Product packing assembly for packing food products

Abstract

An assembly for packing products, in particular food products, arranged successively and spaced longitudinally apart inside a tube of packing material traveling along a respective longitudinal axis; the assembly has a carriage movable linearly back and forth parallel to the longitudinal axis, a first tool carried by the carriage and movable to perform a first packing operation on the tube, and at least one second tool, which differs from the first tool, is also carried by the carriage, and is movable to perform a second packing operation; and the first and second tool are activated by respective actuating devices, which are carried by the carriage to move together with the carriage.

1 . An assembly for packing products, in particular food products, arranged successively and spaced longitudinally apart inside a tube of packing material traveling along a respective longitudinal axis comprising: 
 a carriage movable back and forth, parallel to the longitudinal axis, along a forward stroke in the same direction as the travel of the tube, and along a return stroke in the opposite direction to the travel of the tube;    a first tool carried by the carriage and movable, with respect to the carriage, to perform, along each the forward stroke, a first packing operation on the tube;    a second tool, carried by the carriage and movable with respect to the carriage, to perform, along each the return stroke, a second packing operation on the tube; and    actuating means for moving the first and the second tool, respectively, to perform the first and the second packing operation respectively, wherein at least some of the actuating means are carried by the carriage.    
     
     
         2 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the actuating means are carried entirely by the carriage.  
     
     
         3 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising: a first slide supporting the first tool and fitted to the carriage to move, under the control of first actuating means, in a first direction (C) crosswise to the longitudinal axis, the second tool being fitted to the first slide to move, under the control of second actuating means, in a second direction (D) crosswise to the longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         4 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the first actuating means includes a rotary motor fixed to the carriage.  
     
     
         5 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the first actuating means includes transmission means activated by the motor to move the first slide back and forth linearly in the first direction (C).  
     
     
         6 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising: a second slide fitted to the carriage to move in the first direction (C) and activated by the transmission means to move in the opposite direction to the first slide, wherein the second slide supports at least one corresponding tool for the first and the second tool.  
     
     
         7 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the transmission means includes at least one connecting rod and crank transmission.  
     
     
         8 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the transmission means includes two diametrically opposed cranks, each for translating a respective first or second slide.  
     
     
         9 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the cranks form part of a single rocker arm lever oscillated by the motor.  
     
     
         10 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising: elastic means interposed between the corresponding tool and the second slide, and exerting, on the corresponding tool, an elastic force directed towards the first slide.  
     
     
         11 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the elastic means includes a number of disk springs arranged in series.  
     
     
         12 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the second actuating means are carried by the first slide.  
     
     
         13 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the second actuating means are housed in the first slide.  
     
     
         14 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the second actuating means includes a lever transmission.  
     
     
         15 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the lever transmission includes an articulated parallelogram.  
     
     
         16 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the second actuating means includes a fluidic actuating device.  
     
     
         17 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the fluidic actuating device includes a pneumatic cylinder.  
     
     
         18 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the first direction (C) and the second direction (D) are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         19 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising: a belt transmission for moving the carriage back and forth linearly.  
     
     
         20 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first tool is defined by at least one sealing member.  
     
     
         21 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the second tool is defined by at least one package separating tool.  
     
     
         22 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising: at least one pressure member for expelling air from the tube.