GB2445557A - Slicing and bagging of bread - Google Patents

Slicing and bagging of bread Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2445557A
GB2445557A GB0700549A GB0700549A GB2445557A GB 2445557 A GB2445557 A GB 2445557A GB 0700549 A GB0700549 A GB 0700549A GB 0700549 A GB0700549 A GB 0700549A GB 2445557 A GB2445557 A GB 2445557A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
bag
loaf
loaves
transfer
sliced
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB0700549A
Other versions
GB0700549D0 (en
GB2445557B (en
Inventor
Russell S Granville
Shaun R Jordan-Price
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Amcor Flexibles ApS
Original Assignee
Amcor Flexibles Europe AS
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Amcor Flexibles Europe AS filed Critical Amcor Flexibles Europe AS
Priority to GB0700549A priority Critical patent/GB2445557B/en
Publication of GB0700549D0 publication Critical patent/GB0700549D0/en
Priority to PT87017794T priority patent/PT2111358E/en
Priority to PCT/GB2008/000100 priority patent/WO2008084250A1/en
Priority to ES08701779T priority patent/ES2422331T3/en
Priority to DK08701779.4T priority patent/DK2111358T3/en
Priority to PL08701779T priority patent/PL2111358T3/en
Priority to EP08701779.4A priority patent/EP2111358B1/en
Publication of GB2445557A publication Critical patent/GB2445557A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2445557B publication Critical patent/GB2445557B/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65BMACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B25/00Packaging other articles presenting special problems
    • B65B25/16Packaging bread or like bakery products, e.g. unsliced loaves
    • B65B25/18Wrapping sliced bread
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65BMACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B43/00Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
    • B65B43/26Opening or distending bags; Opening, erecting, or setting-up boxes, cartons, or carton blanks
    • B65B43/34Opening or distending bags; Opening, erecting, or setting-up boxes, cartons, or carton blanks by internal pressure

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Container Filling Or Packaging Operations (AREA)
  • Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)

Abstract

Sliced loaves of bread (6) are packaged in a bag (1) by feeding loaves through a slicer (11) in a feed direction parallel to the slices, feeding successive sliced loaves to a bagging mechanism (16) which moves each loaf and a bag relative to one another in a filling direction parallel to the slices so as to insert the loaf into the bag through an open end thereof, and closing said open end of the bag (1) to seal the loaf in the bag. The loaves (6) may be pushed by members (15) on an overhead drive chain (14). Each top bag (1) of a stack (16) may be successively expanded by scoop-shaped members (17) engaging its open end. The bag has an opening, preferably reclosable (5) that is orientated along the length of the loaf so as to allow equal access to all slices of the loaf through the opening. The reclosable opening may comprise a zip-type closure (5) which extends across the opening, with a tamper indication incorporated in the opening.

Description

Packaging Method and Machinery
Introduction
This invention relates to an automated method of packaging sliced loaves of bread and machinery for carrying out this method.
The commonly employed method of packaging sliced loaves of bread involves orientating each loaf end on with the opening of a bag and either inserting the loaf longitudinally into the bag or pulling the bag longitudinally over the loaf and sealing the open end of the bag with a twist and tie closure. This arrangement suffers certain shortcomings including limiting access to the slices at the open end of (he bag. An object of the invention is to provide an improved method of packaging sliced loaves.
Disclosure of the Invention
According to the invention, sliced loaves of bread are packaged in a bag by a method comprising feeding loaves through a slicer in a feed direction parallel to the slices, feeding successive sliced loaves to a bagging mechanism which moves each loaf and a bag relative to one another in a filling direction parallel to the slices so as to insert the loaf into the bag through an open end thereof, and closing said open end of the bag to seal the loaf in the bag.
It will be appreciated that a sliced loaf packaged according to the invention has an opening, preferably reclosable that is orientated along the length of the loaf so as to allow equal access to all slices of the loaf through the opening. A consumer can therefore be offered a choice of different slices which may be of different thickness of slices or different types of bread in the same bag.
Furthermore, the reclosable opening instead of comprising a conventional twLst and tie can compnse a zip-type closure which extends across the opening and along the length of the loaf, and which is easily opened and reclosed multiple times, even when the loaf is kept in the freezer. A loaf packaged in this manner looks tidier and allows improved presentation of graphics on the sides of the bag.
Furthermore, a tamper indicator can be incorporated in the opening.
Description of the Drawings
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a sliced loaf packaged according to the invention; Figure 2 illustrates part of machinery according to the invention showing a slicing station feeding sliced loaves to a transfer mechanism; Figure 3 shows the transfer mechanism of Figure 2 feeding sliced loaves to a bagging station and a bag sealing station; Figure 4 shows the transfer mechanism of Figure 2 at a different stage of operation; Figure 5 shows an overall view of machinery incorporating the slicing station and bagging station of Figures 2 and3; and Figure 6 shows an alternative bagging mechanism to that illustrated in Figure 3.
The bag 1 illustrated in Figure 1 is composed of plastics film formed into a bag with side walls 4 and end seams 2 and a bottom seam 3 that extends between the end seams 2, and a top closure formed by folding the plastics film along a foldline 8 at an outer edge and incorporating a zip closure 5 between opposite side walls 4 inwards of the foldline 8 extending between the two end seams 2. A sliced loaf 6 within the bag extends longitudinally between the end seams 2 and the bottom of the bag is folded into a gusset 7 at each end beneath the loaf. The zip closure 5 extends along the length of the top of the loaf 6. A tear-line 9 is formed between the zip closure 5 and the foldline 8 so as to allow the top folded edge portion of the bag to be torn away from the body of the bag to allow access to the bag through the zip closure 5, once opened. The top folded edge portion therefore provides a tamper indicator for the consumer, who knows that the loaf has not been tampered with if this portion is still intact. The line of weakness 9 may be provided by perforations. f 4
Loaves are sliced and packed into bags as shown in Figure 1 in a process illustrated in Figures 2 to 5. Loaves of bread 6 are fed to a slicer 11 which cuts each into slices before feeding it onwards. Each loaf 6 prior to entering the slicer 11 is turned from an upright position through 900 so that it is lying on its side as it progresses through the slicer and onward to a transfer conveyer 12. The transfer conveyer 12 comprises a pair of upright side rails 13 which support the sliced loaves between them. An overhead drive chain 14 carries a series of downwardly projecting paddles 15, each of which engages the bottom of a respective loaf 6 as it exits from the slicer 11, and serves to feed it along the transfer conveyer 12 to a bagging station 16.
At the bagging station 16, multiple bags 1 are stacked flat on a wicket 30 with open bottoms of the bags directed towards the loaves and the tops incorporating the zip closures being located furthest from the transfer conveyor 12 along the line of advance of the transfer conveyor 12. The top bag I is opened and held open by a pair of scoops 17 which are advanced in front of each loaf as the loaf is pushed into the bag through the open bottom by a respective paddle 15, as shown in Figure 3. The bag 1 containing the loaf 6 is then advanced by the paddle 15 to a sealing station 18. The paddle 15 is withdrawn to disengage the loaf, as shown in Figure 4, and the bottom of the bag is closed and heat sealed to form the bottom seam 3. The sealing mechanism 18 comprises opposed heads 19, 20 which extend laterally of the transfer conveyor 12 and which are brought together to seal and cut the open end of each bag. A pair of gusset pins 21 either side of the heads 19, serves to fold the bag inwards over the bottom of the loaf to form corner gussets 7 prior to the sealing and cutting operation. The cutting operation serves to remove the waste portion of the bag incorporating the wicket holes by which the bag is located on the wicket and which are torn as the bag is removed from the wicket 30 by the scoops 17.
The bagged loaf is then fed to an output conveyor 22 and is turned upright in the process so that the zip closure 5 is uppermost. As shown in Figure 5, the conveyor 22 then transports the bagged loaves past a date coder 23 which date stamps each bag, past a metal detector 24 to check for any metallic bodies in the loaf, and onto a weigher 25 that weighs each loaf. Any loaves found to contain metal or not to be of the correct weight are ejected from the conveyor by a rejection unit 26. The remaining bagged loaves are then fed to a tray packing station 27 where the bagged loaves are packed into trays 28 for transport.
It will be appreciated that most of the mechanisms, such as the slicer 11, the transfer conveyor 12, the bagging machinery 16 and the tray packer 27 can be provided by machinery which is already known for automatic packaging of sliced loaves. For example, Ibonhart (Norwich Limited) provide bagging machinery of this general type, but this would need to be adapted in a number of critical respects in order to pack the loaves in accordance with the invention. In particular, instead of the slicer 11 feeding sliced loaves to the transfer conveyor 12 so that they arc aligned longitudinally along the conveyor, the slicer mechanism needs to feed the loaves to the transfer conveyor so that they are aligned laterally of the conveyor with their slices parallel to the feed direction. The side rails 1 3 serve to hold ttie slices upright and the paddles 15 are made wide enough to engage across the full width of the base of a loaf. Also, each loaf is turned onto its side so that the top of the loaf is presented to the open bag at the bagging station.
The bags employed have to be of the appropriate width and depth to receive a sliced loaf in the lateral orientation. The scoops 17 are also appropriately sized for this purpose.
Furthermore, the bags instead of having permanently sealed ends are preformed with the zip closure 5 and tamper indicator 8, 9 as described in relation to Figure 1.
The date coder 23, metal detector 24, weigher 25, rejection unit 26 and tray packer 27 can all take the form of known mechanisms.
in an alternative embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 6, a different form of bagging mechanism is used, of a type in which each bag is open and drawn over a sliced loaf. This type of mechanism is sold by Dowson Engineering Limited. However, it has to be adapted to suit the method of the invention using wider bags to accommodate a sliced loaf inserted into the bag in a lateral orientation. A pair of scoops 17 of increased width compared with standard equipment serves to extend around and past the loaf to engage an open bag I' on a wicket 30' and to grip the bag and draw it back over the sliced loaf. The loaf is held in position by a stop 29 which extends the full width of the base of the loaf.
The transfer conveyor 12' conveys the sliced loaves from the slicer to the bagging station 16' with the loaves aligned longitudinally on the conveyor and each lying on its side so that each loaf when aligned with the scoops 17' can be inserted into a bag by the action of the scoops 17' moving laterally of the transfer conveyor 12'. The bagged loaf is then fed onto an output conveyor 22' to a sealing station 1 8' at which the open end of the bag is sealed to form the closed bottom of the bag. The sealing mechanism 19', 20', 21' can be the same as that illustrated in relation to the previous embodiment. The output conveyor 22' then feeds the bagged loaves through a date coder, a metal detector, a weigher and rejection unit to a tray loader, as already descnbed in relation to the previous embodiment.

Claims (19)

  1. Claims I. An automated method of packaging sliced loaves of bread in
    bags comprising feeding loaves through a slicer in a feed direction parallel to the slices, feeding successive sliced loaves to a bagging mechanism which moves each loaf and a bag relative to one another in a filling direction parallel to the slices to insert the loaf into the bag through an open end thereof, and closing said open end to seal the loaf in the bag.
  2. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the bag has a closed end which is openable and resealable, and the top of the loaf is presented to the closed end in the filling direction.
  3. 3. A method as claimed in claim 2 in which the closed end incorporates a zip closure.
  4. 4. A method as claimed in claim 2 or 3 in which the closed end incorporates a tamper indicator.
  5. 5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 in which the open end of the bag is sealed along a line extending longitudinally of the bottom of the loaf.
  6. 6. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the sliced loaf is orientated on its side as it is moved in a transfer direction to the bagging mechanism.
  7. 7. A method as claimed in claim 6 in which the loaves are sliced in an upright orientation and are turned onto their side for feeding to the bagging mechanism.
  8. 8. A method as claimed in claim 6 or 7 in which the transfer direction is the same as the filling direction.
  9. 9. A method as claimed in claim 8 in which the bagging mechanism comprises a bag opening mechanism and a pusher mechanism to push each loaf into a respective bag.
  10. 10. A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the pusher mechanism also acts as a transfer mechanism to move the loaves from the slicer to the bagging mechanism.
  11. 11. A method as claimed in claim 9 or 10 in which the pusher mechanism pushes the bagged loaf enclosed in the bag to a sealing mechanism which seals the open end of the bag.
  12. 12. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the feed direction is the same as the transfer direction.
  13. 13. A method as claimed in any one of claims ito 6 in whtch the filling direction extends laterally of the transfer direction.
  14. 14. A method as claimed in claim 13 in which the bagging mechanism comprises a bag opening mechanism that opens a bag and pulls it over the loaf.
  15. 15. A method as claimed in claim 13 or 14 in which a first transfer mechanism transfers loaves from the slicer to the bagging mechanism, and a second transfer mechanism transfers bagged loaves from the bagging mechanism to a conveyor.
  16. 16. A method as claimed in claim 15 in which the first and second transfer mechanisms transfer the loaves in the same direction.
  17. 17. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 3 to 16 in which the feed direction extends laterally of the transfer direction.
  18. 18. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which each bagged loaf is turned upright on a conveyor for further packaging.
  19. 19. Machinery for packaging sliced bread according to the method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
GB0700549A 2007-01-11 2007-01-11 Packaging method and machinery Active GB2445557B (en)

Priority Applications (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0700549A GB2445557B (en) 2007-01-11 2007-01-11 Packaging method and machinery
PT87017794T PT2111358E (en) 2007-01-11 2008-01-11 Packaging method and machinery
PCT/GB2008/000100 WO2008084250A1 (en) 2007-01-11 2008-01-11 Packaging method and machinery
ES08701779T ES2422331T3 (en) 2007-01-11 2008-01-11 Packaging procedure and machinery
DK08701779.4T DK2111358T3 (en) 2007-01-11 2008-01-11 Packing method and plant
PL08701779T PL2111358T3 (en) 2007-01-11 2008-01-11 Packaging method and machinery
EP08701779.4A EP2111358B1 (en) 2007-01-11 2008-01-11 Packaging method and machinery

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0700549A GB2445557B (en) 2007-01-11 2007-01-11 Packaging method and machinery

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0700549D0 GB0700549D0 (en) 2007-02-21
GB2445557A true GB2445557A (en) 2008-07-16
GB2445557B GB2445557B (en) 2011-10-26

Family

ID=37809810

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0700549A Active GB2445557B (en) 2007-01-11 2007-01-11 Packaging method and machinery

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2111358B1 (en)
DK (1) DK2111358T3 (en)
ES (1) ES2422331T3 (en)
GB (1) GB2445557B (en)
PL (1) PL2111358T3 (en)
PT (1) PT2111358E (en)
WO (1) WO2008084250A1 (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2520501A1 (en) 2011-05-03 2012-11-07 Rego Herlitzius GmbH Method for packaging disk packs of food in a cutting machine and cutting machine for same
EP2868602A1 (en) 2013-10-30 2015-05-06 Hammerschmid Maschinenbau Gmbh Device and method for singulating food slices
WO2017209611A1 (en) * 2016-06-01 2017-12-07 Kortlever Beheer B.V. Device and verfahren for packaging a single sliced loaf of bread

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
BE1028099B1 (en) * 2020-02-27 2021-09-28 Jac S A BREAD SLICER WITH A PACKAGING SYSTEM

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2632985A (en) * 1946-05-16 1953-03-31 American Mach & Foundry Bread wrapping
DE1800988A1 (en) * 1968-10-03 1970-07-09 Bauer Eberhard Machine for packing parcels of sliced bread in bags
NL8401833A (en) * 1984-06-08 1984-10-01 Samach Ct B V Packing sliced bread loaf etc. - by wrapping folding and sealing one end, then twist gathering and tape-binding other end of wrapper
JP2006240699A (en) * 2005-03-04 2006-09-14 Daisey Machinery Co Ltd Method and apparatus for slicing and packaging bread

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3417546A (en) * 1966-08-05 1968-12-24 Irwin Res And Dev Inc Bread bagger
NL9402112A (en) * 1994-12-13 1996-07-01 Huite Wolthuizen Device for individually bagging products supplied on a conveyor belt.
US5636783A (en) * 1995-12-22 1997-06-10 Preston; Tracey Variety pack bread
WO2001017864A2 (en) * 1999-09-07 2001-03-15 Pactiv Corporation Reclosable bag with top gusset
EP1231148A1 (en) * 2001-02-09 2002-08-14 Fameccanica.Data S.p.A. A process and device for packaging products
US6874935B2 (en) * 2002-03-28 2005-04-05 Pliant Corporation Double gusseted tamper evident slider bag
US20060257534A1 (en) * 2005-04-14 2006-11-16 Kathy Maddock Bread package for storing bread

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2632985A (en) * 1946-05-16 1953-03-31 American Mach & Foundry Bread wrapping
DE1800988A1 (en) * 1968-10-03 1970-07-09 Bauer Eberhard Machine for packing parcels of sliced bread in bags
NL8401833A (en) * 1984-06-08 1984-10-01 Samach Ct B V Packing sliced bread loaf etc. - by wrapping folding and sealing one end, then twist gathering and tape-binding other end of wrapper
JP2006240699A (en) * 2005-03-04 2006-09-14 Daisey Machinery Co Ltd Method and apparatus for slicing and packaging bread

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2520501A1 (en) 2011-05-03 2012-11-07 Rego Herlitzius GmbH Method for packaging disk packs of food in a cutting machine and cutting machine for same
DE102011075132A1 (en) * 2011-05-03 2012-11-08 Rego Herlitzius Gmbh A method of packaging slice packets of food in a cutting machine and a cutting machine therefor
EP2868602A1 (en) 2013-10-30 2015-05-06 Hammerschmid Maschinenbau Gmbh Device and method for singulating food slices
WO2017209611A1 (en) * 2016-06-01 2017-12-07 Kortlever Beheer B.V. Device and verfahren for packaging a single sliced loaf of bread

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2008084250A1 (en) 2008-07-17
DK2111358T3 (en) 2013-07-15
EP2111358A1 (en) 2009-10-28
EP2111358B1 (en) 2013-04-10
GB0700549D0 (en) 2007-02-21
PT2111358E (en) 2013-07-10
PL2111358T3 (en) 2013-12-31
ES2422331T3 (en) 2013-09-10
GB2445557B (en) 2011-10-26

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S73 Revocation on comptroller's initiative (section 73/patents act 1977)

Free format text: PATENT REVOKED; PATENT REVOKED UNDER SECTION 73(2) ON 23 JULY 2014