US2218293A - Apparatus for wrapping articles - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 15, 1940. E A.v MULLER A 2,218,293

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES l Filed Feb. 23, 1939 ZvSheets-Sheet l x f I n 2013 /9 /6 mm ATTORNEYS oct. 15, 1940. E, A MULLER l 2,218,293

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPI'NG ARTICLES Filed Feb. 25, 1939 zsheets-sheez 2 JMuZZe/r INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 15, 1940 APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES Edward A. Muller, Long Island City, N. Y.

Application February 23, 1939, Serial No. 258,044

e claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in package wrapping devices and more particularly to improvements in apparatus for wrapping packages in sheet material, such as C'ellophane and the like.

At the present time many different types of products are marketed that are wrapped in thin transparent sheet material, such as Cellophane or the like. The usual means of wrapping these products is by hand in which the product is enveloped in a sheet of material of appropriate size and the end of the sheet gathered together with appropriate means for holding the same in sealed condition. Hand-wrapping such products has been found to be unsatisfactory in that it is diliicult to dispose and hold the sheet material about the product in a manner to present a neat and attractive appearance. A still further disadvantage cf the prior art process referred to is that it was also dicult, especially with objects of irregular shape, to properly envelope the object in sheet material preparatory to sealing the edges of such sheet.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus embodying means for receiving the article to be wrapped,

said article being disposed in the sheet of wrapping material and after positioning in the machine, is urged downwardly through means attached thereto for causing contactual relation of the wrapper with the article whereby the free edges of the wrapper will be folded over the end of the article for sealing by appropriate sealing means.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a frame adapted to receive the article to be wrapped with flexible means connected to the frame for causing close contact of the wrapper with the article as said article and wrapper are urged within the frame.

One of the more important features of the novel wrapping device according to the present invention is that it comprises relatively few parts, each of which is characterized by simplicity and ruggedness of construction thereby minimizing initial cost of manufacture and rendering unlikely damage other than resultant from ordinary use.

The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from a consideration of the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of the application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a topI plan View of the new and improved wrapping device.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 3--3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the device illustrating the use of the same.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the device with an article positioned therein for wrapping.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of an article members are supported on the top wall of the f frame and extend within the opening, said members being clamped to the frame by means of an annular ring. The ilexible members have openings formed substantially centrally thereof which are readily expansible as an article to be wrapped and the wrapper for the same are urged through the frame opening for causing close engagement of the wrapper about the article and holding the same in position while sealing the extended edges of the wrapper in folded relation over the end of the article.

Referring to the drawings for a moredetailed description thereof, the wrapping device indicated generally by the reference numeral lli comprises a substantially rectangular-shaped frame having a top wall ll supported on end walls i2 secured to said top wall by any desired means. While using the device, the same is adapted to rest upon a table or other relatively flat surface 25, the end walls i2 being of a heighth to permit the article being wrapped to be disposed through the opening in the frame so that the bottom end of the same will rest upon the table or other surface 25.

An opening i3 is formed substantially centrally of the top wall l l the size of which may be varied to accommodate various articles being Wrapped which are urged through the opening. In Figure 4 of the drawings the articleid being wrapped with a thin transparentv sheet of material l5,

The means for holding the wrapping material in close contact with the article to assure a neat appearance of the wrapped article comprises a pair of members I6 and I1, respectively, fabricated of rubber or similar iiexible material, said members being mounted on the top wall II of the frame and held thereon by means of a superposed annular ring I8 secured to the wall II by fastening means I9. It Will be noted that the flexible members IE and II have the central portion thereof disposed above the opening I3 with the lower member I6 having the central portion thereof cut out to form an opening 20 substantially smaller in diameter than the opening I3. During fabrication of the upper flexible member II, the same is formed with a central opening 2| having a series of slits 22 extending radially therefrom and communicating vwith said opening to form a multiplicity of fingers 23, which fingers are adapted to grippingly engage the body of the wrapper to cause close contact of the same with the article as said article and wrapper are urged through the respective openings 2l, 20 and I3 as more clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. Urging the package and wrapper through said openings causes a stretching of both flexible members with the stretched area of the bottom member II providing the additional means for maintaining the lingers 23 in engagement with the wrapper I5.

The retaining ring I8 may be provided with annularly formed teeth 24 which type of ring is to be employed when using fluted or crinkled wrapping material, it being understood that the crinkled surface of the wrapping material will be engaged by the teeth 2li to further assure close contact of the wrapper with the article.

The method of wrapping articles usingv the herein described device comprises first placing the article I4 upon the transparent sheet of wrapping material i5, with the article supported substantially centrally thereof. The wrapper and article are then manually urged through the opening I3 formed in the top wall of the frame and while urging the same downwardly the openings 2I and 2B of the exible member will become enlarged by expansion of the material causing the fingers 23 to separate and grippingly hold the wrapper in contact with the article. The area surrounding the opening 20 being flat, will in stretching, assist in maintaining the fingers 23 in engagement with the wrapper. The article and wrapper are slowly urged downwardly through the openings until contact is made with the supporting surface 25 of the work table or the like at which time the intermediate portion of the exible members -will have flexed outwardly as indicated at 26 in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings which tends to fold the extended edges 21 of the wrapper over the upper end of the article for application of a seal 28 or other sealing means. In view of the fact that the: frame ID is relatively light in weight, the same is readily lifted for permitting removal of the wrapped article. It has been found in practice that irregular shaped objects can be efficiently wrapped with a thin sheet material such as Cellophane or the like to present` a neat and attractive appearance with the wrapping material inl close contact with the article on all surfaces thereof. An article wrapped in accordance with the herein described method and apparatus is illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings.

If desired a retaining ring 29 as shown in Figure 7 of the drawings having a smooth annular surface 30 may be substituted for the toothed retaining ring I8. This type of ring is to be lused when wrapping articles of Cellophane or similar material of a non-crinkable nature.

Also it will be understood, of course, b-y those skilled in the art that variations in the hereinabove described device involving the substitution of substantial equivalents for the devices described are intended to be comprehended within the spirit of the present invention and that the invention is capable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawings nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modications may be made therein as do not aiect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appendedl claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A package wrapping device including a frame having an opening therein adapted to receive the article to b-e wrapped and the wrapper for the same, supporting means for said frame, means disposed above said opening for causing contactual relation between the article and Wrapper as said article is operated relative to said means, said means including a pair of superposed exible rings having openings formed therein through which the article is moved, and iinger means formed on one of said rings for urging and retaining said wrapper into engagement with said article upon their movement through said frame.

2. A package wrapping device including a frame having an opening therein adapted to receive the article to be Wrapped and the wrapper for the same, supporting means for said frame, means disposed above said opening for causing contactual relation between the article and wrapper as said article is operated relative to said means, said means including a pair of superposed iiexib-le rings supported in contacting relation throughout their major portion and having openings formed therein through which the article is moved, and finger-like portions formed on one of said rings projecting through the opening formed in the other of said rings for urging and retaining said wrapper into engagement with said article upon their movement through said frame.

3. A package wrapping device including a frame having an opening therein adapted to receive the article to be wrapped and the wrapper for the same, supporting means for said frame, means disposed above said opening for causing contactual relation between the article and wrapper as said article is operated relative to said means, said means including a pair of superposed flexible rings supported in contacting relation throughout their major portion and having openings formed therein through which the article is moved, and finger-like portions formed on one of said rings projecting through the opening formed in the other of said rings for urging and retaining said wrapper into engagement with said article upon their movement through said frame, the other of said rings cooperating to maintain said ngers in engagement with said Wrapper.

EDWARD A. MULLER.

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