Automatic silverware wrapping system

摘要

An automatic silverware wrapping system uses a series of utensil holding magazines that dispense their wares down a chute and onto a napkin holding carrier platen that advances through the system. Once the silverware is on the napkin, an intermediate fold is imparted onto one of the corners of the napkin and then end folds are imparted onto two other corners. Thereafter, the partially folded napkin and its utensils drop down to a pair of roller bearing rails that counter rotate relative to each other in order to roll the napkin up around the silverware.

主权项

1. A silverware wrapping system for wrapping a napkin about a utensil, the napkin being a sheet member with a body member with a leading corner and a pair of opposing side corners, the silverware wrapping system comprising:
a support base having a first end and an opposing second end joined by a first side and an opposing second side: a plate secured to the support base and located proximate the first end and adapted to hold a stack of the napkins thereon, each of the napkins having its leading corner facing toward the second end of the support base; means for dispensing located atop the support base proximate the plate, the means for dispensing adapted to dispense an item of the utensil onto the napkin; means for imparting a first fold located atop the support base proximate the means for dispensing, the means for imparting a first fold adapted to fold the leading corner of the napkin over onto a body portion of the napkin so as to at least partially overlie the utensil atop the napkin; means for imparting second folds located atop the support base proximate the means for imparting a first fold, the means for imparting second folds adapted to fold each of the side corners of the napkin toward each other and over onto the body portion of the napkin so as to at least partially overlie the utensil atop the napkin; means for rolling located below the means for imparting second folds, the means for rolling adapted to roll the napkin about the utensil; and wherein a gripping finger is adapted to take one of the napkins off of the stack and place onto the platen and position the napkin underneath the means for dispensing in order to allow the means for dispensing to function, and thereafter the platen transports the napkin and utensil to the means for imparting a first fold in order to allow the means for imparting a first fold to function, and thereafter the platen transports the napkin and utensil to the means for imparting second folds in order to allow the means for imparting seconds folds to function, and thereafter the platen causes the napkin and utensil to gravitationally fall to the means for rolling in order allow the means for rolling to function.