GB2053835A

GB2053835A - Sweet Wrapping apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2053835A
Application number: GB7925937A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Kloeckner Haensel GmbH
Current assignee: Kloeckner Haensel GmbH
Priority date: 1979-07-25
Filing date: 1979-07-25
Publication date: 1981-02-11
Also published as: GB2053835B

Abstract

Apparatus for wrapping sweets or similar pieces comprises delivery means (T,M) for the pieces (B), a feeding device (Z) having carriers (15) for picking up pieces delivered by the delivery means, a packing head (P) having gripping means (31, 32) for the pieces and folding means for folding wrapping material (41) about pieces held in the gripping means (31, 32), and means (H) for feeding wrapping material (41) to the packing head (P), the carriers (15) being movable along a first closed path and the gripping means (31, 32) and folding means being movable along a second closed path, portions of said first and second paths coinciding whereby each carrier (15) meets a corresponding gripping means (31, 32) and moves therewith for a given distance with the carrier (15) located between jaws (31, 32) of the gripping means, each carrier (15) also comprising gripping jaws (16, 17) Figures 2-5 (not shown) which operate perpendicularly to the directions of operation of the gripping means (31, 32), whereby the gripping means (31, 32) can grip a piece whilst the piece is released by the corresponding carrier (15). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sweet wrapping apparatus The invention relates to apparatus for the continuous wrapping of sweets or similar pieces.

Such apparatus is known having grippers and folding elements, which are seated on a packing head and revolve in a continuous path. A feeder is provided to carry sweets from a delivery station to the conveyor packing head, the conveyor being guided alongside the path of revolution of the packing head. A wrapping material feed device works along the path of the feeder conveyor and causes the wrapping material to run in between the feeder conveyor and the packing head, where the sweets are gripped and the wrapping material folded about the sweets. In wrapping apparatus of this type, as disclosed in German Patent Specification 2,329,534, difficulties arise in the transfer of the sweets from sweet carriers on the feeder conveyor to the grippers of the packing head.It was necessary to provide controlled pistons in the sweet-carriers, which pistons, in the zone where the feeder conveyor and the grippers of the packing head run parallel, move a sweet out of a sweet-carrier and introduce it between the grippers of the packing head. This adversely affected the packing capacity of the machine and increased the engineering effort required.

It is an object of the invention to simplify the transfer of sweets or similar pieces from a feeder conveyor to a packing head to increase the packing capacity of wrapping apparatus, whilst treating the pieces to be packed gently.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for wrapping sweets or similar pieces, the apparatus comprising delivery means for the pieces, a feeding device having carriers for picking up pieces delivered by the delivery means, a packing head having gripping means for the pieces and folding means for folding wrapping material about pieces held in the gripping means, and means for feeding wrapping material to the packing head, the carrier being movable along a first closed path and the gripping means and folding means being movable along a second closed path, portions of said first and second paths coinciding whereby each carrier meets a corresponding gripping means and moves therewith for a given distance with the carrier located between jaws of the gripping means, each carrier also comprising gripping jaws which operate perpendicularly to the directions of operation of the gripping means, whereby the gripping means can grip a piece whilst the piece is released by the corresponding carrier. In this way, the transfer of the pieces from the feeding device to the packing head is effected without the aid of controlled rams, pistons or the like, so that the mechanical effort is considerably reduced and the working speed can be considerably increased.

Preferably, the carriers have gripping jaws which are movable transversely to the conveying direction of movement of the carriers and the gripping jaws of the packing head are movable in the direction of revolution of the packing head.

A further advantage is obtained when the gripping jaws of the carriers are shaped as a saddle, a piece being gripped by the jaws within the saddle, whilst, the exterior of the saddle serves as a support for wrapping material. Whilst the gripping jaws of the carrier run into the path of motion of the gripping jaws of the packing head, the wrapping material is placed like a U around the piece and the carrier jaws so that the piece and the wrapping material are conjointly taken over by the gripping jaws of the packing head. Corresponding to the height or the thickness of the pieces which are to be wrapped, the feeding device may be adjustable, relative to the packing head and, if required, also relative to the delivery means.

Furthermore, in order to make the transfer of pieces from the delivery means to the packing head, as stress-free and careful as possible, a carrier chain is provided at the outlet for the pieces from a delivery plate in a conveying zone above the carriers and running parallel to the latter, which carrier chain is fitted with carrier members for the pieces to be taken from the delivery plate. The carrier members are controlled by cogs, cams or other control means in such a way that, at the instant of starting to take a piece from the plate, the carrier members have the smallest possible conveying speed, at a value of approximately zero, and, up to the point where the piece is passed over to the feeding device carriers, this speed increases up to the conveying speed of the latter.It is also of importance here that the charging plate is provided with a discontinuous drive and that its rotary movement is controlled in such a way that the latter is strongly retarded at the instant when a piece is taken off by a carrier member of the carrier chain.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic overall view of parts of apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view of a feeder chain of the apparatus, as seen in the conveying direction, in a zone where sweets are transferred from a delivery device; Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 in a zone where sweets are transferred to gripper jaws; Figures 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views of the arrangement and mode of action of sweet-grippers of the apparatus; and Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the feeder chain running into the path of the grippers.

The most important parts of the apparatus are a delivery device "T" for the sweets "B" which are to be wrapped, a packing head "P" having grippers folding elements and an ejectorforthe wrapped sweets "A", a feeder device "Z" for transferring the sweets to the packing head "P", a take-off and control device "M" for the orderly sequential taking of the sweets "B" from the delivery device "T" and for the transfer to the feeder device "Z", and a wrapping material feed "H".

The delivery device Tcomprises a delivery plate 1 which revolves about a vertical axis and which in the customary manner carries on its upper side a hopper by which the sweets B to be wrapped are delivered.

As the plate 1 revolves, the sweets, lying on a base 2, gradually slide into milled recesses 3 which are provided on the periphery of the plate and are open at the rim. At the outlet from the delivery device, the base 2 is adjoined by a guide rail 10 which leads radially outwards and reaches as far as the zone of a feeder chain 11 which will be described below. The sweets present in the milled recesses 3 of the delivery plate 1 are removed by carrier members 4 which are hinged on a revolving carrier chain 8 and are provided with a lever arm 5, at the end of which a runner 6 is provided. By means of this runner 6, the carriers 4 are guided in a curved track 7 extending along the conveying chain 8.This is arranged in such a way that, during the revolution of the conveying chain 8, the carrier members 4 execute an additional pivoting movement which, in a manner of speaking, is superposed on the movement of revolution or speed of revolution of the carrier chain 8. This means that, in the zone of the point where the sweets are transferred, the carrier members 4 are pivoted back relative to the carrier chain 8 so that they strike the sweet B, which is then carried along, at a low speed.

The carrier member 4 then pivots forwardly, so that the sweet B which has been removed by the carrier is accelerated beyond the slide rail 10 up to the conveying speed of the feeder chain 11.

The delivery plate 1 is rotatably driven by a drive which is discontinuous and is controlled so that the plate is strongly retarded at the instant when a sweet is removed by a carrier member 4. The movement of the delivery plate and the movement of the carrier member on the carrier chain are matched in such a way that a piece is taken from the plate at that instant at which the rotary movement of the plate reaches a minimum correspondingly, the speed of movement of the carriers at the same time also reaches a value of approximately zero.

To effect ejection of the sweets from the hopper and alignment of the sweets, a spring-loaded bracket 9 is provided which reaches over the transfer point of the sweets from the hopper, over the delivery plate 1, and beyond the slide rail 10 and bears down on the sweets individually.

The carrier chain 8 and the feeder chain 11 have runs parallel to each other along a path which extends approximately radially of the delivery plate.

The feeder chain 11 also has a run parallel to a run of a packing head chain 30 which carries grippers.

These runsfollow a path marked I-- I in Figures 4 and 5.

The feeder chain 11 feeds the sweets, which are taken one after another from the delivery plate 1, with the aid of the carrier chain 8 and the carrier members 4, to the packing head P. The feeder chain runs over sprockets 12, 13 and 14 and is fitted with sweet-carriers 15 spaced along the chain. The two chains 8 and 11 revolve at the same speed in the directions of the arrows a and b in the drawing. The spacings of the carrier members 4 on the carrier chain 8 correspond to the spacings of the successive sweet-carriers 15 on the feeder chain 11. If necessary, the chains can also be supported by chain guides 25.

One pair of sweet-grippers 16, 17 is seated in each sweet-carrier 15 and these are pressed into a closed position by springs 18. The sweet-grippers 16,16 are jaws which preferably have a curved upper side and, together with the sweet B gripped between them, form a saddle over which a cut length of wrapping material can be laid around like a U, as will be described below.

To open the grippers 16, 17 a control drive is povided on each sweet-carrier 15, which control drive is formed by a control lever 22, pivotably mounted at 19 and provided at its end with a runner 23, and by transfer levers 20 and 21 hinged thereto.

The runner 23 runs on a stationary guide cam 24 which has a corresponding raise at the points where the grippers 16,17 are to be opened. Such raises of the guide cam 24 are provided in the zone where the sweets are taken from the delivery plate and in the zone where the sweets are transferred to the grippers of the packing head.

It is important that the opening movement and closing movement of the sweet-grippers takes place transversely to the transport direction of the feeder chain 11 (compare Figure 4).

The packing head P consists of the chain 30, which is passed in an elongate track over guide and drive elements, gripper pairs spaced along the chain 30, each pair comprising grippers 31,32, resilient counter-holders 33 arranged between the grippers 31,32, folding and closing elements 34 and drive and control members which are not shown. The drive and the construction of grippers of this type are known. Also know and provided in the apparatus are stationary folding strips 35 and twisting pliers 36, seated on a revolving carrier 37, for twisting the ends of a piece of wrapping material, enclosing the sweet.

The important features are that the packing head chain 30 has a run parallel to a run of the feeder chain 11 (as shown by the path I - I) and that the grippers 31,32 of the packing head move in one plane (I - I) on opening and closing, in particular transverse to the direction of movement of the sweet-grippers 16, 17.

Before the feeder chain 11 enters the working zone of the packing head P, or immediately after the deflection roller 14, the wrapping material is fed in.

This runs as an endless web 41 off a stock roll 40 and is fed via guide and tension rollers 42 by delivering rolls 43 over a guide surface 46, being laid in each case over the sweet held by the sweet-grippers 16, 17. During the further movement of the sweetcarriers, the counter-holder 33 provided between the opened grippers 31,32 of the packing head is resiliently placed on the cutting of material and on the sweet. The wrapping material is thus firmly held and can be severed to form a discrete length 45 by a rotary knife 44. While transport proceeds and the sweet-grippers 16, 17 with the sweet are introduced further into the zone of action of the grippers 31,32 of the packing head, the length 45 of wrapping material is laid like a U around the sweet or around the saddle formed by the sweet-grippers 1617.

Finally, the grippers 31,32 of the packing head close and in turn firmly hold the sweet and the length of wrapping material between them. The sweet grippers 16,17 can now open by means of the control cam 24 and the control drive 20 to 23. The bottom folder 34 can now pivot inwards and fold the rear edge of the length 45 of wrapping material, projecting beyond the underside of the sweet, inwards. When the grippers 31,32 of the packing head run on, the projecting front edge of the length of wrapping material strikes the folding strip 35 and is likewise folded, thus forming a parison of wrapping material, which encloses the sweet.Subsequently, the sweet passes into the working zone of the twisting pliers 36 seated on the tool carrier 37 on both sides of the grippers of the packing head, and the twisting pliers close and twist the ends, projecting beyond the sweet, of the parison of wrapping material in opposite directions. Thus, the sweet is finally wrapped properly so that, after the grippers 31, 32 of the packing head have opened, it can be ejected as a finished article A above a chute 50.

To adapt the device to sweets of different sizes or thicknesses, it is necessary to vary the range of engagement of the sweet-grippers into the plane of action of the grippers of the packing head. This can be effected by making the position and setting of the guide elements for the feeder chain 11, such as, for example, the guide rollers 13 or 14, adjustable relative to the packing head P or relative to the delivery device T.

Claims

1. Apparatus for wrapping sweets or similar pieces, the apparatus comprising delivery means for the pieces, a feeding device having carriers for picking up pieces delivered by the delivery means, a packing head having gripping means for the pieces and folding means for folding wrapping material about pieces held in the gripping means, and means for feeding wrapping material to the packing head, the carriers being movable along a first closed path and the gripping means and folding means being movable along a second closed path, portions of said first and second paths coinciding whereby each carrier meets a corresponding gripping means and moves therewith for a given distance with the carrier located between jaws of the gripping means, each carrier also comprising gripping jaws which operate perpendicularly to the directions of operation of the gripping means, whereby the gripping means can grip a piece whilst the piece is released by the corresponding carrier.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the gripping jaws of the carrier are movable transversely to the conveying direction of the carriers and the gripping jaws of the packing head are movable in the direction of revolution of said gripping means.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the gripping jaws of the carriers are shaped as a saddle which serves as a support for wrapping material fed from the wrapping material feed means.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 1, 2, or 3 wherein the feeding device is adjustable relative to the packing head in accordance with the height or thickness of the pieces which are to be wrapped.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the carriers and/or the gripping jaws thereof are adjustable in accordance with the dimensions of the pieces.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the delivery means has an outlet for pieces in a conveying zone above the feeding device and running parallel to a part of the path of the carriers, and the delivery means including a carrier chain fitted with carrier members, control means being provided for controlling operations of the carrier member such that the carrier members move the pieces at a gradually increasing speed from approximately zero, until the piece reaches the speed of the carriers of the feeding device.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 6 wherein the path of the carrier chain includes a portion parallel to that of the carriers of the feeding device and approximately radial of a rotatable delivery plate forming a part of the delivery means.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the delivery plate is provided with a discontinuous drive and its rotary movement is controlled in such a way that the latter is strongly retarded at the instant when a piece is taken off by a carrier member of the carrier chain.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 6,7 or 8, wherein the carrier members are formed as angle levers which are mounted on the carrier chain to be pivotable in the conveying direction of the latter, one lever arm of the angle levers interacting with the pieces, whilst the other lever arm is guided on a control cam.

10. Apparatus from wrapping sweets or similar pieces, constructed substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.