GB1535033A - Apparatus for binding packages - Google Patents

Abstract

1535033 Binding packages of cheese GERRARD INDUSTRIES Ltd 11 Feb 1976 [14 Feb 1975] 6320/75 Heading B8C A method of packaging a block under pressure in a rigid walled container made up of six separate flat panels 15, 16 comprises manually assembling the panels around the block in a jig 10 at a first station, transferring the assembly in the jig to a second station at which a first power operated banding machine 17 applies a band around the side panels 15 above the side walls 11 of the jig, and transferring the assembly from the jig to a second banding machine 34 which applies a pair of spaced parallel bands around the top and bottom panels and a pair of opposite side panels. The block may be of cheese wrapped in an impervious sheet and surrounded by a cardboard wrapping as in Specification 937,441. There may be four jigs 10 on a turntable 9. The banding machine 17 is lowered around a jig and comprises a horizontal band track (22) horizontally movable on rollers and carrying a jointing head (23). One pair of opposed side panels 15 is subjected to pressure between the jointing head and a plate (26) carried by the piston rod of an air cylinder mounted on the track. A pair of pressure plates 31 movable on channel members 28 and connected by an air cylinder 29 acts on the other pair of panels 15. A pusher 38 ejects the assembly from the jig on to a shoot 32 having pivoted arms 39 to push the assembly onto a roller support 46 of the second banding machine. The support 46 is raised to compress the assembly vertically while plates (48, 50, 52, 53) compress the assembly horizontally. The machine has banding tracks 45 and jointing heads 44. The bands may be of plastics or metal and joined by separate seals, welding or by interengaging formation on the overlapping band portions. Four or more bands may be applied.