METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING COMPACT PACKAGES FOR SPREADABLE PRODUCTS

摘要

Method and apparatus for making compact packages for spreadable products wherein base cards (52) are cut from a supply of relatively stiff material (50), scored and bent into the shape of a channel, the channel then reopened and substantially flattened, and a portion of spreadable product (70) is thereafter deposited onto each pre-bent base card (52) between the score lines. Top sheet material is drawn from a supply (80) of relatively flexible material, scored parallel to each edge, and then folded under the material web, compressed to form a crease at the fold line, and then reopened to a relatively flat position. After passing through draw rollers (105,106), the creased top sheet material is cut into individual creased sheets (120) which are accelerated forward with a speed coinciding with the speed of movement of the base card (52) carrying the spreadable product (70) and thereupon deposited in centered alignment onto the aforesaid spreadable product (70), whereupon the sheet is rolled into adhering contact with the top surface of the spreadable product (70) while simultaneously bending the sides of the creased sheet into a channel shape and pressing the channel sides into adhering contact with the sides of the product. The sides of the bottom card (52) are then raised and formed into their final position, which is also channel-shaped, and both the top and bottom channel sides are pressed into overlapping abutting contact with each other and with the sides of the spreadable product (70) encased therebetween. The completed packages are thereafter suitably transported to a loading station where they may be advantageously automatically loaded into narrow elongated boxes or trays, known as "boats", and the loaded boats also advantageously may be automatically transported to a platform or table from which they are manually transported t o shipping containers.