GB899176A - Improvements in or relating to a method of and apparatus for producing a cheese package - Google Patents

Abstract

899,176. Packaging. SWIFT & CO. Ltd. March 18, 1960 [Dec. 18, 1958], No. 40847/58. Class 94(1). Interconnected packages 7, (Fig. 1), containing cheese are produced by extruding the cheese between two superimposed strips of heatsealable wrapping material, sealing the edges of the strips to form a cheese-filled tubular package, and then applying heat and pressure along spaced transverse areas 40 to displace the cheese away from those areas and press the tube forming strips together to separate the cheese into individually wrapped portions. In Fig. 3, the strips 14, 15 surround an extrusion nozzle 19 fed from a hopper 21 containing heated processed cheese. The side edges of the foil are partly turned over by inclined guide members 24 before passing beneath rollers 22, 23, effecting the final folding, the tube being then heat sealed along both edges. A gripper 26, driven by a rock and pinion 27, 28, draws the requisite length of filled tubing on to a table 9 and a knife 29 then descends to seal the end of the tube and sever it from the supply. After the gripper 26 has released its hold an arm 30 reciprocates to move the package beneath a first section 33 of a press 31. The press 31 descends, (Fig. 6), to shape the filled tube into a rectangular package 37 and to further heat-seal the ends by heated press elements 38, (Fig. 3). The next package to be pressed displaces the rectangular package 37 to a position beneath a second section 34, of the press, formed with transverse projections 39 that are used to form the transverse sections 40. The resulting package is finally moved beneath a third section 35 of the press that has projections 43 for perforating the transverse sections 40. The completed packages are removed and allowed to cool on a conveyer 44 and to then drop on to a transverse conveyer 46, (Fig. 5), from which they are delivered to a third conveyer belt 48 such that the cheese package is folded over upon itself along the sections 40 to form a rectangular pack 49. The strips constituting the tube may be so dimensional and positioned that an upper strip 3, (Fig. 2), extends from one edge of the cheese portion 2 to beyond the other edge as at 6, whilst a lower strip 4 is of such width that it overlaps both edges, being folded around one edge and sealed thereto as at 5 whilst its other edge is joined to the projection 6. The projection 6 is then folded down on to the pack to form a tag that can be subsequently lifted and torn along the length of the fold. Modifications. The two sections 34, 35 of the press 31 can be combined into one section. The transverse projections 39 nay be used to heat seal the sections 40. The projections 43 can be replaced by creasing members. The press 31 may be stationary and the table 9 reciprocate towards it. The package may be cut along the section 40.