Automatic wrapping machines

Abstract

An apparatus for transferring soap bars to be wrapped from a lower feed conveyor to an upper wrapping conveyor, with the purpose of avoiding any scratches or dents on the freshly manufactured soap bars due to sliding against fixed parts. The apparatus comprises, arranged on the lower conveyor, a plurality of containers open at the top and presenting in plan a cross-like section, so as to leave free the corner portions of the soap bars carried thereby. The soap bars are taken off from the containers of said lower conveyor by composite cradles arranged on a rotating turntable conveyor having its axis of rotation horizontal and orthogonal with respect to the lower conveyor. The composite cradles consist of two cradle halves which are opened during their descent towards the lower conveyor, so as to pass through this conveyor and position themselves beneath a soap bar-carrying container. At this stage, the composite cradles are closed, and move upwardly so as to lift the product by supporting it by its corner portions. During the lifting, a wrapper is positioned onto the soap bar, which is then taken away from the composite cradle by suitable grippers provided with vertical and horizontal movement, which grippers insert the soap bar and wrapper inside the conveyor which leads to the final wrapping station.