The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 05, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 17, 1996
Sidney S Tolson, Scotland Neck, NC (US);
Ossid Corporation, Rocky Mount, NC (US);
Abstract
The invention provides an endless conveyor having a pair of gaps in its product conveying surface. As a film-wrapped product is conveyed across the gaps, a sensor aligned with the second gap signals the initiation of a shrinking sequence by which a pair of upwardly directed nozzles impinge hot air on the portion of film below and inboard of the transverse film seals. As the flow of hot air begins, a pair of magnetic clutches are activated to transmit power from a drive to a pair of shafts on which each clutch is respectively mounted. The drive, through the clutches, causes each of the nozzles to rotate about an axis so that the stream of hot air follows the travel of the wrapped product to maximize the time of hot air exposure without slowing the speed of product travel. At the end of the arc through which the nozzle is pivoted, the hot air flow is shut off, the magnetic clutches are deactivated, and a biasing spring causes the nozzles to return to their respective starting positions. Subsequently, the package is conveyed through a shrink tunnel providing ambient hot air to shrink the balance of the film wrap.