The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of

Dennis F Nascimento

Don H Lenker

Paul A Adrian

An apparatus for wrapping objects in heat-sealable film which provides for continuous mechanical wrapping of objects and which is suitable for wrapping objects which have poorly-defined shape or which are non-uniform in size or shape is described. The apparatus of the invention comprises a frame; a conveyor assembly for advancing the film and the object and for bringing the film into a wrapping relationship with the object; a sealing assembly for bringing the sides of the film having the object contained therein into heat-sealable contact and for sealing the film to sealably enclose the object; an indexing carriage for advancing the sealing assembly at the same rate as the conveyor assembly; and means for sensing the object and activating the sealing assembly to seal the film.

Wrapping machine

An apparatus for separating objects of different shapes or sizes is described. A vibrating conveyor belt is equipped with upwardly projecting fingers spaced at intervals to entrap therein objects of a particular size or shape and convey them in the direction of the movement of the belt and to simultaneously support objects of another shape or size on the ends of the fingers and to convey them by vibration in a direction different from the movement of the belt, thereby separating the objects.

Vibrating separator

An apparatus for tying loosely-defined soft packages is described. A means for gathering or firming the loosely-defined package is fixed to a frame to which is also fixed a means for holding the gathered packages. A tying means, mounted on the frame, is actuated by a sensing means designed such that the tying means is actuated at the same relative position for each package tied.

Apparatus for tying cauliflower

Apparatus for harvesting vegetable heads is disclosed. A sensing means including a pair of parallel, laterally movable, head-engaging units, which are counter-rotated, is fixed to a frame. A cutting means is mounted on the frame and is responsive to the sensing means. The cutting means includes a horizontal knife blade rotatable 180.degree. for each head cut. The severed head is removed from the cutting area by a pair of counter-rotating lifter belts.

Growing community of inventors

Salinas, CA, United States of America

Dennis F Nascimento