GB2228914A

GB2228914A - Wrapping apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2228914A
Application number: GB9004340A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bernd Puhle; Volker Bohme; Siegfried Voigt
Original assignee: ZENTRAG RATIONALISIERUNG
Current assignee: ZENTRAG RATIONALISIERUNG
Priority date: 1989-03-01
Filing date: 1990-02-27
Publication date: 1990-09-12
Also published as: GB9004340D0; DE4002097A1; DD280302A1

Description

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING OBJECTS The invention relates to

apparatus for automatically packaging objects of varying size. The invention is particularly but not exclusively concerned with the packaging of books, eith in a comples wrapping or a band-type wrapping.

Apparatus for automatically packaging objects of varying size such as books are known in which the book is pushed vertically upwardly through a vertical folding passage with the packaging material lying over it. The packaging material is thereby folded downwardly in the shape of a U and an overlap is formed at the underside of the packaging by a bottom slide and by the book being pushed out to the side into the adjacent conveying device when in the top position.

When the book is of large dimensions, the vertical passage has to be long and the book, which is gripped between the bottom and top ram, has to be raised a considerable distance due to the downward hanging packaging material. A further disadvantage lies in the fact that the next book cannot be moved into position to be wrapped until the bottom ram has executed its return stroke and the top ram cannot be lowered to grip this book until the previous one has been moved out of the top position.

Other apparatus is known in which several pockets are arranged about a continuous shaft. In this arrangement, the packaging takes place in several operating steps in projecting devices. Complicated means, such as controlled metal folding plates or other active elements, are used which are expensive due to the complex mechanics required to enable them to function.

is According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for automatically wrapping objects comprising a feed path for the object to be wrapped, means supplying a length of wrapping material to extend across said path, means for feeding the object to be wrapped through said wrapping material and into an opening in a rotatable member which receives the object partially surrounded by said wrapping material, means - 3 operable to rotate the rotatable member and adjustable locating means on the rotatable member to engage the object to be wrapped and folding means on the rotatable member to complete the wrapping sequence as the object is fed from said opening.

Preferably the rotatable member comprises two drum halves arranged opposite each other and connected together by a common drive..

Conveniently the adjustable locating means comprise two facing pocket walls which are secured to each drum half by means of a spindle housed therein.

is Suitably, the folding means comprises a respective folding member arranged on the inside of each pocket wall.

1 In the preferred embodiment, there is provided a device for automatically packaging objects, in particular books, with conveying devices, which are arranged before and after it and comprise drivers for supplying and carrying away the object, with an aperture, which is disposed after the supplying conveying device and approximately perpendicular to the working plane and serves to supply the packaging material, and with a dish, which is arranged below the working plane and concentrically with the axis of rotation of the pocket walls and the diameter of which is greater than the length of the pocket walls, characterised in that two turning drum halves which form a wrapping turning drum, are arranged opposite one another and connected together in a known manner by a common drive, that two opposite pocket walls are secured in an adjustable manner to each turning drum half by means of a spindle which is arranged in the turning drum half which walls are at least as long as the length of the largest objects to be packaged, and that a respective folding member is arranged on the inside of the pocket walls.

The preferred device of the invention meets the following requirements:

- the longitudinal seam is formed at the underside of the object to be packaged i - 5 the sequence of operations entails little idle time short cycle time constant operating height for the feed and delivery of the objects to be packaged low expenditure on adjustments and change-overs An important advantage of the preferred apparatus or device of the invention is that it enables objects of a parallelepiped shape e.g. books and a varying size to be automatically packaged, either individually or as a pile without the need for any lifting movements. Furthermore, it can be quickly changed over to other dimensions, largely without interchangeable parts, with no resetting movements which entail idle time being necessary.

In the preferred apparatus, the pockets act as a vertical folding passage, into which the object to be packaged is pushed in a horizontal position together with the packaging material, which is folded around it in the shape of a U. The wrapping and turning drum and thus the pocket is split, so as to allow the drivers of the conveying members to reach in to push the object out. The pocket height can be adjusted according to the thickness of the object, and the spacing between the drum halves can be determined by the width of the object to be packaged. The folding members make the first corner fold and are also adjusted when there is a change in dimensions. When the object is turned by the wrapping and turning drum, the projecting part of the packaging material, which is folded around the object in the shape of a U, is folded again by the dish. When the wrapped object is pushed out, the longitudinal seam at the underside of the packaging is closed by another folding action. The next object is simultaneously pushed in from the other side.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a section in a vertical plane parallel to the conveying direction,, and t - 7 Figure 2 is a section in a vertical plane perpendicular to the conveying direction.

Referring to the drawings. there is shown a packaging apparatus in which guide rails 1 are arranged parallel to one another and to the direction in which a book 3 is conveyed and are adjusted by spindles 7 (see Figure 2) according to the dimensions of the book 3. A driver 2 of a conveying device (not shown) pushes the book 3 to be wrapped between pocket walls 5. The book 3 is disposed horizontally and transversely to the conveying direction, with packaging material 4, which is supplied as a single sheet, arranged in front of the advancing book 3 in vertical passage 16 in the manner of a curtain. The passage 16 is closed at the bottom between pocket walls 5. The part of the packaging material 4 which is below the conveying plane is longer than the part which is above. in order to overlap the packaging material on one side of the book 3. The packaging material is placed around the upper side of the book 3 in the shape of a U. The pocket walls 5 are arranged on rotatable drum halves 6 of a wrapping and turning drum, and can be adjusted to the thickness of the book by means of the spindles 7, the two halves of which comprise a left-hand thread and a right-hand thread, respectively. Folding members 8 are also arranged at the pocket walls 5 to make the first corner fold in known manner and they are also adjusted when there is a change in dimensions and simultaneously represent the lateral guide of the rotatable drum 6. The drum halves 6 are secured to shafts 9 and are jointly driven from a shaft 12 via gearwheels 10 and 11. The shaft 12 is driven by a step-by-step mechanism, which does not form part of the subject matter of the present invention and which t urn s each of the drum halves 6 through 1800. As a result of the turning action, the packaging material 4, part of which is still in the lower part of the vertical passage 16, is pulled completely out of said passage and now lies in dish 13, which forms the bottom part of the rotatable wrapping and turning drum, and is applied to the book 3 when this is moved out by being placed over the centre of the book, the underside of which now faces upwards. The dish 13 holds the book 3 in place between walls 5 while it is turned and the packaging material 4 is placed around the book. A driver 14 of the conveying device (not illustrated in detail) is arranged and controlled in its movements such that it t - 9 pushes the book 3 out of the wrapping and turning drum 6 between guide rails 15 after the turning action. The second corner fold is made and the next book 3 pushed in from the supply side at the same time.

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Claims

1. Apparatus for automatically wrapping objects comprising a feed path for the object to be wrapped, means supplying a leng-th of wrapping material to extend across said path, means for feeding the object to be wrapped through said wrapping material and into an opening in a rotatable member which receives the object partially surrounded by said wrapping material, means operable to rotate the rotatable member and adjustable locating means on the rotatable member to engage the' object to be wrapped and folding means on the rotatable member to complete the wrapping sequence as the object is fed from said opening.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rotatable member comprises two drum halves arranged 1 d opposite each other and connected together by a common drive.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the adjustable locating means comprise two facing pocket walls which are secured to each drum half by means of a spindle housed therein.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the folding means comprises a respective folding member arranged on the inside of each pocket wall.

5. Apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1990 at The Patent Office. State House. 5571 High Holborn. London WMR4TF-Further copies maybe obtained frorn The Patent Office Sales Branch, St Mary Cray. Orpington. Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd. St Mary Cray. Kent, Con. 1:87