Method for packaging a block consisting of a compressible material, a device for carrying out said method and a correspondingly packaged block

Abstract

In a method and an apparatus for packaging a block consisting of compressible material, a material block is compressed by approaching two pressing units ( 120,122 ), the block being shifted in the compressed condition either against a spread film and wrapped by this film or, alternatively, the film is shifted against the material block and drawn over the material block. The ends of the film are weld together.

1 . A method for packaging a block consisting of a compressible material, in which a load is applied to the block of material ( 3 ) in one direction by a force designed to produce a compression, in which the block is wrapped in a film in this loaded state and is then released from said load once wrapped,  
       characterized in that 
 the block of material ( 3 ) to which the load is applied and a film web ( 23 ) tensioned parallel to the direction of force are brought together, thereby wrapping three of the circumferential surfaces of the block of material ( 3 ) with film web ( 23 ),  
 the force required to generate the compression is replaced by a force acting in the same direction on the already wrapped surfaces of the block of material ( 3 ) to maintain a compression of the same order, and  
 the film web ( 23 ) is pressed together, welded and separated at the fourth circumferential surface of the block of material ( 3 ).  
 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , characterized in that the block of material ( 3 ) is pushed towards the tensioned film web ( 23 ).  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , characterized in that the film web ( 23 ) is unwound from a roll of film ( 21 ).  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , characterized in that the film web ( 23 ) is unwound from the roll of film ( 21 ), welded together and separated along the middle of the weld seam.  
     
     
         5 . The method of one of  claims 1  to  4 , characterized in that the block of material ( 3 ) is compressed by two pressure-resistant conveyor belts ( 120 ,  122 ) and, in the compressed state, is pushed by the latter towards the taut film web and between two pressure-resistant conveyor belts of the downstream packaging apparatus ( 112 ).  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , characterized in that a welding and cutting device ( 176 ,  178 ) is provided which draws together the film webs fed in from the top and  10  bottom at mid-height behind the block of material positioned in packaging apparatus ( 112 ), welds them together and then separates them in such a way that the film webs remain connected both at the back of the block of material and inside the new curtain.  
     
     
         7 . The method of claims  5  or  6 , characterized in that the block of material is first wrapped in one direction with a strong, good quality film which is chosen for its capacity to absorb the elastic recovery forces generated by the compression, and in that the block of material is then wrapped in a direction perpendicular to the first direction with an inexpensive thinner film that functions as a hygienic seal.  
     
     
         8 . A device for packaging a block consisting of a compressible material comprising a compression apparatus ( 1 ,  110 ) for producing a compressed block of material ( 3 ) and a packaging apparatus ( 2 ,  112 ) for packaging the block of material ( 3 ),  
       characterized in that, 
 the compression apparatus ( 1 ,  110 ) comprises a driveable compression unit ( 11 ) with means for gripping the block on opposite sides, in that the packaging apparatus ( 2 ,  112 ) has means for receiving the block of material ( 3 ) and for maintaining the compressed state of the block, in that between the compression apparatus and the packaging apparatus there is a film tensioning unit ( 18 ) for tensioning a film web parallel to the compression apparatus, and in that a film welding unit ( 19 ) is disposed between the film tensioning unit and the packaging apparatus ( 112 ).  
 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , characterized in that the compression unit ( 11 ) has two bottom angled compression rails ( 14 ) and two top angled compression rails ( 15 ) and a clamping device which grasps angled compression rails ( 14 ,  15 ) for the purpose of sustaining a preferred position.  
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , characterized in that the compression unit ( 11 ) has a bottom fixed compression plate ( 12 ) and a top driveable compression plate ( 13 ), and the two angled compression rails ( 14 ,  15 ) are contrived so that they can be raised with respect to the bottom compression plate ( 12 ) to create free spaces ( 16 ,  17 ) in the clamped position.  
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 8 , characterized in that the film tensioning unit ( 18 ) is fitted on the one hand with a roll of film ( 21 ) with a continuous film web ( 23 ) and, on the other hand, with a tensioning roller ( 22 ), with tensioning roller ( 22 ) being pre-tensioned so that under a horizontal load, it is pushed out of its vertical starting position and, when the horizontal load is removed, reverts to its starting position.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 8 , characterized in that between the roll of film ( 21 ) and tensioning roller ( 22 ), two rollers for guiding and deflecting film web ( 23 ) are disposed at a distance from each other that is bigger than the block of material ( 3 ).  
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 9 , characterized in that the two rollers for guiding and deflecting the film web are a bottom pair of rollers ( 24 ) and a top pair of rollers ( 25 ).  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 5 , characterized in that the film welding unit ( 19 ) has two welding beams ( 31 ) for connecting the free ends of film web ( 23 ), with at least one welding beam ( 31 ) being driveably contrived.  
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 11 , characterized in that one welding beam ( 31 ) is additionally fitted with a separating wire which extends along the entire length of welding beam ( 31 ) and runs in the middle of welding beam ( 31 ), with the separating wire being disposed in such a plane to the heating surface of welding beam ( 31 ) that film web ( 23 ) is first welded and then separated inside the welded surface.  
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 8 , characterized in that the receiver unit of the packaging apparatus ( 2 ) has at least one bottom remover gripper ( 28 ) and one top remover gripper ( 29 ), the position and dimensions of which are designed to coincide with the position and dimensions of the free spaces ( 16 ,  17 ) of compression unit ( 11 ), and which each have a film push rod ( 30 ) on the ends closest to compression unit ( 11 ).  
     
     
         17 . The device of  claims 8  to  17 , characterized in that the receiver unit of the packaging apparatus ( 2 ) is contrived as a movable unit ( 20 ) with a frame ( 26 ) and a movable slide ( 27 ), which can be displaced in relation to the fixed compression unit ( 11 ) of compression apparatus ( 1 ).  
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 8 , characterized in that the means of the compression apparatus ( 110 ) for gripping the block of material from opposite sides are pressure-resistant conveyor belts ( 120 ,  122 ) which compress the compressed block as a result of being brought together, with the block then being transferred to the packaging apparatus ( 112 ) by driving the conveyor belts forward.  
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 8 , characterized in that the means of the packaging apparatus ( 112 ) for gripping the block of material and sustaining the compressed state are pressure-resistant conveyor belts ( 164 ,  166 ) which can be driven in the direction of the exit of the packaging apparatus.  
     
     
         20 . The device of one of claims  18  or  19 , characterized in that the conveyor belts ( 120 ,  122 ,  164 ,  166 ) of the compression apparatus ( 110 ) and/or the packaging apparatus ( 112 ) have slat plates consisting of rigid slats.  
     
     
         21 . The device of one of  claims 18  to  20 , characterized in that the means of the compression apparatus for compressing the block of material, and of the packaging apparatus ( 112 ) for sustaining the compressed state comprise bottom, frame-fixed and top, lowerable and stoppable conveyor belts ( 120 ,  122 ,  164 ,  166 ).  
     
     
         22 . The device of one of  claims 18  to  21 , characterized in that on the input side of packaging apparatus ( 112 ) there are top and bottom feeder devices ( 150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162 ) for film webs.  
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 22 , characterized in that the feeder devices are deflecting rollers ( 150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158 ) which allow the film webs to be guided perpendicularly from above and below to in front of the input side of the packaging apparatus.  
     
     
         24 . The device of one of  claims 18  to  23 , characterized in that on the input side of packaging apparatus ( 112 ) there is a vertically displaceable welding and cutting device ( 176 ,  178 ).  
     
     
         25 . A packaged block of material consisting of compressible material, characterized in that the essentially square-shaped block of material is wrapped in a first direction with a strong plastic film selected for its capacity to absorb the elastic restoring forces of the compressed material, and in that the block of material is completely wrapped in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with an appropriate light material as protection against dirt and moisture.