EP0110080B1 - Method and device for packing three-dimensional objects - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to. a method for packaging spatial objects, in particular a spherical praline, in a film-like packaging material, in particular a thin aluminum foil, in that the packaging material is placed in a substantially planar shape over an opening and the object to be packaged is wrapped in the packaging material in such a way that on a Page the packaging material is gathered. The invention further relates to an apparatus for carrying out this method with a device for feeding the packaging material and for placing the same on the opening, with a device for wrapping the article in the packaging material and for gathering the packaging material on one side of the packaged article, and with a device for placing the object in the area of the packaging material.

Chocolates are packaged according to a known method DE-C-730766 and with a known device in such a way that pre-cut packaging film sections and the praline are brought one after the other into a treatment station, so that the praline is clamped between two tappets and between a tappet and the praline in the middle Packaging film section is pinched. The initially flat packaging film section is then deformed by the joint movement of the plunger, the chocolate and the packaging film section in a mold cavity such that it is placed around the chocolate. This means that the forming of the initially flat packaging film material is carried out on the praline itself. If the praline or another object to be packaged has an uneven, possibly provided with protrusions on the outer surface, there is a risk with this type of packaging that the protrusions will push through the film material and thereby destroy the film material. Of course, this results in an unattractive appearance of the packed praline.

In addition, the throughput in such a device is limited. If the throughput is increased above a certain limit, the praline is acted on too strongly, so that the special object is not treated with care.

The above-mentioned method and the above-mentioned device have already been proposed, according to which the packaging film section is placed on an opening as a flat material. below which is formed a slat that can be moved radially outwards. tapered cavity is arranged. If the praline lying on the flat packaging film section is pushed downwards, it moves downwards together with the packaging material through the aforementioned cavity, with simultaneous spreading of the above-mentioned lamellae, which press the packaging film material against the praline. If it is a spherical praline, this pressing takes place around the entire spherical outer surface of the praline, so that the packaging film material is gathered at the upper end of the packed praline so that it forms a tail-like extension. This tail-like extension is pressed together with a rod, so that there is a small accumulation of material.

Also according to this proposal, the packaging film material is molded onto the praline itself, so that the disadvantages already mentioned with regard to damage to the film occur. A particularly gentle treatment of the praline is also not possible with such a packaging method. However, the throughput can be increased if several such devices are arranged side by side without having to increase the cycle time for each individual praline.

From GB-A-1 362146 it is known to wrap an article with an irregular shape according to a shrink film packaging in a plastic film which is elastic and can be stretched over the article to form a skin-tight packaging. In connection with this, the film material is sucked into a mold cavity and thus this film material is preformed. The article is inserted into the preformed film material, after which the film is shrunk onto or around the article.

Therefore, the invention has for its object to provide a method and an apparatus of the type mentioned, with which the packaging of a spatial object, in particular a praline, possibly spherical praline, can be carried out so gently that neither the praline nor the packaging material itself is damaged. This should be done with simple means so that a high throughput is ensured with a sufficiently short cycle time.

Due to the simple procedure, the deformation of the packaging material is largely independent of the object to be packed itself, so that there is far less impairment of the object and the packaging material compared to the prior art, which is particularly advantageous if chocolates and especially with chocolates with an irregular, possibly rough surface should be packed.

So that the film sections cannot slip during preforming, the packaging material is in its co-operation when preforming tel range, preferably held by a suction force (suction air). Thus, with the use of optimally few packaging materials, there is certainly a largely symmetrical and spatial shape for receiving the objects to be packaged.

The protruding, gathered material forms a tail projecting from the object, which is pressed towards the object, so that a small accumulation of material forms there.

In order to prevent the packaging material from slipping against the object when the remaining section of the packaging material is placed around the praline in the molding die, when the preformed packaging material with the object therein is pressed into the molding die onto the closed section of the preformed shape Packaging material acted by suction.

According to an advantageous development, the preformed spatial shape of the packaging material is blown out before the final shaping process and, if necessary, after a check, so that no disruptive particles can come to lie between the packaging material and the object.

According to an advantageous further development, the packaged object is inserted into a receptacle and glued there after an adhesive has previously been applied to the bottom of the receptacle. So that this should advantageously take place with the aforementioned small material accumulation of the packaging material towards the bottom of the receptacle, the packaged object is advantageously automatically turned through 180 ° before it is entered into the receptacle.

The object is further achieved according to the invention by a device for carrying out the method, which is characterized in that at least one molding space forming the opening mentioned, which is almost closed on the side opposite this opening, is provided, and above the opening at least one molding die which can be moved into the molding space is arranged that at least one plunger is arranged below the molding space at a point offset from the molding die, which acts on the one in the molding space. of the preformed spatial structure of the packaging material can be moved through the open bottom of the molding space, at least one die being arranged on the side facing away from the plunger above said opening of the molding space, the cavity of which tapers in the direction away from the molding space.

A suction channel is preferably arranged in the tappet. which emerges from the front of the same. the preformed packaging material containing the item comes into contact. This ensures that the packaging material cannot slip during the final shaping of the packaging material in the molding die. The attachment of a suction channel in the plunger means a particularly simple solution, since the plunger therefore has a dual function, on the one hand to move the semi-packaged object with the spatial structure of the packaging material in the direction of the molding die and on the other hand to prevent the packaging material from slipping relative to the object. This always ensures that the item can be completely enveloped if the packaging material is optimally tight.

According to an advantageous further development, a suction channel opens into the cavity of the molding die on the side, which is opposite the side on which the object is inserted into the cavity. As a result, the final shaping of the packaging material for closing the packaging is further improved with regard to gentle handling of packaging material and praline.

On the side of the cavity of the molding die, which is opposite the side on which the object is inserted, a hole is arranged through which a rod can be inserted into the cavity. This rod can be used to compress a tail-like extension of the gathered packaging material, which may form, into a small accumulation of material.

Advantageously, a suction channel is arranged in the die for preforming the packaging material, which opens outwards at the end face of the die, with which it initially comes into contact when it acts on the section of the packaging material lying on the opening of the molding space. By means of this suction channel, which may be connected to a vacuum source, the center of the flat packaging material section can be held so centrally on the forming die during preforming that the section cannot slip relative to the forming die during the forming. This enables the use of an optimally small, material-saving packaging material section.

In order to increase the throughput with a constant number of cycles, a multiplicity of mold spaces are expediently arranged transversely to a direction of travel thereof in a carrier element. Likewise, a plurality of carrier elements in the form of an endless conveyor belt are strung together, so that in the upper run, the working run, the openings of the molding spaces are directed upwards. The individual treatment stations are arranged one behind the other above and / or below the work strand.

In an expedient development, the treatment station for preforming the packaging material comprises two transverse rows of mold dies arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel of the work strand, which are divided by half the mold dies of a mold row of stamps are arranged offset from each other. As many mold spaces are arranged transversely to the direction of travel thereof in each carrier as there are mold stamps in total in both rows. Each row of form stamps is assigned a device for feeding a film serving as packaging material to the openings of the mold spaces, which devices are equipped with cutting knives arranged one behind the other for longitudinally and transversely cutting the film, the cut, flat film sections of the devices also in the transverse direction to one another lie staggered.

This particular type of design of the device has the result that a larger number of mold spaces can be arranged transversely to the direction of travel of the mold spaces with the same width of the system. This would not be possible without this special design, since the initially flat packaging film sections are so large that, due to their size, they would determine a greater distance between the mold spaces transverse to the direction of travel. According to the solution according to the invention, however, in the case of a denser staggering of the mold spaces transverse to the direction of travel, a packaging material is only preformed in every second mold space. The packaging film material is preformed at an advanced position in the intermediate mold spaces.

For space-saving reasons, a device for supplying the packaging material in the direction of travel of the mold space carriers is expediently arranged on one side and the other device on the other side of the treatment station for preforming the packaging material. These devices feed the packaging material in mutually directed directions:

The two rows of mold stamps can be moved together into the mold spaces of two carriers.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the two rows of dies can be moved into the mold spaces of two carriers, which are spaced apart from one another by the width of one carrier.

Finally, according to an expedient embodiment of the subject matter of the invention, at the end of the working strand of the endless conveyor belt formed by the carriers of the mold spaces, there is a translation station which picks up the packed objects, rotates them by 180 ° and delivers them to a conveyor belt which is arranged transversely to the latter at the end of the said working strand is and brings glued receptacles into which the packaged items are inserted with the small accumulation of material down and glued. When packing a praline, these recordings are made from pleats known per se.

• Figur 1a eine Hauptverpackungsstraße zum Verpacken von kugelförmigen Pralinen.
• Figur 1b eine Nebenverpackungsstraße zum Eingeben der kugelförmigen Pralinen in ein Plisse und zum Aufgeben eines Etiketts,
• Figur 2a eine Teilansicht entsprechend der Linie 11-11 in Fig. 1, mit der Darstellung von zwei Folienabwickel- und Schneideinrichtungen sowie einer Vorformeinrichtung,
• Figur 2b eine Längsschnittdarstellung der Vorformeinrichtung,
• Figur 3a eine perspektivische Darstellung der Schneideinrichtung und der Vorformeinrichtung,
• Figur 3b eine detaillierte Seitenansicht der Schneideinrichtung,
• Figur 4 eine teilweise geschnittene Seitenansicht der Einrichtung zum Einlegen der Pralinen in die vorgeformten Verpackungsfolienabschnitte.
• Figur 5 eine Schnittansicht durch die Einrichtung zum Verschließen des vorgeformten Verpackungsmaterialabschnittes mit der darin befindlichen kugelförmigen Praline,
• Figur 6 eine Schnittansicht durch eine Einrichtung zum Übersetzen der verpackten Pralinen und zum Einlegen derselben in auf der Nebenverpackungsstraße herangeführten Plisses, und
• Figur 7 eine Schnittansicht der Einrichtung zum Auflegen der Plisses auf dem Förderband der Nebenverpackungsstraße.

Further details, features and advantages of the invention result from the following description of the exemplary embodiments shown purely schematically in the drawings. It shows

• Figure 1a shows a main packaging line for packaging spherical chocolates.
• FIG. 1b shows a secondary packaging line for entering the spherical chocolates into a plisse and for applying a label,
• FIG. 2a shows a partial view along line 11-11 in FIG. 1, showing two film unwinding and cutting devices and a preforming device,
• FIG. 2b shows a longitudinal section of the preform device,
• FIG. 3a shows a perspective view of the cutting device and the preforming device,
• FIG. 3b shows a detailed side view of the cutting device,
• Figure 4 is a partially sectioned side view of the device for inserting the chocolates in the preformed packaging film sections.
• FIG. 5 shows a sectional view through the device for closing the preformed packaging material section with the spherical praline located therein,
• FIG. 6 shows a sectional view through a device for translating the packed chocolates and for inserting them into pleats brought up on the secondary packaging line, and
• Figure 7 is a sectional view of the device for placing the pleats on the conveyor belt of the secondary packaging line.

• Eine Einrichtung D1 zum Zuführen und Zuschneiden des Verpackungsfolienmaterials, eine Einrichtung E zum Vorformen der zugeschnittenen Verpackungsmaterialabschnitte, eine weitere Einrichtung D2 zum Zuführen und Zuschneiden des Verpackungsfolienmaterials, eine Einrichtung F zum Zuführen und Eingeben der Pralinen in die vorgeformten Verpackungsfolienmaterialzuschnitte G, eine Einrichtung zum Kontrollieren des Vorhandenseins von Pralinen in dem vorgeformten Zuschnitt des Verpackungsfolienmaterials und zum Ausblasen des vorgeformten Verpackungsfolienmaterials aus dem Träger für den Fall. daß keine Praline darin enthalten ist. eine Einrichtung H zum Verschließen des vorgeformten Verpackungsfolienmaterialzuschnittes mit der darin befindlichen Praline und I eine Einrichtung zum Übergeben der verpackten Pralinen auf das Förderband der Nebenverpackungsstraße B und zum Einlegen der Pralinen in die auf dem Förderband dieser Nebenverpackungsstraße B herangebrachten Plisses.

According to the overview drawing in FIG. 1a, the main piece of the main packaging line A is a revolving endless conveyor 10, which is composed of carriers arranged in the conveying direction and extending transversely therewith and designed as strips. The working strand 10a, ie the upper strand of the endless conveyor belt 10, is assigned a plurality of treatment stations which are formed by a series of devices which are arranged one behind the other in the direction of the movement of the endless conveyor belt 10, which is indicated by the arrow C in FIG. 1 and are partially arranged above or below the work strand:

• A device D1 for feeding and cutting the packaging film material, a device E for preforming the cut packaging material sections, a further device D2 for feeding and cutting the packaging film material, a device F for feeding and entering the chocolates into the preformed packaging film material cuts G, a device for controlling the Presence of chocolates in the preformed blank of the packaging film material and for blowing the preformed packaging film material out of the carrier for the case. that there is no praline in it. a device H for closing the preformed packaging film material blank with the praline located therein and I a device for transferring the packaged pralines the conveyor belt of the secondary packaging line B and for inserting the chocolates into the pleats brought up on the conveyor belt of this secondary packaging line B.

The secondary packaging line B, as shown in FIG. 1 b, has as its core a further endless conveyor belt 14, which extends transversely to the direction of travel of the endless conveyor belt 10 of the main packaging line A and over which part of the device I is arranged. In the direction of travel of the conveyor belt 14 in front of the device there is a device K for depositing pleats from a store onto the conveyor belt 14 as well as a device L for applying a glue point in the inner bottom of the pleats and behind the device I a device M for applying a label on the wrapped praline glued into the pleats.

In the following, the individual devices will now be explained with reference to the further figures, first with reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b the device D1 and D2 for feeding and cutting the packaging film material. Both devices are identical, but work in opposite directions with regard to the feeding of the film material to the device E, whereby it must be taken into account that the operation of the conveyor belt 10 in particular is intermittent, i. H. done gradually.

The packaging film material is drawn off from a roll 16 of such a width that the packaging film material can be cut in a row according to this example 7 blanks Z (FIG. 3a), which are arranged next to one another in the direction of travel of the endless conveyor belt 10 and are each intended for packaging a chocolate candy are.

After the roll 16, the packaging film material V runs over a roll system 18, of which two rolls 20 are arranged on a pivotable lever 22. The lever creates a material supply 24 in the roller system 18, which stores just as much packaging film material as has to be removed for the respective cut. Therefore, the relatively thin film material does not have to be pulled off the heavy roll 16 immediately. Behind the roller system 18 is a pivotable knife carrier 26, on which 6 circular knives 28 are arranged transversely to the direction of travel, which cuts the film into seven longitudinal strips 30 of the same width. Behind the circular knives 28 there is a clamping arm 32 which prevents the film from sliding back when a new supply is formed in the roller system 18.

The material supply 24 is pulled off by means of a slide 34 which can be moved back and forth in the direction of the double arrow 38 via a lever linkage 36. When moving to the left in FIG. 3b, the film is pulled off when a clamping arm 42 controlled by a lever 40 clamps the packaging film material against the carriage 34. This clamping arm 42 moves together with the carriage 34.

The carriage 34 moves a sufficient amount of packaging film material in the width required in the direction of travel over a carrier 12 of the endless conveyor belt 10, which is provided with mold spaces 44 arranged in a row transversely to the direction of travel. Immediately in front of this carrier 12 is a transverse cutting device 46, which separates the longitudinal film webs 30 so transversely that almost square blanks Z come to rest centrally over an opening 48 of a molding space 44.

As has already been stated, two devices for feeding and cutting the packaging film material are provided on both sides of a device for preforming the blanks Z, specifically in the arrangement according to FIG. 1a. The device E for preforming the blanks Z located between these two devices D1 and D2 comprises a crosshead 50 with two rows of shaping dies 52, each row comprising seven shaping dies (of course only for example). The shaping dies of both rows are offset from one another by half a division of the shaping dies transversely to the direction of travel of the endless conveyor belt 10, the shaping dies being assigned to each row of shaping spaces 44 of the carrier 12 in such a way that each shaping stamp of each row is only assigned to every second shaping space 44 of the carrier 12 . This means that each row of dies is assigned to seven of the fourteen mold spaces 44 of the carrier 12 arranged transversely to the direction of travel of the conveyor belt 10. Thus, the cut longitudinal strips 30 are preferably offset from one another by half a blank width.

The fourteen mold spaces 44 are arranged with their overhead openings 48 so close to each other for space-saving reasons that the size of the blank Z required for packing the praline would cover several openings 48 and thus would interfere with the blanks mutually overlapping during preforming. The first seven blanks are therefore preformed first by means of a row of stamps and then at a later point the remaining seven blanks by the other row of dies, one after the other, although of course the two rows of dies are simultaneously moved into the mold spaces 44 of the carriers 12 by means of the crosshead 50 . The rows of shaped dies 52 are spaced apart from center to center by two beam widths, as can be clearly seen from FIG. 1a. The offset arrangement of the longitudinal strips 30 and the arrangement of the openings 48 in the carrier 12 can be seen in particular from FIG. 2a at the edge of a schematic illustration.

The treatment process of preforming is explained with reference to FIGS. 2b and 3a, the associated parts in FIG. 3a only being shown schematically with regard to the mode of operation. There is a stationary intermediate bar 54, which is provided with openings 56, through which the form punch 52 can pass between the form punch 52 and the carrier 12. Together with the form stamp, a clamping strip 58 also moves above the intermediate strip 54.

If the blank Z is on the intermediate bar 54, this is drawn onto the intermediate bar by a suction air force in order to prevent the blank from jumping up and thus to ensure a uniform folding during the preforming. The clamping strip 58 additionally clamps the blank Z, so that the blank can be pre-shaped symmetrically. The upper and lower layers of the die 52 with the initial state of the blank Z and the preformed structure Z 'are shown schematically in FIG. 3a.

In Fig. 2b, the actuating mechanism 60 for the die 52 is also shown. In addition, it can be seen from this figure that there is a suction channel 62 within the forming die 52, which opens at the end face 64 of the forming die, where it initially comes into contact with the blank Z. Due to the suction force applied in the channel 62, the blank Z can additionally be held centrally during the preforming thereof in the molding space 44, so that a symmetrical preforming of the blank Z is ensured.

4 shows the device F for feeding and inserting the spherical chocolates P into the preformed structures Z ', which are gradually brought into the mold spaces 44 of the carriers 12. According to the representation in Fig. 4, four rows of chocolates of 7 pieces are inserted simultaneously. The chocolates are brought transversely to the direction of travel of the endless conveyor belt 10 via conveyor belts 66 into the area of a rake 68 which can be moved in the direction of travel of the carrier 12 by means of a drive mechanism 70. During this movement, the chocolates P fall according to the arrows 72 into funnels 72 arranged above the mold spaces 44 and from there into the preformed structures Z 'of the packaging film material.

As can also be seen from FIG. 4, the carriers 12 move step-by-step into a device G, also shown in FIG. 1a, for checking the presence of chocolates in the preformed structures of the packaging film material. This device consists essentially of a push rod 74, which is provided on its underside with a rubber stamp 76. This push rod 78 is driven via the actuating mechanism 78. If the suction cup 76 encounters a praline P, the push rod returns to its starting position, controlled by the fact that no blowing air can escape through the rubber stamp when the suction cup is put on. However, if the push rod moves further down in the absence of a chocolate candy without the suction cup coming into contact with a chocolate candy, then the preformed structure Z 'is blown out of the corresponding mold space 44 so that this preformed structure of the packaging film material in the subsequent automatic Further processing steps do not impair the automatic process. The structures Z 'are blown into a funnel 78 and discharged through a pipe 80.

Closing the package, i.e. H. of the preformed structure Z 'takes place in the device H, which is shown in more detail in FIG. 5. This device preferably consists of two form matrices 81 arranged stationary in the direction of travel of the carriers 12, the cavity 84 of which tapers away from the carriers 12.

A rod 86 can be inserted into the tapered section of the cavity 84 of each molding die, the rod being able to be moved back and forth in accordance with the double arrow 82. At the lower end of the molding space 44 there is an opening 88 through which a plunger 90 can be inserted, which can be moved up and down according to the double arrow 92 in FIG. 5 by means of the actuating mechanism 94. The plunger 90 opens into the end face 98, which comes into direct contact with the chocolate P at the closed section of the shape Z of the packaging film material and via this section.

• Die Stößel 90 werden mittels des Betätigungsmechanismus 94 nach oben bewegt. Die durch die Saugkanäle 94 aufgebrachte Saugkraft hält dabei das vorgeformte Gebilde Z' des Verpackungsfolienmaterials in fester Relation zur Praline P. Dadurch werden die vorgeformten Gebilde .Z' zusammen mit der Praline P in den Hohlraum 84 der Formmatrize 81 geschoben. Über eine Saugleitung 100 wirkt in den Hohlraum 84 eine Saugkraft, durch die in Verbindung mit der Form des Hohlraums 84 der Formmatrize 81 der nach oben über die Praline überstehende Rand des vorgeformten Gebildes Z' des Verpackungsfolienmaterials gerafft wird, wie dies aus Fig. 5 ersichtlich ist, wo die Praline bereits in diesem Zustand in gestrichelter Linienausführung dargestellt ist. Dabei bildet sich ein schwanzartiger, geraffter Folienmaterialfortsatz Z". Auf diesen Fortsatz wird mittels der Stange 86 von oben so eingewirkt, daß dieser zu einer kleinen Materialanhäufung zusammengedrückt wird.

The process of closing the mold is as follows:

• The plungers 90 are moved upwards by means of the actuation mechanism 94. The suction force exerted by the suction channels 94 keeps the preformed structure Z 'of the packaging film material in a fixed relation to the praline P. As a result, the preformed structures .Z' together with the praline P are pushed into the cavity 84 of the molding die 81. Via a suction line 100, a suction force acts in the cavity 84, by means of which, in conjunction with the shape of the cavity 84 of the molding die 81, the edge of the preformed structure Z ′ of the packaging film material projecting upwards above the chocolate is gathered, as can be seen in FIG. 5 is where the chocolate candy is already shown in this state in dashed lines. This forms a tail-like, gathered foil material extension Z ". This extension is acted on from above by means of the rod 86 in such a way that it is compressed into a small accumulation of material.

The intermediate products thus produced fall back into the mold spaces 44 of the carriers 12 and are transported on to the device I. which is shown in detail in FIG. 6. This device consists of two rows of plungers 102, which can be moved up and down by means of an actuating mechanism 104 in accordance with the double arrow 106 and, during the upward movement, push through the lower openings 88 in the mold spaces 44 and thereby expel the packaged chocolates P upwards push out the mold spaces 44, with the small material accumulations Z '"already mentioned above. In each plunger 102 there is a suction channel 108 which opens at the upper end face of the plunger and holds the packaged chocolate candy P by a suction force when it is moved upwards. The plungers 108 each transfer the chocolates P to a swivel mechanism 110, which consists of two rows of spring-loaded holding rods 112, which hold the packaged chocolates handed over with suction cups 114 and pivot by 90 ° in the direction of the double arrow 116 into the position shown in broken lines the chocolates are taken over by a further swiveling mechanism 118, which is also provided with two rows of holding rods 120, with which the chocolates are taken over by suction cups 122. This swiveling mechanism 118 swivels according to the double arrow 124 by 90 ° from the position shown in broken lines in FIG shown in solid lines lte position, wherein the support rods 120 are also movable in the direction of their longitudinal axis, as indicated by the double arrows 126.

The swivel mechanism 118 is located above the conveyor belt 14 of the secondary packaging line B already described, on which the pleats 128, which are yet to be described, are brought up. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the wrapped chocolates P are inserted into the pleats and glued there by the pivoting mechanism 118, the small clusters Z ′ ″ now being invisible within the pleating as a result of the 180 ° pivoting.

In a device shown in FIG. 7 for placing the pleats 128 on the conveyor belt 14, two rows of spring-loaded pivot plungers 130 are provided, which, by means of a longitudinal movement in accordance with the double arrow 132, remove the pleats from the respective magazines 134 that are located in the plungers Suction channels 136 the pleats are sucked onto the plunger and held there. The plungers are then pivoted according to the double arrows 138 into the positions shown in dash-dotted lines. From this position, the plungers with the pleats are moved downward in accordance with the double arrow 140, so that the pleats 128 can be placed on the conveyor belt 14 in a double row of 14 pleats each, which is done in that the previously maintained suction power is canceled.

Thereafter, in the device L (FIG. 1b), a glue point is applied to the inner bottom of the pleats 128, after which the pleats thus provided with a glue point come under the pivot mechanism 118. There, as can be seen in FIG. 6 in dash-dotted lines, the chocolates P are inserted into the pleats and glued. Then, using the device M shown in FIG. 1b, a label is stuck onto the packaged chocolate candy.

The described device functions smoothly and fully automatically without any intervention by an operator.

Claims (17)

1. A method for packaging three-dimensional articles (P), particularly a spherical chocolate, in a foil-like packaging material (Z), in particular a thin aluminium foil, where the packaging material (Z) is laid in a substantially flat state over an opening (48) and the article (P) to be packaged is wrapped in the packaging material (Z) so that the packaging material is gathered together at one side, characterised in that the packaging material (Z) is pre-formed from the substantially flat state, lying over the opening (48) of a forming cavity (44), into such a three-dimensional shape (Z') that the three-dimensional shape is upwardly open, that the article (P) is inserted into this three-dimensional shape of the packaging material, that the open portion of the three-dimensional shape of the packaging material is closed by gathering the material together, that, in order to close the open portion of the three-dimensional shape of the preformed packaging material, this is pushed into a forming die (81) together with the article (P) located therein and the packaging material is arranged with the open portion around the free part of the article by the shape of the die and the overlying material is then gathered together.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the gathered overlying material (Z") when standing away from the article like a tail, is pushed in the direction of the article (P) so that a small accumulation of the material (Z"') forms there.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that, on pushing the preformed packaging material (Z') with the article (P) located therein into the cavity (84) of the forming die (81), a suction force is applied to the combination of the packaging material and the article, which at least assists in the remaining forming of the packaging material about the article.

4. A method according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that, on pushing the preformed packaging material (Z') with the article (P) located therein into the forming die (81), the closed portion of the packaging material (Z') preformed into a three-dimensional shape is acted upon preferably by'a suction force so that, in the final forming step of the packaging material (Z') around the article, slipping of the packaging material relative to the article is avoided.

5. A method according to claim 1. characterised in that the preformed three-dimensional shape of the packaging material (Z') is blown out of the forming cavity (44) before the final shaping step, if no article (P) has been introduced into the forming cavity (44).

6. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the packaged article (P) is turned through 180° and introduced into a recess (128), with the small accumulation (Z"') of the packaging material downwards, after an adhesive has been applied to the interior base of the recess (128).

7. An apparatus for carrying out the said method, with a device for supplying the packaging material (Z) and for disposing it upon the opening (48), with a device for wrapping the article (P) in the packaging material (Z) and for gathering the packaging material together on one side of the packaged article and with a device forfeeding the article into the region of the packaging material, characterised in that at least one forming cavity (44) comprising the said opening (48) and substantially closed on the side opposite this opening is provided, that at least one forming ram (52) insertable into the forming cavity (44) is provided, over the opening, that, at a displaced position relative. to the forming ram (52), at least one plunger (94) is arranged beneath the forming cavity (44) and is movable, under the action of the article (P) located in the forming cavity (44) and surrounded by the preformed three-dimensional shape (Z') of the packaging material, through the open base (88) of the forming cavity (44), whereby, on the side of the forming cavity (44) away from the plunger (94), above the said opening (48) of the forming cavity (44), at least one forming die (81) is arranged and its cavity (84) narrows in the direction away from the forming cavity (44).

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that a suction channel (98) is arranged in the plunger, which discharges at the actuating surface (98) of the plunger (94) containing the article (P) and also contacting the pre-formed packaging material (Z').

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that a suction channel (100) discharges into the cavity (84) of the forming die (81) at the side lying opposite the side at which the article (P) is pushed into the cavity (84).

10. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that an aperture is provided at the side of the cavity (84) of the forming die (81) lying opposite the side at which the article (P) is introduced, through which a rod (86) is insertable into the cavity (84).

11. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that a suction channel (62) is arranged in the forming ram (52) and discharges externally at the surface of the forming ram (52), with which surface this, on operation, contacts the portion of the packaging material located upon the opening (48) of the forming cavity (44).

12. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that a plurality of forming cavities (44) are arranged transversely of a direction of advance thereof in a preferably bar-shaped carrier (12), that a plurality of carriers (12) are successively arranged in the form of an endless conveyor (10) so that, in the upper run, viz. the operative run (10a), the openings (48) of the forming cavities (44) are directed upwardly and that the separate treating stations (D1, E, D2, F, G, H, I) are arranged successively above and/or below the operative run (10a).

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, characterised in that the treating station (E) for preforming the packaging material comprises two transverse rows of forming rams (52) arranged successively behind one another in the direction of advance of the operative run (10a), which are arranged mutually displaced by half the spacing of the forming rams (52) in a row of forming rams, that as many forming cavities (44) are arranged in the carrier (12) transversely of the direction of advance as there are forming rams (52) present in both rows and that each row of forming rams (52) is associated with a device (D1 and D2 respectively) for supplying a foil (V) serving as the packaging material to the openings (48) of the forming cavities (44), which devices are equipped with successively arranged cutters (28 and 46 respectively) for the longitudinal and transverse cutting of the foil (V), whereby the cut flat foil portions (Z) supplied by the two devices (D1, D2) are displaced in the transverse direction relative to one another, preferably by half the width of the foil.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, characterised in that a device (D1) for supplying the packaging material in the direction of advance of the carrier (12) of the forming cavities (44) is arranged on one side of the treating station (E) and the other device (D2) is arranged on the other side, for pre-forming the packaging material,.and the packaging material is supplied in mutually approaching directions.

15. An apparatus according to claims 13 and 14, characterised in that the two rows of forming rams are movable together into the forming cavities (44) of the two carriers (12).

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, characterised in that the two rows of forming rams are movable into the forming cavities (44) of the two carriers (12), which are spaced from one another from centre to centre by the width of the two carriers (12).

17. An apparatus according to claim 13, characterised in that a transfer station (I) is arranged at the end of the operative run (10a) of the endless conveyor (10) formed by the carriers (12) of the forming cavities (44), which receives the packaged articles (P), turns them through 180° and delivers them to a conveyor (14), which is arranged at the end of the said operative run (10a) transversely thereof and receptacles (128) provided with adhesive are supplied into which the packaged articles (P) with the small material accumulations (Z"') are inserted and fixedly adhered.

Images