Vorrichtung zum Anordnen von Verpackungseinheiten,wie beispielsweise Flaschen,Dosen u.dgl.in mehreren Reihen nebeneinander zu Gruppen mit von oben gesehen annaehernd rechteckiger Form

1,117,173. Wrapping groups of articles. PLATMANUFAKTUR A.B. 12 Jan., 1967 [24 Jan., 1966], No. 1768/67. Headings B8A and B8C. Articles, such as cans, delivered in single file by an endless belt conveyer are formed into a rectangular group which is then moved (Fig. 8) into a web of material, formed by joined web portions fed from above and below, so that the web is folded about the articles to be sealed, and cut off behind them and then, at a subsequent station, the open ends of the tubed web are sealed. Feeding and marshalling the cans.-The single row of cans is first divided into two rows by a recessed wheel 5 (Fig. 2) and are subsequently separated by a partition 13 which may carry a roller 14 at its leading edge. Each row so formed is fed to a recessed wheel (Fig. 4, not shown), the recesses in which vary in depth to divide the supply of cans between three compartments 22, 23, 24. By this means a batch of cans is formed against a stop 31 (Fig. 9) and, when this @ is complete, the compartments and cans @ together over a bridge 35 to a further endless conveyer 36. Combs 55 which move with the compartments, and also have a vertical movement, control the movement of the cans. In an alternative construction (Fig. 16, not shown), two rows of cans are fed to opposite sides of an assembly plate (99) on to which three cans at a time are pushed from each side by pushers (100) until the batch to be wrapped is completed. The batch is then pushed from the assembly pate by a pusher (109) on to the wrapping conveyer. Wrapping; sealing wrapper; conveying partly wrapped packages.-As the completed batch and the compartments 22, 23, 24 holding it are moved simultaneously on to the conveyer 36, they engage a pair of joined wrappers, one extending from a roll above the machine and one from a roll below. During this movement the cans are engaged by combs 55 lowered behind the batch, and the wrapper is initially engaged by fingers 62, 63 moving with the compartments. After the wrapper has thus been formed for the position shown in Fig. 9, yokes 68, 69 are moved to surround the batch of cans and the compartments are retracted, together with the combs 55. The wrapper is then sealed and cut behind the batch (Fig. 11, not shown) before this is moved, together with the yokes 68, 69 to a second sealing station. At the second station the yokes 68, 69 are retracted and fingers 76, 77 (Fig. 12) are inserted in the open ends of the wrapper to hold the edges together for sealing. The ed