Apparatus and process for packaging an article with a fantail wrapping

1. An apparatus for packaging an article in a wrapping of a sheet material surrounding the article and closed in a fantail configuration, comprising:

shaping means for wrapping the article with the said wrapping of sheet material and shaping the wrapping into a general cup-like configuration which upper portions formed into a plurality of loops surmounting the article,

holding means for grasping the upper portions of the wrapping shaped in said manner in the connecting zones between said loops, to maintain said portions in an upright position,

opposed pushing means which are intended to be operated subsequently to said holding means and which are displaceable between a retracted position and an advanced position, in which they interfere with the loops of the wrapping for imparting a generally flattened configuration to the wrapping in the zone extending above the article, and

opposed fastening means displaceable in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of motion of said pushing means, and intended to be operated subsequently to said pushing means for fastening the wrapping, which is held in the flattened configuration by said pushing means, to form a pinched neck of the wrapping.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:

a supporting structure with a frame for supporting the perimetric edges of the wrapping of sheet material,

a supporting member provided in the central zone of the supporting structure, which member is displaceable between a raised position, in which it supports the wrapping sheet positioned on said frame and the article to be packaged on top of the sheet, and a lowered position, in which the wrapping sheet associated with the supporting member is formed by said shaping means into the cup-like structure.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 , comprising vacuum generating means associated with said supporting member, said vacuum generating means being operable to cause the wrapping sheet to adhere to the supporting member.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said shaping means comprise a plurality of male shaping means comprising elements protruding towards the interior of the supporting structure below the frame, said male shaping means being capable of cooperating with the wrapping sheet to impart to the wall of the sheet an outwardly facing concave curve, and second female shaping means each defining a slot suited to shaping the wall of the wrapping inserted into said slots into a configuration with loops.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said male shaping means comprise four formations protruding towards the interior of the supporting structure angularly spaced by approximately 90° and arranged in opposed twos.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein each of said female shaping means comprises profiled elements defining therebetween a slot and arranged in opposed twos, angularly spaced by approximately 90°, each being arranged at an angular spacing of approximately 45° relative to the adjacent male shaping means.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said pushing means comprise opposed arm members which are displaceable in a substantially horizontal plane between a retracted position and an advanced position and are arranged in aligned manner above the supporting frame, where said arms are capable, once advanced into the advanced position, of splaying apart adjacent loops of opposed pairs of loops of the wrapping.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said holding means are vertically displaceable between a raised position and a lowered position and comprise a plurality of holding members displaceable between an open position and a closed position and in which, in the closed position, said holding members are capable of grasping the portions of the wrapping in the connecting zones between said loops.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said fastening means are displaceable in a substantially horizontal plane between a retracted position and an advanced position and each comprises complementary holding formations which, in the advanced position, are capable of pinching shut the wrapping, forming a closing neck.

10. A process for packaging an article with a wrapping of sheet material surrounding the article and closed in a fantail arrangement, comprising the steps of:

wrapping the article with said wrapping of sheet material, shaping the wrapping into a general cup-like configuration, which upper portions formed into a plurality of loops, surrounding and surmounting the article,

grasping the upper portions of the wrapping shaped in said manner in the connecting zone between said loops to maintain the portions in an upright position,

splaying adjacent loops of opposed pairs of loops of the wrapping to impart to the wrapping a generally flattened configuration in the zone protruding above the article and

fastening the neck of the wrapping, held in said flattened configuration, by means of a direct fastening action in a direction generally at right angles to the general plane of said flattened configuration.

11. A process according to claim 10 , wherein the wrapping and shaping operation of the wrapping is performed by shaping the wrapping into four adjacent loops.

12. A process according to claim 10 , further comprising:

providing shaping means adapted to wrapping the article with the said wrapping of sheet material and shaping the wrapping into said general cup-like configuration formed into said plurality of loops surmounting the article,

providing holding means adapted to grasping the upper portions of the wrapping shaped in said manner in the connecting zone between said loops, to maintain said portion in said upright position,

providing opposed pushing means which are intended to be operated subsequently to said holding means and which are displaceable between a retracted position and an advanced position, in which they interfere with the loops of the wrapping to impart said generally flattened configuration to the wrapping in the zone protruding above the article, and

providing opposed fastening means displaceable in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of motion of said pushing means, and intended to be operated subsequently to said pushing means to fasten the neck of wrapping, which is held in the flattened configuration by said pushing means, to form a pinched neck of the wrapping.