US3844091A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Package cut-out apparatus
Assignee: Oscar Mayer Foods Corp
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Filing: 1973-11-01
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Granted: 1974-10-29
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Expires: 1993-11-01
Abstract
Abstract In package-forming apparatus for individually packaging elongated articles such as small sausages between opposing, continuous webs of sealable film means are provided for completely separating or cutting out groups of the individually packaged articles while partially severing the articles in each group for ready separation from each other. In a preferred embodiment a predetermined number of these packaged articles, e.g. five, is completely severed with each of the five articles in the group being partially severed from each other along a readily separable line of perforation. The mechanism for severing and perforating the individually packaged articles is mounted around the periphery or rim of a wheel structure disposed for rotation over the discharge end of the upper run of an endless chain of lower die plates having cavities for receiving the lower portions of each individual article.
Inventors
- 👤 A Vedvik
- 👤 M Merdler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 16:27
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B19/00; B65B19/34; B65B61/00; B65B61/04; B65B61/06; B65B61/08; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/465; Y10T83/4766; Y10T83/4795; Y10T83/4812
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
352 words
In apparatus for individually packaging elongated articles in sealed parallel spaced relation between upper and lower continuous webs of sealable packaging film including an endless chain of parallel lower die blocks each having a die cavity therein for supporting said lower web and receiving the lower portion of an article to be packaged, said endless chain having an upper run on which the packaging operations are performed, means for supplying said elongated articles to said lower web, and means for sealing said upper web to said lower web, the improvement comprising: means for completely or partially severing each or selected ones of said sealed articles from an adjacent sealed article on at least one side thereof, including a support wheel; means mounting said wheel over said upper run of lower die blocks for rotation on a horizontal axis parallel to said lower die blocks and transversely to the direction of movement thereof; a plurality of upper die blocks mounted on the rim of said support wheel for sequential mating engagement with said lower die blocks; a plurality of knives mounted for sequential projection into radially aligned spaces between said lower die blocks; and, actuating means for said knives, said actuating means comprising, a plurality of air cylinders radially mounted within the rim portion of said support wheel with the outer end of the piston rod of each air cylinder being supportingly connected to one of said knives, a valve ring concentrically located on one side of said support wheel and having circumferentially spaced transverse openings therein corresponding in number and spacing to said cylinders, said support wheel having internal passageways interconnecting each of said transverse air ring openings with one of said air cylinders, and air valve means mounted to register in pressure communicating relationship with each of said transverse air ring openings as its associated air cylinder and knife registers with the space between adjacent lower die blocks thereby actuating said associated air cylinder and knife to sever or Perforate the packaging film interconnecting adjacent packages along a line registering with the space between a pair of adjacent lower die blocks.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
352 words
In apparatus for individually packaging elongated articles in sealed parallel spaced relation between upper and lower continuous webs of sealable packaging film including an endless chain of parallel lower die blocks each having a die cavity therein for supporting said lower web and receiving the lower portion of an article to be packaged, said endless chain having an upper run on which the packaging operations are performed, means for supplying said elongated articles to said lower web, and means for sealing said upper web to said lower web, the improvement comprising: means for completely or partially severing each or selected ones of said sealed articles from an adjacent sealed article on at least one side thereof, including a support wheel; means mounting said wheel over said upper run of lower die blocks for rotation on a horizontal axis parallel to said lower die blocks and transversely to the direction of movement thereof; a plurality of upper die blocks mounted on the rim of said support wheel for sequential mating engagement with said lower die blocks; a plurality of knives mounted for sequential projection into radially aligned spaces between said lower die blocks; and, actuating means for said knives, said actuating means comprising, a plurality of air cylinders radially mounted within the rim portion of said support wheel with the outer end of the piston rod of each air cylinder being supportingly connected to one of said knives, a valve ring concentrically located on one side of said support wheel and having circumferentially spaced transverse openings therein corresponding in number and spacing to said cylinders, said support wheel having internal passageways interconnecting each of said transverse air ring openings with one of said air cylinders, and air valve means mounted to register in pressure communicating relationship with each of said transverse air ring openings as its associated air cylinder and knife registers with the space between adjacent lower die blocks thereby actuating said associated air cylinder and knife to sever or Perforate the packaging film interconnecting adjacent packages along a line registering with the space between a pair of adjacent lower die blocks.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
In the apparatus of claim 1 said knives including knives with continuous cutting edges for completely severing the packaging film interconnecting adjacent packages and thereby detaching adjacent packages from each other and knives with discontinuous cutting edges for perforating the packaging film interconnecting adjacent packages thereby rendering adjacent packages readily detachable from each other, and each pair of said knives with said continuous cutting edges having disposed therebetween a plurality of knives with said discontinuous cutting edges.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
In the apparatus of claim 1 said upper die blocks being provided with heater means. equal
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
182 words
In the apparatus of claim 1 each of said upper die blocks having a passageway therein with inlet and outlet ports whereby heating fluid may be circulated therethrough, said means for mounting said support wheel being a shaft with non-connecting passageways extending inwardly therein from opposite ends, fluid transmitting disc means mounted on said shaft having a pair of central chambers from each of which a set of passageways eqyal in number to said upper die blocks extend to ports in the periphery of said disc means, a conduit connecting one of said ports of each upper die block with a port in one of said sets of ports and another conduit connecting the reamining one of said ports of each upper die block with a port in the remaining one of said sets of ports, said shaft having one inner port communicating between one of said inwardly extending passageways therein and one of said central chambers and having a second inner port communicating between the remaining one of said inwardly extending passageways therein and the remaining one of said central chambers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
In the apparatus as called for in claim 4 said fluid transmitting disc means consisting of a pair of separate discs with each disc having one of said central chambers and one of said sets of passageways.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
In the apparatus of claim 1 said valve ring comprising a separate ring member mounted on said support wheel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
In the apparatus of claim 1 said air valve means comprising a stationary nipple, a cup member telescopically mounted on said nipple with a port which sequentially registers with said openings in said valve ring.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
In the apparatus as called for in claim 7 said cup including a chamber with differential areas arranged so that said cup is normally urged in the direction of said valve ring.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
In the apparatus as called for in claim 7, said cup member having a vertical surface juxtaposed to the outer vertical surface of said valve ring and having at least one circular sealing element of low-coefficient of friction mounted in said vertical surface for sliding sealing engagement with said outer vertical surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-10-28 | 1978-04-29 | 1978-10-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-10-28 | 1982-04-29 | 1982-10-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-10-28 | 1986-04-29 | 1986-10-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |