GB2076167A

GB2076167A - Producing Weighed, Priced, Wrapped Packs of Goods

Info

Publication number: GB2076167A
Application number: GB8015860A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Vacuumatic Ltd
Current assignee: Vacuumatic Ltd
Priority date: 1980-05-13
Filing date: 1980-05-13
Publication date: 1981-11-25

Abstract

Apparatus for producing weighed, priced and wrapped packs of goods comprises a conveyor 10 along which batches of goods 13 are moved step by step through a weighing station 15 and thence to a wrapping and pricing station 21. The wrapping/pricing station includes means to print the price and other information on labels as determined by a control unit 22 and to feed the labels on to a supply of wrapping film timed in accordance with the feed of articles along the conveyor so that the section of film with label attached is applied to the correct pack. The apparatus thus combines the hitherto separate operations of wrapping and pricing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Methods and Apparatus for Producing Weighed, Priced, Wrapped Packs of Goods This invention relates to methods and apparatus for producing weighed, priced, wrappe packs of goods.

The invention provides according to one aspect a method of producing weighed, priced, wrapped packs of goods comprising the steps of feeding in succession batches of goods each having one or more items to a weighing station, weighing each ~batch, calculating the price of each batch in accordance with the weight thereof and a predetermined price per unit weight of the goods, feeding wrapping material from a supply of the material to a pricing station, applying price information to a portion of the material with the price information thereon and the corresponding batch to a wrapping station and wrapping the batch with said portion of the material to form a wrapped pack with the price information visible thereon.

The invention provides according to a further aspect an apparatus for producing weighed, priced, wrapped packs of goods comprising a weighing station and a wrapping station, means to feed the packs in succession to the weighing station and thence to the wrapping station, means to feed wrapping material from a supply of the material to the batches at the wrapping station, means to calculate the price for each batch in accordance with the weight of the batch and a predetermined price per unit weight, means to apply price information to the wrapping material at a pricing station prior to application of the material to the appropriate batch That the wrapping station and means to wrap the material bearing the price information around the appropriate batch at the wrapping station leaving the price information visible on the resulting pack.

There can therefore be provided in a unitary apparatus weighing, pricing and wrapping functions.

The following is a description of a specific embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a weighing/pricing/wrapping apparatus; and Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

The appratus shown in the drawings comprises a horizontally extending intermittently moving paddle-wheel conveyor indicated generally at 10 the paddles of which are seen at 11.

The upper stretch of the conveyor passes centrally down a horizontal surface 12 extending the length of the conveyor.

Batches of goods to be weighed, priced and wrapped are fed on to the left-hand end of the conveyor by either an in-feed mechanism (not shown) or may be hand fed. In the illustrated embodiment the batches comprise trays 13 each containing an item of food, (in this case a piece of meat 14) although the apparatus can be used for other produce or products. The trays rest on the surface 12 on either side of the conveyor and are delivered along the surface by the paddles 11 of the conveyor.

Part-way along the conveyor there is a weighing station 1 5 where the surface 12 is broken by a grid 1 6 on to which the trays 11 are moved by the paddles. The grid 1 6 has a mechanism for lowering the grid momentarily to leave the tray supported on a fixed grid for forming part of a weigh-head mechanism for weighing the tray. The conveyor/weigh-head arrangement is described in more detail in our U.K. Patent No. 1 522202. The weight computed by the weigh-head is transmitted to an electronic pricing unit as described later. After leaving the weigh cell, the trays move to a wrapping station indicated generally at 1 7. At the entry to the wrapping station the trays transfer to a continuously moving conveyor 1 Oa which delivers the trays through the wrapping station.At the wrapping station there is a roll of stretch film 1 8 from which the film is fed downwardly to a guide roller 1 9 disposed immediately above the path of the trays entering the wrapping station. The film is passed under the roller and then generally horizontally along a path indicated at 20 extending parallel to the trays. The path 20 of the wrapping film takes the film through a pricing station indicated at 21. The pricing station comprises a control unit 22 to which a signal from the weigh-head 1 5 is fed corresponding to the weight of the batch weighed. The various pricing information is recorded in the control unit 22 including the price per unit weight of the goods and other information to be printed on the pack.

The construction of a suitable pricing unit is to be found in our U.K. Patent Application No. 6152/77.

The pricing station has a roll 23 of labels supported on a carrier and the carrier with the labels attached is fed along a path 24 over a roller 25 past spaced rollers 26, 27 which guide the carrier through a printing station where price information including the actual price of the weighed pack and the price per unit weight is printed on the label. The carrier with the printed label passes downwardly to a roller 28 disposed immediately above the path 20 of the stretch film and here a device is provided for stripping the printed label from the carrier and depositing the label on the film. A simple brush arrangement may be provided to press the label onto the film to ensure that it is adhered to the film.The timing of the production of the label and the movement of the batches along the conveyor is arranged so that the label is applied to the film immediately above the pack to which the film is to be applied.

The film with the label attached and the pack move together through the wrapping device which stretch wraps the film around the pack and severs the film from the wrapped pack leaving the label exposed on the upper surface of the wrapped pack. The conveyor carries the wrapped pack to a final stage 29 where two foam rollers 30 are mounted above the surface of the conveyor to roll the label against the film to ensure that the label is firmly attached to the film.

The pack then exits from the conveyor and passes to an out-feed mechanism not shown.

The apparatus thus produces a weighed price labelled, wrapped pack with both the actual price of the pack, the price per unite weight and any other information such as the nature of the goods printed on the label.

It will be appreciated that many modifications can be made to the system without departing from the essential scope of the invention. For example the price information could be printed directly on to the film e.g. by an ink jet printer, rather than on to a label subsequently applied to the film. Further a hot foil over printer could be used to print the information on the film. Also the packs may be shrink wrapped rather than stretch wrapped. In a further embodiment heat sensitive labels may be used in which case a continuous strip of heat seal or sensitive labels without a backing strip is fed from roll 23 to the pricing station. Immediately before application to the film the label to be applied next is cut by a guillotine from the strip, the adhesive on the label is activated by heat from a heater and the label is applied to the film. The label may be pressed on to the film by foam rollers or by brushes.

The intermittently moving conveyor system 10 of the above embodiment may, be replaced by a continuously moving system so that packs move continuously through the weighing station and an arrangement which permits weighing of continuously moving packs is provided.

It will be appreciated from the above description that all the described embodiments of the invention provide a unitary apparatus for weighing, pricing and labelling a pack.

Claims

1. A method of producing weighed, priced, wrapped packs of goods comprising the steps of feeding in succession batches of goods each having one or more items to a weighing station, weighing each batch, calculating the price of each batch in accordance with the weight thereof and a predetermined price per unit weight of the goods, feeding wrapping material from a supply of the material to a pricing station, applying price information to a portion of the material at the pricing station, feeding the portion of material with the price information thereon and the corresponding batch to a wrapping station and wrapping the batch with said portion of the material to form a wrapped pack with the price information visible thereon.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the price information is printed on a label and the label is then applied to the appropriate portion of wrapping material.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the labels are self-adhesive labels supported on a carrier and, after printing, are brought into juxtaposition with the wrapping material and stripped from the carrier and applied to the material.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein a strip of labels having heat sensitive adhesive thereon is provided, a label to be applied to the wrapping material is printed with price information, the label is severed from the strip the heat sensitive adhesive is activated by the application of heat and the label is applied to the wrapping material to adhere to the material.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the price information is printed directly on the wrapping material at the pricing station.

6. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the wrapping material is supplied from a roll of the material, the material being fed from the roll to the pricing station where the price information is applied thereto and then to the wrapping station where the batch is wrapped and the material finally severed from the roll.

7. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the wrapping material is a stretch film and the batch is stretch or shrink wrapped in the material at the wrapping station.

8. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the batches are fed intermittently or continuously through the weighing station and are fed continuously through the wrapping station.

9. An apparatus for producing weighed, priced, wrapped, packs of goods comprising a weighing station and a wrapping station, means to feed the packs in succession to the weighing station and thence to the wrapping station, means to feed wrapping material from a supply of the material to the batchs at the wrapping station, means to calculate the price for each batch in accordance with the weight of the batch and a predetermined price per unit weight, means to apply price information to the wrapping material at a pricing station prior to application of the material to the appropriate batch at the wrapping station and means to wrap the material bearing the price information around the appropriate batch at the wrapping station leaving the price information visible on the resulting pack.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the means for applying price information to the wrapTing material comprise means for feeding labels supported on a carrier to a printing station, means for printing price information on the labels at the printing station, and means for applying the labels to the wrapping material.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the means for conveying the labels to the printing station comprise a carrier on which the labels are mounted and means are provided for stripping the labels from the carrier after printing for application to the wrapping material.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11 wherein means are provided for applying air jets to the labels to press the labels against the wrapping material.

13. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 9 to 12 wherein means are provided for supplying a stretch film to the wrapping station for wrapping of the batches and means are provided at the wrapping station for stretching or shrink wrapping the film around the batches and severing the film to form wrapped batches each with the appropriate price information thereon.

14. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 9 to 1 3 wherein conveyor means are provided for moving the batches intermittently or continuously through the weighing station and continuously through the wrapping station.

1 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the conveyor means comprise a paddlewheel conveyor.

1 6. A method of producing weighed, priced, wrapped packs substantially as hereinbefore described.

1 7. An apparatus for producing weighed, priced, wrapped, packs substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.