Packing machine

Abstract

A packing machine wherein a conveying head feeds a product to a wrapping head in which a respective sheet of wrapping material is folded into a U about the product so as to have a pair of wings facing each other and projecting transversely from the product; and a movable folding device carried by the conveying head folds a first wing of the pair of wings through 90° onto the product once the product is supplied to the wrapping head.

1 . a packing machine for wrapping a product ( 2 ) in a sheet ( 3 ) of wrapping material, the machine ( 1 ) comprising a wrapping head ( 6 ) for housing said sheet ( 3 ) of wrapping material and said product ( 2 ); a conveying head ( 39 ) for feeding said product ( 2 ) to said wrapping head ( 6 ) at a supply station (S 1 ); and a supply unit ( 12 ) for feeding said sheet ( 3 ) of wrapping material to said wrapping head ( 6 ), in which the sheet ( 3 ) of wrapping material is folded into a u about the product ( 2 ); characterized in that said conveying head ( 39 ) comprises a movable folding device ( 18 ), and actuating means ( 47 ) for activating the movable folding device ( 18 ) to fold at least one portion ( 14 ) of said sheet ( 3 ) of wrapping material onto said product ( 2 ) at said supply station (S 1 ).  
     
     
         2 . A machine as claimed in    claim 1   , characterized in that said sheet ( 3 ) of wrapping material folded into a U about said product ( 2 ) has a pair of wings ( 14 ,  15 ) facing each other and projecting transversely from the product ( 2 ); said actuating means ( 47 ) activating said movable folding device ( 18 ) to fold a first wing ( 14 ) of said pair of wings ( 14 ,  15 ) through 90° onto the product ( 2 ).  
     
     
         3 . A machine as claimed in    claim 2   , characterized by comprising a folding device ( 19 ) located in a fixed position with respect to the machine and for folding a second wing ( 15 ) of said pair of wings ( 14 ,  15 ) through 90° onto said product ( 2 ) and partly onto said first wing ( 14 ).  
     
     
         4 . A machine as claimed in    claim 1   , characterized by comprising a wrapping conveyor ( 4 ) for feeding said wrapping head ( 6 ) along an endless first wrapping path (P 1 ); and a supply conveyor ( 28 ) for feeding said feeding head along an endless second path (P 4 ) substantially tangent to said first wrapping path (P 1 ) at said supply station (S 1 ).  
     
     
         5 . A machine as claimed in    claim 4   , characterized in that said wrapping conveyor and said supply conveyor ( 4 ,  28 ) are continuous conveyors; said supply conveyor ( 28 ) comprising first control means for oscillating said conveying head ( 39 ) about a first axis ( 40 ) with respect to the supply conveyor ( 28 ); and said wrapping conveyor ( 4 ) comprising second control means ( 23 ) for oscillating said wrapping head ( 6 ), with respect to the wrapping conveyor ( 4 ), about a second axis ( 22 ) parallel to said first axis ( 40 ) and in a neighborhood of a position perpendicular with respect to said first wrapping path (P 1 ).  
     
     
         6 . A machine as claimed in    claim 1   , characterized in that said supply unit ( 12 ) is located upstream from said supply station (S 1 ) in the traveling direction of said wrapping head ( 6 ).