GB2210323A

GB2210323A - Apparatus for producing sealed wrapped packages

Info

Publication number: GB2210323A
Application number: GB8822989A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Werner Kmoch; Michael Aurin; Dipl-Ing Peter Pietsch; Gabriele Wust
Original assignee: Nagema VEB
Current assignee: Nagema VEB
Priority date: 1987-10-02
Filing date: 1988-09-30
Publication date: 1989-06-07
Also published as: JPH01111628A; BR8805067A; GB8822989D0; IT8848404A0; DE3828577A1; DD265377A1; IT1224551B

Description

2 2 10 2 J APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SEALED WRAPPED PACKAGES The present

invention relates in general to apparatus for producing sealed wrapped packages and more particularly to an arrangement for conveying and sealing the wrappers of such packages. The invention is particularly, but not solely, concerned with items of confectionery of rectangular or cylindrical shape which are sealed in folded plastics film wrappers.

It is known to wrap articles, such as confectionery items, in plastics film so that the film is wrapped as a U-shaped envelope or cover around each item. The wrappers are then subjected to heat sealing along their overlapping longitudinal edges to provide a tubular cover with end portions projecting outwardly from the article itself. These end portions are then folded, flattened and sealed and then bent back onto the covered surfaces of the article. Apparatus for performing this method is described in DE OS 3420023. The main disadvantage of this apparatus is that the operation is intermittent and cannot match the speed of modern packaging machinery. Furthermore, the sealing tools are expensive.

Another technique for sealing pre-wrapped packages is known in which the wrapping material is heated as it is being turned over. However this does not provide stable reliable seals for the folded wrappers.

Further apparatus is described in DD PS 81367 in which confectionery items pass through a heating station after a folding station. The heating station heats the 2 wrapper in the region of the closing fold but sealing is not completed until the item reached a cooling station wher.e the seal solidifies. In this apparatus, a conveyor transports the items or packages along a linear path from a packing station through the folding and heating stations to the cooling station. The conveyor is expensive but to produce and needs a great deal of space. Moreover, the heating and cooling operations are not particularly efficient.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved arrangement for conveying and sealing pre-wrapped packages.

An arrangement constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a first rotatable wheel, a second rotatable wheel and a third rotatable transfer wheel. The wheels are disposed to rotate in proximity to one another with the transfer wheel intermediate the first and second wheels. A plurality of sets of holding devices or grippers are disposed around the periphery of each of the wheels and means are provided for relatively displacing the jaws of the holding devices of the wheels to cause the devices to open and close and to grip the packages at predetermined rotational positions of the wheels. Heating means is provided on the holding devices of the first or heating wheel while cooling means is provided for the holding devices of the second or cooling wheel. In this arrangement the packages are taken up in succession from a packaging head by the holding devices of the heating wheel 3 and are subjected to heating to seal the wrappers as the wheel rotates. The packages are then transferred by the holding devices of the transfer wheel to the holding devices of the cooling wheel where the packages are subjected to cooling prior to discharge of the sealed packages. Normally, the wrappers would be folded by the packaging head. A stable seal along folded edges of the wrapper of each packaged article can be produced at a rate commensurate with that of the packaging head delivering the pre- wrapped packages.

Support means such as a disc can be provided to locate with the packages gripped by the holding devices of the heating and cooling wheels. Preferably pivotable spring-loaded levers subject the packages held in each holding device on the heating and cooling wheels to supportive pressure and urge the packages towards the support means. This pressure can assist or promote the heat sealing.

Conveniently, the heating and cooling wheels have some eight pairs of holding devices while the transfer or turning wheel just has two such pairs of holding devices. The clamping faces of the jaws of the holding devices of the transfer wheel can be disposed at 900 to that of the heating and cooling wheels.

Preferably, the heating and cooling means act on smooth surfaces of the holding devices. Fins can be provided on the holding devices of the cooling wheel to promote cooling. Insulating blocks are best arranged 4 between the contact surfaces of the holding devices and the support means of the heating wheel and heating elements.

Springs can be mounted on the support means of the heating and cooling wheels and the jaws of the holding devices are coupled to the springs.

The arrangement constructed in accordance with the invention is particularly effective in sealing pre-wrapped packaged articles in the form of confectionery items, even soft toffees or caramels with wrappings folded at the ends and along the length of the package.

The invention may be understood more readily, and various features of the invention may become apparent, from consideration of the following description.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein; Figure 1 is a schematic representation of part of an arrangement constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional side view of part of a heating wheel of the arrangement; Figure 3 is a sectional side view of part of a transfer wheel of the arrangement; and Figure 4 is a sectional side view of part of the cooling wheel of the arrangement.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention employs a packaging head (not shown) which provides pre-wrapped packaged articles or items with folded plastics film wrappers, for example containing confectionery and an arrangement for sealing the wrappers and for conveying the thus-sealed packages. The arrangement shown partly in Figure 1, comprises a first wheel in the form of a heating wheel 1, a second wheel in the form of a transfer or guide wheel 2 and a third wheel in the form of a cooling wheel 3. The heating and cooling wheels 1, 3 are of similar construction each provided with a series of holding devices with pairs of inner and outer jaws distributed around the periphery of the wheel 1,3. In Figure 2, only part of the heating wheel 1 is shown. The wheel 1 has a body or casing 8 supported on a shaft 13 rotatably mounted to a fixed frame of the apparatus. The inner jaws of the holding devices of the wheel 1 are designated 4 and the complementary outer jaws are designated 5. Some eight sets of jaws 4,5 are provided in all. Each inner jaw 4 is mounted to the casing of 8 of the wheel 1 with a slidable bolt 6 and each outer jaw 5 is mounted to the casing 8 with a slidable bolt 7. The jaws 4,5 of the holding devices are adjustably movable axially of the wheel 1 with the aid of a toothed member 9 pivotably supported on the casing 8. The member 9 has a projection 10 supporting a cam follower roller 11 engaging a curved cam face defined by a component 12 fixed to the frame. As the wheel 1 revolves the jaws 4,5 open and close at pre-determined rotational positions. A support disc 15 fixed to the casing 8 extends between all the inner and outer jaws 4,5. The adjacent working faces 6 of each set of jaws 4,5 and of the support disc 15 which contact the pre- wrapped article are provided with heating elements 21 which are insulated by blocks 22 from the contact faces of these components 4, 5, 15. A typical package B is shown supported by the disc 15 between the jaws 4,5 of one of the holding devices. Tension springs 14 are mounted on the disc 15 and each spring 14 couples together one of the set of jaws 4,5.

As shown in Figure 1 a pivotable pressure lever 16 is provided for each set of jaws 4,5. The lever 16 is subjected to the action of a tension spring 20 and to a lever 17 which supports a cam follower roller 18 engaging on a curved cam face again def ined by a component 19 f ixed to the frame.

The transfer wheel 2 is equipped with two holding devices and as shown in figure 3 the devices each comprises a stationary jaw 23 fixed to a sleeve 25 rotatably mounted to the frame and complementary displaceable jaw 24 supported on a pin 26 pivotably mounted in the sleeve 25. The pin 26 is fixed to a lever 27 which supports a cam follower roller 28 which engages with a cam face defined by a component 29 fixed to the frame. A disc 30, which also acts as a drive for the wheel 2 is also mounted on the sleeve 25.

In Figure 3, a pair of jaws forming one of the holding devices of the cooling wheel 3 are designated 31 and 32 and in this Figure like reference numerals with primes are used to identity like parts to Figure 2. The 7 wheel 3 is also equipped with some eight sets of jaws 31,32. Each pair of jaws 31,32 is again subjected to the action of a tension spring 33 mounted on a support disc 34 fixed to the casing W. In contrast to the holding devices 4,5 and the support 15 of the heating wheel 1 adjacent faces of the jaws 31,32 and of the support disc 34 of the cooling wheel 3 are conf igured as smooth cooling surfaces 36 and the jaws 31,32 are also provided with external fins 37 to promote cooling. In Figure 1 it can be seen that the jaws 31,32 are also associated with pressure levers 16' subjected the action of tension springs 35 and lever arms 17' which have cam follower rollers 19' engaging on a cam face of a component 19 fixed to the frame.

The apparatus and arrangement operates in the following manner. The packaging head of the apparatus delivers a succession of pre-wrapped packages B, such as sweets, to the heating wheel 1. The plastics film wrappers are folded at the ends and longitudinally. As the wheel 1 revolves the camming means 11,12 displaces the pins 6,7 and hence the jaws 4,5. At a pick-up location, the packages B are taken up individually by the closing movements of the jaws 4,5 of the wheels. Each package B which is taken up is clamped between the jaws 4,5 of one of the holding devices and is also supported on the disc 15 with the associated lever 16. The folds of the wrapper are then subjected to heating with the elements 21. The lever 16 biased by the spring 20 contacts the package B 8 and stabilizes this whilst subjecting the package B to pressure to promote sealing. The folded regions of the plastics wrapping material then become heat sealed as the package moves with the wheel 1 to a further transfer position whereat the package B is taken up by a set of jaws 23,24 of the transfer wheel 2. As the wheel 2 revolves, the jaws 24 move towards and away from the complementary jaws 23 as the pins 26 are displaced by the camming means 28,29. As the relevant jaws 23,24 close together they grip the package B on the side faces thereof free of folds which are generally orientated at 90o to the faces contacted by the jaws 4,5. The package B is then conveyed to another transfer position whereat it is taken up by a set of jaws 31,32 of the cooling wheel 3 which again open and close as the wheel 3 revolves. As the wheel 3 revolves, the relevant jaws 31,32 close and the package B is gripped between the closing jaws 31,32. The folded and heat sealed faces of the package B are again contacted by now by cooling surfaces. The lever 16' biased by the spring 35 contacts and stabilize the package B. The cooling action permits the heated folded faces to solidify. As the wheel 3 revolves, the package B is conveyed to a delivery station where the packages are transferred for collection or further processing e.g. final packaging.

9

Claims

1. An arrangement for conveying and sealing pre-wrapped packages; said arrangement comprising a first rotatable heating wheel, a second rotatable cooling wheel and a third rotatable transfer wheel, the wheels being disposed to rotate in proximity to one another with a transfer wheel intermediate the first and second wheels, a plurality of sets of holding devices disposed around the periphery of each said wheels, means for relatively displacing the holding devices of the wheels to cause the devices to open and close to grip the packages at predetermined rotational positions of the wheels, heating means provided on the holding devices of the heating wheel and cooling means provided for the holding devices of the cooling wheel; whereby the packages are taken up in succession by the holding devices of the heating wheel and are heated to seal the wrappers and are then transferred by holding devices of the transfer wheel to the holding devices of the cooling wheel where the sealed packages are subjected to cooling prior to discharge.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the holding devices each comprise relatively movable jaws and the displacing means includes camming means and springs which co-operate to cause the jaws the jaws to open and close.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding devices of the transfer wheel are orientated to contact opposed faces of the packages perpendicular to the faces contacted by the holding devices of the heating and cooling wheels.

4. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the beating means comprises beating elements in insulated blocks.

5. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein support means is disposed adjacent the holding devices of the heating and cooling wheels and the support means contacts and supports the packages.

6. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the heating and cooling wheels are further provided with the spring-loaded pivotable levers which cooperate with camming means to contact-and stabilize the packages held by the holding devices thereof.

7. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the beating and cooling wheels are further provided with spring loaded pivotable levers which cooperate with camming means to urge the packages against the support means.

8. An arrangement according to claim 6 or 7 when appended to claim 2 wherein the springs of the displacement means are mounted to the support means.

9. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the packages have folded end portions and a longitudinal overlap seam.

10. An arrangement substantially described with reference to, and illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

11. Apparatus comprising a packaging head providing pre- wrapped folded packages in combination with an arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

1 i Published 198B a The Patent Office. Stal. Ho'.:sc 6671 HiGh Yo:tc.-n. London WC1R 47P Par.her ceples mk%, be obtained frcrn The Patent Office.

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