US2815624A

US2815624A - Package assembler for meat packaging machine

Info

Publication number: US2815624A
Application number: US581131A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald R Forry; Henry B Tryon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-04-27
Filing date: 1956-04-27
Publication date: 1957-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 1974-12-10

Description

Dec. 10, 1957 D. R. FORRY ETAL 2,815,624

PACKAGE ASSEMBLER FOR MEAT PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 2'7, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Doria/d R brzy d A e/22y E Iiyaxz Z AW 7474M Dec. 10, 1957 FORRY r 2,815,624

PACKAGE ASSEMBLER FOR HEAT PACKAGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 27. 1956 H I III" In M Dec. 10, 1957 D. R. FORRY ETAL 2,815,624

PACKAGE ASSEMBLER FOR MEAT PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 27. 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 if i 11:" f 90 i6 1. i I k 84: l r i I i g 1 1 1 1% i; 1151 7' i ii Ja /l i1 5 8 az 1" I .f e i;

m 1..|1\ 1: "ti Y 11 E 66 p 1 1 I 72 741 33 a I 1 45 1 7a 9 1 72 ,9] 67 M2 6 M5 M MG 23' 3g 20 Q M4 I M9 i f i n i /06 F X H2 M Y 42 l/fi " fna'ezzionv i Dona ZdJE. Era? United States atent 2,815,624 Patented Dec. 10, 1957 PACKAGE ASSEMBLER FOR MEAT PACKAGING MACHINE Donald R. Furry. Hilliards, and Henry B. Tryon, C0-

lumhus, Ohio, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Dale E. McCarty Application April 27, 1956, Serial No. 581,131

19 Claims. (31. 53-184 This invention relates to a package assembler for a meat packaging machine wherein the package is of the kind shown in the patent applications of Dale E. McCarty, Serial No. 295,940, filed June 27, 1952, and now abandoned, Serial No. 338,687, filed February 25, 1953, now Patent No. 2,754,959, and Serial No. 359,091, filed June 2, 1953, which packages consist of retaining rings used in conjunction with sheets of wrapping material such as transparent Saran," and discs that may be sprung into the retaining rings to retain between the wrapping material and the disc, meat or other products in an air tight manner for sale in retail grocery stores and the like.

On object of the invention is to provide an automatic package assembler to assemble packages on successive ring plates of a packaging machine conveyor on which sheets of wrapping material and the meat or other product K to be wrapped are superposed, followed by the introduction of a disc on the product, the assembly operation being performed at one station of the machine and consisting of the forcing of the product through the retaining ring, and then forcing the edge of the disc into a groove of the ring for completing the package.

Another object is to provide an assembler comprising a ram adapted to force a disc against the product while it is supported on a sheet of Saran above an open ring, and then force the product through the ring and the sheet partially therethrough whereupon the disc is snapped into a groove of the ring with the Saran held between the edge of the disc and the bottom of the groove.

Still another object is to provide a cut-otf knife for cutting squares of the Saran from a strip thereof, and a circular knife for cutting the corners oil the squares so as to provide circular discs of Saran that substantially fit the disc and retaining ring.

A further object is to provide the ram and the knives vertically movable in a controlled sequence with suitable provision for spring pressure to effect proper operation of the knives and ram during the assembling operation.

Still a further object is to provide means for releasing the corners cut from the Saran and conveying the same away from the completed package so as to prevent fouling the operation of the machine after completion of the packages thereby.

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of our package assembler, whereby the objects above contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view through a packaging machine for meat and the like showing our package assembler applied thereto in (1) This application, other aspects of the machine being disclosed and claimed in the following copending applications;

(2) The application of Donald R. Forry, my coinvcntor, Serial No. 580,!24 filed April 23, 1956;

(3) Another application of Donald R. Ferry, Serial No. 581,680 filed April 30, 1956;

(4) The application of James W. Smelker, Serial No. 580,036 filed April 23, 1956.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation partly in section of the package assembler portion of the machine shown in Fig. l;

It is a vertical sectional view thereof on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top sectional view of a package of the kind assembled in our package assembler;

Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view thereof;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical detail sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 4; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views similar to a portion of Fig. 3 showing different successive steps in the operation of our package assembler.

On the accompanying drawings, the reference character F indicates in general the frame of the machine on which the various operating elements thereof to be described are mounted. The frame F may be supported by four posts it) extending upwardly from a suitable base (not shown).

Journailed in the frame F is a main shaft 12 on which is mounted a pair of main sprockets 14. Also journalled in the frame F is an idler shaft 16 on which is a pair of idler sprockets 18. A pair of conveyor chains 29 are trained around the sprockets 14 and 18 for the purpose of carrying ring plates 32 for rings R to successive stations of the machine as will hereinafter appear. These stations are indicated by numbers in circles on Fig. I of the drawings as follows:

For driving the main shaft 12, at Geneva wheel 22 is provided, operated by a Geneva arm 24. The Geneva arm 24 is secured to a Geneva arm shaft 26 on which is mounted a drive sprocket 28. A drive chain 30 extends from the drive sprocket 28 downwardly to a suitable source of power such as an electric motor with an appropriate step-down gearing which, being conventional, is not shown.

The ring plates 32 are spaced along the conveyor chains 21) and have circular openings 33 therein to receive the rings R. Each plate 32 also has a pair of side flanges 34- extending past the chains 20 through which propelling rods 36 extend from one chain to the other. Also, positioning rods 38 extend through slots 40 of the flanges 34 which arrangement permits the chains 20 to extend around the sprockets M and 18 and at the same time properly carry the ring plates 32 with them and around the sprockets as the chains travel due to rotation of the sprockets. To vertically position the ring plates 32. chain guide bars 21 and 23 are provided (see Fig. 3).

The sprocket shaft 16 carries four ring traps bases 35 adjustably mounted on a ring trap base holder 37 secured to the shaft. Rods 39 and tubes 41 are threaded together for adjustment purposes and support the ring trap bases 35, the adjustment permitting the ring traps to occupy the proper position with respect to the ring plates 32 as the plates pass around the sprockets 18.

The machine disclosed includes a ring feed mechanism shown generally at RF. Our package assembler is shown generally at PA and a disc feed shown generally at DF which are fully disclosed and claimed in the three eo-pending applications herein mentioned in connection with the description of Fig. 1.

Ring feed station Saran clamp station Loading station Assembly station Saran removal station Discharge station Four support rods 42 extend upwardly from the frame F adjacent the right-hand end of the machine as shown in Fig. l and a head 44 is mounted thereon. Upper and

lower crossheads

46 and 48 are vertically slidable on the rods 42. The crosshead 46 is driven by a pair of connecting rods 50 having their upper ends pivoted to studs 52 extending from the crosshead 46 and their lower ends rotatable on the crank pins of cranks 54. The cranks are mounted on a crank shaft 56.

For driving the crank shaft 56, we provide a chain 58 operatively connecting it to a cam shaft 6: and a chain 62 and a sprocket 63 drive the cam shaft. The chain 62 extends downwardly to the drive means for the chain 30 so as to rotate the crank shaft once per cycle of. operation of the Geneva 2224.

The upper crosshead 46 (see Fig. 3) carries a ram and the lower crosshead 48 carries a straight cutoff knife 78 and a circular knife 88. The lower edges of these knives are serrated. The ram 80 is floatingly mounted on a stud 64 carried by the crosshead 46 and head 48. The sleeve 72 is biased to the raised position shown in Fig. 3 by a plurality of springs 86 and may be propelled downwardly by a plurality of pins 82. A pin actuating plate 84 is carried by the stud 64 for this purpose. The plate 84 is vertically adjustable on a flange 81 which has a locking section 85 locked by a set screw 83 after the adjustment has been made. The flange is biased to the position shown against a stop ring 79 by a spring 90.

An annular pressure member 87 is supported by shouldered screws 89 on the sleeve 72, the intruding re- 5 duced ends of the screws passing through slots of the

sleeves

72 and 74. There may be three or four of the screws 89 and associated slots and likewise three or four of the pins 82 and the springs 86.

A sleeve 91 having an internal ridge 93 extends upwardly from the sleeve 74 and is secured to the crosshead 48 by screws 99.

The crosshead 48 is suspended from the crosshead 46 by a pair of rods 92 having heads 94 engaging latch levers 96 which are spring biased at to a position of engagement under these heads. This arrangement permits the latch levers 96, pivoted at 97, to be manually swung out from under the heads 94 to lower the head 48 for adjustment purposes of the parts such as adjusting the stud 64 relative to the head 46 or the rods 92 relative to the head 48, the parts being threaded for this purpose. Stop collars 98 are provided on the rods 42 to support the head 48 during the adjusting operation and also during each operating cycle as will be described.

Each ring plate 32 is provided with a circular groove 100 to receive the circular knife 88. The straight knife 78 descends to a position between successive plates 32 as obvious in Fig. 2.

At station (4) as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, wrapping material 102 such as Saran, spans the ring plate 32 and the ring R therein and is held taut by Saran clamps 104 under the action of springs 106. The product to be wrapped such as slices of meat indicated at 108 are manually placed on the wrapper 102 at station (3) and carried to station (4) over a locater plate 76 just under the

rods

36 and 38. At station (4), the meat 108 is centered under the sleeve 74 and the ram 80.

Provision is made for releasing the Saran clamps 104 at the proper time comprising a rock shaft 110 to which is secured a pair of release arms 112 located under the clamps 104 as shown in Fig. 3 and provided with a cam follower 114 as shown in Fig. 2. A cam 116 is adapted to coact with the cam follower 114 for elevating the release arms 112 and thereby the clamps 104 to release the g edges of the Saran 102 fed from a roll 103 thereof.

A vacuum hose 120 is supported in a bracket 122 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. The hose extends to a suitable vacuum blower (not shown as it forms no part of our present invention).

Practical operation At the proper time during the cycle of operation of the packaging machine, the

heads

46 and 48 descend from the position shown in Fig. 3 for first positioning the sleeve 74 near but slightly above and out of contact with the Saran it'll on the plate 32 and the member 87 engaging it under its own weight. The crosshead 48 at this time is resting upon the stop collars 98 on the rods 42. The total weight of sleeve 87, sleeve 72, screws 89,

. ins tilt. and springs 86 was determined experimentally so as to hold the Saran with a pressure just enough to allow the Saran to slip under tension and without tearing. This slippage occurs during the downward movement of the meat or other material 108 to the position shown in Fig. 7.

Continued downward movement of the crosshead 46 causes the circular knife 88 to be driven downward as in Fig. 8, compressing the springs 86 and applying increased pressure to the annular pressure member 87 during the cutting operation shown in this figure.

During the operations described in the last two paragraphs, the ram 80 is brought into engagement with a disc D fed into the sleeve 91 by the disc feed DF disclosed in the co-pending application of Smelker hereinbefore referred to. This disc slides down a chute 124 and into the sleeve 91 to rest on the internal ridge 93 thereof while the ram 80 is in its upper position shown in Fig. 3, which keeps the disc from falling through the sleeve 74 until the ram engages and positively pushes it through to rest on the meat 108 as shown in Fig. 7. The meat was placed on the Saran at station (3), and is engaged by the ram 80 at station (4) as just described whereupon the clamps 104 are released after the knife 78 has severed the Saran 108 to provide a square wrapper for the meat.

The Saran is stretched by the downward motion of the ram 80 as shown in Fig. 7 and its marginal edge slips frictionally under the lower edge of the sleeve 87 which keeps it taut, and as the ram approaches its lower limit of movement as shown in Fig. 8 the pin actuating plate 84 engages the pins 82 for forcing the circular knife 88 into the groove 100 thus severing the Saran in a circular pattern so that there are no objectionable corners projecting from the completed package as would be the case if the entire square wrapper were used. Finally, the disc D is snapped into the groove 118 under the pressure of the spring 70 which spring is a comparatively high rate type as distinguished from a lower rate type at 90 for actuating the pins 82 and thereby the sleeve 72 and the circular knife 88. The package is now completed and the ram 80 commences to elevate and later to carry the

sleeves

72 and 74 with it to the position shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the sleeve 87 leaves the Saran 102, the waste portion thereon is sucked into the vacuum hose 120 at station (5) for disposal to prevent fouling the mechanism during further operations of the packaging machine.

The completed package is carried by the conveyor and held against dropping out of position by a belt 126 (see Fig. 1) trained around suitable pulleys, one of which is carried by a pivoted arm 128, spring biased at 130 to keep the belt taut. The packages are supported by a platform 132 after they leave the belt 126 and are finally dropped into a discharge chute 134, one of the completed packages being indicated P adjacent the lower left corner of Fig. 1.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of our package assembler without departing from the real spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may reasonably be included within their scope.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a package assembler for a packaging machine, a conveyor having spaced ring plates each provided with a ring seat, chains carrying said ring plates, spaced sprockets traversed by said chains, a package assembly station where said ring plates are successively stationed with a ring in the ring seat thereof, a wrapper spanning said ring seat, a product to be wrapped supported on the wrapper and a disc on the product at said station, said ring plate having wrapper clamp means to retain the wrapper taut across the ring, a ram, and means for moving said ram to engage said disc and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring, said ram being resiliently mounted on said means.

2. In a package assembler for a packaging machine, a conveyor having spaced ring plates each provided with a ring seat, chains carrying said ring plates, spaced sprockets traversed by said chains, a package assembly station where said ring plates are successively stationed with a ring in the ring seat thereof, a wrapper spanning said ring seat, a product to be wrapped supported on the wrapper and a disc on the product, a ram, and means for moving said ram to engage said disc and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring.

3. In a package assembler for a packaging machine, a conveyor having spaced ring plates each provided with a ring seat, chains carrying said ring plates, spaced sprockets traversed by said chains, a package assembly station where said ring plates are successively stationed with a ring in the ring seat thereof, a wrapper spanning said ring seat, a product to be wrapped supported on the wrapper and a disc on the product, said ring plate having wrapper clamp means to retain the wrapper taut across the ring, a ram, means for moving said ram to engage said disc and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring, and a circular knife surrounding said ram and moved by said means into engagement with the wrapper surrounding the ring to sever a circular disc from the wrapper.

4. A package assembler for a packaging machine comprising a conveyor having spaced ring plates each provided with a ring seat, chains carrying said ring plates, spaced sprockets traversed by said chains, a package assembly station where said ring plates are successively stationed with a ring in the ring seat thereof, a wrapper spanning said ring seat, a product to be wrapped supported on the wrapper and a disc on the product, a ram, means for moving said rarn to engage said disc and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring, a circular knife moved by said means into engagement with the wrapper surrounding the ring to sever a circular disc from the wrapper, and means associated with said circular knife to frictionally engage the wrapper as said ram forces it partially into the ring.

5. A package assembler for a packaging machine comprising a conveyor having spaced ring plates each provided with a ring seat, chains carrying said ring plates, spaced sprockets traversed by said chains, a package assembly station where said ring plates are successively stationed with a ring in the ring seat thereof, a wrapper spanning said ring seat, a product to be wrapped supported on the wrapper and a disc on the product, a ram, means for moving said ram to engage said disc and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring, a circular knife moved by said means into engagement with the wrapper surrounding the ring to sever a circular disc from the wrapper, and means associated with said circular knife to frictionally engage the wrapper as said ram forces it partially into the ring, and vacuum means for disposing of the portion of said wrapper surrounding said circular knife.

6. In a package assembler for a packaging machine, a conveyor having spaced ring plates each provided with a ring seat, chains carrying said ring plates, spaced sprockets traversed by said chains, a package assembly station Where said ring plates are successively stationed with a ring in the ring seat thereof, a wrapper spanning said ring seat, a product to be wrapped supported on the wrapper and a disc on the product, said ring plate having wrapper clamp means to retain the wrapper taut across the ring, a ram, means for moving said rum to engage said disc and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring, a circular knife surrounding said ram and moved by said means into engagement with the wrapper surrounding the ring to sever a circular disc from the wrapper, means associated with said circular knife to frictionally engage the wrapper as said ram forces it partially into the ring, and means at said package assembling station to release said wrapper clamp means.

7. In a package assembler for a packaging machine, a conveyor having spaced ring plates each provided with a ring seat, chains carrying said ring plates, spaced sprockets traversed by said chains, a package assembly station where said ring plates are successively stationed with a ring in the ring seat thereof, a wrapper spanning said ring seat, a product to be wrapped supported on the wrapper and a disc on the product, said ring plate having wrapper clamp means to retain the wrapper taut across the ring, a ram, means for moving said ram to engage said disc and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring, a circular knife surrounding said ram and moved by said means into engagement with the wrapper surrounding the ring to sever a circular disc from the Wrapper, means associated with said circular knife to frictionally engage the wrapper as said ram forces it partially into the ring, means at said package assembling station to release said wrapper clamp means, and vacuum means for disposing of the portion of said wrapper surrounding said circular knife.

8. In a package assembler, a ring plate provided with a ring seat adapted to have a ring in the ring seat thereof, a wrapper spanning said ring seat, a product to be wrapped supported on the wrapper and a disc on the product, said ring plate having wrapper clamp means to retain the wrapper taut across the ring, a ram, and means for moving said ram to engage said disc and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring, said ram being resiliently mounted on said means.

9. In a package assembler, a ring plate provided with a ring seat adapted to have a ring in the ring scat thereof, a wrapper spanning said ring seat, a product to be wrapped supported on the wrapper and a disc on the product, said ring plate having wrapper clamp means to retain the wrapper taut across the ring, a ram. means for moving said ram to engage said disc and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring, a circular knife surrounding said ram and moved by said means into engagement with the wrapper surrounding the ring to sever a circular disc from the wrapper, a cut-off knife carried by said first means for severing a strip of wrapping material into pieces, one for each ring plate, and a lost motion connection from said first means to said Cll'CliiLti knife to cause it to cut the wrapper after said ram has engaged said disc and product and after hold-down for the wrapper has been effected.

10. In a package assembler, a ring plate provided with a ring seat adapted to have a ring in the ring scat thereof, a wrapper spanning said ring seat, a product to be wrapped supported on the wrapper and a disc on the product, said ring plate having wrapper clamp means to retain the wrapper taut across the ring, a ram, means for moving said ram to engage said disc and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring, a circular knife surrounding said ram and moved by said means into engagement with the wrapper surrounding the ring to sever a circular disc from the wrapper, means associated with said circular knife to frictionally engage the wrapper as said ram forces it partially into the ring, means at said package assembling station to release said wrapper clamp means, vacuum means for disposing of the portion of said wrapper surrounding said circular knife, a cutoff knife carried by said first means for severing a strip of Wrapping material into pieces, one for each ring plate, and a lost motion connection from said first means to said circular knife to cause it to cut the wrapper after said ram has engaged said disc and product and after hold down for the wrapper has been effected.

11. In a package assembler for a packaging machine, a conveyor having spaced ring plates each provided with a ring seat, chains carrying said ring plates, spaced sprockets traversed by said chains, a package assembly station where said ring plates are successively stationed with a ring in the ring seat thereof, a wrapper spanning said ring seat, a product to be wrapped supported on the wrapper and a disc on the product, said ring plate having wrapper clamp means to retain the wrapper taut across the ring, a ram, means for moving said ram to engage said disc and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring, a circular knife surrounding said ram and moved by said means into engagement with the wrapper surrounding the ring to sever a circular disc from the wrapper, means associated with said circular knife to frictionally engage the wrapper as said ram forces it partially into the ring, means at said package assembling station to release said wrapper clamp means, vacuum means for disposing of the portion of said wrapper surrounding said circular knife, a cut-off knife carried by I said first means for severing a strip of wrapping material into pieces, one for each ring plate, and a lost motion, resilient connection from said first means to said circular knife to cause it to cut the wrapper after said ram has engaged said disc and product and after hold-down for the wrapper has been effected.

12. In a package assembler for a packaging machine, a conveyor having spaced ring plates each provided with a ring seat, chains carrying said ring plates, spaced sprockets traversed by said chains, a package assembly station where said ring plates are successively stationed with a ring in the ring seat thereof, a wrapper spanning said ring seat, a product to be wrapped supported on the wrapper and a disc on the product, said ring plate having wrapper clamp means to retain the wrapper taut across the ring. a ram. means for moving said ram to engage said disc and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring, said means comprising a crosshcad, said ram being resiliently carried thereby, a second crosshead, said crossheads being vertically slidablc and the second one suspended from the first, a sleeve carried by said second crosshead and adapted to engage the wrapper surrounding the ring, a circular knife carried by said sleeve and adapted to sever a circular disc from the wrapper, said first crosshead having resilient means for moving said circular knife to cutting position after said sleeve has engaged the wrapper, means for releasing said wrapper clamp means after said circular knife has severed the wrapper, and suction means for withdrawing the portion of said wrapper surrounding said circular knife after it is cut thereby.

13. in a package assembler for a packaging machine having a conveyor provided with a ring plate adapted to support a ring with a wrapper spanning the ring and a product on the wrapper to be wrapped, a sleeve above til) the ring plate adapted to receive a disc and direct it to the product, and a resiliently mounted ram movable through said sleeve to force the disc and the product through the ring and the wrapper partially therethrough and snap the edge of the disc into an internal groove of the ring with the marginal edge of the wrapper retained between the bottom of the groove and the edge of the disc.

14. A package assembler for a packaging machine having a conveyor provided with a ring plate adapted to support a ring with a wrapper spanning the ring and a product on the wrapper to be wrapped, each of said ring plates having releasable clamps to clamp the wrapper to the ring plate, said package assembler comprising a sleeve above the ring plate adapted to receive a disc and direct it to the product, and a ram movable through said sleeve to force the disc and the product through the ring and the wrapper partially therethrough and snap the edge of the disc into an internal groove of the ring with the marginal edge of the wrapper retained between the bottom of the groove and the edge of the disc.

15. In a package assembler for a packaging machine having a conveyor provided with a ring plate adapted to support a ring with a wrapper spanning the ring and a product on the wrapper to be wrapped, a sleeve above the ring plate adapted to receive a disc and direct it to the product, a ram movable through said sleeve to force the disc and the product through the ring and the wrapper partially therethrough and snap the edge of the disc into an internal groove of the ring with the marginal edge of the wrapper retained between the bottom of the groove and the edge of the disc, a circular knife surrounding said ram and moved thereby into engagement with the wrapper surrounding the ring to sever a circular disc from the wrapper, means associated with said circular knife to frictionally engage the wrapper as said ram forces it partially into the ring, a cut-off knife carried by said ram for severing a strip of wrapping material into pieces, one for each ring plate, and a lost motion connection from said ram means to said circular knife to cause it to cut the wrapper after said ram has engaged said disc and product and after hold-down for the wrapper has been effected.

16. In a package assembler for a packaging machine having a conveyor provided with a ring plate adapted to support a ring with a wrapper spanning the ring and a product on the wrapper to be wrapped, a sleeve above the ring plate adapted to receive a disc and direct it to the product, a second sleeve carried thereby and movable to frictionally engage the wrapper with the plate, and a resiliently mounted ram movable through said sleeves to force the disc and the product through the ring and the wrapper partially therethrough and snap the edge of the disc into an internal groove of the ring with the marginal edge of the wrapper retained between the bottom of the groove and the edge of the disc.

17. In a package assembler for a packaging machine having a conveyor provided with a ring plate adapted to support a ring with a wrapper spanning the ring and a product on the wrapper to be wrapped, releasable clamps to clamp the wrapper to the ring plate, a sleeve above the product, a second sleeve carried thereby and movable the ring plate adapted to receive a disc and direct it to to frictionally engage the wrapper with the plate, means for then releasing said clamps, and a ram movable through said sleeve to force the disc and the product through the ring and the wrapper partially therethrough and snap the edge of the disc into an internal groove of the ring with the marginal edge of the wrapper retained between the bottom of the groove and the edge of the disc.

18. In a package assembler for a packaging machine having a conveyor provided with a ring plate adapted to support a ring with a wrapper spanning the ring, said ring plate having wrapper clamp means to retain the wrapper taut across the ring, a ram, means for moving said ram to engage a disc on the product and force the wrapper partially through the ring and the periphery of the disc into a groove of the ring, a circular knife surrounding said ram and moved by said means into engagement with the wrapper surrounding the ring to sever a circular disc from the wrapper, means associated with said circular knife to frictionally engage the wrapper as said ram forces it partially into the ring, means at said package assembling station to release said wrapper clamp means, and a cut-ofi knife carried by said first means for severing a strip of wrapping material into pieces, one for each ring plate.

19. In a package assembler for a packaging machine having a conveyor provided with a ring plate adapted to support a ring with a wrapper spanning the ring and a product on the wrapper to be wrapped, a sleeve above the ring plate adapted to receive a disc and direct it to the product, a cut-off knife adapted to sever the wrapper back of the plate, and a ram movable through said sleeve to force the disc and the product through the ring and the wrapper partially therethrough and snap the edge of the disc into an internal groove of the ring with the marginal edge of the wrapper retained between the bottom of the groove and the edge of the disc, said cut-off knife being carried by said ram, and a circular knife adapted to cut a circular piece from said wrapper with its marginal edge surrounding said ring.

No references cited.