Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~048919
The present invention relates to the wrapping of parts
and goods that are shaped like rectangular prisms or boxes.
Until now, so far as is known, lumber or mill products,
such as saw goods, piles and plate stacks have been wrapped by
hand because no satisfactory operating wrapping machines have
been available.
This invention relates to an apparatus for wrapping of
pieces and goods substantially shaped like a rectangular prism,
particularly saw goods, piles or plate stacks as they are moved
along a transporter, such as a roller conveyor or a belt trans-
porter, so that one end of a web of wrapping material, such as
paper web which is wider than the part or pile to be wrapped, is
brought down from a roll towards the surface of the transporting
line, the roll being arranged in the frame of~the wrapping appa-
ratus, transversely above the transporting line.
An object of this invention is to eliminate the
requirement of hand wrapping of such products.
A considerable improvement is obtained by means of the
apparatus of this invention in wrapping of goods, for instance,
so that the wrapping remains undamaged during transport and gives
the desired protection for the material to be protected.
In the wrapping apparatus of the invention, it is
possible to use webs of wrapping material of different widths and
also webs made of different materials according to the quality
and protection requirements in question.
Accordingly, the invention more specifically provides
an apparatus for wrapping articles in the general form of a
rectangular prism, having top, side, front and rear walls, as the
articles move along a conveyor, this apparatus comprising: means
for storing a roll of wrapping material to wrap the article with
a web of material leading therefrom; plate means for applying a
front end of the web against the front wall of the article to be
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wrapped; first wrapping carriage means for moving the plate
means in the same direction as the article as the latter moves
along the conveyor to pull a length of web from the roll, and
folding means mounted on this carriage means for fo]ding portions
of the web, extending past the top wall of the article, against
the side walls of the article.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
apparatus further includes second wrapping carriage means which
comprises: plate means for applying a rear end of the web
against the rear wall of the article, and folding means mounted
on this second carriage means for folding portions of the web,
extending past the top wall of the article, against side walls
of the article.
Further details of the invention and a better
understanding thereof will be had from the following description
of a preferred embodiment, which description refers to the
appended drawings wherein:
Figure 1 shows a side view of a wrapping machine
according to the invention, partially in section;
Figure 2 shows a front view of the wrapping machine of
Figure l;
Figure 3 shows a rear view of the wrapping machine of
Figure l; and
Figure 4 shows schematically a side view of various
operating stages of the wrapping machine.
~ wrapping machine illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3
includes horizontal guides or rails 6 and 7 which are arranged in
frame construction 1 (Fig. 1) and are parallel to each other
and to a roller conveyor 2 below the machine. The conveyor 2
transports an article or articles of goods 3 to be wrapped, which
may be, for example, lumber, such as sawed wood, piles, cut timber,
boards, planks or other mill products having the general shape
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of a rectallgular prism when stacked. The goods to be wrapped
move past the machine on the conveyor 2 from left to right as
viewed in Fig. 1. The conveyor 2 is controlled to program
movement of the article 3 in the conventional manner, as will be
set forth.
A roll 4 of paper or other suitable wrapping material
is mounted in transverse position to transporting line 2 above
guides 6 and 7. A control device 25 of the known or conventional
kind for feeding and stopping and otherwise controlling movement
of a paper web or end strip 5 from the roll 4 in desired cycles,
for instance according to a predetermined wrapping program, and
for cutting paper web 5 after a desired web length 5 has been
removed from the roll 4, is also supported above guides 6 and 7.
As is customary with such control devices, suitable sensors, such
as photoelectric cells or the like are provided to sense the
relative position of the web 5 with respect to the article 3.
A first folding carriage 8 (Fig. 1) for the wrapping
of the first or front end of the article is supported by rolls
or wheels 29 (Fig. 3) between guides 6 and 7 of machine frame 1.
The rolls 29 permit the folding carriage 8 to be moved rearwardly
and forwardly (Fig. 4) along guides 6 and 7 in the direction of
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conveyor line 2. Carri~ge 8 iQ preferably moved by a suitable
motor or drive means 40 which i~ connected to the carriage 8 by
means of a transmission belt provided by endless steel cables or
chains 30 (:Fig. 1) running in guide3 6 and 7. A front plate 9,
mounted transversely to the direction of movement of the goods
to be wrapped along the roll conveyor 2 is formed from two side-
wardly movable plate sections 14 and 15 (.~ig. 2) and pivotally
mounted on folding carriage 8 so that it turns around a horizontal
pivot 31,
The movable plate se¢tions 14 and 15 of plate 9 are
normally in contact a~ shown (.Fig. 2) due to the force e:certed
on them by ~prings 27. Plate sections 14 a~d 15 are also able
to move towards the sides of the article 3 guided by guides
arranged between them, against the spring force of the ~prings
27, for reasons to be set forth.
Plate 9 of folding carriage 8 in Fig. 4 is movable
around pivot 31 between a vertical position (~?ig. 1) and a
horizontal position (~shown in phantom in Fig. 4) by means of
cylinder and piston schematically indicated at 32. ~he folding
20 carriage 8 is al~o adapted to be lowered and lifted upwardly
and downwardly in a vertical direction in relation to a supporting
frame 34 of the folding carriage 8 by means of cylinder and piston
sets schematically indicated at 33 (.~ig. 2).
Folder plates or folders 10 and 11 are pivotally
arranged about a ~ertical axis on both sides of front plate 9
of folding carriage 8, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The folders
10 and 11 are pivoted by mea;ns of cylinders and pistons
schematically shown at 35 from a position substantially defined
b~ the pla~e of plate 9 to a position in which they form
30 substantially right angles with plate 9 and are aligned with
the side surfaces of the article 3 in the direction of move-
ment along conveyor 2. ~he folders 10 and 11 fold the wrapping
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material against the side surfaces of the article to be wrapped.
Folding carriage 8 also includes folding rollers 12
and 13 (Figs. 1 and 2) arranged on both sides of the carriage.
~hese rollers 12 and 13 can be turned around pivots 37 from a
horizontal position (~ig. 1) downwards to a vertical po~ition
where the wrapping material at a po~ition forward of the folders
10 and 11 i9 urged into contact with the article 3 to form a
proper fold in the web 5 along the interseetion of the front
and side surfaces of such article. ~olding carriage 8 is also
provided with pressing rollers 16 mounted to arms 39 in a
horizontal position, transversely to conve~or line 2 to urge
the wrapping material 5 against the upper surface of the article
3.
A second folding carriage 17 (Figs 1 and 3) for the
wrapping of a second or rear end of the article is also mounted
in the guides 6 and 7 of frame 1 of the wrapping machine. ~he
construction of the rear end folding carriage 17 is generally
similar to the first folding carriage 8. lhe carriage 17
includes pressing rollers 26, mounted to arm~ 41 in a horizontal
position transversely to conveyor line 2, similar in function
to the rollers 16. ~olding carriages 8 and 17 are, however,
arranged in guides 6 and 7 so that their pressing rollers 16
and 26 are ~acing towards each other (Fig. 1) In a corre~ponding
way to ~tructure of the front end folding carriage 8, rear end
folding carriage 17 includes a transverse plate 18 formed by two
sidewardly mo~able plate section~ 23 and 24, normally held
together by spring 28, as shown in Figure 3, folder plates or
folder~ 19 and 20 pi~otally arranged on both sides of plate 18,
and folding rollers 21 and 22 arranged on both sides of carriage
17.
In the operation of the present invention, the article
3 to be wrapped, such as a stack of lumber or cut timber supported
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by and mo~ed along roll conveyor 2, i~ brought to an initial or
starting point shown in Figure 4. Front end folding carriage
8 and rear end folding carriage 17 are at such time in the
positions shown by full line~ in ~igure 4.
Paper web 5 i8 fed in response to control device 25
from paper roll 4 down between the article 3 and transverse
plate 9 of folding carriage 8, until a desired position of the
end of paper web 5 i8 indicated, for in~tance by a photocell
device arranged in the roll conveyor 2, or other structure of
the control device 25. Control device 25 stop~ feeding of the
paper from roll 4 at this time. Conveyor 2 then moves the
article 3 against plate 9, trapping the leading portion of the
web 5 again~t the front portion of the article 3. Folding
carriage 8 is lowered by means of cylinder and pistons 33 80
that rollers 16 engage and contact portion~ of the web 5 against
the upper surface of the article 3, At the same time, the brake
of paper roll 4 is released by control device 25. ~he article
3 i8 then moved forward on roll con~eyor 2 and pushes folding
carriage 8 and its front plate 9 along the guides 6 and 7. The
leading or front end of paper web 5, being confined between the
front end of article 3 and plate 9, cause~ further portions of
the paper 5 to be pulled from roll 4 in response to movement of
the article 3 along the con~eyor 2. When the rear end of article
3 has passed a specified limit position or point, the cutting
mechanism of device 25 cuts paper web 5 and the web 5 i8 placed
down on article 3.
When the article 3 has moved forward a certain distance,
for instance 3 meters, folders 10 and 11 are turned by cylinder-
piston device 35 from the plane substantially defined by plate 9
to a position in contact against the sides of article 3, pre~sing
or folding those side parts of web 5 which extend out~ide the
width of upper surface of article 3, against the sides of the
article 3.
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If the width of article 3 to be wrapped i8 greater
than the width of front plate 9, folders 10 and 11 contact the
sides of article 3 and force plate sections 14 and 15 of front
plate 9 towards the ~ides, overcoming the spring force of spring
27, a~ folder3 10 and 11 turn against the side ~urface~ of such
article. ~he width of the front plate 9 i8 in this way auto-
matically ~et to correspond to the width of the article 3.
Folding rollers 12 and 13 are ne~t turned by cylinders
and pi~tons 26 around pivot 37 from the horizontal position
downwards to a vertical position 90 that any parts of the web 5
near the front of the article 3 and at or near the le~el of the
upper surface of article 3 and extending wider the width of such
article are urged against such sides of the article 3.
Front plate 9 of the front end folding carriage 8,
together with folders 10 and 11, are then pi~oted by means of
cylinder and pi~ton 32 to a horizontal position ~hown in Fig. 4
(.in which carriage 8 has been shown by phantom broken line~),
and folders 10 and 11 are turned up to the level of plate 9.
~ he article 3 ie then moved further forward on the
con~eyor line 2, under front end folding carriage 8 90 that
pressing rollers 16 thereof press paper web 5 against the upper
~rface of artiole 3. Folding roller~ 12 and 13 are ~till in
vertica1 po~ition against the sides of the article 3 and fold
the side parts of web 5, e~tending outside the width of ~uch
article 3, against the sides thereof. ~he front end folding
carriage 8 can at this stage also be moving back along guide~
6 and 7 towards its initial position. However, if a short
package is being wrapped, front end folding carriage 8 may
remain at the end position of fr~me 1 near the motor 40 (.Fig. 4)
until the rear end of the article 3 has passed the feeding line
of the paper web at the opposite end ~f the frame 1.
When the rear end of article 3 to be wrapped has passed
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a certain limit po~ition or point on conveyor line 2, rear end
folding carriage 17 i~ brought against article 3 to be wrapped
90 that transverse plate 18 of folding carriage 17 presses the
cut rear end of paper web 5 against the rear end of the article
3. Carriage 17 is then lowered by means of ¢ylinder and piston
43 to a position in which rollers 26 arranged on arms 41 pres~
portions of the web 5 again~t the upper ~urface of article 3.
Rear end folding carriage 17 then folds the rear end
of article 3 in a way corresponding to the folding of web 5
performed by carriage 8: folding plates 19 and 20 are turned
against the side~ of article 3; at the same tlme plate sections
23 and 24 of plate 18 are moved towards the sides9 if necessary,
against the spring force of spring 28 so that the width of plate
18 substantiall~ corresponds to the width of article 3; folding
rollers 21 and 22 are turned by cylinders and pi~tons 42 from
their horizontal position down to a vertical position 80 that
they fold the side parts of paper web 5, extending outside of
the width of article 3 at the rear of the upper surface of
article 3 against the sides thereof.
~aping of the web 5 at the front end of the wrapped
article 3 to securely fasten the applied wrapping by machine
or other means can take place simultaneously with folding of
web 5 at the rear end. It i9 also possible to combine the
taping of the article 3 with the wrapping ~perations 80 that
the taping can be carried out in the wrapping machine itself,
immediately after the folding.
When the folding of web 5 about the article 3 is
completed, taping o~ the rear end is performedJ for instance
at a taping machine. ~olding carriages 8 and 17 are then
returned to their initial positionsJ shown by full lines in
Fig. 4. ~ransverse plate 9 of front end folding carriage 8
is moved to its lower position and transverse plate 18 of rear
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end folding carriage 17 to its higher po~ition. Both folding
carriages 8 and 17 are also elevated to a position 80 that
rollers 16 and 26, respectively~, are above the upper surface of
the next article to be wrapped, permitting ~uch next article to
move beneath the frame 1 on conveyor 2.
When wrapping timber, lt i~ often not necessary to
wrap the rear end completely, and the paper web can be cut near
the rear end of the timberpile. In this case, the rear end
folding carriage 17 is not needed and the one front folding
carriage 8 is sufficient.
~ y means of the wrapping machine according to the
invention, it is possible to wrap an article or goods in the
above described way also in those cases when the side parts of
the paper web, extending outside the width of such article, are
narrower than the height of side surface of the article. In this
case, naturally only the upper part of the article will be wrapped
while the lower part remains witho~t protection.
~ he control of wrapping including control device 25
and con~eyor 2 according to the invention can be carried out
by means of manual control, mechanical automatic control or
minicomputer.
~ he in~ention is not, of course, restricted to the
above embodiment, it can vary considerably within the scope of
the claims. ~or instance, folding rollers 12, 13, 21, 22 can
be pivotally joined at their outer ends 90 that they carry out
the folding movement by turning around their other ends.
~ he folding movement direction of said folding rollers
12, 13, 21, 22 can also be defined by guides in whlch ~aid rollers
run. In this case, the direction of these guides i8 preferably
the same as the direction of the fold obtained by means of the
said rollers.
~ he foregoing disclo~ure and description of the present
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invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof and various
changes in the size, shape and materials as well as ln the
details of the illustrated construction may be made without
departing from the ~pirit of the invention.
