Importance

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Abstract

An improved article packaging machine, and method of using same to prevent the formation of empty or defective packages is disclosed. The rotational position of the drive axis (45) of a film feed drive (44), and the drive axis (53) of a cutting head drive (52) are mapped with respect to one another in a base rotational position relationship, whereupon both of these drive axes are mapped to the rotational position of the drive axis (41) of an infeed conveyor drive (40) in a slave/master relationship, respectively. A machine controller (34) then calculates at least a first position control trajectory profile, and establishes a first rotational position relationship of the drive axes with respect to one another. The packaging machine includes a detector (56) for detecting whether articles are present within the flights (15) of the infeed conveyor (13), and if an empty pocket is detected, the machine controller then calculates a second position control trajectory profile and a second rotational position relationship which replaces the first position control trajectory profile and rotational position relationship, respectively, within the controller, and adjusts the rotational position of the film feed drive axis and the cutting head drive axis with respect to the rotational position of the infeed conveyor drive axis to ensure that an empty package is not formed. The machine controller is also adapted to set the infeed conveyor and film feed drives into a base/master rotational position relationship, and to map the rotational position of the cutting head drive to the infeed conveyor and film feed drives to operate the respective drives for preventing the formation of empty packages.

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First Claim