Package making – Methods – Applying a partial cover
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-21
2001-01-09
Johnson, Linda (Department: 3721)
Package making
Methods
Applying a partial cover
C053S588000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170233
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is concerned with a wrapping machine for wrapping an article from a roll of film, and a method thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known in the art, there is the U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,657 of Werner K. DIEHL et al., granted on Apr. 28, 1992. In this patent, there is described an apparatus for wrapping a pallet load with a wrapping film applied selectively as a film rope or as a film sheet. A rotary arm support above the load B is arranged to be rotatably driven. A carriage which is mounted to an upright member, is arranged to be selectively driven along the upright member, either in an upward direction or in a downward direction.
Also known in the art, there is the U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,810 of John P. WOJCIK et al., granted on Sep. 8, 1998. In this patent, there is described a method and an apparatus for wrapping and securing film about a load. The film dispenser mounted on a rotary arm starts and stops the wrapping at a home lowered position.
Also known in the art, there is the U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,709 of Kurt L. STEDING, granted on Sep. 19, 1995. In this patent there is described a fully automatic stationary wrapping device having improved griping and cutting mechanisms. The device comprises a swing arm having a rotational circular motion and a swing arm carriage mounted and vertically displaced along a swing arm carriage support. With both circumferential and vertical displacement of the swing arm carriage, a helical wrapping pattern is produced on the stacked pallet. The wrapping starts with the swing arm carriage at its home position and ends with the swing arm carriage at the same home position. Then, the film is cut by melting.
Also known in the art, there is the U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,691 of Faruk M. TURFAN et al., granted on Aug. 4, 1998. In this patent, there is described an apparatus for wrapping articles in film material including a stationary frame supporting a vertically reciprocable frame which in turn supports a rotatable ring member carrying a film carriage assembly by which film is wrapped around a load during rotation of the ring member. The film carriage assembly is mounted on the ring member by means of a mounting bracket and, accordingly, is rotatable and vertically displaceable therewith.
Also known in the art, there are the following U.S. patents which describe different apparatuses and methods for wrapping articles:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,140 WRAPPING A LOAD WHILE CONTROLLING WRAP TENSION;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,810 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING AND SECURING STRECH FILM ABOUT A LOAD;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,691 APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES IN PLASTIC FILM;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,418 PALLET STRETCH WRAPPING MACHINE;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,722 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PALLETIZING AND WRAPPING A LOAD;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,167 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ELONGATE LOAD HAVING GENERALLY CIRCULAR OR GENERALLY ANNULAR ENDS;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,808 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PALLETIZING AND WRAPPING A LOAD;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,849 APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING A PACKAGE;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,709 STATIONARY PALLET STRECH WRAPPING DEVICE HAVING IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GRIPPING AND CUTTING OR WRAPPING FILM;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,163 FREE STANDING PALLET WRAPPING APPARATUS;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,808 AUTOMATIC FULL-WEB STRETCH-WRAPPING APPARATUS;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,493 STEPLESSLY ADJUSTABLE PRE-STRETCHED FILM WRAPPING APPARATUS;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,691 AUTOMATIC PLASTIC FILM WRAPPING MACHINE PARTICULARLY SUITABLE FOR SUITCASE;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,657 WRAPPING APPARATUS AND RELATED WRAPPING METHODS;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,263 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING A PLASTIC FILM AROUND A LOAD;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,335 STRETCH WRAPPING ROBOTIC PALLETIZER;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,812 PROCESS AND APPRATUS FOR PASS-THROUGH WRAPPING;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,497 FILM LAMINATION STRETCH WRAPPING;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,898 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS WRAPPING OF PALLETIZED LOAD;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,076 WRAPPING APPARATUS AND METHOD.
The drawback with all of the above-mentioned patents is that automatic machines have to wrap from bottom of the load to the top thereof, and then go back to the bottom to end its wrapping cycle. In that way, two layers of film are used to wrap the load. This results in a waste of film since sometimes only one layer of film in needed. This is also a time consuming operation since time is spent to wrap the second layer of film.
It is an objet of the present invention to provide a method and a wrapping machine that allows to start a wrapping cycle at any location along the load, and stop the wrapping operation also at any location along the load.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method and an wrapping machine for wrapping an article where it is possible to wrap the article with a single layer of film.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a wrapping machine and a method to wrap an article where the wrapping of the article is faster than the method and apparatus of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a wrapping machine for wrapping an article from a roll of film, comprising:
a machine frame having a wrapping area where the article is received;
a film delivering carriage onto which the roll of film is rotatively mountable;
carriage moving means for moving the film delivering carriage vertically and horizontally around the article, the carriage moving means being mounted on the machine frame;
a carriage height detector for detecting the height of the film delivering carriage;
a film tail treatment device comprising cutting means for cutting the film;
device moving means for moving vertically the film tail treatment device at a desired height with respect to the article;
a device height detector for detecting the height of the film tail treatment device;
clamping means for clamping a portion of the film unrolled from the roll, in proximity of the article;
clamp moving means for moving vertically the clamping means at a desired height with respect to the article;
a clamp height detector for detecting the height of the clamping means; and
controlling means for controlling the carriage moving means, the device moving means and the clamp moving means during the wrapping cycle with respect to the heights detected by the carriage, device and clamp height detectors so that, at the end of the wrapping cycle, the clamp means is positioned at the height required to clamp said portion of the film during operation of the film tail treatment device.
Also according to the present invention, there is provided a method for wrapping an article from a roll of film, comprising following steps:
a) placing the article within a wrapping area;
b) clamping a free end of the roll of film with clamping means nearby the article, the roll of film being rotatively mounted on a film delivering carriage;
c) moving the film delivering carriage vertically and horizontally around the article for wrapping said article;
d) after a predetermined period of time from the beginning of step (c), commanding the clamping means to release the free end of the roll of film;
e) during step (c), detecting the height of the film delivering carriage in order to control the moving of step (c) in respect to a predetermined sequence of wrapping;
f) stopping step (c) at the end of the predetermined sequence of wrapping;
g) moving vertically a film tail treatment device;
h) during step (g) detecting the height of the film tail treatment device;
i) stopping step (g) when step (h) detects that the film tail treatment device is at a desired height with respect to a film portion extending between the roll of film and the article;
j) after step f, moving vertically the clamping means;
k) during step (j) detecting the height of the clamping means;
l) stopping step (j) when step (k) detects that the clamping means is at a desired height with respect to said film portion;
m) after step (l), clamping said film portion with the clamping means; and
n) after step (m), cutting said film portion wit
Marois Yanick
Masse Patrick
Johnson Linda
Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec P.A.
Wulftec International Inc.
LandOfFree
Wrapping machine for wrapping an article from a roll of... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Wrapping machine for wrapping an article from a roll of..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wrapping machine for wrapping an article from a roll of... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2509066