FULL MOTION WRAPPING APPARATUS

• US 20150259087A1
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph V. Piper, Marvin B. Schwartz
• Original Assignee: Joseph V. Piper, Marvin B. Schwartz
• Inventors: Schwartz, Marvin B., Piper, Joseph V.
• Granted Patent: US 10,023,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/025 by webs revolving around stationary articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 19/34 Packaging other rod-shaped articles, e.g. sausages, macaroni, spaghetti, drinking straws, welding electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/001 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/005 Adjustable conveying means
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/04 Machines constructed with readily-detachable units or assemblies, e.g. to facilitate maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/28 for discharging completed packages from machines
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 81/00 Methods, apparatus, or devices for covering or wrapping cores by winding webs, tapes, or filamentary material, not otherwise provided for forming hollow objects by winding filamentary material on to fusible or soluble cores B29C53/56 ; wrapping for the purpose of packaging B65B11/00; making wound articles of paper B31C
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 81/06 Covering or wrapping elongated cores
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 81/08 by feeding material obliquely to the axis of the core

Abstract

A full motion wrapping apparatus includes a wrapper unit and a product support unit. The wrapper unit is configured for stretch wrapping a product. The product support unit includes a plurality of supports. The supports are movably disposed in, on or around a track with the wrapper unit. The wrapper unit may be positioned between corresponding pairs of the supports. The product support unit permits the stretch wrapping of the product while the product remains in a substantially stationary position.

Claims

1. A full motion wrapping apparatus, comprising:

a product support unit including a plurality of supports and a track, the supports disposed adjacent to the track, the track having a first end and a second end, the product support unit configured to support and maintain a product in a substantially stationary position during a stretch wrapping of the product; and

a wrapper unit disposed on the track and selectively movable toward the first end and the second end of the track, the wrapper unit configured for the stretch wrapping of the product as the wrapper unit moves toward the first end of the track and for advancing the product toward the second end of the track as the wrapper unit moves toward the second end of the track.

2. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 1, wherein the product support unit has a stationary product stop disposed adjacent the first end of the track and positioned above the supports, the stationary product stop configured to abut the product and militate against a movement of the product toward the first end during the stretch wrapping of the product by the wrapper unit.

3. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wrapper unit is disposed between a connected pair of the supports, the connected pair of the supports including a first support and a second support, the first support spaced apart from the second support along the track.

4. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first support and the second support are connected by at least one horizontal rail disposed beneath the wrapper unit.

5. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first support is disposed between the wrapper unit and the first end of the track, and the second support is disposed between the wrapper unit and the second end of the track.

6. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first support and the second support move in tandem as the one of the first support and the second support is caused to move by the wrapper unit toward one of the first end and the second end of the track.

7. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the supports has a top side and bottom side, the top side having a roller for receiving the product, and the bottom side having a freely rotating wheel.

8. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wrapper unit includes a housing with an orbiter, a first motor for rotating the orbiter, and a second motor for moving the wrapper unit on the track.

9. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 8, wherein the orbiter is disposed within the housing of the wrapper unit.

10. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 9, wherein the orbiter includes at least two cylinders mounted on opposing sides of a rotatable ring, the cylinders configured to receive rolls of wrapping material for the stretch wrapping of the product.

11. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 8, wherein the wrapper unit has at least one drive wheel that contacts the track and supports the housing.

12. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second motor is connected to the drive wheel and selectively causes the wrapper unit to move forward toward the first end of the track and backward toward the second end of the track.

13. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 8, wherein the housing of the wrapper unit has a controller in communication with each of the first motor and the second motor.

14. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 8, wherein the wrapper unit has a removable product stop.

15. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 14, wherein the removable product stop is selectively disposed on the housing of the wrapper unit and permits the wrapper unit to advance the product toward the second end of the track where the removable product stop abuts the product and the second motor moves the wrapper unit toward to the second end of the track.

16. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the supports of the product support unit is pivotally connected to the track.

17. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the supports is connected to an actuator configured to selectively pivot the support from a position for supporting the product to a position permitting the wrapper unit to move over the support.

18. The full motion wrapping apparatus of claim 17, wherein each of the supports has an additional hinge allowing the support to further collapse in the position permitting the wrapper unit to move over the support.

19. A full motion wrapping apparatus, comprising:

a product support unit including a plurality of supports and a track, the supports movably disposed on the track, the track having a first end and a second end, the product support unit configured to support and maintain a product in a substantially stationary position during a stretch wrapping of the product, the plurality of supports including a plurality of connected pairs of the supports, each of the connected pairs of the supports including a first support and a second support, the first support and the second support connected by at least one horizontal rail disposed beneath the wrapper unit, each of the supports having a top side and bottom side, the top side having a roller for receiving the product, and the bottom side having a pair of freely rotating wheels guiding the support on the track; and

a wrapper unit disposed on the track and selectively movable toward the first end and the second end of the track, the wrapper unit configured for the stretch wrapping of the product as the wrapper unit moves toward the first end of the track and for advancing the product toward the second end of the track as the wrapper unit moves toward the second end of the track, the wrapper unit positioned between each of the connected pairs of the supports of the product support unit, the first support disposed between the wrapper unit and the first end of the track, and the second support disposed between the wrapper unit and the second end of the track, the first support and the second support moving in tandem as the one of the first support and the second support is moved by the wrapper unit toward one of the first end and the second end of the track,

the product support unit further having a stationary product stop disposed adjacent the first end of the track and positioned above the supports, the stationary product stop configured to abut the product and militate against a movement of the product toward the first end during the stretch wrapping of the product by the wrapper unit.

20. A full motion wrapping apparatus, comprising:

a product support unit including a plurality of supports and a track, the supports pivotally disposed on the track, the track having a first end and a second end, the product support unit configured to support and maintain a product in a substantially stationary position during a stretch wrapping of the product; and

a wrapper unit disposed on the track and selectively movable toward the first end and the second end of the track, the wrapper unit configured for the stretch wrapping of the product as the wrapper unit moves toward the first end of the track and for advancing the product toward the second end of the track as the wrapper unit moves toward the second end of the track,

wherein each of the supports is connected to an actuator configured to selectively pivot the support from a position for supporting the product to a position permitting the wrapper unit to move over the support.