Abstract: A former provides an insert at the lip of the former to enable packaging material to travel smoothly over the former. The insert lays smoothly on the top surface of the former. The insert is sized approximately one half the width of the packaging material that travels over the insert. The former provides a raised textured surface that enables the packaging material to travel over the former into the aperture. The insert constructed with a smooth top surface is located adjacent at least a portion of the aperture. The insert provides a smooth surface for the packaging material to travel across when entering the aperture.

Abstract: An improved former provides an insert at the lip of the former to enable packaging material to travel smoothly over the former. The insert lays smoothly on the top surface of the former. The insert is sized approximately one half the width of the packaging material that travels over the insert. The former provides a raised textured surface that enables the packaging material to travel over the former into the aperture. The insert constructed with a smooth top surface is located adjacent at least a portion of the aperture. The insert provides a smooth surface for the packaging material to travel across when entering the aperture.

Abstract: There is disclosed a food tray film wrapping machine having an improved film feeding mechanism particularly adapted to feeding pre-printed film from a continuous roll and assuring proper registration of the printing on the film-wrapped tray, including a receiving position for a large film roll provided with a pair of rollers for cradling the film roll, a film feed motor separate from the main wrapping machine motor, an automatic motor control responsive to optical sensors for sensing an index mark on the film sheet and for sensing the presence of a food tray at the machine wrapping station to stop and start the film feed motor, a perforating knife positioned adjacent the index mark sensor for perforating the film on a line across the film without separating it, and an arrangement of a filmfolding arm with gripping means for the film whereby the film sheet is separated at the perforation line as the folding arm tucks the trailing edge of the film sheet at the wrapping station under the food tray.

Abstract: There is disclosed an improved form of folding arms in a tray packaging wrapping machine that elevates a tray of meat or other product causing it to be wrapped on top and sides by a sheet of stretchable PVC film after which arms fold the edges of the film underneath the tray; wherein the improved folding arms move with nonrotational motion from opposing edges of the tray toward the center of the tray. Said arms have a film-engaging edge portion with a length substantially less than the width of the film sheet being folded, this edge portion being defined by an indentation in the outline of the arm at each end of the edge portion; the depth of the indentations are about 10% to about 50% of the length of the film-engaging edge portion and the transition between the film-engaging edge portion and the indentations is curved with a radius of curvature of about one-half inch.