US3260031A - Loaf packaging machine - Google Patents

Loaf packaging machine Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3260031A
US3260031A US254749A US25474963A US3260031A US 3260031 A US3260031 A US 3260031A US 254749 A US254749 A US 254749A US 25474963 A US25474963 A US 25474963A US 3260031 A US3260031 A US 3260031A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
loaf
wrapper
guide
twisting
members
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US254749A
Inventor
Duard W Enoch
Clarence A Kieffaber
Jr Carl C Perkins
Roger J Schroeder
Merlin A Stickelber
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.)
Interstate Bakeries Corp
Original Assignee
Interstate Bakeries Corp
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 Interstate Bakeries Corp filed Critical Interstate Bakeries Corp
Priority to US254749A priority Critical patent/US3260031A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3260031A publication Critical patent/US3260031A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B25/00—Packaging other articles presenting special problems
    • B65B25/16—Packaging bread or like bakery products, e.g. unsliced loaves
    • B65B25/18—Wrapping sliced bread

Definitions

  • our invention relates to a machine for packaging a sliced loaf of bread in such a way that the package can be easily opened and reclosed at one end thereof when desired, for the removal of slices from the package, and reclosure of the package, and even for replacement of some ofthe removed slices in the package and reclosure thereof, should this be desired.
  • the machine is designed to fold and seal the wrapper at one end of the package in the usual manner and to overlap the wrapping material extending around the loaf and seal it on the bottom side of the loaf in the usual manner, but to avoid sealing the other end of the package at the other end of the loaf, the breaking of which seal results in the tearing of the wrapper so that it can no longer be tightly closed, and provide a removable and replaceable closure at that end of the package, by contracting the extended wrapping material at that end of the loaf so that a tie can be applied thereto, preferably by gathering said extended wrapping material and twisting it on itself, and tying the twisted wrapper closely adjacent the loaf, so as to make the package air tight, with a tie that is capable of being repeatedly twisted into package closing position and untwisted to open the package.
  • the wrapping of sliced bread has resulted in considerable diliiculty being encountered in opening and reclosing the package by the user of the sliced bread, contained in the usual package in which the sliced bread is put up for selling, which is ⁇ ordinarily a wrapper of heat sealing material, such as parain or waxed paper, thermoplastic sheet material, or other transparent heat sealing wrapping material.
  • heat sealing material such as parain or waxed paper, thermoplastic sheet material, or other transparent heat sealing wrapping material.
  • the sheet material such as waxed paper, or other thermoplastic transparent sheet material, that is heat sealed
  • the sheet material such as waxed paper, or other thermoplastic transparent sheet material
  • the overlapped plies sealed so as to completely seal and enclose the package at the ends of the loaf, and the package is provided with a longitudinal overlap along the bottom of the loaf to provide an overlapped seam, at the bottom of the loaf, which is also heat sealed.
  • Our improved machine provides a package for a sliced loaf of bread that will permit closure of the package that has yonce been opened, so that any slices of bread that may have been removed, that it may be desired to replace, can be replaced therein, and which will be capable of being closed air tight, or substantially air tight, even when only a few slices have been removed, or if no slices have been removed, it being possible to open one end thereof and reclose the package to its original condition 3,260,031 Patented July l2, 1966 under any and all conditions. While sliced bread has been packaged in plastic film bags that had such a removable and replaceable closure, this had to be done manually and the sliced bread in the package became disarranged because it was loosely positioned in the bag.
  • Our improved packaging machine provides a sliced bread loaf package that has a wrapper of heat sealing material that is wrapped transversely around the loaf tightly so that the wrapper conforms to the shape of the loaf and which has its longitudinal edges overlapped and the overlapping portions sealed to each other with the wrapper closely conforming to the shape of the loaf, and in which one end of the wrapping material is folded on itself and sealed in position against one end of the loaf, while the other end of the wrapper extends far enough beyond the other end of the loaf that it is gathered together and twisted and a tie placed around the same so as to tightly close that end of the package, which tie can be removed so that access can be had to the interior of the wrapper to remove any number of slices of bread therefrom, and either replace some of them or merely replace the heel on the loaf, or replace none of the removed bread, and again close the package by means of the tie member by manually twisting the wrapping material and replacing the tie member tightly around the twisted wrapper closely adjacent the end of the loaf, so that the slices will all stand up in the package in their usual side by
  • the wrapper corresponds in shape to the corresponding portion of the loaf around which it was wrapped, whereby each part of the package will tit closely the slice that was located in that part of the package at the time the package was formed.
  • the wrapper is tightened closely around the sliced loaf at that end of the package and the sliced loaf will stand up in the package duri-ng handling from the time it leaves the packaging machine until received by the purchaser and transported to the place of use thereof.
  • a bread loaf packaging machine that is provided with means for wrapping a length of wrapping material wider than the length of the loaf around the loaf with the ends of the material overlapping under the loaf and with the overlapped wrapping material extending beyond both ends of the loaf, means for folding the extended wrapping material against one end of the loaf and sealing the folded material at that end of the loaf, as well as means for sealing the overlapped ends of the wrapping material on the under side of the loaf, the wrapping material extending from the end of the loaf that is not sealed, being longer than that at the sealed end of the package, and means being provided for gathering together and twisting on itself this extended wrapping material and applying a tie member thereto, closely adjacent the other end of the loaf.
  • the folding means and sealing means for closing the bottom and the one end of the package are of the usual character, and the extended unsealed end of the wrapping material is acted on to begin the gathering operation, during the folding and sealing operat-ions of the machine for the end and bottom of the package.
  • an arm is ordinarily utilized for doi-ng some of the folding, which arm also holds one end of the loaf so that the slices will not become separated.
  • a similar arm is provided for engagement with the other end of the loaf to also hold up that end of the loaf and prevent the slices from becoming separated.
  • This last mentioned arm is utilized for directing the extended wrapping material that is to be twisted, into guideways, that are provided for gradually bringing the tubular extended portion of the wrapper together into a substantially flattened tubular form, for presentation to the twisting mechanism.
  • Our invention further includes means for maintaining the sliced loaf in position with all of the slices of the loaf in face to face engagement with each other from the beginning of the wrapping operation until the twisting of l the extended portion of the wrapper is done, said means comprising a guide member engaging the sealed end of the package and guiding means for the other end of the package, comprising a pair of guide rods that engage the extended end of the wrapper in close adjacency to the end of the loaf from which the wrapper extends, to hold said wrapper closely against said end of the loaf and to support the sliced loaf between these guide rods and the guide member that engages the sealed end of the loaf.
  • the guide members that are at the extending end of the wrapper are of such a character that the same engage the extended portion of the wrapping material at spaced points, said guiding means comprising parallel guide members that are parallel to the above referred to guide rods, and are located laterally outwardly from the guide rods.
  • Said guiding means comprises upper and lower guide members that gradually converge toward the twisting mechanism, so as to bring the wrapping material gradually together in a flattened form,with the upper portion of the tubular extension of the wrapper being brought into close adjacency with the lower portion thereof.
  • a bread wrapping machine In a bread wrapping machine it is customary to provide pusher members that push the loaves during the wrapping and sealing operations over a table, or tables, and these pusher members are utilized for moving the loaf in its partially wrapped condition, from the wrapping station at one end of the machine to the twisting station, where the twisting means is located. Due to the flexibility of the material used for wrapping the package and the fact that this material does not contain any bread at the extended end thereof, and frictionally engages with the Vguide members as it slides along the same, the tendency is for the extended portion of the wrapper to lag behind the loaf and not travel in longitudinal alignment with the loaf around which the major portion of the wrapper extends.
  • this extended portion of the wrapper be in substantially central axial alignment with the wrapped loaf, when the twisting operation is performed, in order that the twisted wrapper be properly formed and that it be located in the middle of the end of the loaf that is provided with the detachable closure means, means is provided for lining up the extended portion of the wrapper with the remainder thereof ⁇ that is around the loaf, comprising grooved friction rollers, in the grooves of which the guide members for the wrapper extend, which friction rollers rotate at a higher peripheral speed than the forward speed of the loaf, due to the action of the pusher members, whereby the alignment of the extended portion of the wrapper with the loaf is restored.
  • rollers are provided between the fri-ction rollers and the twisting mechanism for conveying the extended portion of the wrapper into the twisting mechanism and flattening the wrapper in a horizontal plane.
  • Our invention further comprises twisting mechanism for the extended end of the wrapper, comprising a pair of jaws, elongated lengthwise of the machine, that are mounted for rotation about an axis transverse to the length thereof, said jaws being provided with inflatable members for clamping the extended wrapping material between the same, and means for rotating said jaws about said axis a plurality of times in order to provide the desired twist in the extended portion of the wrapping material, said means for rotating the jaws being provided with a suitable controlling mechanism whereby the twistupwardly from the twisted end of the wrapper.
  • the means for controlling the rotation of the jaws being of such a character that the rotation of the jaws will be halted with the jaws in such a position that the same will have the opening between the jaws in alignment with the guiding means for the extended wrapping material leading to the twisting mechanism.
  • Our invention further includes means for applying a tie member to the twisted wrapper that extends from the loaf, after the twisting operation has been completed, comprising means for feeding tie materiaLwhich is in the form of a continuous length, onto a pair of spaced supporting members providing a gap between the same, cutting off a length of said material after it has reached this position, and then applying this tie member to the twisted extended portion of the wrapper.
  • the twisted extended portion of the wrapper itself is used for bending the tie member therearound in a U-form with the legs of the U extended
  • the supporting means for the cut-off length of tie member is mounted to move between a position below the axis of rotation of the twisting member into a position above the axis of rotation thereof and is provided with a recessed die member movable therewith cooperative with said twisted wrapper, and the operation thereof is controlled so that this movement takes place after the twisting operation has been completed.
  • the tie member is preferably made up of a flat band of plastic material in which a plurality of substantially parallel ductile wires are embedded, and the wrapper is preferably made of a film that will easily twist into the form desired, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Any highly flexible film material is suitable for wrapping the loaf.
  • It is a further purpose of our invention to provide means for controlling the sequence of operations of the wrapper twisting, tie applying and tie twisting means comprising a plurality of circuit controlling cams, which are continuously rotated, but which are inoperative to supply electrical energy to the controlling circuits that operate these various devices in sequence until the wrapped loaf has reached the location at which the twisting and tying operations are carried out, the controlling means comprising switching means engaged by the wrapped loaf, when it reaches the above referred to location, and switching means actuated by one of the cams, both of which switching means have to be closed before the other cams will be effective to energize the various controlling circuits for carrying out the sequence of operations in their proper order.
  • FIG. l is a top plan view partly broken away of our improved loaf packaging machine.
  • FIG. 2 is atop plan view of the portion of the machine at which the wrapper twisting and tying operations are carried out and adjacent portions thereof, on an enlarged scale, the loaf conveying means being omitted.
  • FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View partly in elevation and partly in vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary Vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view partly in Vertical section and partly in elevation, taken on the line 5 5 of FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale, showing the loaf supporting means in down position in full lines and in elevated position in dotted lines.
  • FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 6 6 of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale.
  • FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 7 7 of FIG. 1, showing the loaf supporting means in full lines in down position and in dotted lines in elevated position.
  • FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale, partly broken away, taken on the line 8 8 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 9 9 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 10 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section taken on the line N lt) of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, on a slightly enlarged scale, taken on the line Il ll of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. l2 is a fragmentary elevational view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 12 12 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 13 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational View taken on the line 13 13 of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 14 is a fragmentary view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation taken on the line 14-14 of FIG. 13.
  • FIG. 15 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of the twisting mechanism, showing the clamping jaws in uninflated condition.
  • FIG. 16 is a section taken on the line 16 16 of FIG. 15.
  • FIG. 17 is a view similar to FIG. 15, showing the clamping jaws in inflated condition.
  • FIG. 18 is a section taken on the line 18-18 of FIG. 17. ⁇
  • FIG. 19 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the first step in folding the folded and sealed end of the wrapper and the corresponding position of the holding and guiding arm for the open end of the wrapper.
  • FIG. 20 is a fragmentary perspective View of the open end of the wrapper prior to engagement with the guiding means therefor.
  • FIG. 21 is a similar view, as viewed from the other end of the wrapper, and showing the second folding operation at the folded end of the wrapper.
  • FIG. 22 is a view similar to FIG. 20, but showing a further advanced position of the parts.
  • FIG. 23 is a View similar to FIG. 21, showing the partially folded wrapper approaching the guide member with which the folded end of the package engages.
  • FIG. 24 is a fragmentary perspective view of the folded and sealed end of the package after the folding and sealing has been completed.
  • FIG. 25 is a similar view of the twisted and tied end of the package after the packaging operation has been completed.
  • FIG. 26 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view taken on the line 26 26 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 27 is a similar view taken on the line 27 27 of FIG. 2. v
  • FIG. 28 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale through one of the guide plates.
  • FIG. 29 is a fragmentary detail view of the tie supporting slide in depressed position.
  • FIG. 30 is a similar view thereof in raised position.
  • FIG. 31 is a fragmentary plan view of the tie feeding means.
  • FIG. 32 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 32 32 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 33 is a fragmentary detail View partly in section on the line 33 33 of FIG. 30.
  • FIG. 34 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 6 34-34 of FIG. 1, certain portions of the switch operating mechanism being shown somewhat diagrammatically.
  • FIG. 35 is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view through a double acting solenoid valve.
  • FIG. 36 is a diagram of the operating circuit for the wrapper clamping and twisting means and the tie feeding and twisting means, and
  • FIG. 37 is a fragmentary detail view of the tie twisting member taken on the line 37-37 of FIG. 3.
  • our improved machine is shown as being provided with a frame 30 having at one end thereof the frame members 31 and 32.
  • a table having the portions 33 and 34 which are in longitudinal and horizontal alignment with each other.
  • Said table forms a portion of a loaf conveyor, which includes pairs of pusher members 35, which are mounted on arms 36 extending from the sleeves 37 that are iixed on the transverse shafts 38 to rotate therewith.
  • Said shafts 38 are mounted for rotation in suitable bearings in the ears 39 provided on certain of the links of the sprocket chains 40, which sprocket chains travel over guide bars 41 that extend longitudinally of the machine at the -sides of the table members 33 and 34 in upwardly spaced relation thereto.
  • cross bars 42 and springs 43 having end portions 44 that hook around the cross bars 42 and coiled portions 45 extending around the shafts 38 and lixed at their coiled extremities to said shafts 38, said springs 43 operating to hold the rollers 46 in engagement with a guide bar 47, said rollers 46 being provided on the outer end of levers 48 that are keyed to the shafts 38.
  • the guide bar 47 is provided with a tapered end portion 49 and an upwardly curved portion 50, a' downwardly curved portion 51 and a straight portion 52, as will be obvious from FIG. 7, said straight portion 52 extending lengthwise of the machine to the end of the table portion 34 remote from the table portion 33, and, as shown in FIG. 1l, terminates in an upwardly curved portion 53 at the opposite end thereof from the end yof the guide bar 47 shown in FIG. 7.
  • the sprocket chains 40 are driven in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIGS. 7, 8 and ll by means of a suitable driving means, not shown.
  • the sprocket chains 40 operate over sprocket Wheels at opposite ends of the same.
  • One of said sprocket wheels 61 is shown in FIG. 7, said sprocket wheel being mounted for rotation on the transverse shaft 62.
  • the loaves that are to be wrapped are ordinarily fed from the slicing machine along a transverse track 63 by suitable conveying means which are common to machines of this character, and are not shown in the drawings.
  • the loaf, indicated at 64 in FIG. 7, will have 'a somewhat inclined position om the tmack 63, being guided along the track by the upstanding flange 65 with which the loaf 64 engages.
  • the usual wrapping mechanism provided in commercial bread wrapping machines has a continuous length 66 of wrapping Imaterial of desired width fed to the same from a roll of said material and said continuous length or web of wrapping matetrial passes ⁇ over a guide noiller 67, which is located in approximately the position shown in FIG.
  • Said commercial wrapping machines are ordinarily provided with ia pusher member 69, the operation of which is timed so that, after the loaf has reached the position shown in FIG. 1, said pusher member moves to the left sufficiently to push the loaf and the wrapping material engaged therewith onto a movable support 7i), which support is in the full line position shown in FIG. 7 at the time that this action takes place.
  • Said supporting member 7? is in the form of a plate which has a reduced end portion 7i shown in FIG.
  • brackets 75 which brackets are also mounted to swing about the shaft 72 as an axis, along with the supporting member 70.
  • Said brackets are provided with sleeves 76 that are mounted on the shaft 72 to turn thereon, and are further provided with bearing members 77 in which the pivot pins 78 are mounted, and with rollers 79 that operate between the flanges 80 of a chaneled guide bar mounted for limited movement transversely of the length thereof on the supporting member 70.
  • a shaft 82 Mounted for rotation in suitable bearing members 81 on the frame members 31 is a shaft 82, which has oppositely threaded portions 83 thereon that have correspondingly screw-threaded sleeves 84 mounted thereon for adjustment toward and away from each other by rotation of the shaft 82.
  • a cam portion 8S is provided on each of said sleeves 84, which cam portions engage with the bracket members 75.
  • the cams 85 are provided with high portions that are engaged by the members 75 when the loaf supporting member 78 is in its down position, which is the full line position thereof shown in FIGS. and'7, such engagement causing a movement of the channeled guide member that has the side flanges 80, toward the left in FIG.
  • brackets 75 to swing about the pivots 78 so that the arms 73 and 74 will have the dotted line position thereof shown in FIG. l.
  • the arms are urged toward the full line position shown in FIG. 1 and the brackets 75 are urged toward the cams 85 by any suitable means, such as a coil spring, extending between the pivot pins about which the rollers 79 rotate, such a spring being shown at 86 in FIG. 1.
  • the conveyor 63 deposits the loaf 64 in such a position that it will be in transverse alignment with the space between arms 73 and 74 when it reaches its delivery position on the conveyor 63. Accordingly, when the pusher member 69 moves the loaf 64 to the left in FIG. 7 onto the supporting member 70 in its lowered position, the arms 73 and 74 will be in their separated or dotted line position, as shown in FIG. 1, and the loaf will readily move into position between the arms 73 and 74 into the position shown in FIG. 19. At the time that this lmovement takes place, the depending end 68 of the Wrapping material will be drawn in under the loaf between the plate 70 and the loaf 64, into the position relative to the loaf shown at 87 in FIG. 19.
  • the arm 74 which may be referred to as a tucker, acts as a folding member to fold a portion of the wrapper projecting from one end of the loaf, as shown at 88 in FIG. 19.
  • the portion 87 of the wrapper that is under the loaf is also folded over as shown at 89 by the arm 74, which, ⁇ as will be obvious from FIG. 19, has a rectangular portion 90 that engages the wrapper.
  • the arm 73 is al-so narrower th-an the arm 74 and has a downwardly inclined edge portion 93 that provides a downwardly projecting enlargement 94 between the cutaway portion 91 and the downwardly inclined portion 93.
  • the action of the portions 91 and 92 of the a-rm 73, in movement of the loaf 64 onto the supporting member 70 and into engagement with said arm 73, will cause the projecting end 95 of the wrapping material to be pushed downwardly below the top of the loaf at the upper side of the projecting portion of the wrapper and the Wrapping material 95 will 'be pushed somewhat inwardly toward the free edge of the portion 87 that is located under the loaf, as shown in FIG. 19.
  • the arm 73 thus acts as a guide to support and position the adjacent end of the loaf to maintain the proper positioning thereof while permitting the wrapper to extend outwardly therefrom as illustrated in FIGURE 22.
  • one pair of the pusher members 35 reaches the position at which the roller 46 on the arm 48, associated with said pair of pusher members, engages the straight portion 52 of the guide bar 47 where the downwardly curved portion 5I joins said straight portion 62, and said pusher members 35 will engage the loaf 64 to move it from the supporting member 70, to the right in FIG. 7, or to the left in FIG 5.
  • the loaf will first pass over a roller 102, which .is mounted for free rotation about its axis on the frame and then onto the table portion 33, which has a depending flange 103 adjacent the roller 102. This movement draws the wrapper tightly around the loaf so as to closely conform to the cross sectional contour thereof.
  • the end of the wrapper moves into engagement with a vertically extending guide plate 104, which has a suitable electrical heating element 105 and a curved guide ange 106 provided on the outer face thereof.
  • Said guide plate has a curved edge portion 107, a straight bottom edge 108 and an upwardly inclined rear edge 109.
  • a guide plate 110 is mounted in longitudinal alignment with the guide plate 104 and has a suitable electrical heating element 111 mounted on the outer face thereof and has an upwardly inclined forward edge 112 and an inclined guide flange 112 extending along said edge 112, as well as a straight bottom edge 113 engaging with the top of the t-able 33.
  • the edge 108 of the guide plate 104 being spaced from the top of the table member 33, provides a horizontal slot 114 between the same and the top of the table 33, while the spaced inclined edges 112 and 109 provide an upwardly :inclined slot 115 between the same.
  • the end of the length of wrapping material that has been cut off from the main body of wrapping material 66 hangs down on the side of the loaf 64 that is forward as the loaf is pushed onto the table portion 33, this depending portion of the wrapper being shown at 116 in FIG. 21.
  • the extremity thereof will be dragged under the loaf on the under side of the end portion 87 of the wrapper, as shown at 117 in FIG. 2l, as the loaf moves onto the table portion 33.
  • a portion of the wrapper will thus be projecting outwardly from the loaf and will gradually be folded into the position thereof shown in FIG. 23 at 118, the portions 89 and 118 projecting from the loaf, as will be obvious from FIG. 23.
  • the bottom portions 87 and 117 provide the overlapped seam at the bottom of the loaf and heating elements 120 and 121 on the under side of the table portion 33, are located as may be found desirable and provided in any number desired, to provide the desired heating and resulting sealing action of the overlapped seam -on the under side of the loaf.
  • the other end of the wrapper As the loaf 64 with the wrapper around it as shown in FIG. 19, moves away from the arms 73 and 74 over the roller 102 and onto the table portion 33, the other end of the wrapper, which is not to be sealed, has assumed the position shown in FIG. with the projecting portion 95 thereof having a somewhat tubular shape and having been depressed somewhat on the upper side thereof by means of the arm 73 with the portions 87 and 117 on the lower side thereof in overlapped relation as shown in FIG. 20. While the guide plates 104 and 110 will conne the one end of the loaf so as to hold the slices in their proper side by side relationship as the loaf leaves the arm 74, means must also be provided for confining the other end of the loaf that has the portion 95 of the wrapper projecting therefrom.
  • Said means comprises an upper guide bar 122, which is provided with an offset 123 therein to provide an outer end portion 124 thereon, which is upwardly and outwardly olfset from the main body portion 122 of the guide bar and with which a guide plate 125 having an upwardly curved end portion 126 cooperates, said guide plate being mounted on a bracket 127 having a vertical shaft 128 provided thereon for mounting the plate 125 for adjustment about the axis of said member 128, a suitable clamping member 129 being provided on the plate 125 for securing the plate in adjusted position on the bracket 127.
  • the shaft 128 is also vertically adjustable in the eye 130 provided on the end of the bracket 127, so that the plate 125 can be adjusted to the desired position to guide the wrapper into engagement with suitable guiding means, and the end of the loaf from which the wrapper portion projects into engagement with the guide bar 122, as the loaf is moved from the supporting member 70 onto the table portion 33.
  • the end portion 124 of the guide bar 122 and the guide plate 125 are located above the arm 73 when the loaf is on the supporting member 70 in its raised, dotted line position, as shown in FIG. 7.
  • a lower guide rod 131 Cooperating with the upper guide rod 122 is a lower guide rod 131, which has an inclined upper edge 132 providing a tapered end portion 133 thereon, which terminates closely adjacent the top surface of the table portion 33 at the end thereof adjacent the roller 102 and serves to guide the lower portions 117 and 87 of the projecting wrapper portion 95 upwardly from the level of the top of the table 33.
  • the guide bars 122 and 131 are mounted on a plurality of horizontally extending bracket arms 134 and 135, that are mounted on vertically extending bracket members 136, which are mounted for vertical adjustment on the brackets 137 by means of the headed fastening element 138 on the bracket member 137 that extends through a slot 139 in the bracket member 136.
  • the guide members 140 and 141 are made of small rods or wires. Said guide members 140 will thus extend in parallelism to the guide member 122 and in horizontal alignment therewith and the guide members 141 will extend in parallelism to the guide member 131 and in horizontal alignment therewith, said guide members 140 and 141 being located laterally outwardly from the guide members 122 and 131, respectively.
  • Transverse bracing members 142 are also provided between the guide members 140 and 141 between the bracket arms 134 and 135.
  • the guide members 122 and 131 along with the guide members 140 and 141 can be adjusted so as to vary the vertical position thereof with respect to the top of the table portion 33.
  • Said guide members are mounted on the bracket members 136 and 137 so that the guide member 122 inclines downwardly from the end thereof having the guide plate 125 associated therewith and the guide member 131 inclines upwardly from the end 133 thereof, said guide members 122 and 131 and the guide members 140 and 141 thus gradually approaching each other in a direction away from the ends thereof at which the wrapper portion 95 rst engages therewith.
  • the loaf as it is moved along the table portion 33 by means of the pusher members 35, to the end thereof adjacent the table portion 34, is confined between the guide bars 122 and 131 at one end and the guide plate at the other end thereof.
  • the other end 95 of the wrapper is being gradually gathered together in a attened somewhat oval form, as shown in FIG. 13.
  • the portion 95 of the wrapper extends outwardly from the loaf 64, as shown in FIG.
  • a longitudinal plate-like frame member 54 is provided in outwardly transversely spaced relation to the guide plates 145 and 146.
  • Transverse braces 55 are provided for properly spacing the guide rods 147 and 14S, said transverse braces 55 being fixed to said guide rods 147 and 14S and extending between the guide plates 145 and 146 and the longitudinal frame member 54.
  • Said transverse bracing members 55 are secured rigidly in fixed position to said guide plates 145 and 146 and the frame member 54.
  • the guide plates 145 and 146 have inclined edge portions 56 and 57 thereon and straight parallel edge po-rtions 58 and 59 extending from the inclined entrance edges 56 and 57, thus providing a gradually narrowing slot 6i) between said guide plate 145 and 146 at the entrance end thereof leading to the narrow slot defined by the edges 53 and 59 thereof.
  • the end of the guide rod 122 extends under the downwardly inclined edge 56 of the gu-ide plate 145 and the guide rod 131 extends slightly beyond the guide rod 122 and over the upwardly inclined edge 57 of the guide plate 146.
  • the guide rods or wires 147 and 148 extend substantially parallel to the bottom and top edges, respectively, of the guide plates 145 and 146, except that the lower guide members 148 have portions 184 that overlap the end portion of the guide rod 131 and align therewith, said guide member 131 having a tapered extremity 135.
  • the extending portion 95 of the wrapper will thus be guided into the tapering slot 66 and into the narrow passage therefor provided between the parallel edges 58 and 59 of the guide plates 145 and 146.
  • rollers 147 and v148 Cooperating with the guide rods 147 and v148 are grooved friction rollers of yieldable material 153 and 154, the rollers 153 receiving the rods or wires 147 in the grooves 155 thereof and the rollers 154 receiving the rods or wires 148 in the grooves 156 thereof. Said rollers are rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3. Also cooperating with the guide rods 147 and 148 are grooved metal rollers 157 and 158, which are provided with the grooves 159 and 160 receiving the wires or rods 147 and 148, respectively, and rotating in the directions indicated by the arrows in PEG. 3.
  • rollers 153 and 154 which are of resilient gripping material, such as rubber, is to align the extended portions 95 of the wrappers with the end centers of loaves 64 so that the same will be centered relative to the longitudinal axis of the loaf. Due to the fact that the loaf is being positively moved forwardly along the table portions 33 and 34 by the pusher members 35, and because of the frictional engagement of the wrapper portion 95 with the guide members 122, 131, 145, 141, 145, 146, 147 and 148, the extended portion 95 of the wrapper will lag behind the loaf 64.
  • rollers 153 and 154 are rotated at a higher peripheral speed than the speed of forward movement of .the loaf on the table portion 34. It will also be noted that the peripheries of the rollers 153 and 154 project toward each other beyond .the guide rods 147 and 148 to thus positively grip the extended portion 95 of the wrapper between them.
  • a motor 161 (see FIGS. 2 and 8), which is provided with a sprocket wheel fast on the shaft 162 thereof that drives the sprocket chain 163 in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 8.
  • the sprocket chain 163 operates over a sprocket 186 xed on the shaft 164, which also has a gear 165 mounted thereon to rotate therewith, that meshes with the gear 166 that is fixed on the shaft 167.
  • the shafts 164 and 167 rotate, in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 8, at the same speed.
  • the shafts 167 and 164 have the rollers 153 and 154 mounted thereon to rotate therewith.
  • the size of the sprockets and the rate of rotation of the shaft 162 is such that the shafts 164 and 167 rotate at such a speed that the peripheral speed of the rollers 153 and 154 wil-l be considerably greater than the rate of travel of the sprocket chain 40, which carries the pus-her members 35 lengthwise of the table portions 33 and 34.
  • a sprocket 168 which meshes with the lower run of the sprocket chain 40, is mounted on the shaft 169 to rotate therewith, and a sprocket 170 is also mounted on the shaft 169 to rotate therewith, the sprocket chain 171 extending over the sprocket 170 and being driven in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 8.
  • the sprocket chain 171 operates over a sprocket 137 that is xed on the shaft 172, on which the gear 173 is also mounted to rotate therewith, the gear 173 meshing with a gear 174 on a stub shaft 175.
  • the shafts 172 and 174 have the rollers 157 and 158 mounted thereon to rotate therewith.
  • the sprocket drive means for the shaft 172 - is of such a character that the peripheral speed of the rollers 157 and 158 at their peripheries 176 and 177 is approximately that of the speed of the sprocket chains 40. It will be noted, upon reference to FIG. 3, that the peripheral portions 176 and 177 of said rollers are quite close together, where the guide rods 147 ⁇ and 148 pass through the grooves 159 yand 160 ⁇ of said rollers, projecting considerably -inwardly toward each other beyond said guide rods 147 and 148, thus pressing the projecting portion of the wrapper 95 into a quite flattened shape, this flattened condition of the projecting portion 95 of the wrapper being shown clearly in FIGS. 15 and 16.
  • a pair yof upstanding brackets 178 is provided on the frame 30, said brackets each having a screw-threaded opening therein closely receiving the screw-threaded portion 179 of a mounting member 180, which is mounted for rotation but against endwise movement in the guide plate 181.
  • Said guide plate has an outwardly curved entrance end 182 and is adjusted by means of the hand wheel 183 toward and away from the guide plates 145 and 146, the guide plate 181 being preferably adjusted to a position such that the end of the loaf that has the projecting end of the wrapper portion 95 will be kept in close engagement with the g-uide plates 145 and 146.
  • the plates 164, and 181 (in conjunction with tucker 74 and folding plate 96) thu-s cooperate to form abutment means extending lengthwise of the loaf conveyor, which abutment means includes the means to fold and seal one end of the package and also positions that folded and sealed end.
  • Said abutment means cooperates with the guiding surfaces on ar-rn 73, the bars 122 and 133, and plates and 146 that face said abut-ment means to confine the loaf between said guiding surfaces and abutment means.
  • sprocket wheels 188 and 189 Mounted on the shafts 172 and 175 are sprocket wheels 188 and 189, with which the spr-ocket chains 190 and 191 engage (see FIG. 27).
  • the bell crank levers 194 and 195 Mounted on the guide plates 145 and 146 on pivot members 192 and 193 are the bell crank levers 194 and 195.
  • a spring connects the one arm of each bell crank lever with the guide plate upon which it is pivotally mounted to urge the bell crank lever 194 about the pivot 192 in a counter-clockwise direction and the bell crank lever 1915 about the pivot 193 in a clockwise direction, the spring attached to the bell crank lever 194 being indicated by the numeral 196 and the spring attached to the bell cran-k lever 195 by the numeral 197.
  • stub shafts 198 and 199 mounted on which the sprockets 200 and 201 are mounted, the sprocket chain 109 extending around the sprocket 200 and the sprocket chain 191 extending around the sprocket 201.
  • the ⁇ action of the springs 196 and 197 is to urge the sprockets 200 and 201 toward each other, and thus the sprocket chains 190 and 191 toward each other into close gripping engagement and with the extending end 95 of the wrapper.
  • Said sprocket chains 190 and 191 will be traveling at substantially the peripheral speed of the rollers 157 and 158 and will thus engage with the extending end 95 of the wrapper to carry it along at the same rate as the bread loaf 64 after the extended end portion 95 of the wrapper has been aligned with the longitudinal center of the loaf by means of the rollers 153 and 154, and this action of the chains 190 and 191 will continue until the peripheries of the rollers 157 and 158 engage with the extending portion of the wrapper 95 to carry it toward the left in FIG. 3 to the twisting mechanism.
  • a hollow shaft 202 is mounted in a bearing 203 provided on the frame member 54 and is provided with a gear 204 mounted to rotate therewith, which meshes with a gear 205 mounted on a shaft 206, said shaft being mounted in a bearing 207 on the frame member 54. Said shaft 206 is driven at intervals through mechanism to be described below.
  • the hollow shaft 202 has the twisting member 208 mounted thereon to rotate therewith, said twisting member 208 being provided with a hollow boss 209, in which the end of the shaft 202 is secured in liquid tight relation against relative rotation and against endwise movement.
  • the bearing member 203 is a thrust bearing and is of such a character that the end face 210 of the boss 209 will be slightly spaced from the frame member 54.
  • the twisting member 208 is of a substantially U- shaped character having a pair of hollow arms 211 and 212 ⁇ and a hollow connecting portion 213, the arms 211 and 212 terminating in end portions 214 and 215.
  • the cross sectional shape of the end portions 214 and 215 is shown in FIGS. 16 and 18, said portions extending toward each other and terminating in flanges 216 and 217 that extend longitudinally of the twisting member forming portions of the clamping jaws of said twisting member extending longitudinally of the machine.
  • plates 218 and 219 Cooperating with the flanges 216 and 217 are plates 218 and 219 that are secured to the flanges 216 and 217, respectively, by suitable securing elements to clam-p the marginal portions 220 and 221 of flexible members 222 and 223 fluid tight between the flanges 216 and the plate 218 and between the flanges 217 and the plate 219.
  • the plates 218 and 219 have central openings 224 and 225 therein to provide communication between the passages 226 and 227, in the hollow body portion of the twisting member 20S, and the interior of the flexible members 222 and 223.
  • a fluid tight swivel coupling 228 connects the hollow shaft 202 with a flexible compressed air conduit 229, to which air under pressure is supplied by a suitable valve, which is provided with controlling means for supplying the air under pressune at proper intervals thereto so that the flexible members 222 and 223 will be inflated into the position shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 from the position shown in FIGS. 15 and 16.
  • the opening 230 existing between the inflatable members 222 and 223, comprising the gripping jaws of the twisting member, is in alignment with the opening between the guide members 147 and 148 at the discharge end thereof, when the twisting member is in wrapper receiving position, so that the extending end of the wrapping material can readily pass between said jaws as will be obvious from FIGS. 15 and 16.
  • the loaf 64 will be in close contact with the guide plates and 146 with the extended portion of the wrapper 95 extending through the slot between the bottom edge 58 of the guide plate 145 and the top edge 59 of the guide plate 146 at this time.
  • the extended portion 95 of the wrapper will be squeezed together, as indicated at 95', between the then closed gripping jaws 222 and 223 to firmly hold the extended wrapping material 95 between said jaws.
  • the shaft 167 has a sprocket 231 mounted thereon to rotate therewith, over which the sprocket chain 323 operates, which also operates over a sprocket 233 provided on a clutch mechanism 234, which is of such a character that it rotates the shaft 207 one complete revolution for each time that the clutch 234 is thrown into driving position.
  • Suitable controlling means for the clutch is provided so that it will be actuated 4to drive the shaft 206 at such a time that the extending end portion 95 of a wrapper of a bread loaf 64 will be in position between the gripping jaws 222 and 223 and said jaws will have been inflated to grip the extended end 95 of the wrapping material.
  • locking fingers 235 and 236 are provided that have hub portions 237 and 238 that are freely rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 239 extending from the frame member 54.
  • the finger 235 cooperates with the cam mem-ber 240 mounted on the shaft 206 in fixed position.
  • the shaft 206 is connected with the output side of clutch 234, said clutch being of such a character that when the shaft 206 is held against rotation the clutch will disengage.
  • the holding finger 235 has a nose portion 242 thereon, providing a right angular stop shoulder 243 (see FIG. l0).
  • the cam 240 has a high portion 244 that terminates in a right angular shoulder 245, with which the shoulder 243 engages to limit rotation of the shaft 206 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 10.
  • a disk 241 is mounted on shaft 246 to rotate therewith (see FIG. 32). Said disk has fa slot 338 therein, which is engaged by a depending locking portion 339 on the locking finger 236, -that fits the slot 338 closely.
  • the disk 241 is adjustable relative to the gear 205 by means of headed fastening element 350 screw-threadedly engaging in an opening in the gear 205 and engaging in an arcuate slot 341 inthe disk 241.
  • Means for lifting the holding fingers 235 and 236 to permit rotation of the shaft 206 and the gear 205 comprising a plunger 246, which is actuated by a piston in the compressed air cylinder 247 to project the plunger 246 upwardly against the under side of the finger 235 to lift the same up sufficiently to disengage the shoulder 243 on the finger 235 from the shoulder 245 on the cam.
  • the hub 238 of the finger 235 has a lateral projection 336 thereon engaging ⁇ a shoulder 337 on the hub 237 to lift the finger 236 along with the finger 235 to disengage

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)

Description

July l2, 1966 D. w. ENocH r-:TAL 3,260,031
LOAF PACKAGING MACHINE IN VEN TOR DURD WI ENOC'h' CLARENCE KIEFFAEER CRL C PERKINS' JI?. ROGER J SC'HBEDE'R MERLIN A. STCKE'LBER a 6 W gw 7 ATTORNEY July 12, 1966 D, w. r-:NocH ETAL 3,260,031
LOAF PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 29, 1963 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2
INVENTOR DUARD W ENOC'H CLRENCE A4 KIE'FFBER CARL C.' PERKINS JR, ROGER J SCHROEDER MERLIN STICKE'LBER A T TORNE Y July l2, 1966 n. w. ENOCH Em. 3,250,031
LOAF PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 29, 1963 15 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR DUARD m ENocH CLARENCE A. KJEFFABER Fl' 5 255 CARL c! PERKINS JR. .9' ROGER di SCHEDE/7M MERLIN A. ,S'TJC'KELBER A TTORNEY July l2, 1966 D, w. ENocH ETAL 3,260,031
LOAF PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 29. 1963 15 Sheets-Sheet 4 nu Lum IHN 20@ VENTOR 24o DUARD wf ENocH CLARENC'E A. KJEFFABER 0.4121. c. PERKINS JR, ROGER J 501112051953 MERLIN A. sTfc'KELER J TTORNE'Y July 12, 1966 D. w. l-:NocH ETAL 3,260,031
LOAF PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 29, 1963 13 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN ToR DUARD W ENocH @LARENUE A. KIEFFABER @ARL c'. PEMJNS JR. 7 l ROGER J SCHROEDER g' MERLIN A. STJCKELBER TTORNE'Y July 12 1966 D. w. ENocH ETAL 3,260,031
LOAF PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 29, 1963 13 Sheets-Sheet 6 270 INVEA/Toza DURD W ENOC'H CLARENCE A. KJEFFBER C'RL C'. PERKINS JR. RUGER J SC'HROEDER Fig 9 MERLIN A. STIC/(FLEET ATTORNEY July 12, 1966 D. w. ENocH ETAL 3,260,031
LOAF PACKAGING MACHINE l5 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Jan. 29, 1963 Q) .mi E?? www5@ Y m f TNWN W NEzmRK/v@ EWKRHM O V A507@ 7 mp PS3 T RmaJ A MN RA Dmmm AMOL m if M5 h (mw @KN MVN www mwN mmm MMM FGW July 12, 1966 D. w. ENocH ETAL 3,260,031
LOAF PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 29, 1963 13 Sheets-Sheet 8 459 505 /45 5/5 4&0
459 4&0
IN VEN TGR DUARD W ENOC'H CLARENCE KE'FFBER CARL CZ PERKINS JR. ROGER J SCHROEDEE MERLIN STCKELEE'R ATTORNEY July l2, 1966 D, w. ENocH ETAL 3,260,031
LOAF PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 29, 1963 13 Sheets-Sheet 9 2 i /22/40 /40 /40 LQ* A A /55L 7 /35 T95 2L- Fig. 15 (35 INVENTOR W W X7 .Dz/ARR W E11/och* ,5, /4/ /4/ /4/ CLARENCE A. KJEFFRER FM4, CARL c'. PERKINS JR. ROGER J SUHROEDER MERLIN A. STJCKELBER Fag. 14 f1 @W5-ri July 12, 1966 D. w. ENocH ETAL 3,260,031
LOAF PACKAGING MACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Jan. 29, 1963 FzgZ- INVENTOR f DURD W ENOCH CLARENCE KEFFBER C'BL C.' PERKINS' JR.
ROGER I SCHROEDE'R MERLIN STIC'ELEER y 429ML ATTORNEY July 12, 1966 D, w. ENocH ETAL. 3,260,031
LOQF PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 29, 1963 13 Sheets-Sheet 1l eef INVENTOR /5/ DURD W ENOCH CLARENCE KIEFFBER C'ARL C. PERKINS JI?.
u y ROGEJZJSCHROEJJER 249 MERLIN .4. .sT/@KEMER United States Patent O m '3,260,031 LOAF PACKAGING MACHINE Duard W. Enoch, Kansas City, Mo., Clarence A. Kieffaber, Overland Park, Carl C. Perkins, Jr., Prairie Village, and Roger J. Schroeder, Overland Park, Kans., and Merlin A. Stickelber, Kansas City, Mo., assignors to Interstate Bakeries Corporation, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 254,749 11 Claims. (Cl. 5.3-76) Our invention relates to bread loaf packaging machines, and more particularly to a machine for packaging a sliced loaf of bread.
More specifically our invention relates to a machine for packaging a sliced loaf of bread in such a way that the package can be easily opened and reclosed at one end thereof when desired, for the removal of slices from the package, and reclosure of the package, and even for replacement of some ofthe removed slices in the package and reclosure thereof, should this be desired. In order to provide such a package, the machine is designed to fold and seal the wrapper at one end of the package in the usual manner and to overlap the wrapping material extending around the loaf and seal it on the bottom side of the loaf in the usual manner, but to avoid sealing the other end of the package at the other end of the loaf, the breaking of which seal results in the tearing of the wrapper so that it can no longer be tightly closed, and provide a removable and replaceable closure at that end of the package, by contracting the extended wrapping material at that end of the loaf so that a tie can be applied thereto, preferably by gathering said extended wrapping material and twisting it on itself, and tying the twisted wrapper closely adjacent the loaf, so as to make the package air tight, with a tie that is capable of being repeatedly twisted into package closing position and untwisted to open the package.
The wrapping of sliced bread has resulted in considerable diliiculty being encountered in opening and reclosing the package by the user of the sliced bread, contained in the usual package in which the sliced bread is put up for selling, which is `ordinarily a wrapper of heat sealing material, such as parain or waxed paper, thermoplastic sheet material, or other transparent heat sealing wrapping material. In the ordinary manner of preparing the package, the sheet material, such as waxed paper, or other thermoplastic transparent sheet material, that is heat sealed, is folded over at the ends of the loaf and the overlapped plies sealed so as to completely seal and enclose the package at the ends of the loaf, and the package is provided with a longitudinal overlap along the bottom of the loaf to provide an overlapped seam, at the bottom of the loaf, which is also heat sealed. When such a package is opened by breaking the seal at one end thereof and some of the slices of the bread removed, it is impossible, unless a very large amount of the bread is removed, to again close up the package so as to prevent drying out of the slices of bread that remain in the package, because of damage to the wrapper or because, even if the wrapper is not torn, there is insufficient material at the opened end of the package to tightly close it again manually.
Our improved machine provides a package for a sliced loaf of bread that will permit closure of the package that has yonce been opened, so that any slices of bread that may have been removed, that it may be desired to replace, can be replaced therein, and which will be capable of being closed air tight, or substantially air tight, even when only a few slices have been removed, or if no slices have been removed, it being possible to open one end thereof and reclose the package to its original condition 3,260,031 Patented July l2, 1966 under any and all conditions. While sliced bread has been packaged in plastic film bags that had such a removable and replaceable closure, this had to be done manually and the sliced bread in the package became disarranged because it was loosely positioned in the bag.
Our improved packaging machine provides a sliced bread loaf package that has a wrapper of heat sealing material that is wrapped transversely around the loaf tightly so that the wrapper conforms to the shape of the loaf and which has its longitudinal edges overlapped and the overlapping portions sealed to each other with the wrapper closely conforming to the shape of the loaf, and in which one end of the wrapping material is folded on itself and sealed in position against one end of the loaf, while the other end of the wrapper extends far enough beyond the other end of the loaf that it is gathered together and twisted and a tie placed around the same so as to tightly close that end of the package, which tie can be removed so that access can be had to the interior of the wrapper to remove any number of slices of bread therefrom, and either replace some of them or merely replace the heel on the loaf, or replace none of the removed bread, and again close the package by means of the tie member by manually twisting the wrapping material and replacing the tie member tightly around the twisted wrapper closely adjacent the end of the loaf, so that the slices will all stand up in the package in their usual side by side, face to face relationship in longitudinal alignment with each other. This is possible because the wrapper corresponds in shape to the corresponding portion of the loaf around which it was wrapped, whereby each part of the package will tit closely the slice that was located in that part of the package at the time the package was formed. As the machine twists the extended portion of the wrapper tightly to a point closely adjacent the end of the loaf on which the package is not folded and sealed, the wrapper is tightened closely around the sliced loaf at that end of the package and the sliced loaf will stand up in the package duri-ng handling from the time it leaves the packaging machine until received by the purchaser and transported to the place of use thereof.
It is a purpose of our invention to provide .a bread loaf packaging machine that is provided with means for wrapping a length of wrapping material wider than the length of the loaf around the loaf with the ends of the material overlapping under the loaf and with the overlapped wrapping material extending beyond both ends of the loaf, means for folding the extended wrapping material against one end of the loaf and sealing the folded material at that end of the loaf, as well as means for sealing the overlapped ends of the wrapping material on the under side of the loaf, the wrapping material extending from the end of the loaf that is not sealed, being longer than that at the sealed end of the package, and means being provided for gathering together and twisting on itself this extended wrapping material and applying a tie member thereto, closely adjacent the other end of the loaf.
In our machine, the folding means and sealing means for closing the bottom and the one end of the package are of the usual character, and the extended unsealed end of the wrapping material is acted on to begin the gathering operation, during the folding and sealing operat-ions of the machine for the end and bottom of the package. In folding the material at one end of the package an arm is ordinarily utilized for doi-ng some of the folding, which arm also holds one end of the loaf so that the slices will not become separated. A similar arm, modified for the purposes of this machine, is provided for engagement with the other end of the loaf to also hold up that end of the loaf and prevent the slices from becoming separated. This last mentioned arm is utilized for directing the extended wrapping material that is to be twisted, into guideways, that are provided for gradually bringing the tubular extended portion of the wrapper together into a substantially flattened tubular form, for presentation to the twisting mechanism.
Our invention further includes means for maintaining the sliced loaf in position with all of the slices of the loaf in face to face engagement with each other from the beginning of the wrapping operation until the twisting of l the extended portion of the wrapper is done, said means comprising a guide member engaging the sealed end of the package and guiding means for the other end of the package, comprising a pair of guide rods that engage the extended end of the wrapper in close adjacency to the end of the loaf from which the wrapper extends, to hold said wrapper closely against said end of the loaf and to support the sliced loaf between these guide rods and the guide member that engages the sealed end of the loaf. The guide members that are at the extending end of the wrapper, are of such a character that the same engage the extended portion of the wrapping material at spaced points, said guiding means comprising parallel guide members that are parallel to the above referred to guide rods, and are located laterally outwardly from the guide rods. Said guiding means comprises upper and lower guide members that gradually converge toward the twisting mechanism, so as to bring the wrapping material gradually together in a flattened form,with the upper portion of the tubular extension of the wrapper being brought into close adjacency with the lower portion thereof.
In a bread wrapping machine it is customary to provide pusher members that push the loaves during the wrapping and sealing operations over a table, or tables, and these pusher members are utilized for moving the loaf in its partially wrapped condition, from the wrapping station at one end of the machine to the twisting station, where the twisting means is located. Due to the flexibility of the material used for wrapping the package and the fact that this material does not contain any bread at the extended end thereof, and frictionally engages with the Vguide members as it slides along the same, the tendency is for the extended portion of the wrapper to lag behind the loaf and not travel in longitudinal alignment with the loaf around which the major portion of the wrapper extends. As it is necessary that this extended portion of the wrapper be in substantially central axial alignment with the wrapped loaf, when the twisting operation is performed, in order that the twisted wrapper be properly formed and that it be located in the middle of the end of the loaf that is provided with the detachable closure means, means is provided for lining up the extended portion of the wrapper with the remainder thereof` that is around the loaf, comprising grooved friction rollers, in the grooves of which the guide members for the wrapper extend, which friction rollers rotate at a higher peripheral speed than the forward speed of the loaf, due to the action of the pusher members, whereby the alignment of the extended portion of the wrapper with the loaf is restored. In order that this relationship between the extended portion of the wrapper and the loaf be maintained, rollers are provided between the fri-ction rollers and the twisting mechanism for conveying the extended portion of the wrapper into the twisting mechanism and flattening the wrapper in a horizontal plane.
Our invention further comprises twisting mechanism for the extended end of the wrapper, comprising a pair of jaws, elongated lengthwise of the machine, that are mounted for rotation about an axis transverse to the length thereof, said jaws being provided with inflatable members for clamping the extended wrapping material between the same, and means for rotating said jaws about said axis a plurality of times in order to provide the desired twist in the extended portion of the wrapping material, said means for rotating the jaws being provided with a suitable controlling mechanism whereby the twistupwardly from the twisted end of the wrapper.
lthe tie member around the twisted wrapper.
ing operation is not begun until the loaf is in proper position, with the extended wrapping material between the jaws, and the jaws have been inflated to close the same and clamp the wrapping material therebetween, the means for controlling the rotation of the jaws being of such a character that the rotation of the jaws will be halted with the jaws in such a position that the same will have the opening between the jaws in alignment with the guiding means for the extended wrapping material leading to the twisting mechanism.
Our invention further includes means for applying a tie member to the twisted wrapper that extends from the loaf, after the twisting operation has been completed, comprising means for feeding tie materiaLwhich is in the form of a continuous length, onto a pair of spaced supporting members providing a gap between the same, cutting off a length of said material after it has reached this position, and then applying this tie member to the twisted extended portion of the wrapper. The twisted extended portion of the wrapper itself is used for bending the tie member therearound in a U-form with the legs of the U extended In order to accomplish this, the supporting means for the cut-off length of tie member is mounted to move between a position below the axis of rotation of the twisting member into a position above the axis of rotation thereof and is provided with a recessed die member movable therewith cooperative with said twisted wrapper, and the operation thereof is controlled so that this movement takes place after the twisting operation has been completed.
Means is provided in cooperation with the supporting means for the tie members, and located above the upper position thereof, for twisting the upwardly extending legs of the tie member about each other so as to tightly secure The tie member is preferably made up of a flat band of plastic material in which a plurality of substantially parallel ductile wires are embedded, and the wrapper is preferably made of a film that will easily twist into the form desired, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Any highly flexible film material is suitable for wrapping the loaf.
It is a further purpose of our invention to provide means for controlling the sequence of operations of the wrapper twisting, tie applying and tie twisting means comprising a plurality of circuit controlling cams, which are continuously rotated, but which are inoperative to supply electrical energy to the controlling circuits that operate these various devices in sequence until the wrapped loaf has reached the location at which the twisting and tying operations are carried out, the controlling means comprising switching means engaged by the wrapped loaf, when it reaches the above referred to location, and switching means actuated by one of the cams, both of which switching means have to be closed before the other cams will be effective to energize the various controlling circuits for carrying out the sequence of operations in their proper order.
Other objects and advantages of our invention will appear as the description of the drawings proceeds. We desire to lhave it understood, however, that we do not intend to limit ourselves to the particular details shown or described, except as defined by the claims.
In the drawings:
FIG. l is a top plan view partly broken away of our improved loaf packaging machine.
FIG. 2 is atop plan view of the portion of the machine at which the wrapper twisting and tying operations are carried out and adjacent portions thereof, on an enlarged scale, the loaf conveying means being omitted.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View partly in elevation and partly in vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary Vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view partly in Vertical section and partly in elevation, taken on the line 5 5 of FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale, showing the loaf supporting means in down position in full lines and in elevated position in dotted lines.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 6 6 of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale.
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 7 7 of FIG. 1, showing the loaf supporting means in full lines in down position and in dotted lines in elevated position.
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale, partly broken away, taken on the line 8 8 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 9 9 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section taken on the line N lt) of FIG. 2.
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, on a slightly enlarged scale, taken on the line Il ll of FIG. 2.
FIG. l2 is a fragmentary elevational view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 12 12 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 13 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational View taken on the line 13 13 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 14 is a fragmentary view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation taken on the line 14-14 of FIG. 13.
FIG. 15 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of the twisting mechanism, showing the clamping jaws in uninflated condition.
FIG. 16 is a section taken on the line 16 16 of FIG. 15.
FIG. 17 is a view similar to FIG. 15, showing the clamping jaws in inflated condition.
FIG. 18 is a section taken on the line 18-18 of FIG. 17.`
FIG. 19 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the first step in folding the folded and sealed end of the wrapper and the corresponding position of the holding and guiding arm for the open end of the wrapper.
FIG. 20 is a fragmentary perspective View of the open end of the wrapper prior to engagement with the guiding means therefor.
FIG. 21 is a similar view, as viewed from the other end of the wrapper, and showing the second folding operation at the folded end of the wrapper.
FIG. 22 is a view similar to FIG. 20, but showing a further advanced position of the parts.
FIG. 23 is a View similar to FIG. 21, showing the partially folded wrapper approaching the guide member with which the folded end of the package engages.
FIG. 24 is a fragmentary perspective view of the folded and sealed end of the package after the folding and sealing has been completed.
FIG. 25 is a similar view of the twisted and tied end of the package after the packaging operation has been completed.
FIG. 26 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view taken on the line 26 26 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 27 is a similar view taken on the line 27 27 of FIG. 2. v
FIG. 28 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale through one of the guide plates.
FIG. 29 is a fragmentary detail view of the tie supporting slide in depressed position.
FIG. 30 is a similar view thereof in raised position.
FIG. 31 is a fragmentary plan view of the tie feeding means.
FIG. 32 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 32 32 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 33 is a fragmentary detail View partly in section on the line 33 33 of FIG. 30.
FIG. 34 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 6 34-34 of FIG. 1, certain portions of the switch operating mechanism being shown somewhat diagrammatically.
FIG. 35 is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view through a double acting solenoid valve.
FIG. 36 is a diagram of the operating circuit for the wrapper clamping and twisting means and the tie feeding and twisting means, and
FIG. 37 is a fragmentary detail view of the tie twisting member taken on the line 37-37 of FIG. 3.
Referring in detail to the drawings, our improved machine is shown as being provided with a frame 30 having at one end thereof the frame members 31 and 32. Mounted on the frame is a table having the portions 33 and 34 which are in longitudinal and horizontal alignment with each other. Said table forms a portion of a loaf conveyor, which includes pairs of pusher members 35, which are mounted on arms 36 extending from the sleeves 37 that are iixed on the transverse shafts 38 to rotate therewith. Said shafts 38 are mounted for rotation in suitable bearings in the ears 39 provided on certain of the links of the sprocket chains 40, which sprocket chains travel over guide bars 41 that extend longitudinally of the machine at the -sides of the table members 33 and 34 in upwardly spaced relation thereto. Also extending between the chains 40 in spaced relation to the shafts 38 are cross bars 42 and springs 43 having end portions 44 that hook around the cross bars 42 and coiled portions 45 extending around the shafts 38 and lixed at their coiled extremities to said shafts 38, said springs 43 operating to hold the rollers 46 in engagement with a guide bar 47, said rollers 46 being provided on the outer end of levers 48 that are keyed to the shafts 38.
The guide bar 47 is provided with a tapered end portion 49 and an upwardly curved portion 50, a' downwardly curved portion 51 and a straight portion 52, as will be obvious from FIG. 7, said straight portion 52 extending lengthwise of the machine to the end of the table portion 34 remote from the table portion 33, and, as shown in FIG. 1l, terminates in an upwardly curved portion 53 at the opposite end thereof from the end yof the guide bar 47 shown in FIG. 7. The sprocket chains 40 are driven in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIGS. 7, 8 and ll by means of a suitable driving means, not shown. The sprocket chains 40 operate over sprocket Wheels at opposite ends of the same. One of said sprocket wheels 61 is shown in FIG. 7, said sprocket wheel being mounted for rotation on the transverse shaft 62.
As the rollers 46 on the levers 48 engage the guide bar 47 at the upwardly curved end portion 53 thereof, the arms 36 and pusher members 35 will move from the dotted line position thereof shown in FIG. 11 into the upper dotted line position thereof shown in FIG. 7 traveling along relative to the upper runs of the sprocket chains 40, in the position shown in the upper portion of FIG. 7 until -the end 49 of the guide bar 47 is engaged by the roller 46 on -the lever 48 associated with a pair of said pusher ymembers 35 and arms 36. Upon engagement with the upwardly curved portion 50 of the guide bar 47 the arms 36 will gradually swing counter-clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 7, so that by the time the lower end of the downwardly curved portion 51 of the guide member is reached by the roller 46 the arms 36 will be swung to a position such thlat these arms will extend vertically downwardly and will continue in the lower dotted line position thereof shown in FIG. 7 along the entire straight portion 52 of the guide bar 47 until the upwardly curved portion 53 is reached.
The loaves that are to be wrapped, which are ordinarily sliced, are ordinarily fed from the slicing machine along a transverse track 63 by suitable conveying means which are common to machines of this character, and are not shown in the drawings. The loaf, indicated at 64 in FIG. 7, will have 'a somewhat inclined position om the tmack 63, being guided along the track by the upstanding flange 65 with which the loaf 64 engages. The usual wrapping mechanism provided in commercial bread wrapping machines, has a continuous length 66 of wrapping Imaterial of desired width fed to the same from a roll of said material and said continuous length or web of wrapping matetrial passes `over a guide noiller 67, which is located in approximately the position shown in FIG. 7 with respect to the loaf 64 when it reaches its final position for the commencement of the wrapping operation, with an end portion 68 of said wrapping material extending down over the loaf andbelow the top edge of the track 63 as shown in FIG. 7. Said commercial wrapping machines are ordinarily provided with ia pusher member 69, the operation of which is timed so that, after the loaf has reached the position shown in FIG. 1, said pusher member moves to the left sufficiently to push the loaf and the wrapping material engaged therewith onto a movable support 7i), which support is in the full line position shown in FIG. 7 at the time that this action takes place. Said supporting member 7? is in the form of a plate which has a reduced end portion 7i shown in FIG. l, that is mounted to pivot about the axis of the shaft 72 mounted on the frame members 3l. Arms 73 and 74 are mounted on the brackets 75, which brackets are also mounted to swing about the shaft 72 as an axis, along with the supporting member 70. Said brackets are provided with sleeves 76 that are mounted on the shaft 72 to turn thereon, and are further provided with bearing members 77 in which the pivot pins 78 are mounted, and with rollers 79 that operate between the flanges 80 of a chaneled guide bar mounted for limited movement transversely of the length thereof on the supporting member 70.
Mounted for rotation in suitable bearing members 81 on the frame members 31 is a shaft 82, which has oppositely threaded portions 83 thereon that have correspondingly screw-threaded sleeves 84 mounted thereon for adjustment toward and away from each other by rotation of the shaft 82. A cam portion 8S is provided on each of said sleeves 84, which cam portions engage with the bracket members 75. The cams 85 are provided with high portions that are engaged by the members 75 when the loaf supporting member 78 is in its down position, which is the full line position thereof shown in FIGS. and'7, such engagement causing a movement of the channeled guide member that has the side flanges 80, toward the left in FIG. l, and causing the brackets 75 to swing about the pivots 78 so that the arms 73 and 74 will have the dotted line position thereof shown in FIG. l. The arms are urged toward the full line position shown in FIG. 1 and the brackets 75 are urged toward the cams 85 by any suitable means, such as a coil spring, extending between the pivot pins about which the rollers 79 rotate, such a spring being shown at 86 in FIG. 1.
The conveyor 63 deposits the loaf 64 in such a position that it will be in transverse alignment with the space between arms 73 and 74 when it reaches its delivery position on the conveyor 63. Accordingly, when the pusher member 69 moves the loaf 64 to the left in FIG. 7 onto the supporting member 70 in its lowered position, the arms 73 and 74 will be in their separated or dotted line position, as shown in FIG. 1, and the loaf will readily move into position between the arms 73 and 74 into the position shown in FIG. 19. At the time that this lmovement takes place, the depending end 68 of the Wrapping material will be drawn in under the loaf between the plate 70 and the loaf 64, into the position relative to the loaf shown at 87 in FIG. 19. As the loaf with the wrapper partly around it moves onto the supporting member 70 the wrapper will be engaged by the arms 73 and 74. The arm 74, which may be referred to as a tucker, acts as a folding member to fold a portion of the wrapper projecting from one end of the loaf, as shown at 88 in FIG. 19. The portion 87 of the wrapper that is under the loaf is also folded over as shown at 89 by the arm 74, which, `as will be obvious from FIG. 19, has a rectangular portion 90 that engages the wrapper.
It is not desired to fold the other end of the wrapper that engages the arm 73, and the arm 73 is accordingly cut away as shown at 91 to provide a reduced end portion 92 thereon, which acts as holding or guide means for the end of the sliced loaf 64 that is adjacent the arm 73. The arm 73 is al-so narrower th-an the arm 74 and has a downwardly inclined edge portion 93 that provides a downwardly projecting enlargement 94 between the cutaway portion 91 and the downwardly inclined portion 93. The action of the portions 91 and 92 of the a-rm 73, in movement of the loaf 64 onto the supporting member 70 and into engagement with said arm 73, will cause the projecting end 95 of the wrapping material to be pushed downwardly below the top of the loaf at the upper side of the projecting portion of the wrapper and the Wrapping material 95 will 'be pushed somewhat inwardly toward the free edge of the portion 87 that is located under the loaf, as shown in FIG. 19. The arm 73 thus acts as a guide to support and position the adjacent end of the loaf to maintain the proper positioning thereof while permitting the wrapper to extend outwardly therefrom as illustrated in FIGURE 22.
Upon the loaf reaching a position in which it is confined completely between the arms 73 and 74 yand entirely supported by `the supporting plate 70 and the pusher member 69 moves away therefrom and the supporting member 70 is swung upwardly about the axis lof the shaft 72 by suitable operating means, which is ordinarily provided on the wrapping machine, moving to the dotted line position thereof shown in FIGS. 5 yand 6. The arms 73 and 74 are moved inwardly toward each other into the full line position as this movement of the supporting member '70 takes place. A stationary folding plate 96 is mounted on a support 97 extending from the frame member 31. As the supporting member 70 moves from the full line to the dotted line position thereof, or from its depressed to its elevated position, as shown in FIG. 5, with the rectangular folding portion 90 thereof between the folding plate 96 and the end of the loaf, the end of the wrapper which extends outwardly from the end of the loaf adjacent the member 74 is engaged by the folding member 96 to fold the upper portion of the wrapper downwardly, as shown at 98 in FIG. 2l, said folding plate 96 having a downwardly inclined edge portion 99 and an upwardly inclined edge portion extending to the extremity thereof, to thus provide a rounded downward projection 101 thereon, said inclined portion 100 and rounded portion 101 serving to fold the projecting end of the wrapper into the downwardly extending fold 98. During the upward movement of the supporting member 70 to the dotted line position thereof shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the wrapping material 66 is engaged with a cutter (not shown), which is so positioned that it cuts olf the desired length of the wrapper for extension completely around the loaf and to provide an overlapped seam on the under side of the loaf.
After the downward fold 98 has been made by the upward movement of the loaf along with the supporting member 70 into its dotted line position, one pair of the pusher members 35 reaches the position at which the roller 46 on the arm 48, associated with said pair of pusher members, engages the straight portion 52 of the guide bar 47 where the downwardly curved portion 5I joins said straight portion 62, and said pusher members 35 will engage the loaf 64 to move it from the supporting member 70, to the right in FIG. 7, or to the left in FIG 5. In such movement the loaf will first pass over a roller 102, which .is mounted for free rotation about its axis on the frame and then onto the table portion 33, which has a depending flange 103 adjacent the roller 102. This movement draws the wrapper tightly around the loaf so as to closely conform to the cross sectional contour thereof.
The end of the wrapper, that was engaged by the arm 74 and by the folding member 96, moves into engagement with a vertically extending guide plate 104, which has a suitable electrical heating element 105 and a curved guide ange 106 provided on the outer face thereof. Said guide plate has a curved edge portion 107, a straight bottom edge 108 and an upwardly inclined rear edge 109. A guide plate 110 is mounted in longitudinal alignment with the guide plate 104 and has a suitable electrical heating element 111 mounted on the outer face thereof and has an upwardly inclined forward edge 112 and an inclined guide flange 112 extending along said edge 112, as well as a straight bottom edge 113 engaging with the top of the t-able 33. The edge 108 of the guide plate 104, being spaced from the top of the table member 33, provides a horizontal slot 114 between the same and the top of the table 33, while the spaced inclined edges 112 and 109 provide an upwardly :inclined slot 115 between the same.
The end of the length of wrapping material that has been cut off from the main body of wrapping material 66 hangs down on the side of the loaf 64 that is forward as the loaf is pushed onto the table portion 33, this depending portion of the wrapper being shown at 116 in FIG. 21. The extremity thereof will be dragged under the loaf on the under side of the end portion 87 of the wrapper, as shown at 117 in FIG. 2l, as the loaf moves onto the table portion 33. A portion of the wrapper will thus be projecting outwardly from the loaf and will gradually be folded into the position thereof shown in FIG. 23 at 118, the portions 89 and 118 projecting from the loaf, as will be obvious from FIG. 23. These portions will be adjacent the top of the table 33 and will pass into the slot 114be tween the guide plate 104 and the table top and eventually into the slot 115 as the loaf is moved along by the pusher members 35. Such movement of the projecting portions 89 and 118 in the slot 115 will cause the portions 89 and 118 to be folded upwardly to create the upward fold 119 of the wrapper. These folding operations are the same as are ordinarily carried out on both ends of a loaf in a wrapping machine and the sealing elements 105 and 111 actin the usual manner as the wrapper passes along adjacent the same to cause the wrapping material to be heated to the point that the material of the wrapper or the coating thereon will become tacky and will cause the plies to be sealed together after leaving the heating elements and cooling below the temperature at which the plies or the coating thereon will be in a tacky condition. The bottom portions 87 and 117 provide the overlapped seam at the bottom of the loaf and heating elements 120 and 121 on the under side of the table portion 33, are located as may be found desirable and provided in any number desired, to provide the desired heating and resulting sealing action of the overlapped seam -on the under side of the loaf.
As the loaf 64 with the wrapper around it as shown in FIG. 19, moves away from the arms 73 and 74 over the roller 102 and onto the table portion 33, the other end of the wrapper, which is not to be sealed, has assumed the position shown in FIG. with the projecting portion 95 thereof having a somewhat tubular shape and having been depressed somewhat on the upper side thereof by means of the arm 73 with the portions 87 and 117 on the lower side thereof in overlapped relation as shown in FIG. 20. While the guide plates 104 and 110 will conne the one end of the loaf so as to hold the slices in their proper side by side relationship as the loaf leaves the arm 74, means must also be provided for confining the other end of the loaf that has the portion 95 of the wrapper projecting therefrom. Said means comprises an upper guide bar 122, which is provided with an offset 123 therein to provide an outer end portion 124 thereon, which is upwardly and outwardly olfset from the main body portion 122 of the guide bar and with which a guide plate 125 having an upwardly curved end portion 126 cooperates, said guide plate being mounted on a bracket 127 having a vertical shaft 128 provided thereon for mounting the plate 125 for adjustment about the axis of said member 128, a suitable clamping member 129 being provided on the plate 125 for securing the plate in adjusted position on the bracket 127.
The shaft 128 is also vertically adjustable in the eye 130 provided on the end of the bracket 127, so that the plate 125 can be adjusted to the desired position to guide the wrapper into engagement with suitable guiding means, and the end of the loaf from which the wrapper portion projects into engagement with the guide bar 122, as the loaf is moved from the supporting member 70 onto the table portion 33. The end portion 124 of the guide bar 122 and the guide plate 125 are located above the arm 73 when the loaf is on the supporting member 70 in its raised, dotted line position, as shown in FIG. 7. Cooperating with the upper guide rod 122 is a lower guide rod 131, which has an inclined upper edge 132 providing a tapered end portion 133 thereon, which terminates closely adjacent the top surface of the table portion 33 at the end thereof adjacent the roller 102 and serves to guide the lower portions 117 and 87 of the projecting wrapper portion 95 upwardly from the level of the top of the table 33.
The guide bars 122 and 131 are mounted on a plurality of horizontally extending bracket arms 134 and 135, that are mounted on vertically extending bracket members 136, which are mounted for vertical adjustment on the brackets 137 by means of the headed fastening element 138 on the bracket member 137 that extends through a slot 139 in the bracket member 136. Mounted laterally outwardly from the guide bars 122 and 131 on the horizontal bracket members 134 and 135 so as to be in substantial horizontal alignment, respectively, with the under side of the guide bar 122 and the top side of the guide bar 131, are the guide members 140 and 141, the guide members 140 being in transverse alignment with each other, and the guide members 141 being in transverse alignment with each other. The guide members 140 and 141 are made of small rods or wires. Said guide members 140 will thus extend in parallelism to the guide member 122 and in horizontal alignment therewith and the guide members 141 will extend in parallelism to the guide member 131 and in horizontal alignment therewith, said guide members 140 and 141 being located laterally outwardly from the guide members 122 and 131, respectively. Transverse bracing members 142 are also provided between the guide members 140 and 141 between the bracket arms 134 and 135.
It will be obvious that the guide members 122 and 131 along with the guide members 140 and 141 can be adjusted so as to vary the vertical position thereof with respect to the top of the table portion 33. Said guide members are mounted on the bracket members 136 and 137 so that the guide member 122 inclines downwardly from the end thereof having the guide plate 125 associated therewith and the guide member 131 inclines upwardly from the end 133 thereof, said guide members 122 and 131 and the guide members 140 and 141 thus gradually approaching each other in a direction away from the ends thereof at which the wrapper portion 95 rst engages therewith.
The loaf, as it is moved along the table portion 33 by means of the pusher members 35, to the end thereof adjacent the table portion 34, is confined between the guide bars 122 and 131 at one end and the guide plate at the other end thereof. Thus, while one end of the wrapper is being folded and sealed, and the under side of the wrapper sealed air tight, at the overlapped joint made up of the end portions 87 and 117 of the wrapper, by engagement with the various folding and heating means and the cooling thereof after disengagement from said heating means, the other end 95 of the wrapper is being gradually gathered together in a attened somewhat oval form, as shown in FIG. 13. The portion 95 of the wrapper extends outwardly from the loaf 64, as shown in FIG. 14, the guide bar 122 forcing the wrapper downwardly around the end of the loaf 64, as shown at 143, and the guide bar 131 forcing the wrapper upwardly around the end of the loaf, as shown at 144, so that the wrapper closely follows the contour of the end of the loaf except for the projecting portion 95 between the two guide bars 122 and 131.
Extending from the ends of the guide bars 122 and 131, remote from their entrance ends, are guide plates 145 and 146. Said guide plates are in longitudinal alignment with said guide bars. Mounted in transverse alignment with the bottom edge of the guide plate 145 and the top edge of guide plate 146, in a similar manner to the alignment of the guide members 140 and 141 with the guide bars 122 and 131, are the guide rods 147 and 148, the guide rods 147 having the upwardly curving end portions 149 and 156 at opposite ends thereof and the guide rods 143 having downwardly curving end portions at opposite ends thereof, the downwardly curved portion at one end thereof being shown in FiG. 3 at 151 and at the other end thereof at 152 in FIG. 26.
A longitudinal plate-like frame member 54 is provided in outwardly transversely spaced relation to the guide plates 145 and 146. Transverse braces 55 are provided for properly spacing the guide rods 147 and 14S, said transverse braces 55 being fixed to said guide rods 147 and 14S and extending between the guide plates 145 and 146 and the longitudinal frame member 54. Said transverse bracing members 55 are secured rigidly in fixed position to said guide plates 145 and 146 and the frame member 54. Referring now to FIG. 26, it will be noted that the guide plates 145 and 146 have inclined edge portions 56 and 57 thereon and straight parallel edge po-rtions 58 and 59 extending from the inclined entrance edges 56 and 57, thus providing a gradually narrowing slot 6i) between said guide plate 145 and 146 at the entrance end thereof leading to the narrow slot defined by the edges 53 and 59 thereof. The end of the guide rod 122 extends under the downwardly inclined edge 56 of the gu-ide plate 145 and the guide rod 131 extends slightly beyond the guide rod 122 and over the upwardly inclined edge 57 of the guide plate 146. The guide rods or wires 147 and 148 extend substantially parallel to the bottom and top edges, respectively, of the guide plates 145 and 146, except that the lower guide members 148 have portions 184 that overlap the end portion of the guide rod 131 and align therewith, said guide member 131 having a tapered extremity 135. The extending portion 95 of the wrapper will thus be guided into the tapering slot 66 and into the narrow passage therefor provided between the parallel edges 58 and 59 of the guide plates 145 and 146.
Cooperating with the guide rods 147 and v148 are grooved friction rollers of yieldable material 153 and 154, the rollers 153 receiving the rods or wires 147 in the grooves 155 thereof and the rollers 154 receiving the rods or wires 148 in the grooves 156 thereof. Said rollers are rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3. Also cooperating with the guide rods 147 and 148 are grooved metal rollers 157 and 158, which are provided with the grooves 159 and 160 receiving the wires or rods 147 and 148, respectively, and rotating in the directions indicated by the arrows in PEG. 3. The purpose of the rollers 153 and 154, which are of resilient gripping material, such as rubber, is to align the extended portions 95 of the wrappers with the end centers of loaves 64 so that the same will be centered relative to the longitudinal axis of the loaf. Due to the fact that the loaf is being positively moved forwardly along the table portions 33 and 34 by the pusher members 35, and because of the frictional engagement of the wrapper portion 95 with the guide members 122, 131, 145, 141, 145, 146, 147 and 148, the extended portion 95 of the wrapper will lag behind the loaf 64. It is desirable that this lagging of the wrapper be corrected so that when the wrapper is twisted the twist will be substantially centrally of the loaf at the end thereof at which the extended portion `of `the wrapper is located. n order that this straightening is accomplished, the rollers 153 and 154 are rotated at a higher peripheral speed than the speed of forward movement of .the loaf on the table portion 34. It will also be noted that the peripheries of the rollers 153 and 154 project toward each other beyond .the guide rods 147 and 148 to thus positively grip the extended portion 95 of the wrapper between them.
Mounted on the frame 35 is a motor 161 (see FIGS. 2 and 8), which is provided with a sprocket wheel fast on the shaft 162 thereof that drives the sprocket chain 163 in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 8. The sprocket chain 163 operates over a sprocket 186 xed on the shaft 164, which also has a gear 165 mounted thereon to rotate therewith, that meshes with the gear 166 that is fixed on the shaft 167. Thus the shafts 164 and 167 rotate, in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 8, at the same speed. The shafts 167 and 164 have the rollers 153 and 154 mounted thereon to rotate therewith. The size of the sprockets and the rate of rotation of the shaft 162 is such that the shafts 164 and 167 rotate at such a speed that the peripheral speed of the rollers 153 and 154 wil-l be considerably greater than the rate of travel of the sprocket chain 40, which carries the pus-her members 35 lengthwise of the table portions 33 and 34.
A sprocket 168, which meshes with the lower run of the sprocket chain 40, is mounted on the shaft 169 to rotate therewith, and a sprocket 170 is also mounted on the shaft 169 to rotate therewith, the sprocket chain 171 extending over the sprocket 170 and being driven in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 8. The sprocket chain 171 operates over a sprocket 137 that is xed on the shaft 172, on which the gear 173 is also mounted to rotate therewith, the gear 173 meshing with a gear 174 on a stub shaft 175. The shafts 172 and 174 have the rollers 157 and 158 mounted thereon to rotate therewith. The sprocket drive means for the shaft 172 -is of such a character that the peripheral speed of the rollers 157 and 158 at their peripheries 176 and 177 is approximately that of the speed of the sprocket chains 40. It will be noted, upon reference to FIG. 3, that the peripheral portions 176 and 177 of said rollers are quite close together, where the guide rods 147 `and 148 pass through the grooves 159 yand 160` of said rollers, projecting considerably -inwardly toward each other beyond said guide rods 147 and 148, thus pressing the projecting portion of the wrapper 95 into a quite flattened shape, this flattened condition of the projecting portion 95 of the wrapper being shown clearly in FIGS. 15 and 16.
A pair yof upstanding brackets 178 is provided on the frame 30, said brackets each having a screw-threaded opening therein closely receiving the screw-threaded portion 179 of a mounting member 180, which is mounted for rotation but against endwise movement in the guide plate 181. Said guide plate has an outwardly curved entrance end 182 and is adjusted by means of the hand wheel 183 toward and away from the guide plates 145 and 146, the guide plate 181 being preferably adjusted to a position such that the end of the loaf that has the projecting end of the wrapper portion 95 will be kept in close engagement with the g- uide plates 145 and 146. The plates 164, and 181 (in conjunction with tucker 74 and folding plate 96) thu-s cooperate to form abutment means extending lengthwise of the loaf conveyor, which abutment means includes the means to fold and seal one end of the package and also positions that folded and sealed end. Said abutment means cooperates with the guiding surfaces on ar-rn 73, the bars 122 and 133, and plates and 146 that face said abut-ment means to confine the loaf between said guiding surfaces and abutment means.
Mounted on the shafts 172 and 175 are sprocket wheels 188 and 189, with which the spr- ocket chains 190 and 191 engage (see FIG. 27). Mounted on the guide plates 145 and 146 on pivot members 192 and 193 are the bell crank levers 194 and 195. A spring connects the one arm of each bell crank lever with the guide plate upon which it is pivotally mounted to urge the bell crank lever 194 about the pivot 192 in a counter-clockwise direction and the bell crank lever 1915 about the pivot 193 in a clockwise direction, the spring attached to the bell crank lever 194 being indicated by the numeral 196 and the spring attached to the bell cran-k lever 195 by the numeral 197. Mounted on the other arms of the bell crank levers are stub shafts 198 and 199 on which the sprockets 200 and 201 are mounted, the sprocket chain 109 extending around the sprocket 200 and the sprocket chain 191 extending around the sprocket 201. The `action of the springs 196 and 197 is to urge the sprockets 200 and 201 toward each other, and thus the sprocket chains 190 and 191 toward each other into close gripping engagement and with the extending end 95 of the wrapper. Said sprocket chains 190 and 191 will be traveling at substantially the peripheral speed of the rollers 157 and 158 and will thus engage with the extending end 95 of the wrapper to carry it along at the same rate as the bread loaf 64 after the extended end portion 95 of the wrapper has been aligned with the longitudinal center of the loaf by means of the rollers 153 and 154, and this action of the chains 190 and 191 will continue until the peripheries of the rollers 157 and 158 engage with the extending portion of the wrapper 95 to carry it toward the left in FIG. 3 to the twisting mechanism.
Referring to FIG.v 4, a hollow shaft 202 is mounted in a bearing 203 provided on the frame member 54 and is provided with a gear 204 mounted to rotate therewith, which meshes with a gear 205 mounted on a shaft 206, said shaft being mounted in a bearing 207 on the frame member 54. Said shaft 206 is driven at intervals through mechanism to be described below. The hollow shaft 202 has the twisting member 208 mounted thereon to rotate therewith, said twisting member 208 being provided with a hollow boss 209, in which the end of the shaft 202 is secured in liquid tight relation against relative rotation and against endwise movement. The bearing member 203 is a thrust bearing and is of such a character that the end face 210 of the boss 209 will be slightly spaced from the frame member 54.
The twisting member 208 is of a substantially U- shaped character having a pair of hollow arms 211 and 212 `and a hollow connecting portion 213, the arms 211 and 212 terminating in end portions 214 and 215. The cross sectional shape of the end portions 214 and 215 is shown in FIGS. 16 and 18, said portions extending toward each other and terminating in flanges 216 and 217 that extend longitudinally of the twisting member forming portions of the clamping jaws of said twisting member extending longitudinally of the machine. Cooperating with the flanges 216 and 217 are plates 218 and 219 that are secured to the flanges 216 and 217, respectively, by suitable securing elements to clam-p the marginal portions 220 and 221 of flexible members 222 and 223 fluid tight between the flanges 216 and the plate 218 and between the flanges 217 and the plate 219. The plates 218 and 219 have central openings 224 and 225 therein to provide communication between the passages 226 and 227, in the hollow body portion of the twisting member 20S, and the interior of the flexible members 222 and 223.
A fluid tight swivel coupling 228 connects the hollow shaft 202 with a flexible compressed air conduit 229, to which air under pressure is supplied by a suitable valve, which is provided with controlling means for supplying the air under pressune at proper intervals thereto so that the flexible members 222 and 223 will be inflated into the position shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 from the position shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. The opening 230 existing between the inflatable members 222 and 223, comprising the gripping jaws of the twisting member, is in alignment with the opening between the guide members 147 and 148 at the discharge end thereof, when the twisting member is in wrapper receiving position, so that the extending end of the wrapping material can readily pass between said jaws as will be obvious from FIGS. 15 and 16. The loaf 64 will be in close contact with the guide plates and 146 with the extended portion of the wrapper 95 extending through the slot between the bottom edge 58 of the guide plate 145 and the top edge 59 of the guide plate 146 at this time. Upon inflation of the gripping members 222 and 223 the extended portion 95 of the wrapper will be squeezed together, as indicated at 95', between the then closed gripping jaws 222 and 223 to firmly hold the extended wrapping material 95 between said jaws.
The shaft 167 has a sprocket 231 mounted thereon to rotate therewith, over which the sprocket chain 323 operates, which also operates over a sprocket 233 provided on a clutch mechanism 234, which is of such a character that it rotates the shaft 207 one complete revolution for each time that the clutch 234 is thrown into driving position. Suitable controlling means for the clutch is provided so that it will be actuated 4to drive the shaft 206 at such a time that the extending end portion 95 of a wrapper of a bread loaf 64 will be in position between the gripping jaws 222 and 223 and said jaws will have been inflated to grip the extended end 95 of the wrapping material. In order that the clutch mechanism and the shaft 206 will be halted at such a position that the gripping jaws 222 and 223 will be in a position with the opening 230 between the same in alignment with the opening between the guide members 147 and 148, locking fingers 235 and 236 are provided that have hub portions 237 and 238 that are freely rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 239 extending from the frame member 54.
The finger 235 cooperates with the cam mem-ber 240 mounted on the shaft 206 in fixed position. The shaft 206 is connected with the output side of clutch 234, said clutch being of such a character that when the shaft 206 is held against rotation the clutch will disengage. The holding finger 235 has a nose portion 242 thereon, providing a right angular stop shoulder 243 (see FIG. l0). The cam 240 has a high portion 244 that terminates in a right angular shoulder 245, with which the shoulder 243 engages to limit rotation of the shaft 206 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 10.
A disk 241 is mounted on shaft 246 to rotate therewith (see FIG. 32). Said disk has fa slot 338 therein, which is engaged by a depending locking portion 339 on the locking finger 236, -that fits the slot 338 closely. The disk 241 is adjustable relative to the gear 205 by means of headed fastening element 350 screw-threadedly engaging in an opening in the gear 205 and engaging in an arcuate slot 341 inthe disk 241. By providing the pin and slot connection between the stop disk 241 and the gear 205, it will be seen that the gear and disk can be adjusted circumferentially of the shaft 206 relatively so that the engagement of the locking -portion 339 with the slot 338 will exactly line up the jaws of the twisting -member 208 with the guide members 147 and 148, as shown in FIG. 16. Means is provided for lifting the holding fingers 235 and 236 to permit rotation of the shaft 206 and the gear 205 comprising a plunger 246, which is actuated by a piston in the compressed air cylinder 247 to project the plunger 246 upwardly against the under side of the finger 235 to lift the same up sufficiently to disengage the shoulder 243 on the finger 235 from the shoulder 245 on the cam. The hub 238 of the finger 235 has a lateral projection 336 thereon engaging `a shoulder 337 on the hub 237 to lift the finger 236 along with the finger 235 to disengage

Claims (1)

  1. 8. IN A BREAD LOAF PACKAGING MACHINE, A TABLE, MEANS FOR DEPOSITING IN A PREDETERMINED LOCATION ON SAID TABLE A WRAPPED BREAD LOAF HAVING A PORTION OF THE WRAPPER EXTENDED IN OPEN ENDED FLATTENED TUBLAR FORM ENDWISE THEREFROM, TWISTING MEANS FOR SAID EXTENDED PORTION OF SAID WRAPPER, MEANS FOR APPLYING A TIE TO THE TWISTED WRAPPER AFTER SAID TWISTING MEANS HAS COMPLETED THE TWISTING THEREOF, AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SEQUENCE OF OPERATIONS OF SAID TWISTING MEANS AND TIE APPLYING MEANS, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUIT CONTROLLING CAMS, A CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING CAM SHAFT AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING
US254749A 1963-01-29 1963-01-29 Loaf packaging machine Expired - Lifetime US3260031A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US254749A US3260031A (en) 1963-01-29 1963-01-29 Loaf packaging machine

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US254749A US3260031A (en) 1963-01-29 1963-01-29 Loaf packaging machine

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3260031A true US3260031A (en) 1966-07-12

Family

ID=22965447

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US254749A Expired - Lifetime US3260031A (en) 1963-01-29 1963-01-29 Loaf packaging machine

Country Status (1)

Country Link
US (1) US3260031A (en)

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1423324A (en) * 1920-11-26 1922-07-18 Heath Wrapper Company Wrapping machine
US1821506A (en) * 1928-12-14 1931-09-01 Henry B Foulder Bac-tying machine
DE559061C (en) * 1926-04-20 1932-09-19 Akt Ges Maschf Machine for wrapping bread
AT132509B (en) * 1930-12-01 1933-03-25 Muller J C & Co Method and device for the mechanical packaging of cigars in individual sleeves.
US2711278A (en) * 1953-04-30 1955-06-21 Milton S Gray Bag tying machine
US2924924A (en) * 1955-10-04 1960-02-16 Wilson & Co Inc Machine for packaging ham

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1423324A (en) * 1920-11-26 1922-07-18 Heath Wrapper Company Wrapping machine
DE559061C (en) * 1926-04-20 1932-09-19 Akt Ges Maschf Machine for wrapping bread
US1821506A (en) * 1928-12-14 1931-09-01 Henry B Foulder Bac-tying machine
AT132509B (en) * 1930-12-01 1933-03-25 Muller J C & Co Method and device for the mechanical packaging of cigars in individual sleeves.
US2711278A (en) * 1953-04-30 1955-06-21 Milton S Gray Bag tying machine
US2924924A (en) * 1955-10-04 1960-02-16 Wilson & Co Inc Machine for packaging ham

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4077179A (en) Automatic wrapping apparatus
US3032945A (en) Can packing apparatus
US4490960A (en) Apparatus and method for closing reclosable bags
GB1581674A (en) Automatic wrapping apparatus
US2683401A (en) Method and apparatus for applying rip strips to wrapping sheets
US3222844A (en) Method and machine for wrapping continuously moving products with a flexible overwrap
US3952480A (en) Packaging apparatus
US3763629A (en) Wrapping apparatus for bag packs
US3481102A (en) Bag forming methods and apparatus
US2243633A (en) Soap wrapping machine
US3818675A (en) High speed wrapping machine
US3250055A (en) Apparatus for making and filling packages in a continuous operation
US3260031A (en) Loaf packaging machine
US2442431A (en) Sleeve inserting device for valve bags
US2906069A (en) Apparatus and method for wrapping packages
US2189347A (en) Machine for forming packages
US3147673A (en) Apparatus for attaching handles to paper bags
US2362819A (en) Package wrapping machine
US2325042A (en) Method and apparatus for bottoming bags
US2604744A (en) Spaghetti wrapping machine
US3523402A (en) Apparatus for banding tubes
US1817017A (en) Wrapping machinery
US3486294A (en) Automatic wrapping machine
US2275976A (en) Folding, sealing, and cutting mechanism
US2232186A (en) Method of and apparatus for packaging material