GB1378163A - Apparatus for wrapping small articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1378163 Wrapping machines W S ROBINSON 9 Feb 1972 [19 Feb 1971] 4973/71 Heading B8C Apparatus for wrapping articles comprises a wrapping unit, an article delivery station and means for effecting relative movement therebetween, said wrapping unit including means for collecting an article from said delivery station, means for drawing wrapping material from a supply thereof both said means being mounted on a common movable support movement of which transports said wrapping material and said article to a wrapping position preparatory to wrapping of the material around the article. As shown, sweets to be wrapped are placed one in each of apertures 36 of four carriers 13. The carriers are rotated stepwise through gearing from a drive shaft 22 as a carrier frame 14 is reciprocated between the carriers 13, by a cam wheel 19. The carrier frame 14 supports four wrapping assemblies 15 each of which is associated with a carrier 13 and each of which is operated by sprockets 42 driven by chains 40 from drive shafts 38. Each assembly 15 is releasably mounted on the frame 14 and comprises a pair of cam-operated spring loaded sweet gripping arms 48 and a pair of papergripping arms 59 which co-operate with a pair of fixed plates 60 whereby paper 62 supplied through a feed device 63 enters slots 61 and is gripped between the arms 59 and plates 60. A stud 65 prevents operation of the arms 59 when no sweet is present at the respective carrier 13. A wrapping device 66 co-operates with a pusher member 67, adapted to be moved upwardly during the operating cycle, by a cam controlled linkage driven from the shaft 38, whereby the member 67 pushes each sweet and its wrapper paper through the device 66 and into engagement with gripping arms 70, whereafter a folding member (not shown) forms a first tuck beneath the sweet. As the assembly 15 then moves away from the carrier 13, the arms 70 are drawn over a fixed plate 76 which folds the paper to form a second truck. A peg 77 raises each sweet out of its aperture at carrier 13. A cutter assembly 79 severs the wrapping paper as each sweet is positioned below the wrapping device 66. The apparatus is driven by a single motor 11 and the arrangement is such that as the wrapping assemblies 15 at one end of the machine move towards their respective carriers 13, the assemblies 15 at the other end of the machine move away from their respective carriers and perform the wrapping operations at that end of the machine. The apparatus may be modified to include more than 4 carriers and wrapping assemblies, and the articles may be hardwrapped. Also, the wrapping paper may be presented below the articles.