GB1101484A - Improvements in or relating to wrapping articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,101,484. Wrapping articles. R.P.M. Inc. 24 March, 1965 [26 March, 1964], No. 12560/65. Heading B8C. An article 11 having a wrapper 12 lying across its top surface, with leading and trailing flaps 12b, 12a hanging down, is conveyed in a predetermined path over rotary means, the peripheral speed of which exceeds the speed of the article, the rotary means having a radial slot through which the flaps 12b, 12a may fall so that the trailing flap 12a is swept on to the underside of the article by the rotary means and the leading flap 12b is folded into overlapping relation with the flap 12a by means downstream of the rotary means. As described, the article 11 carrying the wrapper 12 is conveyed rectilinearly by fingers 50 of a chain conveyer (32), Figs. 1-3 (not shown). Stationary guides 52 engage the upper wrapper surface, and their height is adjustable. The article is thus delivered from a table 30 to co-planar rotary discs 62, 64 having slots A, B so as to arrive at the position of the left-hand article in Figs. 7A, 7B, where flap 12b falls through the slots. The edges D of slots A, B of the discs now engage the trailing flap 12a intermediate its edges and fold its central portion against the underside of article 11, simultaneously applying outward wrinkleremoving friction forces, Figs. 5A-5C (not shown). The apex 92 of the stationary folding plate 60 engages the leading flap 12b to fold its central portions over the central portions of flap 12a to overlap the latter outwardly. Increasingly peripheral portions of the flaps are then folded against the underside of the article 11 until the latter is completely encircled by the wrapper, as shown by the right-hand article of Figs. 7A, 7B and also in Fig. 8 (not shown). The number of slots may be varied and there may be one rotary disc only. An infeed conveyer (10), Fig. 1, may deliver the partially wrapped articles to conveyer 32. The flaps 12a, 12b may be glued or heat-sealed together. The open side edges of the wrapper may be closed by known means to form side flaps.