said lever-like arms are pivoted, at one end, to the frame of the apparatus on a corresponding pivot which is generally designated by the reference numeral 48 and support, at their opposite end, a respective shaped presser 49 which is meant to act on the piece of material in sheet form which is partially wrapped around the product retained by the gripper 41b.
A device 50 for removing the wrapped products from the gripper 41c of the wrapping head 40 acts at the third station of said head 40.
The removal device 50, shown in detail in Figures 5 and 6, has a caliper-like gripper 51 which is constituted by two jaws 52 which are symmetrically pivoted, by means of corresponding pivots 53, on a fork-like coupling 54. The jaws 52 are mutually articulated by means of a roller 55 which is rotatably supported by a first one of said jaws and engages a groove 56 of the second jaw.
The jaws 52 are actuated elastically at an internal end by a corresponding spring 57 which is accommodated in a corresponding seat formed in the coupling 54. Alternatively, it is possible to spring-load only one of the jaws 52; the presence of both springs 57, however, ensures compensation of any play.
At their free end, the jaws 52 support a corresponding grip pad 58 which can rotate about an axis 59, which lies horizontally and transversely to said jaws, by means of suitable rolling bearings.
The coupling 54 of the gripper 51 is fixed to a shaft 60 which is part of a kinematic system 61 for the actuation of the removal device 50. The shaft 60, which is rotatably supported by means of suitable rolling bearings by the frame of the apparatus, is suitable to be turned in alternating directions by motor elements which are not shown.
A sleeve 63 is rotatably mounted, by means of rolling bearings 62, on the shaft 60 and has a cam 64 fixed frontally thereto. A roller 65 engages said cam 64 and is rotatably supported by a lever system 66 which is articulated to one of the jaws 52 of the gripper 51 in order to open and close said gripper in a caliper-like manner.
The sleeve 63 is continuously rotated by means of a flexible transmission element 67, for example a toothed belt which is coupled to a sprocket 68 fixed to said sleeve 63 at the opposite end with respect to the cam 64. The flexible transmission element 67 draws its motion from a driving shaft 69 which is continuously rotated by motor elements, not shown, about an axis which is parallel to the shaft 60 of the gripper 51.
The oscillating motion imparted by the gripper 51 is such as to make the wrapped product roll on an abutment 70 arranged below the shaft 60. The abutment 70 is shaped substantially like a circular arc and is transversely provided with a concave cross-section which is complementarily shaped with respect to the profile of the wrapped products.
Preferably, the product 2 supported by the gripper 51 rolls on the lower surface of the abutment 70. However, the abutment 70 might also be arranged so that the product 2 instead rolls on the suitably shaped upper surface of said abutment 70.
The abutment 70 is mounted so that it can oscillate by means of a transverse pivot 83 on an arm 84 which protrudes from the fixed frame of the apparatus and is actuated elastically by a spring 85 which is suitable to keep a tab 86 of said abutment 70 in contact with an adjustment screw 87 which engages said arm 84.
Conveniently, an ejector 90 cooperates with the gripper 51 and is suitable to facilitate the extraction of the product 2.
The ejector 90 is constituted by a lamina 91 which is supported by a first arm 92 which is mounted so that it can oscillate about the axis of a transverse shaft 93; a second arm 94 is mounted on said shaft 93 and is provided, at its free end, with a roller 95 which can rotate freely. The roller 95 is suitable to follow a cam 96 which is mounted on said driving shaft 69 under the elastic thrust of a spring 97 which actuates the arm 94.
The removal device 50 cooperates with an underlying finishing device 71 which is meant to complete the rolling of the wrapped products (see Figure 5 again).
The finishing device 71 has a rotating drum 72 which is substantially constituted by a disk which is supported so that it can rotate preferably in the direction indicated by the arrow C about an axis 73 on a longitudinal vertical plane. A plurality of cups 74 is distributed on one face of the disk 72 in the peripheral region; said cups have a concavity which is substantially complementary to the shape of the wrapped products.
The cups 74 are mounted on respective lever-like supports 75 which are pivoted at 76 to the disk 72 and are actuated by corresponding spring-loaded elements 77 which are attached to said disk 72. The springs 77 are suitable to keep the cups 74 elastically in a stroke limit position which is determined by the engagement of a pin 78, which protrudes transversely from a corresponding support 75, against one side of a sort of fork 79 which is correspondingly fixed on the disk 72.
When the disk 72 rotates, the finishing device 71 is suitable to move the wrapped products loaded onto the cups 74 so that they roll on a further fixed abutment 80 which is shaped like a circular arc which is slightly eccentric with respect to the rotation axis 73 of the disk 72.
The abutment 80 covers an arc which is substantially equal to almost three quarters of a circle, between an input position below the removal device 50 and an output position at a chute 82 for carrying the products away. The abutment 80 has a suitable covering 81 on its internal surface.
Operation of the described apparatus is as follows.
The products 2 to be wrapped, arranged in the trays 8 of the feeder 3, are conveyed into the transfer station, which is located at the output of said feeder 3. The conveyor means 4 of the feeder 3 are actuated so as to jog forward in step with the transfer of the products 2 to the wrapping head 40; however, it is possible to provide for the continuous advancement of said conveyor means 4 by conveniently reducing the speed during the extraction of the products from said trays 8.
The transfer of the individual products 2 to the gripper 41a, which is idle in the first station of the wrapping head 40, is performed by the extractor 11 in cooperation with the auxiliary grip element 21.
The extractor 11, in an active stroke between a lowered position and a raised position, passes through the median opening formed between the two halves 8a and 8b of the receiving tray 8 arranged in the transfer station, so as to remove the corresponding product, whereas in a return stroke between a raised position and a lowered position, said extractor returns below the subsequent tray 8 fed into the transfer station, passing through the empty trays.
In Figure 3, the sequential outlines of the pusher 13 designated by the reference numeral 13a illustrate the path of said pusher of the extractor 11 during the active stroke; during the return stroke, the pusher 13 traces said path again in an initial portion, in the opposite direction of course, and is then moved downward by the angular rotation applied to the crank 15 so as to move along the path indicated by the sequential outlines 13b.
During the active stroke and said initial portion of the return stroke, the pivot 20 of the rocker 14 is in fact coaxial to the fixed pivot 27 of the rocker 24, so that the extractor 11 and the auxiliary gripper 21 rotate about the same axis, while the subsequent lateral displacement of the pusher 13 is produced by the rotation of the crank 15 which causes the misalignment of the pivot 20 with respect to said fixed pivot 27.
During said active stroke, the product 2 removed by the extractor 11 strikes a corresponding piece of material in sheet form 30 supplied by the dispenser 31.
The coordinated angular rotation of the auxiliary gripper 21 causes the clamping of the removed product 2 and of the piece of material in sheet form 30 between said pusher 13 and the opposite pad 26 of the element 21. The clamping force is determined by the spring 28 and can be adjusted by means of the screw 29. The product 2 and the piece of material in sheet form 30 are thus transferred to the gripper 41a of the wrapping head 40 with the optional assistance of the followers 37 and are then released by the extractor 11 and by the auxiliary grip element 21.
The rotary actuation of the wrapping head 40 then determines the passage of the product 2, with the piece of material in sheet form, into the second station of the wrapping head 40 in the position defined by the gripper 41b. During said passage step, the fixed folding element 34 wraps the piece of material in sheet form 30 onto the product 2, as shown for the sake of greater clarity in Figure 7; said wrapping begins on the cross-members 34a and 34b, which fold the upper and lower edges of the piece of material in sheet form 30, and is facilitated by the movement imparted to the strip 35 which, by oscillating, produces an additional folding of said lower edge, so as to allow the subsequent wrapping thereon of the upper edge of the sheet 30.
In the second station of the wrapping head 40, the lever- like arms 44, 45 and 46, 47 of the auxiliary folding elements 42 and 43 act in an ordered sequence on the partially wrapped product 2 and, by means of the corresponding shaped pressers 49, fold the end portions of the piece of material in sheet form 30 which is partially wrapped around the product 2.
Preferably, the first pair of lever-like arms 44 of the first auxiliary folding element 42 is actuated first (Figure 8a); then, sequentially, the first lever-like arms 46 (Figure 8b) and the second lever-like arms 47 which are arranged opposite the preceding ones (figure 8c) of the second folding element 43 are actuated; finally, the second lever-like arms 45 of the first folding element 42 (Figure 8d) are actuated.
The subsequent rotation of the wrapping head 40 causes the passage of the wrapped product 2 into the third station of the wrapping head 40, in the position determined by the gripper 41c, where said wrapped product is taken by the gripper 51 of the removal device 50.
For this purpose, the opening of the jaws 52 of the gripper 51 is actuated by means of the cam 64, which is actuated by means of the sleeve 63; in a removal station, said jaws are then reclosed so as to clamp the wrapped product between the grip pads 58 of said jaws, which make the paper adhere to the two ends, which are notoriously the most critical regions of the wrapping (see Figure 6 in particular).
The oscillation of the grip element 51, actuated by means of the shaft 60 of the kinematic system 61, causes the rolling of the wrapped product on the spring-loaded abutment 70, so as to produce a first adhesion of the wrapping to the surface of the product, in order to facilitate subsequent insertion in a corresponding cup 74 of the finishing device 71.
The ejector 90 acts at the output region of the abutment 70. The lamina 91 of said ejector 90, which is allowed to oscillate by means of the cam 96, acts on the product 2, which is supported by the grip element 51 so as to facilitate its extraction (see also Figure 1).
However, said ejector might also not be present in the apparatus.
The product released by the gripper 51, at the end of the rolling stroke on the abutment 70, falls into a corresponding cup 74 of the finishing device 71, as shown by the dashed line 2a in Figure 5.
As the disk 72 of the finishing device 71 rotates, the cup 74, which is conveniently spring-loaded by means of the corresponding support 75, makes the wrapped product roll on the additional fixed abutment 80 so as to complete the adhesion of the wrapping to the entire surface of the product.
It should be noted that the fork 79 in which the pin 78 engages ensures a stroke limit. The fork 79 allows a limited angular rotation of the corresponding cup 74 in contrast with the elastic action of the spring 77 during the step in which the product does not roll in contact with the abutment 80. The spring 77 ensures the intended contact pressure.
The wrapping apparatus thus conceived therefore achieves the intended aim and object. In particular, the apparatus allows to obtain high productivity with very compact dimensions.
The apparatus provides perfect adhesion of the wrapping to the product also if it has an ovoid shape.
Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 illustrate a different embodiment of the finishing device, arranged below the abutment 70 with which the grip element 51 cooperates.
Said finishing device, generally designated by the reference numeral 100, has a chain-type conveyor 101 which is actuated in the direction indicated by the arrow D on a longitudinal vertical plane. A plurality of cups 102 is distributed on the chain conveyor 101; said cups have a cavity 103 which is substantially complementary to the shape of the wrapped products.
An abutment belt 104 cooperates with the chain conveyor 101 and is preferably actuated in a direction E which is opposite to the direction of said conveyor 101, i.e., so as to have an active portion which moves in the same direction as the opposite active portion of the conveyor 101; the belt 104 is arranged above the upper active portion of the conveyor 101 and is suitable to act on the products inserted in the cups 102.
The cups 102 are constituted by a body 105 which is mounted so that it can oscillate on a respective support 106 which is fixed to the chain conveyor 101. The support 106 has a pair of shoulders 107 which form respective seats for the articulation pivots 108 of the body 105 of the cups, which are arranged along an axis which lies transversely to said longitudinal plane. The shoulders 107 furthermore form seats for accommodating corresponding spring elements 109 which act on lateral shoulders 105a of the body 105.
In this case, the product released by the grip element 51, at the end of the rolling stroke on the abutment 70, falls into a corresponding cup 102 of the finishing device 101, which moves in the advancement direction of the chain conveyor 101.
As the chain conveyor advances, the cup 102, which is appropriately spring-loaded with respect to the corresponding support 106, moves the wrapped product so that it rolls in abutment against the belt 104, so as to complete the adhesion of the wrapping to the entire surface of the product.
It should be noted that the belt 104 is preferably motorized in said direction E at a different peripheral speed than the chain conveyor 101, for example at a higher speed, so as to produce the rolling of the wrapped products inside the corresponding cavities 103. However, the belt 104 might move in the opposite direction, i.e., so that its lower portion is actuated in the opposite direction with respect to the upper active portion of the conveyor 101.
The articulation of the body 105 to the corresponding support 106 allows a limited angular rotation of the cup 102, in contrast with the elastic action of the spring 109, during the step in which the product does not roll in contact with the belt 104, as shown by the dashed line 102a. The spring 109 ensures the intended contact pressure.
In the practical embodiment of the invention, the materials employed, as well as the shape and the dimensions, may be any according to requirements.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

An apparatus for wrapping medium-sized products, particularly confectionery products, comprising: a feeder (3) for the products to be wrapped, which is provided with conveyor means (4) which can move in a horizontal advancement direction (A) and on which a plurality of elements (8) for receiving a respective product (2) is distributed, said receiving elements (8) being shaped like a tray and having a median opening through which passage is allowed along a vertical plane which is longitudinally aligned with said horizontal advancement direction; a head (40) for wrapping said product (2); an extractor (11), which can move in said vertical feeding plane passing through said median opening of one of said receiving elements (8), which is arranged in a transfer station, and is adapted to cooperate with a device (31) for dispensing a piece of material in sheet form (30) in order to transfer said product (2) and said piece of material in sheet form (30) to said head (40) for wrapping said product and to insert said product (2) and said piece of material in sheet form (30) in a gripper (41a) of said wrapping head (40), which wrapping head rotates in a vertical plane coinciding with said feeding plane in which said extractor (11) moves, so as to place said gripper (41 a,41 b,41 c) at at least one first station for the transfer of said product, at a second station for wrapping said piece of material in sheet form (30) on said product (2) and at a third station for ejecting the wrapped product; a device (50) for removing said wrapped product (2) from said gripper (41c) of the wrapping head (40), while the gripper (41c) is arranged in said third station for ejecting the wrapped product, characterized in that it further comprises an abutment (70) arranged in said vertical plane, said removal device (50) being provided with a caliper-like gripper (51) which is supported so as to oscillate in said vertical plane and make said wrapped product (2) rolling on said abutment (70) in order to achieve a first adhesion of the wrapping to said product (2).
The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said abutment (70) is supported by elastic means (85), is shaped substantially like a circular arc, and is transversely provided with a concave cross-section which is complementary to the profile of said wrapped product (2).
The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises, below said removal device (50), a finishing device (71) provided with a rotating drum (72) which is supported so that it can rotate on said longitudinal vertical plane and on which a plurality of cups (74) is peripherally distributed, said cups (74) having a concavity which is suitable to receive respective wrapped products (2), so as to make said wrapped products loaded on said cups (74) roll on an additional fixed abutment (80).
The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said cups (74) are mounted on respective lever-like supports (75) which are pivoted (76) on said rotating drum (72) and are actuated by corresponding spring-loaded elements (77), which are suitable to keep said cups (74) elastically in a stroke limit position.
The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that said additional fixed abutment (80) is shaped like a circular arc which is slightly eccentric with respect to the rotation axis (73) of said rotating drum (72) and covers a circular arc between an input position below said removal device (50) and an output position at a chute (82) for carrying away said products (2).
The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said tray-shaped receiving elements (8) are constituted by two halves (8a,8b) which are supported by side-by-side conveyor means (5) and form respective portions of a receptacle which is shaped complementarily to said product (2) to be wrapped.
The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that an auxiliary conveyor (9) is associated with said feeder (3) at an active upper portion of said conveyor means (4), is arranged longitudinally along said median opening of said receiving elements (8), and is actuated in the same direction as said conveyor means (4), said auxiliary conveyor (9) having an active upper portion which protrudes above said upper portion of said conveyor means (4) so as to cause a partial lifting of said products (2) from the bottom of said receiving elements (8).
The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said extractor (11) is suitable to cooperate with an auxiliary gripper (21) which is provided with an arm (22) which oscillates in said longitudinal vertical plane about a fixed axis (27) with which the oscillation axis (20) of said extractor (11) coincides during the transfer of said product (2) and of said piece of material in sheet form (30) to said wrapping head (40).
The apparatus according to any of the claims 1-2 and 6-8, characterized in that it comprises, below said removal device (50), a finishing device (100) which is provided with a conveyor (101) which is actuated so as to advance on said longitudinal vertical plane and on which a plurality of cups (102) is distributed, said cups (102) having a concavity (103) which is suitable to receive respective wrapped products (2), so as to move said wrapped products loaded on said cups (102) so that they engage a contrast belt (104) which is made to move above said conveyor (101).
The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that said cups (102) respectively have a body (105) which is pivoted on a corresponding fixed support (106) to said conveyor (101) about an axis that lies transversely to said longitudinal vertical plane and is actuated elastically by spring means (109).