Abstract:
A heat tunnel for applying heated air to articles enclosed in shrink-wrap film includes at least one air supply unit; a conveyor; and a heat shroud spaced from the conveyor. The air supply unit includes a source of heated air, a fan, a heated air plenum, air ducts, and a return air plenum. Multiple air supply units can be provided along the conveyor to create a heat tunnel of desired length.
Abstract:
Product is conveyed as a continuous stream by a meter conveyor (12) unto a transfer plate (32) and a transfer device (42). The transfer device (42) is movable between a retracted position and an extended position extending over a sweep conveyor (22). In a preferred form, the transfer device (42) is in the form of a thin piece of flexible material and is moved in the conveying direction from the retracted position to the extended position by engaging with the sweep conveyor (22) and is moved to the retracted position by being wrapped around a rotated roller (46). Product is transferred from the transfer device (42) to the sweep conveyor (22) as the transfer device (42) moves from the extended position to the retracted position and is engaged by a metering bar (52ba, 52ca) which controls the product on the sweep conveyor (22) until the product group leaves the transfer device (42). With nested product, the leading edge of the transfer device (42) is scalloped to represent the product bottom leading edge.
Abstract:
Product is conveyed as a continuous stream by a meter conveyor (12) unto a transfer plate (32) and a transfer device (42). The transfer device (42) is movable between a retracted position and an extended position extending over a sweep conveyor (22). In a preferred form, the transfer device (42) is in the form of a thin piece of flexible material and is moved in the conveying direction from the retracted position to the extended position by engaging with the sweep conveyor (22) and is moved to the retracted position by being wrapped around a rotated roller (46). Product is transferred from the transfer device (42) to the sweep conveyor (22) as the transfer device (42) moves from the extended position to the retracted position and is engaged by a metering bar (52ba) which controls the product acceleration on the sweep conveyor (22) to match the meter conveyor (12) until the product group leaves the transfer device (42). With nested product, the leading edge of the transfer device (42) is scalloped to represent the product bottom leading edge.
Abstract:
A heat tunnel for applying heated air to articles enclosed in shrink-wrap film includes at least one air supply unit; a conveyor; and a heat shroud spaced from the conveyor. The air supply unit includes a source of heated air, a fan, a heated air plenum, air ducts, and a return air plenum. Multiple air supply units can be provided along the conveyor to create a heat tunnel of desired length.
Abstract:
A heat tunnel for applying heated air to articles enclosed in shrink-wrap film includes at least one air supply unit; a conveyor; and a heat shroud spaced from the conveyor. Tha air supply unit includes a source of heated air, a fan, a heated air plenum, air ducts, and a return air plenum. Multiple air supply units can be provided along the conveyor to create a heat tunnel of desired length.
Abstract:
Holes are removed from nested product patterns by conveying products on a conveyance mechanism (12) through an infeed section (14) in nested pattern streams (a1, a2, b1, b2), into a narrowing section (24) of a width less than one and one half the product diameter. After the narrowing section (24), the product streams (a11, a21, b11, b21) enter into an expansion section (44) where products move into a side-by-side product stream (a12, a22, b12, b22). Thereafter, nested product streams (a13, a23, b13, b23) are formed, which can be combined to form nested product streams (A, B) which can be further processed as desired.
Abstract:
Product is conveyed as a continuous stream by a meter conveyor (12) unto a transfer plate (32) and a transfer device (42). The transfer device (42) is movable between a retracted position and an extended position extending over a sweep conveyor (22). In a preferred form, the transfer device (42) is in the form of a thin piece of flexible material and is moved in the conveying direction from the retracted position to the extended position by engaging with the sweep conveyor (22) and is moved to the retracted position by being wrapped around a rotated roller (46). Product is transferred from the transfer device (42) to the sweep conveyor (22) as the transfer device (42) moves from the extended position to the retracted position and is engaged by a metering bar (52ba) which controls the product acceleration on the sweep conveyor (22) to match the meter conveyor (12) until the product group leaves the transfer device (42). With nested product, the leading edge of the transfer device (42) is scalloped to represent the product bottom leading edge.
Abstract:
A cutting apparatus cuts shrink wrap film residing in a roll. The apparatus includes a first roller pair receiving the film from the roll and carrying the film away from the roll; and without the need for a second roller pair to receive the cut sheet of film. Film snap-back is prevented by cutting the film between a shear deck with teeth and a rotating blade with teeth intermeshing with the teeth of the shear deck. A method for cutting a sheet of shrink wrap film, includes: feeding the film into a first roller pair; and cutting the film between the first roller pair and the second roller pair using a rotating knife with a number of teeth intermeshing with a shear bar with teeth.
Abstract:
A heat tunnel for applying heated air to articles enclosed in shrink-wrap film includes at least one air supply unit; a conveyor; and a heat shroud spaced from the conveyor. The air supply unit includes a source of heated air, a fan, a heated air plenum, air ducts, and a return air plenum. Multiple air supply units can be provided along the conveyor to create a heat tunnel of desired length.