WO2002016119A1

WO2002016119A1 - Foil cone manufacture

Info

Publication number: WO2002016119A1
Application number: PCT/GB2001/003753
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael John Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-08-22
Filing date: 2001-08-21
Publication date: 2002-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 2003-02-22
Also published as: GB0020714D0; AU2001279980A1

Abstract

Cone making apparatus comprises a former (30) with perforations for pneumatically attracting foil around it. A first foil (11A) is attracted around a part of the circumference of the former, and a second foil (21A) is attracted over the remaining part of the circumference of the former and overlapping the edges of the first foil. Attachment means (either adhesive edges (14, 14') and pressure pads (23) or heat welding) attach the overlapping edges of the first and second foils to each other.

Description

Foil Cone Manufacture

The present invention relates to foil cones, and more specifically to an improved method of making such cones.

It is conventional to wrap bunches of flowers in cones of paper or similar foil material. Manual procedures have been employed for a very long time; this usually involves laying the bunch of flowers on a flat sheet of paper and then wrapping the paper around the flowers to form the cone by means of a rolling motion of the bunch of flowers.

More recently, mechanical techniques have been introduced. There are two main options here; the cones may be formed directly around the bunches of flowers, or they may be pre-formed with the bunches of flowers being inserted into the cones later.

For the formation of cones around bunches of flowers, a false cone technique is normally used. For this, two continuous sheets of foil are used, on about the bunch of flowers and the other below. An example of such a system is shown in Olieman, TST 83.02402. The two sheets are attached to each other on each side of the bunch of flowers, and the sheets are cut adjacent to the joins. The result in a wrapping of the bunch which fully encircles the bunch, but is formed from two separate sections of foil, joined by two seams running longitudinally along the sides of the bunch, rather than a true cone formed by wrapping a single sheet of foil.

A system using true cones has also been proposed, eg in my PCT patent application WO 01/10634 Al. In this, a foil is wrapped around a cone former and glued or otherwise attached to itself to form a self-sustaining cone. This cone may be passed directly to a cone filling mechanism in which it is filled with a bunch of flowers. Alternatively, a stack of cones may be formed, eg produced by the cone forming mechanism, and the cones extracted later from the stack one by one and filled with bunches of flowers. Optionally, a tie or tape can be applied around the cone near its base to tie the bunch of flowers into the cone.

The angle of the cone will normally be chosen partly to match the extent to which the bunch of flowers splays out at the top and partly to match any mechanical constraints. In some circumstances, eg in the Olieman system, the cone can in fact be a cylinder. Similarly, other similar products can be wrapped as well as bunches of flowers. Further, although the main use contemplated for such cones is as flower wraps, they may obviously also be used for other purposes, eg for holding foodstuff such as potato chips.

Reviewing the mechanical methods of making cones, there are thus two main techniques - the Olieman and the PCT techniques.

The Olieman technique is relatively simple but produces false cones, which have the disadvantage that they are not inherently self-sustaining. The Olieman cones have two seams, each of which is effectively a cusp. It is therefore not feasible to stack the Olieman cones inside each other; the only effective way to stack them is as a pile. This makes automated hanciling of the cones difficult.

The PCT system cones are true cones, and can readily be stacked inside each other; however, their actual manufacture is complicated. A cone former has to hold the corner or edge of the foil and then rotate to wind the foil up into the cone, and provision has to made to allow the sheets of foil to skew as they are rolled round the cone former. (It is possible to roll the cone former over the foil, although that requires a more complicated mechanism for controlling the cone former.) The object of the present invention is to provide a simpler and more effective method of making cones.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided cone making apparatus comprising a former with perforations for pneumatically attracting foil around it, means for feeding a first foil to be attracted around a part of the circumference of the former, means for placing a second foil over the remaining part of the circumference of the former and overlapping the edges of the first foil, and attachment means for attaching the overlapping edges of the first and second foils to each other. The attachment means preferably comprise means for applying adhesive between the overlapping edges, although other techniques, such as heat welding, may be used.

The present system thus resembles the Olieman system in that it forms the cone from two foils, an upper foil and a lower foil. However, the present system produces a cone which is geometrically a true cone, in that the overlaps are true overlaps, just like the overlaps in a cone formed from a single foil, and the joins are joins of overlaps, again just like the joins in a true cone. There are of course two joins in the present cone, whereas in principle a true cone formed from a single foil requires only one join. However, in practice it is often desirable to provide further joins between successive overlapping layers of a true cone formed from a single foil.

The invention also provides cones comprising two foils joined along overlapping edges.

A cone forming apparatus embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows the essential components of the apparatus, partly in block form; and

Figs. 2A to 2C show successive stages in the formation of a cone. Referring to Fig. 1, there is a roll 10 of foil material, which is drawn off the roll as indicated at 11. The material passes through a cutter 12, which cuts it into discrete foils; one such foil is shown at 11 A. The cut foil emerging from the cutter passes an adhesive applicator 13, which applies adhesive to its ends, as indicated at 14 and 14', eg by spraying. A former 30 is positioned beyond the adhesive applicator, and the foil 11A with its adhesive strips 14 and 14' is passed to lie below the former. There is also a second roll 20 of foil material, which is drawn off the roll as indicated at 21. The material passes through a cutter 22, which cuts it into discrete foils; one such foil is shown at 21 A. The foil 21A is passed to lie above the former.

The former 30 is connected to a vacuum unit 31. When the foil 11A is below the former, the vacuum unit is operated to draw the foil 11A to it. This initially attaches the foil to the bottom flat face of the former, as shown in Fig. 2A. The vacuum then acts on the regions of the foil where it diverges from the former, drawing the foil up around the former until it is wholly wrapped against the former, as shown in Fig. 2B. The foil 21A is then drawn down onto the former 30; imtially, the central portion of the foil is drawn onto the upper part of the former, and then the leading and toiling edges are drawn down and round onto the sides of the former. This brings those edges to overlap the edges of the lower foil 11 A, as shown in Fig. 2C. The two foils therefore stick together to form a 2-piece true cone.

It may be desirable for the former to be divided into upper and lower parts with separate pneumatic feeds, so that the lower foil 11A can be drawn onto and round the former before the upper foil 21 A.

It may also be desirable to provide attachment means 23 (Fig. 1) for promoting the attachment of the edges of the upper foil 21A to the adhesive- coated edges of the lower foil 11A. Such attachment means may comprise, for example, air jet means, or brush means which are brought into engagement with the foils after the foils are fully attached to the former by the pneumatic suction in the former. Another attachment technique is to use strips of double-sided adhesive (sticky) tape, which are attached first to the lower foil.

It has been assumed above that the foils 11A and 21 A are rectangular.

However, other shapes are of course possible, provided that the necessary overlaps occur along the meeting edges. The foils can be fed from stacks of pre-cut foils, or cut from rolls as described with any unwanted portions of the material being discarded.

Once the cone has been made, it can be removed from the former and passed to a storage or utilization mechanism as described in the PCT system above. If the former is tapered, this will be relatively easy. A reversed pneumatic pressure can be used to assist this. If the former is not tapered, so that it produces cylindrical rather than tapered cones, then it may be necessary for it to be collapsible to allow the cone to be removed from it.

Claims

1 Cone making apparatus comprising a former (30) with perforations for pneumatically attracting foil around it, means for feeding a first foil (11 A) to be attracted around a part of the circumference of the former, means for placing a second foil (21 A) over the remaining part of the circumference of the former and overlapping the edges of the first foil, and attachment means (14,14'; 23) for attaching the overlapping edges of the first and second foils to each other.

2 Cone making apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the attachment means comprise means for applying adhesive between the overlapping edges.

3 A foil cone made by the apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2.

Any novel and inventive feature or combination of features specifically disclosed herein within the meaning of Article 4H of the International Convention (Paris Convention).