US2076291A - Method of and machine for wrapping pies - Google Patents

Description

vApril 1937- A. BODOR 2,076,291

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR WRAPPING PIES Filed Jan. 25, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 6 1?:37. A. BODOVR 2,076,291

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR WRAPPING PIES Filed Jan. 23, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 \&\\\ r lNVENTOR ATTORNEY April 1937. A. BODOR 2,076,291

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR WRAPPING PIES I Filed Jan. 25, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Andrew BOdOT' INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 6, 1937. A. oDoR METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR WRAPPING PIES Filed Jan. 25, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 as aif p "w a WK r w J m ZH 2 2 1 7/ 1 I, 7 5

.5 a w a v 7 w fl m B/Q ii 1 d w. a 7 m. a y/ N a \w a m a w n V a FE m e a E 1. i m: 0 m u fifif J J n m a 7417 U W p 2 a. w J M INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 6, 1937. A. BODOR METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR WRAPPING PIES Filed Jan. 25, 1935 6 Shegts-Sheet 5 April 6, 1937. A. BODOR 2,076,291

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR WRAPPING PIES Filed Jan. 23, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 51 Z: 6 63 64 48M w A63 7 J2 36 322;? I 2.9 a? Iva g 1 A88 r 42 g 13-? Ji fa I 2i a0 4? 25 I EL 27 3027251 25 E6 2 s 15 PM 62 h \1 z y 96 g 2 h an" 15 40 f I 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented 6, V 1937 UNITED STATES METHOD OF AND mcnmn FOR WRAPPING Pms Andrew Bodor, Newark, N. 1., asalgnor to Harry Frederick Wanvig, Garden City, N. Y.

Application January 23, 1935, Serial No. 3,018

10 .Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and machine for wrapping bakery products, more particularly pies. The invention also relates to the form of package obtained from a machine designed to carry out the method.

According to present practices in dispensing bakery products it is customary to provide some form of hygienic wrapper or package which will protect the product from contamination during storage, display and 'delivery. Practically all such packages embody some form of transparent cover placed over the top of the pie and usually secured or hermetically sealed to the under side of a pie plate of an inexpensive type.

v Another method of packaging pies is to secure together two paper pie plates facing in opposite direction, the pie being placed in between the two plates. This form of packing is objectionable in that the pie is not visible to the purchaser unless perforations are made in the top cover, in which case the package is rendered insanitary in that the pie is not protected from dust and dirt.

Whichever form of packaging is employed both 5 have the objections that in the case of a hot pie, the hot gases or vapors are not allowed to escape with the result that the pie will be soggy and mildew within a short time.

It is an object of the present invention to pro-:

30 vide a sanitary package for pastry products which will permit the wrapping of the same in a hot condition without entrapping the hot gases or vapors given off by the product in tempering or cooling, and at the same time protect the product 35 from dirt and other foreign matter.

Another object of the invention is the provi-,

sion of a machine for wrapping pies and similarly contoured articles in a transparent cover, and in an expeditious and simple manner.

40 A further object of the invention is the provision of a method which insures that the wrapped article is provided with ventilation or breathing space thus permitting the escape of hot gases or vapors, yet at the same time the article 5 is protected from contamination by foreign substances.

Further objects ofthe invention will manifest themselves upon a reading of the following specifications. i

50 In accordance with the invention there is provided a machine for carrying out the method herein contemplated. said machine comprising two independently operable self-contained units adapted to move in vertical alinement and in 55 timed relation with respect to each other. One

of these units includes a reciprocating pie supporting element. There is provided means for placing a sheet of transparent material such as Cellophane or the like over the top of the pie, means for cutting the cover to be formed there- 5 from to shape, and means for forming pleats in the periphery of the cover to produce a skirted effect. Tofacilitate the sealing of the crimped or folded-edge of the cover a heating element is provided which is adapted to move into engage- 10 ment with the crimped edge of the cover and seal or fuse that portion into a semi-coherent mass. During the sealing operation the peripheral edge of the pie plate is supported both topv and bottom, thus insuring that the pie re 15 mains in a fixed position during the application of the heatingelement. The method of covering the pie does not contemplate the use of an adhesive inasmuch as the pleats formed in the marginal edge of the cover are sufliciently fused, 20

sealed or folded together as not to require any form of an adhesive other than the fusable or foldable nature of the wrapping material from which the cover is formed.

In the accompanying drawings, the machine illustrated embodies the invention in its preferred form as applied to the wrapping of pies.

Fig. 1 is a perspective front view, with a portion of the cam casing broken away, of the complete machine;

Fig. 2 is a perspective side view, showing the insertion of a pie;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper and lower heads, and the cam arrangement for operating the same;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the clutch mechanism, and control thereof, for operating the upper and lower heads; 1

Figs. 5 and 5A are a longitudinal central section through the upper and lower head respectively with the pie in position and the wrapping material placed thereover;

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5, showing the crimping and folding segments;

Fig. 7 is a cross section on line 1-1 of Fig. 5A;

Fig. 8 is a sectional exploded perspective of the parts shown in Fig. '1;

Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12 are longitudinal sectional views of the upper and lower heads show- 0 ing the successive steps in the wrapping operation;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged sectional detail of the folding and crimping means;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragment of the bottom of the pie plate showing the wrapping material crimped over the rim of the plate; and

Fig. 15 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the loose flt of the crimped edge of the wrapper about the rim of the pie plate.

Throughout the drawings, like reference characters refer to like parts.

Referring to the drawings, an upstanding hollow frame I is provided near its upper end with a table 2 which overhangs the base of the frame and extends forwardly thereof. Mounted upon the table 2 is a self-contained unit which for convenience will be referred to as lower head 3. The head 3 is in axial alinement with another self-contained unit referred to generally as upper head 4. The head 4 is supported from a bracket arm 5 extending from a collar 8 reciprocally mounted upon a shaft I having its upper end fastened in an overhanging top member 8 extending forwardly over the table 2. The bottom end of the shaft 1 is secured in the table 2, the mounting of said shaft being such'that it does not rotate'but serves as a sliding bearing for the collar 5.

To prevent horizontal movement of the bracket arm 5, the collar 6 is provided with an extension arm 9 having an aperture through which a shaft ll passes, having mounted thereon a cylindrical cam l2. The upper end of the shaft II is journaled in' top member 8 and its lower end passes through a suitable bearing inthe table 2 and is connected through a clutch mechanism to a train of gears (see Fig. 4) hereinafter more fully described.

A bifurcated arm I3 carrying a heating element l4, comprising part of the head 4, is mounted on the shaft 1 in a somewhat similiar manner to the bracket arm 5. The arm l3 has formed integrally therewith a collar l5 which has oppositely extending therefrom an arm l6 which is provided with an aperture for the shaft II to pass therethrough. The cam I2 is provided with paths l1 and i8 adapted to accommodate followers l9 and 20 carried by suitable studs projecting from collars 6 and I5 respectively. By means of this arrangement the heads 3 and 4 are brought into cooperative timed relation as will be evident hereinafter.

It will be noted that the heating element forming part of the head 3 and designated generally as I4 comprises three block members 2| (see Figs. 7 and 8) equally spaced circumferentially and each provided with a chamber for accommodating an electrical resistance unit 22. Each of these units is suitably connected by conductors to a source of electrical energy and through any sort of a resistor such as a rheostat (not shown) the temperature of said units may be regulated. The

blocks 2| are formed integral with a ring 23 so that the latter is heated by conduction. The heating element is rigidly mounted upon the arm I3 by means of porcelain tubes 24 having central apertures through which pass stud bolts for securing the element I4 in a fixed or spaced relation to the arm l3. The insulating property of the porcelain tubes prevents undue loss of heat by conduction to the arm 13, and the form of mounting permanently secures the heating element I 4 thereto. The upper edge of the ring 23 is slightly beveled outwardly to facilitate the crimping operation of the marginal edge of the piecover.

A circular supporting element 25, having three arms 26 extending radially from a cylindrical head piece 21 (see Fig. 8), is secured in any suithead 31.

able manner to the table 2. Carried by the arms 26 is a collar member 28 having downwardly disposed fingers 29 terminating in inwardly projecting lugs 30 through which pass stud screws 3| engaging threads formed in the arms 26. The upper portion of the collar member 23 is provided with a flange 32 which functions as a supporting surface for the wrapping material during the cutting operation. A supporting ring 34 is also secured to the supporting element 25 by means of lugs 35 tapped to receive stud screws 33 which engage threaded apertures formed in the top surface of the head piece 21 (see Figs. 9 and 10). The top edge of the ring 34 is beveled inwardly at the same pitch as the inclined walls of a pie plate so that when a pie is resting in the nest it is partially supported thereby. A circularshaped pie supporting member 36, secured to a piston head 31 by means of screws 38 is reciprocably mounted in a recess 39 formed in the head piece 21. A piston 40 runs through the head piece 21 and the upward movement of the piston is limited by any suitable means carried upon the'end of the piston underneath the table 2, as for example by a key or cotter pin passing through a transverse hole therein.

' Another but smaller recess 4|, formed in the head piece 21 functions as a well to confine a coil spring 42 bearing at its lower end against the shoulder formed at the bottom vof the recess 4| and bearing at its upper end against the piston The tension of the spring 42 is in an upward direction and is of suflicient strength to support a pie placed on the member 36 so that it normallyprotrudes slightly from the nest. This facilitates the loading and unloading of the pies. To act as a cushioning seat for the pie when placed in the nest a washer member 43 is secured to the supporting member 36, said washer being held in place by the screws 33 that fasten the member 36 to the piston head 31.

The upper head 4 is comprised of a, casting or head piece 45 adjustably attached to the bracket arm 5 by means of intermediate spacer washers 46 and stud bolts 41. By properly adjusting the bolts 41 the spacing of the head 4 with respect to the lower head 3 may be obtained with accuracy. A ring-shaped cutting member 48 (see Fig. 5) having a circular base 49 provided with three slotted upwardly extending arms 50 is secured to the head piece 45 by means of stud screws 5|. The base 49 is provided with an integrally formed, upwardly extending flange or rim 53, the function'of which is to act primarily as a casing for the inner adjacent parts. On the outer circumference of the base 49 is a knife blade 54 which is set in to fit flush with the adjoining surface of said base. The knife 54 is screwed in place by counter-sunk screws and is provided on its cutting edge with saw teeth.

A holding ring 55 provided with three inwardly projecting lugs 56 surrounds the cutting member 48. Each of the lugs '56 is provided with an inner circumferentially formed shoulder which is designed to conform with the adjacent surface of the cutting member 48 and thus serve as a means for loosely supporting the ring 55 from the head 4. The lugs are provided with vertical recesses adapted to receive one of the ends of coil springs 51, the other end of which abuts against the head piece 45, and are held in position by means of pins 58. The springs 51 are normally under compression, thereby maintainingthe ring 55 in engagement with the cutting member 48, but it will be noted that the mounting of said ring is a floating one, the purposeof which will hereinafter be apparent. It will be further noted that the logs are adapted to register with the slots in arms 58, said slots thus functioning as guides in the vertical movement of the ring 55. The lower face of said ring 55 has a circular groove into which is inserted a felt washer 58 having its lower edge extending slightly downwardly. This arrangement provides friction means for gripping the sheet of wrapping material during the cuttingof the blank therefrom.

A second holding ring 88 placed inside of the cutting member 48 is carried by a disk 8| having a hub 52 formed concentric therewith. The ring 68 is secured to the disk 8| by means of screws 82 passing through apertures in ears extending from the disk, said ears being positioned to register with the slots of arms 88. Extending from the disk Si is a retaining head or member 63 comprising a circular plate 64 having secured thereto a washer-shaped piece of felt 85, having its bottom or exposed surface inclined inwardly at about the same pitch of the crust portion of a pie. The head 83 is supported from the disk Si by means of a stud bolt 88 passing through the hub 52. Coiled about the bolt 88 is a spring 8! bearing at its ends against the plate 84 and against the inner part of the hub 52. Another coil spring 68 has its ends bearing against the outer part of the hub 52 and against the inner surface of a cylindrical metallic cover 68 which is secured to the head piece and extends downwardly a distance sufficient to enclose the depending parts of the head 4.

As comprising part of the crimping or folding mechanism for securing the wrapper to the pie, there is mounted in the cutting head 48 a segmental ring element 18, circular in cross-section and composed of four segments (see Figs. 6 and 13). The ring 18 is retained in a groove II formed on the inner lower surface of the head 48,'said groove being of sufficient depth to permit the retraction of the segments therein upon the downward movement of the holding ring 88. To prevent the outward displacement of the ring segments, as well as provide adjusting means therefor, stud bolts 12 are supplied. These are seated in recesses formed in and in transverse alinement with, the groove 'II housing the segments of the ring I8. Coil springs 13 with their ends bearing against the ring segments and against the shoulders or bottoms of the wells accommodating the same, normally keep the several segments of the ring member 18 protruding from the groove II a substantial distance so that a preliminary folding or bending in of the marginal edge of the wrapper is effected immediately after cutting out the blank. The bolts I2 are provided with screw heads, and by adjusting the same the distance the ring segments extend from the groove II may be regulated for best operating conditions. The knife blade 54 serves as a cover for the recesses seating the bolts 12. 1

Any suitable source ofpower for operating the machine may be provided such as a motor 15 mounted by means of a bracket member 18 upon the frame I immediately under the table 2. The motor I5 is connected to the cam shaft II by means of a clutch mechanism see Fig. 4) comprising a circular yoke or saddle element I1 provided with oppositely disposed lugs I8 and I8.

The lug I8 is pivoted in the fork of a downwardly disposed post 88 secured to the table 2, and the lug I8 carries a shaft II which is fulcrumed intermediate its ends in a yoke member 82, the outer end of the shaft 8i being bluntly pointed and normally engaging a spring actuated pin 88 reciprocally mounted in a suitable housing 88 fastened to the rear wall of the frame I. This arrangement provides a lost motion connection between the saddle element I1 and a connecting rod 84 whereby said element will be reciprocated for the purpose of throwing the clutch mechanism in and out of engagement. A collar member 85, slidably fitted to the shaft II, has formed upon the lower surface thereof ratchet gear teeth which are adapted to engage similar teeth oppositely disposed and formed upon gear member 88. By forming crown gear teeth upon the periphery of the member 86 which are adapted to register with the teeth of a spur gear (not shown) connected to the driving shaft of the motor I5, means are provided for connecting the motor through the clutch mechanism to the cam shaft II.

To facilitate the operation of the clutch mechanism the element 11 is pinned in a groove 81 formed circumferentially in the collar 85 by means of cap screws 88, thus providing means for permitting the rotation of the collar 85 within the yoke member 11. By providing the ends of the cap screws 88 with arcuate shoe pieces (not shown) adapted to travel in the groove 81, a braking expedient is obtained through regulating the friction between the shoes carried by said cap screws 88 and the bottom of the groove 81. Secured to the shaft II in any suitable manner as by means of a stud screw is a collar I3 having an L-shaped downwardly depending extension 14, said collar being positioned immediately above the collar 85 and carrying on the extension I4 a V-shaped pin H8. The pin H8 is in cooperative relation with an extension I II of the shaft 8|. passing through the lugs 19. The normal position of the extension I II is to rest near the top of the pin II8. When the connecting rod 84 is actuated in a manner hereinafter explained, the shaft 8| being forced past the stud 83 simultaneously effects the dislocation of the extension II I from its seat or place of rest at the top of the pin I I8 with the result that the yoke member 82 is permitted to move downwardly by virtue of extension III following the inclined surface I of the pin H8. This permits the collar member 85 to bring the ratchet teeth formed on the bottom thereof into engagement with the ratchet teeth on the gear member 88. Since this clutch and gear mechanism is practically of standard construction and can be obtained more or less as a unit from machine manufacturers, and as the same forms no part of the invention and is well understood by those skilled in the art, said mechanism has been illustrated largely schematically.

A control apparatus for setting the machine in operation, comprises a semi-circular band 88 having an extension arm 8i which is pivotally 'secured by a stud bolt or the like to a bracket 92 attached to the frame I. Carried by the arm BI is an arcuate segmental member 83 which is designed to limit the up and down motion of the band 98, by the ends thereof striking against the adjacent wall of the frame I. To actuate the connecting rod 84 a connecting link or arm 94 has one of its ends suitably attached to the upper end of the connecting rod 84 and the other end to the stud or shaft upon which the band 98 is pivoted. As the details of the parts just described constitute no special feature of the invention they are more or less schematically illustrated (see Fig. 4).

For the sake of convenience of operation the guard or band 80 is provided with knobs or handles 85. As a matter of protection as well as appearance the lower head 3 is provided with a cylindrical cover 06. To maintain the guard 80 in an elevated position helical spring 01 is provided, one end of which is secured to the extension arm 9| and the other end to a hook fastened in the top member 8 (see Fig. 2). The upward movement of the guard 90 is obviously in an arc and it is raised to a height sufiicient to normally clear the bottom end of the head 4, thus permitting free loading and unloading of the pastry articles. The downward movement of the guard 90 is such that when the clutch mechanism becomes effective it is impossible for the operative to insert the hand,'thereby affording protection'against careless or premature operation of the machine.

The wrapping material is preferably in the form of a roll I00 carried on a shaft mounted on the frame I immediately back of the head 3. Any suitable bearings for accomplishing this purpose will suflice and this may constitute a wing-shaped extension IOI for one of the bearings of the shaft and the other bearing may be carried in the adjacent side face of the frame proper. To insure the feeding of the wrapping material in proper alinement from the top of the head 3, there is provided a guide member I02 which may comprise a strip of sheet metal having its ends folded inwardly but slightly spaced apart to permit the ready insertion of the wrapping material into the chute formed by folding over the ends. The width of the guide I02 is slightly in excess of the width of the wrapping material soas to permit the same .to pass therethrough without difficulty yet confine its movement within a limited space. As the circular blanks are punched from the roll of the wrapping material the waste part can be discharged into a hopper or chute I03 from which the waste may be collected into any suitable receptacle placed at the rear of the machine.

Having described the separate parts of the machine, the operation thereof will now be explained. As a preliminary the electric current is turned on by throwing the switch I04 for heating the heating elements I4. A pie is then placed in the nest and the wrapping material fed from the roll I00 is drawn over the top thereof. The kind of pie plate almost universally used is made of paper or fibre stock and consists of a bottom wall, I05, which with aninclined wall I06, forms a pie chamber and a flange or rim I01 (see Figs. 13 and 15). The marginal seam of the pie does not extend to the perimetral edge of the plate thus affording protection to the crust portion of the pie from edge breakage and the like. Pies are irregular rather than uniform in thickness and the cover must be of sufiicient diameter to accommodate this variation in thickness; further the semi-fluid substances from which the pies are made renders them of a. fragile nature so that they cannot be subjected to shocks or pressure during the wrapping operation. It is because of these inherent difficulties in the wrapping operation that the various supporting and cushioning means have been provided in the machine forming the subject of this invention.

The next step is to pull the guard 90 downwardly which sets the machine in operation. This is effected by the connecting rod 84 pushing the shaft 8| past the pin 83 so that the clutch mechanism is thrown into engagement, thus connecting the motor 15 through the gear train and clutch mechanism to the cam shaft II. This shaft immediately begins to rotate (in the direction indicated by the arrow) and the followers I9 and 20 moving in cam paths I1 and I8 cause the upper head to move downwardly and the lower head to move upwardly.

The first result of the downward movement of the top head 4 is to bring the felt washer carried upon the plate 64 into contact with the top of the pie (see Fig. 9), with the result that the wrapping material is more or less conformed to the shape thereof and held in place thereon. Simultaneously the holding ring 60' is brought into engagement with the peripheral edge of the pie plate and these elements and the continued downward movement of the head 4 causes the depression of the pie supporting member 36 until the pie is completely seated within the nest formed by the several component elements (see Fig. 10).

As the top head 4 continues to move downwardly the washer member 59 is brought into engagement with the flange 32 of the collar member 28. This grips the wrapping material so as to hold it in a firm position during the cutting operation. It may be mentioned here that the wrapping material may consist of any tough, pliable and preferably transparent material such as tissue or glassine paper. One form of wrapping material now commonly used for packaging bakery products is Cellophane, and as this 'may be made tacky by the application of heat,

it is admirably suited for use with the present invention.

The cutting head 48'is carried downwardly with the member 28, so that the saw teeth thereof puncture the Cellophane at the points of contact with the teeth, with the result that the blank is cut from the sheet and is of'such a size that there is a surplus of the Cellophane" extending beyond the edge of the pieQplate to insure satisfactory wrapping of the pie irrespective of any irregularity of its thickness.

Upon the further downward movement of the cutting head 48 the crimping operation starts. The first phase of this is the bending over of the projecting portion of the Cellophane (see Fig.

The segments of the segmental ring 10 in 10). the downward movement of the cutting member 48 travel past the end of the holding ring 60, after the latter has contacted with the peripheral edge of the pie, and as the cutting head passes the edge of the pie plate the ring segments are thrust forwardly under the rim of the pie plate so as to produce a bending or tucking in of the pie cover underneath the rim of the plate (see Figs. 11 and 13). Operating in sequence, the continued upward movement of the heating ring 23 now forces the segments of the segmental ring 10 backward into the groove II. This permits the upper edge of the heating ring 23 to abut against the under surface of the rim of the pie plate (see Fig. 12), thus compressing the pleats of the folded edge of the cover therebetween.

It should be understood that since the cover is of sufficient diameter to extend a substantial distance beyond the edge of the pie plate, during the crimping operation this marginal portion is formed into a large number of folds or pleats, said folds or pleats more or less overlapping one another as illustrated in Fig. 14. Of course at the beginning of the crimping operation the Some of these folds may run the entire width I of the pleated or constricted perimeter portion, 10 as for instance shown in Fig. 15 but the general form and appearance of this constricted portion is more clearly shown in Fig. 14.

By having the rim-of the pie plate supported at the top and bottom thereof by means 'of mem- 15 bers 23 and S engagingtherewith, pressure is I applied at this stage to the upper and lower.

surface of said rim which makes it possible to perform a. much better crimping operation than otherwise possible if the'top of the pie plate rim- 20 were not held in position by the member Gil. In fact, the crimping operation is so effectively performed that it is possible to use ordinary tissue or other paper that is not easily rendered plastic by the application of heat; by merely 25 heating and pressing the edge thereof, such paper may be pleated or folded so securely that it has considerable resistance to unfolding after the pie has been removed from the machine.

At this stage of the operation the cam fol- 30 lowers l9 and 20 are moving in those portions of the cam paths which permit the heads 3 and l to remain in their fully operated positions for a period of time predetermined by the length of the inactive surfaces of the cams. During this time heat from the ring 23 is applied to the crimped in edge or margin of the "Cellophane" and is of sufficient intensity to effectively fuse or join together the crimped portions or pleats so that as the "Cellophane cools from a semi-plastic or softened state to normal condition said pleats are united in a manner which does not require the use of an adhesive. It should be noted, however, that although the pleats when welded or joined together, form a constricted marginal edge portion capable of preventing accidental displacement of the pie cover, the latter is not attached or secured in any way to the pie plate.

As the cam l2 continues to rotate, the inactive 50 or pressure applying portions of the cam paths are traversed, and the active portions which now come into play cause the separation of the heads 3 and 4, because said active portions of the cam are just the reverse to those active portions which brought the heads together. The head 4 now moves upwardly and the lower head 3 downwardly. As these heads approach their normal position the clutch mechanism is automatically tripped through the extension Iii of the shaft 8i rising upon the inclined surface of the pin I I0 when said parts again come into engagement with each other. By this operation the yoke element 11 is lifted upwardly, which in turn effects the restoration of the shaft 8| to its normal position.

To facilitate the removal of the pie from the nest the spring 42 forces the supporting member 36 upwardly as the compression of said spring is relieved by the retraction of,the heads 3 and 4.

The covered pie is then removed and another substituted in its place. As the waste portion of the wrapping material is drawn forward over the successive pies it may be disposed of by placing it in the hopper I03.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the spring suspension of the holding ring 60 provides resilient means for maintaining the pie in. the nest during the covering thereof without fear of damaging the same,-such as by crushing and the like. It will also be noted that since the pie cover is not in any way sealed to the lower rim of the plate, there is thus provided a ventilating space between the rim and the crimped edge of the cover which permits the ready'escape of the hot gases or vapors that may be given on during the cooling of the pie. As stated above, the release of these gases prevents the piefrom becoming soggy or mildewing quickly, which generally follows in the case where the cover is sealed to the pie plate, because moisture is formed from the confined vapors as they condense with the tempering of the pie, said moisture collecting or being deposited upon the inner surface of the cover and is gradually absorbed by the pie. Convincing proof that there is an air or breathing space formed between the pie plate and the crimped edge of the cover is the fact that the cover may be rotated without difllculty.

Attention is directed to the fact that although in the foregoing description the heads 3 and 4 have been referred to as movable, however, with respect to the head 3 the only elements thereof that are movable are those carried by the bifurcated arms l3, while the remaining elements in said.

head are firmly secured to the table 2. It is therefore desired that throughout the specification and in the appended claims wherever the term movable head" is used with reference to the head 3 the only parts intended to be included by the use of such term are those which are actually mounted on the arm I 3.

It is obvious to those skilled in the art thatvarious modifications of the heads may be made, as for example, changing the contour ,of the parts comprising the nest to accommodate bakery products other than pies which may be cakes 'or the like, having a square or rectangular shape. It would be merely a matter of design to modify the contour of the circular elements shown to correspond to the shape of the article desired to be wrapped. These and other modifications which come within the terms of the claims are regarded as being within thespirit of the invention and it is desired the claims be construed accordingly.

What is claimed is:

1. A- wrapping machine including two independently operable self-contained units adaptedv to move in vertical alinement and in timed relation with respect to each other, one of said units comprising an element for supporting an article to be I wrapped and a heating element, the other of said units comprising means for cutting a blank from a sheet of wrapping material, the blank being of greater width than that of said article, means adapted to engagethe edge portion of the blank beyond the periphery of said article and bend the same downwardly, means for crimping the bent down edge portion of the blank into folds or pleats, means for limiting the upward movement of said article during the crimping operation, and means independent of said units for holding the same in a fully operated position for a predetermined period of time, whereby the crimping and sealing of the folds in the edge of the cover is effected.

2. A wrapping machine including an article support, means for supplying a sheet of wrapping material to said article, means for cutting a blank from said sheet, means initially bending the margin of said blank to the supported article, means for forming pleats in the bent in edge portion, means for supporting the upper edge of the article during theapplication of a heating element to the crimped edge of the blank, and means for maintaining said edge supporting and heating elements in engagement with each other for a predetermined pe'riod, whereby the pleats in the periphery of the blank are united.

3. A wrapping machine including an article support, means for supplying a sheet of wrapping material to said article, means for cutting 10 a blank from said sheet and bending the marginal edge thereof downwardly, means for forming pleats in said bent in portion, said means comprising a segmental ring the segments of which are adapted to automatically form said pleats, pressing means comprising a downwardly moving ring element and an upwardly moving ring element, said ring elements being adapted to engage the upper and lower surfaces respectively of said article at the peripheral edge 0 thereof,'the lower ring element being heated to a temperature suflicient to soften the material from which the cover is formed after being applied thereto for a predetermined period.

4. A wrapping machine, including a reciprocally mounted article support, means for applying a sheet of wrapping material to said article, an element for cutting a blank from said sheet, said element being provided with a friction device adapted to engage the sheet of wrapping material so as to hold it firmly during the cutting operation, a crimping device carried by said cutting element comprising segmental members adapted to move transversely of said cutting element and designed to function immediately upon the formation of the blank whereby pleats are formed in the marginal edge thereof, a downwardly disposed holding ring adapted to move into engagement with the rim of said article prior to the cutting operation and rendering ineffective said crimping device carried by the cutting element until the cutting of the blank has been accomplished, a heating element adapted tomove into engagement with and compress the pleats between its contacting surface and the adjacent surface of said holding ring, and

means for maintaining the heating element and Cal the holding ring in an actuated position for a predetermined time, whereby the pleats formed in the peripheral edge of the blank are firmly united together.

5. A wrapping machine including an upper and a lower head, a source of wrapping material in the form of a sheet of indefinite length, a nest for supporting an article to be wrapped, said nest including elements comprising parts of said lower head and consisting of a spring actuated seat member reciprocally mounted adjacent to a ring memberv having an inwardly inclined upper edge surface corresponding to the pitch of the wall of the receptacle containing said article, an upwardly extending outer ring terminating in a flange portion lying in substantially the same horizontal plane as that of said nest elements, and a heating element adapted to be carried upwardly in timed relation to said upper head, said upper head comprising a gripping element provided with a friction device adapted to contact with said flange and engage said sheet of wrapping material therebetween, a cutting element having a circular knife blade adapted to cut a blank from said sheet when held between said gripping member and flange, a crimping device carried by said cutting element comprising segmental members adapted to move transversely thereof and designed t9 illnetravel in paths of a cam member so designed that I the active portions thereof move the upper head downwardly to form the blank and eflect the crimping of the marginal edge thereof, and then move the heating element of the lower head into engagement with said holding ring with the crimped portion of the cover therebetween, said inactive portions of said cam paths determining the time interval the heads remain together, and a clutch mechanism for connecting a source of power to a driving shaft for operating said cam member.

6. The method of attaching to a pie plate a cover consisting of a material which is responsive to heat and pressure so that it becomes selfsealing, comprising formingpleats in the turned in peripheral edge thereobpressing the pleated edge between surfaces one of which is heated, and maintaining said heat and pressure for a period of time sufficient to soften the material from which the cover is composed, whereby the pleats are securely welded together in such a manner that an air space is provided between the crimped edge of the cover and the lower edge of the pie plate.

7. The method of wrapping pies comprising placing a sheet of wrapping material over a plate containing the pie, cutting a blank cover therefrom of greater diameter than the plate, forming pleats in the periphery of the cover, welding said pleats together by the application of heat and pressure applied simultaneously and for a period of time sufllcient to soften the material from which the cover is composed, whereby the pleats are securely welded together in such a manner that an air space is provided between the crimped edge of the cover and the lower edge of the pie plate.

8. The method of wrapping pies comprising placing a heat-softenable cover over a plate containing a pie, resiliently nesting the pie, said cover being of greater diameter than the plate,

bending downwardly the edge portion of the cover beyond the periphery of the plate, crimping the bent over portion into pleats, supporting the rim of the plate at the top and bottom thereof, heating oneof the supporting elements to soften the crimped portion of the cover and fuse the pleats thereof together in such a manner that an air space is provided between the crimped edge of the cover and the lower edge of the pie plate.

9. The step in the method of wrapping bakery products comprising placing a heat softenable cover over a plate containing said product, forming pleats in the periphery thereof and then uniting the pleats by simultaneously applying heat and pressure thereto while supporting the rim of the plate at the top and bottom thereof.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, as practiced by employing as the pie cover a material which is responsive to heat and pressure so that it becomes self-sealing.

ANDREW BODOR.

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