Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PACKAGE WRAPPING MACHINE WITH
SELF-CENTERING FILM SUPPORT SYSTEM
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates generally to machines used to wrap
items such
as frayed food products, and more particularly to a machine that pulls a
wrapping medium,
such as plastic film, off of a roll in order to wrap such items and that
includes a roll support
adapted for positioning multiple different widths of film in an appropriate
position.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Food product wrapping machines typically feed a frayed food product or
package, such a ground meat or produce, to a wrap station at which a film is
drawn out over
the frayed food package, wrapped around the package, and passed to a heat
sealing station.
Machines capable of handling different widths of rolled wrap film have been
provided in the
past. It would be desirable to provide a user friendly system for achieving
proper lateral
positioning of rolled wrap film relative to the wrap station.
SL»vpVIARY
[0003] In one aspect, a packaging machine for applying media from a roll to
products
includes a station where media is applied to a product and a support for
holding any one of
multiple widths of rolled media, the support located to permit media to be
drawn into the
station. A first roll edge guide and a second roll edge guide are positioned
for facilitating
contact with respective side edges of rolled media held on the support. A roll
edge guide
adjustment system is linked with the first roll edge guide and the second roll
edge guide for
selectively moving the first roll edge guide and the second roll edge guide
either toward or
away from each other such that a center point between the first roll edge
guide and the
second roll edge guide remains substantially stationary regardless of a
distance between the
first roll edge guide and the second roll edge guide.
[0004] In the foregoing aspect the roll edge guide adjustment system may
operate to
cause the first roll edge guide and second roll edge guide to contact
respective side edges of
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rolled media held on the support and to move the rolled media so as to locate
a center point
of the rolled media at a set location.
[0005] In another aspect, in a packaging machine including a station where
film is
applied to an item, the film dispensed from rolled film located on an
elongated support, a
method for locating rolled film at a set location along the support involves:
providing a first
edge guide; providing a second edge guide; linking the first edge guide and
second edge
guide such that the first and second edge guides are selectively movable
either (i)
simultaneously toward each other or (ii) simultaneously away from each other;
simultaneously moving the first edge guide and second edge guide away from
each other
such that a distance between the first edge guide and second edge guide is
greater than a side
edge to side edge distance of a rolled wrap film; loading the rolled film onto
the support; and
simultaneously moving the first edge guide and second edge guide toward each
other until
the first edge guide contacts one side edge of the rolled wrap film and the
second edge guide
contacts an opposite side edge of the rolled film.
[0006] Other aspects are also provided herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(0007] Fig. 1 is a schematic depiction of one embodiment of a package wrapping
machine;
[0008] Fig. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a rolled wrap film support and
associated
positioning system;
(0009] Fig. 3 illustrates another embodiment, in partially exploded view, of a
rolled
wrap film support and associated positioning system; and
[0010] Fig. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a file support with
associated
positioning system;
(0011] Fig. S is a partial illustration of a motor driven embodiment; and
[0012] Fig. 6 is a partial illustration of a dual rod, dual motor embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
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(0013] Reference is made to U.S. Patent No. 5,144,787, which discloses an
exemplary food product package wrapping machine that wraps meat, produce, or
the like, in
stretchable, heat-sealable film, an exemplary view of which is seen in Figure
1 of the present
application. Generally, a package 102 is fed into the machine 100 at an infeed
station I04
and is carried along a package entryway 110 by a pusher I08 or other conveying
mechanism
to an elevator 118. A raised position of the elevator 118 may at least
partially define a wrap
station 106. Before or when the package 102 reaches the wrap station 106, a
film gripper
112 and side-clamps 116 cooperate to draw an appropriate amount of film from a
source of
rolled wrap film 111B out over the wrap station 106 and to stretch the film in
a desired
manner. The elevator 118 then moves the package 102 up through a plane of the
stretched
film and the film is wrapped around the package 102, making use of side
underfolders 128.
A hold down arm I20 stabilizes the package 102 while it is being wrapped.
Package pusher
130 moves the package out of the wrap station. Finally, a heat sealing
conveyor 132 receives
and seals the wrapped film around the package 102 and brings the package 102
to a weigh
station 134. Other wrapping machine variations having different wrapping
station
configurations could also be utilized.
(0014] Referring now to Fig. 2, one embodiment of a rolled wrap film support
and
associated rolled wrap film positioning system useful in connection with food
product
wrapping machines is now described. A wrap station where wrap media, such as
wrap film,
is wrapped around a product is illustrated diagraxnxnatically as the dashed
line enclosed area
10. As previously noted, the exact configuration of the wrapping machine
structure
associated with the wrap station 10 can vary significantly. A support 12 is
located to support
rolled wrap film 14 at a location permitting wrap film to be drawn off the
roll and into the
wrap station 10 as needed for wrapping items such as trayed food products.
[0015) In the illustrated embodiment the support 12 is formed by a tubular
member,
or collection of end-to-end tubular members with a support shaft 16 (Fig. 3)
at one end for
location within a bearing box 18. In one embodiment (Fig. 3), the bearing box
18 includes a
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tubular extension for containing a cantilever type bearing system made up of
bearings 20, 22
and bushing 24. The bearing box 18 is fixed to a frame or housing of the
wrapping machine
within which the wrap film support system is located. The support 12 is
thereby maintained
in a generally horizontal orientation, but is permitted to rotate as film is
drawn off of the film
roll 14.
[0016] A typical configuration of rolled wrap film 14 is illustrated in Fig.
2, with film
26 being continuously rolled upon a roll core 28, which may typically be
formed of
paperboard or fiberboard. However, the exact configuration of the rolled wrap
film 14 could
vary, and other rolled wrap media could be used. Notably, the support 12 is
sized to carry
any one of a plurality of widths of rolled wrap film, where the width of
rolled wrap film is
generally defined by the distance between side edges 30 and 32 of the rolled
wrap film. The
side edges 30 and 32 rnay defined by either the film 26 itself or the roll
core 28 in any given
application.
[0017] In the illustrated embodiment, an adjustment rod 34 extends within the
tubular
support 12 and includes two threaded regions 36 and 38 that are oppositely
threaded (e.g.,
one region with right hand threads and the other region with left hand
threads). A handle 40
is located at the end of the support and is connected for rotating the
adjustment rod 34.
Internally threaded guide nuts 42 and 44 are located internally of support 12,
with each guide
nut located in a respective one of the threaded regions 36 and 38. Guide nut
42 is linked to a
roll edge guide 46, which is disposed about the tubular support 12 for
movement therealong,
and guide nut 44 is linked to a roll edge guide 48, which is likewise disposed
about the
tubular support for movement therealong. In particular, tubular support 12
includes a pair of
diametrically opposed and axially extending slots 50 in proximity to threaded
region 36, and
a pair of diametrically opposed and axially extending slots 52 in proximity to
threaded region
38. The roll edge guide 46 is linked to the guide nut 42 by interconnecting
members, such as
fasteners 54, extending through slots 50. Likewise, roll edge guide 48 is
linked to guide nut
44 by interconnecting members, such as fasteners 56, extending through slots
52. Of course,
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other interconnecting members could be used, including portions of the guide
nuts or edge
guides themselves.
[0018] In operation, when handle 40 is rotated and tubular support 12 is
prevented
from rotating, the adjustment rod 34 rotates relative to the tubular support
I2 causing the
guide nuts 42 and 44 to move along the respective threaded regions 36 and 38.
In particular,
rotation of the handle 40 in one direction will cause the guide nuts 42 and 44
to move toward
each other, and rotation of the handle 40 in an opposite direction will cause
the g~zide nuts 42
and 44 to move away from each other. The thread size and pitch in each
threaded region 36
and 38 is the same, but oriented oppositely, such that the guide nuts 42 and
44 each move the
same distance. Because the guide nuts 42 and 44 are linked to the respective
edge guides 46
and 48, the edge guides 46 and 48 move similarly to the guide nuts 42 and 44,
with the slots
50 and 52 permitting the interconnecting members between the guide nuts and
the edge
guides to move along to the tubular support 12.
[0019] The edge guide 46 illustrated in Fig. 1 includes radially inwardly
depressable
ramped portions 60 with film roll edge engaging surfaces 62, and edge guide 48
is of similar
construction. The ramped portions 60 are biased outward, as by a spring or
springs. In an
alternative embodiment, inwardly located edge guide 48' (Fig. 3) does not
include ramped
portions, and is instead formed with an annular lip or rim 64 that includes
circumferentially
spaced side projections 66 oriented for securely contacting and holding rolled
wrap film, and
particularly for engaging the roll core of rolled wrap film to prevent
relative rotation between
the rolled wrap film and the tubular support and edge guides. In either
embodiment, the
support 12, edge guides 46 and 48, 48', and rolled wrap film all rotate
together as film is
drawn off of the roll.
[0020] Regardless of the exact configuration of the edge guides, they are
positioned
on the support 12, and mechanically linked to the adjustment rod 34, such that
a center point
between roll edge guide 46 and roll edge guide 48 remains substantially
stationary regardless
of a distance between the first roll edge guide and the second roll edge
guide. In one
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embodiment, a center point between the roll edge contacting parts of the two
edge guides 46
and 48 is aligned with a center line 68 of the wrap station 10. Such a
configuration allows
for simple centering, or other set positioning, of rolled wrap film relative
to the wrap station
10, regardless of the width of the rolled wrap film that is loaded onto the
support 12.
[0021] In particular, when loading rolled wrap film onto the support 12, the
handle 40
is first rotated in one direction to move the edge guides 46 and 48 apart by a
distance greater
w
than the width of the rolled wrap f lm. The rolled wrap film is then loaded
onto the support
12 over the handle 40 and over the edge guide 46. As the rolled wrap film
slides over the
edge guide 46, ramped portions 60 are moved inwardly via interaction with the
internal
surface of the roll core 32. When the rolled wrap film is moved past the
ramped portions 60,
the ramped portions move outward due to their biases, placing the film roll
edge engaging
surfaces 62 into suitable position to contact the outwardly facing edge 30 of
the rolled wrap
film. The handle 40 is then rotated in the opposite direction to move the edge
guides toward
each other, with rotation of the handle continuing until both edge guides 46
and 48 come into
contact with respective end edges 30 and 32 of the rolled wrap film. As a
result of this
operation the rolled wrap f lm will be moved by at least one of the edge
guides, specifically
the edge guide that first makes contact with a side edge of the rolled wrap
film, into the set
position so that the side edge to side edge center of the film 26 will be
substantially centered
on the wrap station center line 68 when the film is drawn into the wrap
station. In a machine
that includes structure for laterally centering the products to be wrapped,
the film 26 will
thereby also be centered relative to a width of the product being wrapped.
[0022] While the illustrated embodiment is described as providing centering of
the
rolled wrap film relative to the wrap station, it is recognized that in
alternative embodiments
other positioning could be achieved. For example, the center of the rolled
wrap film could
also be offset from the center of the wrap station by a certain amount as
desired. In fact, the
illustrated embodiment could be adjusted to achieve such position by changing
the relative
position of one of guide nuts 42 or 44, as by discormecting guide nut 44 from
edge guide 48,
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rotating the handle 40 so that guide nut 42 and edge guide 46 move while guide
nut 44 and
edge guide 48 remain stationary, and then reconnecting guide nut 44 with edge
guide 48.
[0023] Further, while the illustrated embodiment provides adjustment rod 34
within
the tubular support, it is recognized that in an alternative embodiment the
adjustment rod
might be positioned alongside the tubular support, with edge guides, such as
fork-shaped
edge guides 200, extending toward the tubular support, as per the schematic
depiction in Fib.
4. In such a case the edge guide positioned toward the loading/unloading side
of the support
could be temporarily movable away from the support 12 as necessary for loading
or
unloading rolled wrap film. Moreover, while the illustrated embodiment depicts
manual
rotation of adjustment rod 34 via handle 40, it is recognized that an
automated drive, such as
a direct drive motor M, could be provided in place of handle 40, in which case
the operator
could simply depress a button or switch SW to cause movement of the edge
guides, as per the
schematic depiction of Fig. 5. Still further, while a single adjustment rod
with oppositely
threaded regions is illustrated, it is recognized that two separate adjustment
rods Rl and R2
could be provided, as per the schematic depiction of Fig. 6. A mechanical link
could be
provided between the handle or drive and each rod R1 and R2, or a control
could be used to
achieve such simultaneous movement. For example, each adjustment rod could be
driven by
a respective direct drive motor as per Fig. 6, and the two direct drive motors
could be
connected to a common control 210 that causes simultaneous operation of the
direct drive
motors in the necessary manner. In the embodiments including two separate
adjustment
rods, the rods could be similarly threaded rather than oppositely threaded,
with proper
movement being achieved by effecting opposite rotation of the two rods.
[0024] Each of the above-described roll edge guide adjustment systems is
linked with
the respective roll edge guides in a manner to selectively move the roll edge
guides either
toward or away from each other such that a center point between the roll edge
guides remains
substantially stationary regardless of a distance between the roll edge
guides.
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[0025] It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended
by way of
illustration and example only and is not intended to be taken by way of
limitation. It is
recognized that described film support systems would also have use in lidding-
type
packaging machines where the film is drawn out over a container and then
sealed to the top
of the container at a lidding station. As used in the following claims, the
term "product" is
intended to be broadly construed to cover any item run through a packaging
machine for the
application of a film or other media thereto. Other changes and modifications
could be
made.
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