US2043376A - Paper feed for wrapping machines - Google Patents

Description

June 9, 1936. w. HoPPE l 2,043,376

PAPER FEED FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Griginal Filed June 6, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR. M20/w f A TTORNEYS.

June 9, 1936. w. HoPPE 2,-043376 l PAPER FEED FORWRAPPING MACHINES Original Filed June 6, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. Mz mw ./'faP/Df @u "L M ATTORNEYS.

June 9, 1,936. W. HOPPE PAPER FEED FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Original Filed June 6, 1933 r4 Sheets-Shee't 5 A TTORNE YS.

www v "19 i W HOPPE 2,043,376

` PAPER FEED FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Original Filed June 6, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENToR. MMI/V /f QLM A TTORNE YS.

, .Patented .une9, 1936 y PATENT OFFICE.

andere g' rari-:a man Fon wnA'rrmG momes William Hoppe, SpringilcldMass., assigner to ANational Bread Wrapping Machine Co., Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusette Appueetien .rime s, 1933, serial No. 674,509

aenewea Maren 1, 193s 29 Claims.

This invention relates to wrapping machines. One difdculty which has presented itself in various types of such machines, particularly such as employ a reciprocating or oscillating carrier in4 which the initial assembly of article and wrapper takes place, is the provision of a suflicient interval of rest of the article forwarding mechanism to permit of the introduction of a sheet .of wrapping material. In nachines embodying a 2reciprocating or oscillating article carrier,`this difiiculty has generally led to the placing of the web feed on the open side ofthe carrier, on which the article feed is also by necessity located. This has proved undesirable for 'many reasons, including the crowding of mechanism at this point and the inaccessibility of the wrapper web supply. yIn cases where the wrapper web supply has been placed on the' opposite side of the carrier it has been necessary to feed the entire length of wrapper during a rest period of the carrier, requiring a concentration of carrier speeds at short portions of the machine cycle and preventing the smooth operation of the machine at high speeds.

In accordance with the present invention, the wrapper web may befed out during the movement of the articlegcarrier and hence does not require any extensive rest period thereof.` 'I'he motion of the carrier is utilized to cause the feeding and positioning of the web, and in one preferred form is also utilized to sever the web without the usual necessity for separately operated web cutting mechanism. The feeding of the web is preferably divided between two mecha-l nisms', oneassociated with the carrier and one independent of it, so that the working speed of both is kept within entirely vpractical limits. A,

facility of adjustment of the length of web fed is conveniently provided by the feeding mechanism not moving with the carrier. In its preferred form, in which the invention is applied to a wrapping machine employing a reciprocating or oscillating carrier, the carrier is provided with web engaging surfaces so that on the movement of the carrier to its article receiving position a length of web is pulled out as the carrier passes beyond certain stationary web guides. As the carrier nears its article receiving position a xed knife on the carrier cooperates with a stationary knife to sever a wrapper sheet on the web. l An article is then forced into the carrier with the wrapper sheet, and the carrier moves towards its article delivering station. As it reaches there the severed end of the web is brought into position to be grasped by a gripper. 'This gripper is then given a motion sumcient to draw out a length oi web which, when added to the length to be drawn out on the next return movement,Y 'of the carrier, will give the length of wrapper sheet desired. f The invention has numerous features, some of which find their main utility in connection with the specific form-of wrapping machine described and some of which have a broader application. These several features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be described in its preferred embodiment inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wrapping machine embodying'm'y inventiom. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale,

of certain web feeding mechanism shown in Fig. 1; v c y Fig. 3 'is a side elevation of certain mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of certain other mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a portion of the vertically reciprocating article carrier;

Figs. 6 to l0 inclusive are details illustrating successive stages of the association of the drawing out of a wrapper web, the severance of a sheet therefrom, and the initial association of that sheet with an article to be wrapped;

Fig. 1,1 is a detail of the reciprocating carrier; and

Fig. 12 is a detail of a modified web supply.

The wrapping machine to which the invention has been applied will first be describedbriey. The articles a are fed by a series of pushers l5 in front of a plunger-- it suitably reciprocated in the frame Il by any suitable mechanism. This plunger carries the articles over a plate i8 and onto lthel bottom plate I9 of a vertically reciprocable carrier. This carrier is mounted upon a frame 20 having bearings adaptedto slide upon vertical ways 2l. A link 22 joins the carrier to a lever 23 which may be operated in any suitable way, to shift the carrier from a position in line Withthe plate it to a position in line with a floor 24 oi' a wrapping channel. The carrier is pro- 45 vided .with opposed side tucking members 25 spaced apart a distance equal to the length of the article to be wrapped and .with a top plate it. This top plate is carried on a bracket 2l adjustably held by a nut it on a member 29 pivotally 50 mounted on the carrier frame as on a shaft. The shaft til bears an arm il. adapted to strike a pin t2 on the guide il when the carrier is lowered, to tilt the top plate upwardly against its weight. The plate it can thus be swung into p5 the position of Fig. 8, in which it is out ci contact with the top of the package and thus facilitates the entranceof a package into the carrier or into the position of Fig. 10 in which it presses yieldingly against the article top.

As the article a is forced into the carrier by the plunger i6 it picks up a sheet of wrapping material s which is held in front ci the article by mechanism to be described later. As the article moves into the carrier it bends the lower portion of the sheet s up under the article as at b and forms opposed side tucks c by contact with the tucking plates mi. The sheet is also draped across the article top as at d and held in that position by the plate 2G. As the article is elevated by the upward motion oi' the carrier the ilaps extending from the ends ot the portion d are foldedv down by plates a mounted adjacent the upper limit of motion of the carrier. .as the carrier stops in this position the article is moved out of it toward the right in Fig. 1 by one of a series of pushers it carried upon one or more chains Ell. These pushers carry the article past end tucking plates 3i) and past a folding slot It@ to the usual sealing and delivering stages.

Returning new to the mechanism for positioning the wrapping material in the path oi the package, the paper or other wrapping material is supplied in the form of a web w on a roll dit. This roll is mounted on an arbor iii carried in a suitable bracket 4l. From the roll the web passes over a guide roll 48 and over a drive roll it which is driven continuously in` the direction of the arrow. The web then passes under a slack takeup roll 50 reciprocable vertically in suitable guldeways 5I, and then passes over a stationary guide roll 52. It will be seen that with this arrangement of rolls the web will be held in frictional contact with the roll 49 and will be driven by it as long as it is held under tension by the take-up roll 50. If `'suilicient slack is delivered so that the roll 50 reaches the lower en`d of its guiding slots the web loosens its hold upon the roll 49 and will not be fed out further. This specific form of web supply has certain advantages, as will be pointedjout below, but may be replaced if desired by other forms such for example as is shown in Fig. 12. The web in that case passes from the roll over a guide roll 48', then under a slack forming roll and nally over a guide roll 52. All web feeding is in this case done by the gripper and the article carrier, the initial roll 49 being omitted.

Located on the carrier below the article receiving plate I9 is a second plate 55 adapted to receive and support the leading end of the wrapper web. At one end of this plate is a roll56 rotatable upon a stationary shaft 51 (Fig. 5) and held from rotation in one direction by a ratchet 58 engaging a spring pressed stationary pawl 59. A cooperating roll 60 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 5I carried by the ends of arms 62 pivoted to the carrier frame at 63. 'I'he arms 52 are provided with lugs 64 through whichpass rods 65 secured to the carrier frame. A spring 66 is compressed between each of the lugs 64- and a collar 61 pinned to the corresponding rod so that the roll 60 is always held in firm'engagement with the roll 56. The web w passes from theroll 52 between these two rolls 56 and 60.

The remaining mechanism canbe considered best inconnection with the operation of feeding out and cutting ofi` a sheet of wrapping material. This description will be commenced at a time when the carrier is'on a level with the hoor 24 as shown in Fig. 6. In this position the plate is at the level of the horizontal center line 'it along which a pair of grippers ll and 'i2 reciprocate. The leading end of the web has been left by preceding operations projecting slightly from the end of the plate b5, and at the forward end of their reciprocation the grippers close in upon this end oi the web. By mechanism which will be described below these grippers are then moved away from the carrier along the center line 'i by an amount regulable in accordance with the amount of web which is to be drawn out by this means. With thin articles the greater part or all of the drawing out oi the wrapper may be accomplished by the carrier itself. lit is only necessary that the carrier be stationary during the early part of the reciprocation of the grippers since there is only a short portion oi the gripper path directly underlying the carrier plate it. fis soon as the carrier starts to descend the web will be drawn out, not merely by any continued movement of the grippers but also by the motion of the carrier itself. This will be clear from. a consideration of Fig. 7. It will there be noted that the web extends from the grippers over a stationary rotating roll 'it and under a rotatable roll 'it mounted at the leading end of the carrier plate iii. From this roll the web extends between the rolls Elli and Gil and thence to the stationary roll 52. Descent of the carrier will therefore draw out a length of web in addition to that which is drawn out by the horizontal movement oi. the grippers, the two amounts combined giving the total of the length of the wrapper sheet to be cut. slack between the rolls 52 or 52' and the rolls Mi, tt, the amount of web drawn out by the descent of the carrier alone will be (by analogy to the operation of the familiar block and tackle) roughly twice as great as the distance the carrier descends.

To the rear of the roll I4 is a knife member l5 extending transversely of the carrier and secured for convenience to the lower portion of the carrier plate I9. When the carrier reaches its lowermost position in which the plate I9 is in line with the plate I8 a stationary knife I6 mounted upon a bracket 'Il enters a slot in the lower portion of the knife member 15 and severs the web. With this construction no operating mechanism for the knife isfnecessary in addition to the mechanism which moves the carrier vertically. The leading end of the web is at about this time released by the grippers and the article a is then rapidly pushed ahead to contact with the severed sheet and move onto the carrier plate I9. As the carrier then again ascends it is desirable to have some mechanism which will insure that the leading end of the web will be properly positioned to be grasped by the grippers. For this purpose a roll or bar It will be noted that if there is initially no 80 is supported upon arms 8l xed upon a cross shaft 82 rotatably mounted in the carrier frame. The shaft is normally held in the position of Fig. 6 by its weight, and is free to rise up to the position of4 Fig. 7 as the web is .illed taut. When the web is severed the weight .of the roll causes it to drop and to free the web from any tendency to adhere to the upper cutting member 15. structure shown in Fig. 1), the tendency of roll 49 will be to feed the web out until the roll 5U is at the lower limit of its motion and therefore it can take .up no slack formed by the carriers upward motion. This upward motion will there- 75 When the carrier rises (considering the fore produce a loop 03 between the rolls 52. and 56 which will greatly facilitate the smooth starting of the web by the grippers. In the form shown in Fig. 12 this effect is not produced, at

y least to the same extent, but to counteract this the required mechanism is somewhat simpler.

A preferred Way of voperating the grippers 1|, 12 is shown in Figs. 2. 3 and 4. The lower gripper 12 is fixed to slide 90 free to slide horizontally l0 upon guideways 9|. Upon the lower portion of one of the slides 90 is formed a rack 92 meshing with a gear 9 3 on a cross' shaft 94. Fixed to this gear is a pinion 95 meshing with a segmental gear 96 free upon a second cross shaft 91 which itself is rotated from any' suitable power source in timed relation to the wrapping machine. A link 98 joins the segmental vgear 96 with a crank 99 on a cross shaft |00 to which is xed a second arm ||l|.-` Formed in the end 0 of this second arm is a slot |02 in which a pivot |03 is adjustably clamped. A link |04 is pivotally connected both to the pivot |03 and to a crank pin |05A supported from the shaft 91. The slot |02 is formed ori an arc which, when the 25 crank pin |05 has pushed the arm |0| as far from the shaft 91 as possible -(see dotted lines in Fig. 3) and thus has pushed the gripper towards the carrier as far as possible (due to the reversing action of the gears 93, 95), is concen- 59 tric with the shaft 91. Any adjustment'of the pivot |03 inthe slot will not, therefore, change the extreme position of the gripper at the limit of its motion adjacent the carrier. With the parts in the full line position of Fig. 3, however, the position .of the pivot |03 will determine the position of the gripper at its limit of travel away from the carrier. The stroke of the gripper can thus be changed without changing the position at which it initially picks up the leading end of 4o the web.`

To open and close the gripper a separately operating mechanism is preferably provided. -'I'iie upper gripper member 1| is mounted on arms H9 (Fig. 2) freely rotatable upon the shaft il 45 inthe slide 95 and to which the lower gripper bar 12 lis fixed. -The arms supporting the upper and lower grippers are provided with arms ||2 between winch a spring ||9 is stretched, so that the upper gripper has a constant tendency to 50 close upon the lower one. This spring also serves to hold a roll ||4, mounted on an extension ||5 of one of the arms ||0, against the underside of an operating rail H6. At one end this rail is swung from a link I1 pivoted to a s .tionary stud 5J Hs on the name. At the other end the rau is swung from an arm fixed toa shaft |2| which has a second arm |22 bearing a cam roll |23 at its end. yUpon the shaft 91` is a cam v|25-to one side of which a second cam |29 is, fixed by a screw and slot connection |21. Cam |25 controls the closing of the grippers on the leading end of the web. and since this preferably occurs at a xed point in the cycle, no s adjustment of the cam is necessary. Cam. |20, on the other hand, is adjustable'so that the length of web drawn out can be adjusted with accuracy.

The operation of the mechanism-has been describedabove in considerable detail, land it is not necessary togo overthe ground again. It will beunderstood that while the various operating mechanisms have been described in considerable detail in the interest of clarity, changes u canbeI made to suit different environments without departing from the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a wrapping machine comprising a carrier movable to receive an article and .advance it in 5 the wrapping mechanism, and then to return to its original position, means movable with the carrier for engaging a wrapper web, and a re/ ciprocating gripper movable to the rear of the carrier when the carrier is in its advanced posil0 tion to grasp the leading end of the web, and then movable away from the carrier to draw out the web, and means for severing sheets from the web.

l 2. In awrapping machine comprising a web l5 supply and a carrier movable to receive an article and advance it in the wrapping mechanism and then return .to its original position, means independent of the carrier for drawing a length of web from the supply, and means carried by the 20 carrier for drawing out an additional length of webI on the return movement of the carrier.

'3. In a wrapping machine comprising a web supply and a carrier adapted to receive an articleand advance it in the wrapping mechanism and 25 then return to its original position, means independent of the carrier .for grasping the leading end of the web, and means on the carrier` for engaging the web and drawing out a-length thereof by the return motion of the carrier. 33

V4. In a wrapping machine comprising a web sllpply'and a carrier movable to receive an article and advance it in the wrapping machine and then return to its original position, means on the carrier for supporting a portion o'f the web, means operable during the return movement of the carrier for feeding out a length of web, and means for engaging the leading portion of the web and draping it across the carrier in position to be engaged by an article being placed on the carrier. 40 5. In a mapping machine comprising a web 1 supply and a carrier movable to receive an article and advance it in the wrapping machine and then return to its original position, means operable by the return movement of the carrier for feed- 'ing out a length of web. means for engaging the leading portion of the web and draping it across the carrier, and means for severing sheets from the web.

6. In a wrapping machine comprising a web supply and a carrier open at one side to receive an article and advance it in the wrapping machine and then return to its original position, means operable during the return movement of the carrier for feeding a length of web across the r path of motion of the carrier towards the open side thereof, means for engaging the leading portion of the web and draping it across the open side of the carrier, and means for l,severing sheets from the web so fed out.

,operable during the motion of the `carrier and actuated at least in part by such motion for feeding from the Supply a length of web greater than supply and a carrier adapted to receive an article and advance it in the wrapping machine, and means actuated by the motion of the carrier for feeding from the web supply a length of web greater than the movement of the carrier occurring during the period during which the web is being fed.

10. In a wrapping machine comprising a web supply and a carrier having a pocket adapted to receive an article, means to advance the carrier in the wrapping machine and then return it through the same path to its article receiving position, means movable with the carrier and rendered effective by the motion thereof for drawing out a length of web and positioning a portion of the web across the entrance to the article re-L ceiving pocket, and means for severing a wrapping sheet from the web.

11. In a wrapping machine comprising a web` supply and a carrier presenting a pocket to receive an article and movable to advance the article in the wrapping machine, means for drawing out the web into a position bridging the opening of the pocket, a knife on the machine, and a. cooperating knife mounted on the carrier and moved by the carrier into web severing relation to the first knife.

12. In a wrapping machine comprising a web supply and a carrier movable to receive an article and advance it in the wrapping machine and then return to its original position, means independent of the carrier for grasping the leading end of the web, means on the carrier for engaging the web and drawing out a length thereof by the return motion of the carrier, a knife on the machine, and a knife on the carrier, said knives being so positioned as to come into web severing relationship during the return motion of the carrier.

13. In a wrapping machine comprising a web supply and a carrier movable to receive an article and advance it through the wrapping machine and then return to its original position, a reciprocating gripper movable to the rear of the carrier when the carrier is in its advanced position to grasp the leading end of the web and draw out a length thereof from the supply, means movable with the carrier to engage the web during the return motion of the carrier and draw an additional length thereof from the supply, a cutter on the machine, and a cutter supported on the carrier and brought by the return motion thereof into web severing relation to the first cutter.

14. In a wrapping machine having a web supply and an article carrier provided with an article forwarding wall and movable back and forth between an article receiving and an article delivering station, and means for placing an article in position to be forwarded by the carrier from the receiving station; a web supporting member on the carrier spaced from the article forwarding wall thereof, means for holding the web against retrograde movement with respect to said member, a reciprocating web end engaging device movable first to grasp the leading end of the web when the carrier is in delivering position and then to draw out the web, and web engaging members positioned to engage the yweb and cause it to be drawn out by the movement of the carrier lback to article receiving position.

15. In a wrapping machine having a web supaofiasve ply and an article carrier provided with an article forwarding wall and movable back and forth between an article receiving and an article delivering station, and means for placing an article in position to be forwarded by the carrier from the 5 receiving station; a web supporting member on the carrier spaced from the article forwarding wall thereof, means for holding the web against retrograde movement with respect to said member, a reciprocating web end engaging device movable first to grasp the leading end of the web when the carrier is in delivering position and then to draw out the web, web engaging members positioned to engage the web and cause it to be drawn out by the movement lof the carrier back to article receiving position, a web cutter fixed to the carrier', and a stationary cutter fixed to the machine and positioned to be engaged by said xed cutter on the carrier when the carrier approaches its article receiving position. l

. 16. In a wrapping machine having a web supply and an article carrier provided with an article forwarding wall and movable back and forth between an article receiving and an article delivering station, and means for placing an article in position to be forwarded by the carrier yfrom the article receiving station; a web supporting plate on the carrier spaced from the article forwarding wall thereof, a pair of web engaging rolls mounted on the carrier in position to direct the web from the supply onto said plate, a pair of grippers reciprocable upon a line with said web supporting plate when the carrier is in article delivering position, web engaging members positioned to engage the web during the motion of the carrier from article delivering to article receiving position so that the web will be drawn out from the supply during said motion of the carrier, and means for severing sheets from the web when the carrier is in substantially its article receiving position.

17. In a wrapping machine having a web supply and an article carrier provided with an article forwarding wall and movable back and forth between an article receiving and an article delivering station, and means for placing an article in position to be forwarded by the carrier from the article receiving station; a web supporting plate on the carrier spaced from the article forwarding wall thereof, a pair of web engaging rolls mounted on the carrier in position to direct the web from the supply onto said plate, a pair of grippers reciprocable upon a line with said web supporting plate when the carrier is in article delivering position, means for adjusting the reciprocation of the grippers to control the amount of web drawn out by them, Web engaging members'positioned to engage the web during the motion of the carrier from article delivering to article receiving position so that the web will be drawn out from the supply during said motion of the carrier, and means for severing sheets from the web when the carrier is in substantially its article receiving position.

18. In a wrapping machine having an article feeding member movable from an article and 'wrapper receiving station to an article delivering station and having a supply for a web of wrapping material, means for guiding the web of wrapping material to the side of the article feeding member remote from the article receiving station, means for guiding the web across the rear of the article feeding member, a device operable to grasp the leading end of the web adjacent the article receiving side of the article feeding member and hold said web during the movement of the article feeding member 'from its article delivering to its article receiving position whereby a length of web is drawn from the supply and past the rear of the article feeding member and positioned across the article receiving side thereof for engagementby an article, and means for severing a wrapper sheet from the web after the web has been grasped by said device.

19. In a wrapping machine comprising an article carrier, article feeding means at one side of the path of movement of the carrier,'an article delivery channel spaced from the article feeding means and at the same side of the path of movement of the carrier; a web -supply arranged to supply a web to the side of the carrier remote from said article feeding means and said delivery channel, means on the carrier for guiding the web to the rear of the article contacting fac-'e of the carrier, web grasping means adapted to seize the leading end of the `web and hold it between the article feeding means andthe d elivery channel so that on the movement of the carrier to its article receiving station the web will be drawn from the .supply and across the Iarticle receiving side of the-carrier, and means.

for severing a wrapper from the web drawn out. f l

20. In a wrapping machine comprising an article carrier, article feeding means at one side of the path of movement of the carrier, an article delivery channel spaced from the article feedingmeans and at the sainel side of the path of movement of the carrier; a web supply arranged to supply a web to the side of the carrier remote from said article feeding means and said delivery channell means on the carrier for guiding the web to the rear of the article contacting face of the carrier, including a pair of web engaging rolls, and means for preventing retrograde movement thereof, web grasping means adapted to seize the leading end of the web and hold it between the article feeding means and the delivery channel so that on the movement of the carrier to its article receiving station the web will be drawn from the supply and across the article receiving side of the carrier, and means for severing a wrapper from the web so drawn out.

21. In a wrapping machine comprising an article carrier, article feeding means at one side of the path of movement of the carrier, an article delivery channel spaced from the article feeding means and at the same side of the path of movement of the carrier; a .web supplyar ranged to supply a web to the side of the carrier remote from said article feeding means and said delivery channel, means on the carrier for guiding the web to the rear of the article contacting face of the carrier, means for preventing retrograde movement of the web on the carrier, web grasping means adapted to seize the leading end of the web and hold it between the article feeding means and the delivery channel so that on the movement of the carrier to its article receiving station the web will be drawn from the supply and yacross the article receiving side of the carrier, and means for severing a wrapper from the` web so drawn out.

22. In a wrapping machine comprising an article carrier, article feeding means at one lside of the path of movement ofthe carrier, an article delivery channel spaced from the article feeding means and at the same side of the path of movement of the carrier, and means for moving arrangedkto supply a web to the side of the carrier remote from the article feeding means and the delivery channel, means on the carrier for guiding the web to the rear of the article contacting face of the carrier, a gripper movable to grasp the leading end of the web when the carrier is in its position adjacent the delivery channel and movable away from the carrier as the latter moves towards its article receiving position, whereby the motions of the gripper and the carrier combine to draw a length of web past the rear face of 'the carrier. and means for severing a wrapper from the web.

23. In a wrapping machine comprising an article carrier, article feeding. means at one side of the path of movement of the carrier, an article delivery channel spaced from the article feeding @means and at the same side of the path ofmovement of the carrier; a web-supply arranged to supply a web to the side of the carrier remote from said article feeding means and said delivery web to the rear 'of thearticleccntacting face of the carrier including means for preventing retrograde movement of the web, a gripper movable to grasp the leading edge of a web on said carrier while the ylatter is adjacent the delivery channel and then movable away from the carrier to draw out a length of web, web guidingmeans positioned to drape a length of web acrossl the article receiving side of the carrier as theA latter moves, and means for severing a wrapper from the web. f

24. In a wrapping machine comprising an article carrier, article feeding means at one side of the path of movement of the carrier, an article delivery channel spaced from the article feeding means and at the same side of the path of 40 movement of the can'ier, and means for moving the carrier back and forth between the feeding means and the delivery channel; a web supply arranged to supply a web to the side oi the carrier remote from the article feeding means and the delivery channel,j means on the carrier for guiding the web to the rear of the article contacting face of the carrier including means for preventing retrograde movement of the web, a reciprocating gripper movable to grasp the leading end of the web when the carrier is in its position adjacent the delivery channel, and movable away from the carrier as 4the latter moves towards its article receiving position, whereby the motions of the gripper and the carrier combine to draw a length of web past the rear face of the carrier, means for adjusting the length of travel of the gripper without varying the position in which the gripper grasps the web, whereby the length of web drawn out may be varied, and means for severing a wrapper from the web.

25. In a wrapping machine comprising a frame, an article carrier, article feeding means at one side of the path of movement of the carrier, an

article delivery channel spaced from the article feeding means and at the same side of the path of movement of the .carrler, and means for moving the carrier back and forth between the feeding means and the delivery channel; a web supthe side thereof remote from its article contacting face and gripping the web between them, means for preventing retrograde movement of the rolls, a gripper mounted for movement on the machine frame into a position grasping the leading end of the web on the carrier when the carrier is adjacent the delivery channel and then v moving away from the carrier as the latter moves towards its, article receiving position, whereby the motions of the gripper and the carrier combine tov draw a length of web past the rear face -of the carrier, meanson the carrier for guiding the web into position to be grasped by the grippers, means engaging the drawn-out web and draping it across the article receiving side of the carrier, and knife mechanism carried in part by the carrier and in part by the -frame for severing a wrapper from the drawn-out web.

26. In a wrapping machine having an article delivery channel, an elevator having an article supporting plate and vertically reciprocable from an article receiving position to a position in alignment with the delivery channel; a Web cutting block carried by the elevator below the article supporting plate, a web supporting member carried by the elevator below the article supporting plate, means for shifting said web supporting member to guide the web in adjacency to the cutting block when the elevator is in its article receiving position and to space the web from the cutting block when the elevator is in substantial alignment with the delivery channel, a gripper movable to grasp the leading end of the web when the elevator is in substantial alignment with the delivery channel and to draw the web out beyond the elevator, and a cutter coacting with the cutting block to sever a wrapper lfrom the web when the elevator is in article receiving position,

27. In a wrapping machine having means for associating an article and a wrapper, means for severing a sheet from a web leaving the last cut end of the sheet in fixed position relative to an edge of the article to be wrapped, a gripper movable to engage the leading end of the web, and means for adjusting the length of stroke of the gripper without changing the position in which the gripper grasps the web, said adjusting means including a crank, a link pivoted thereto, and means for adjusting said pivot about an arc having the opposite end of the link as a center when the gripper is in its web grasping position.

28. In a wrapping machine having means for associating an article and a wrapper sheet, means for severing a wrapper sheet from a web, a reciprocating gripper movable to engage the leading end of the web and to draw out a length thereof means for adiusting the length of stroke of the gripper, a gripper-opening tail movable with the gripper, a rail movable to engage the tail and of a length to engage it in any position of the gripper in which the gripper is to be opened, means for moving the rail to open the gripper, and means for varying the timing of the rail moving means.

29. In a wrapping machine having means for associating an article and a Wrapper sheet, a web supply, means for severing a wrapper sheet from the web, a reciprocable gripper movable to engage the leading end of the web and to draw out a. length thereof, and means separate from the gripper for drawing out an additional length of web between the web severing means and the gripper- WILLIAM HOPPE.

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