GB829758A - Improvements in wrapping machines - Google Patents

Abstract

829,758. Wrapping machines. FORGROVE MACHINERY CO. Ltd. Dec. 31, 1957 [Feb. 15, 1967 ; Sept. 25, 1957], Nos. 5229/57 and 31028/57. Class 94(1). A wrapping machine comprises a wrapping wheel including a support plate arranged to rotate intermittently on a horizontal axis, pairs of article grippers pivotally mounted on the front of the plate and serving to convey articles in succession from a loading station past one or more wrapping stations to a discharge station, wrapper grippers, one associated with each pair of article grippers, which are pivotally mounted on the article grippers and each of which is effective to grip a wrapper between itself and the outer face of the associated article gripper, the wrapper grippers serving to convey wrappers in succession from a feed station and present them at the loading station in position to be fed by the articles into the article grippers, a cover plate fitted to the front of the support plate, and cam mechanism and associated cam levers for controlling the opening and closing of the article and wrapper grippers, the cam mechanism being adjustable to vary the opening movement of the article grippers. In one form, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the wrapping wheel comprises a support plate 10 secured to a hollow shaft 11 rotated intermittently by a Geneva mechanism and carries six pairs of spring-loaded article grippers 16, 17 pivoted on studs 18, 19 and formed with meshing quadrants 20, 21. The grippers carry rubber jaws 22, and the quadrant 20 on each gripper 16 meshes with a further quadrant 23 integral with a pivoted cam lever 24 carrying a follower 25 engaging a conical cam 26 which is oscillated by a shaft 54 and is axially adjustable to enable the machine to deal with articles of different sizes. The cam 26 and associated levers are concealed and protected by a removable cover plate 13 screwed into a retaining ring 14. Each gripper 17 carries a spring- loaded wrapper gripper 32 operated by a lever 46 mounted on a stud 48 which passes through the plate 10 and carries a lever 49 fitted with a follower 50 arranged to engage either of two continuously-rotating cams 51 and 52 located behind the plate 10. At station 1 a web 37 is fed by rollers 38 through guides 39 and severed by cutters 40, 41 to form a wrapper 36 after its leading end has been gripped between a nose 33 on one of the grippers 32 and a jaw 34 on the associated gripper 17. The wheel then carries the wrapper to station 2 where it is positioned over an apertured article-feeding disc 42, and an elevator 43 then rises to lift an article 44 from the disc between the jaws 22 of the open article grippers, thus initiating the folding of the wrapper to U-shape. After a supporting plunger 45 has descended to engage the top of the partially-wrapped article, the gripper 32 is opened by the cam 52 and the article and wrapper continue their movement between the jaws to complete the initial folding of the wrapper and the grippers 16, 17 are then closed. At stations 3, 4 and 5, the wrapper is folded and twisted in known manner and at station 6 the grippers 16, 17 are opened to allow the wrapped article to be ejected. In a second form Figs. 6-8 (not shown), the article grippers are operated by the continuously-rotating cams and the wrapper grippers by the oscillating cam. Specification 740,283 is referred to.