Packaging method and apparatus

Abstract

A packaging apparatus includes a wrapping material applicator for helically wrapping together a collation of articles, a first conveyor for transporting unwrapped collations of articles to the applicator, a second conveyor for transporting wrapped collations of articles away from the applicator, a base band applicator upstream of the wrapping material applicator for providing a base band of wrapping material underneath an unwrapped collation of articles so as to be wrapped together with the unwrapped collation of articles, such that the base band extends between wrapped collations of articles downstream of the applicator and unwrapped collations of articles upstream of the applicator, and a tensioning mechanism configured, in use, to place at least a portion of the base band under tension before an unwrapped collation of articles is placed onto that portion of the base band.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaging apparatus comprising:
 a wrapping material applicator for helically wrapping together a collation of articles,   a first conveyor for transporting unwrapped collations of articles to the applicator;   a second conveyor for transporting wrapped collations of articles away from the applicator;   a base band applicator upstream of the wrapping material applicator for providing a base band of wrapping material underneath an unwrapped collation of articles so as to be wrapped together with the unwrapped collation of articles, such that the base band extends between wrapped collations of articles downstream of the applicator and unwrapped collations of articles upstream of the applicator; and   a tensioning mechanism configured, in use, to place at least a portion of the base band under tension before an unwrapped collation of articles is placed onto that portion of the base band.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tensioning mechanism comprises a tensioning roller over which the base band is fed. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the base band applicator further comprises a base band reel from which the base band is supplied, the tensioning roller being connected to the base band reel via a reverse transmission mechanism so as to be urged to rotate in an opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the base band reel; and wherein, in use, the base band is fed over the tensioning roller in the same rotational direction as the base band reel. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the packaging apparatus is configured such that the unwrapped collations of articles are drawn into the applicator by the base band as a result of movement of the wrapped collations of articles on the second conveyor. 
     
     
         5 . A method of wrapping collations of articles comprising:
 providing a base band, a portion of which has been helically wrapped together with a collation of articles, and upon a further portion of which a further collation of articles is to be placed;   tensioning the further portion of the base band;   placing the further collation of articles upon the tensioned further portion of the base band such that the base band extends between the collation of articles and the further collation of articles;   helically wrapping material around both the further collation of articles and the tensioned further portion of the base band.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising stretching the further portion of the base band before placing the further collation of articles upon the base band. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the helical wrapping is performed by a wrapping material applicator and the further collation of articles is drawn into the applicator by the base band as a result of movement of the collation of articles on the downstream conveyor. 
     
     
         8 . A packaging apparatus comprising:
 a wrapping material applicator for helically wrapping together a collation of articles,   a first conveyor for transporting unwrapped collations of articles towards the applicator;   a second conveyor for transporting wrapped collations of articles away from the applicator; and   a base band applicator upstream of the wrapping material applicator for providing a base band of wrapping material underneath the unwrapped collations of articles such that the base band extends between wrapped collations of articles downstream of the applicator and unwrapped collations of articles upstream of the applicator, the base band being wrapped together with the collations of articles,   wherein the first and second conveyors are spaced apart and, the applicator is provided between them, and   the packaging apparatus further comprises an intermediate support conveyor between the first and second conveyors configured, in use, to support the base band within the applicator.   
     
     
         9 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the support conveyor offers substantially no resistance to the transit of the base band through the packaging apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the intermediate support conveyor is disposed within the applicator. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the applicator comprises an applicator ring having a rotational axis substantially parallel to the downstream direction such that the ring defines an aperture through which, in use, articles are transported from the first to the second conveyor. 
     
     
         12 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein, in use, the intermediate support conveyor is helically wrapped together with the collation of articles, the wrapping material around the support conveyor sliding off the support conveyor as the wrapped collation of articles passes downstream, the wrapped portion of the support conveyor having a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the direction of transit of the articles which is sufficiently small that the collation of articles remains wrapped together after leaving the support conveyor. 
     
     
         13 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the support conveyor is narrower than the first conveyor. 
     
     
         14 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the intermediate support conveyor has a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the direction of transit of the articles that is less than that of the first and/or the second conveyor. 
     
     
         15 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the base band applicator further comprises a tensioning mechanism which, in use, tensions a portion of the base band while a collation of articles is placed upon the portion of the base band. 
     
     
         16 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the tensioning mechanism comprises a tensioning roller over which the base band is fed. 
     
     
         17 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the base band applicator further comprises a base band reel from which the base band is supplied, the tensioning roller being connected to the base band reel via a reverse transmission mechanism so as to be urged to rotate in an opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the base band reel; and wherein, in use, the base band is fed over the tensioning roller in the same rotational direction as the base band reel. 
     
     
         18 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is configured such that the unwrapped collations of articles are drawn into the applicator by the base band as a result of movement of the wrapped collations of articles on the second conveyor. 
     
     
         19 . A method for helically wrapping together a collation of articles, the method comprising: conveying unwrapped collations of articles towards a wrapping applicator with a first conveyor; helically wrapping the collations of articles with a wrapping material by operating the wrapping applicator; conveying wrapped collations of articles away from the applicator with a second conveyor; wherein said conveying the unwrapped collations of articles comprises applying a base band of wrapping material underneath the unwrapped collations of articles such that the base band extends between wrapped collations of articles downstream of the applicator and the unwrapped collations of articles upstream of the applicator, the base band subsequently being helically wrapped together with the collations of articles; and conveying the unwrapped collation of articles on the base band between the first and second conveyors on an intermediate support conveyor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the unwrapped collations of articles are drawn into the applicator by the base band as a result of movement of the wrapped collations of articles on the second conveyor.