Abstract: Articles are stretch wrapped in a plastic film by forming a tube around them from a flat plastic film, sealing the longitudinal edges of the film and then longitudinally stretching the tube to cause it to constrict on the articles being wrapped. The tube is initially of a sufficient diameter to avoid contact with the articles. Both the articles and the tube are conveyed downstream. The tube is fed downstream by a positive transport means which isolates the tube forming operation from any downstream tension. A downstream mechanism pulls on the tube faster than the positive transport means conveys it causing the tube to stretch and constrict on the articles to be wrapped. The tube is closed behind each set of articles and the downstream portion is severed from the upstream portion forming a tube terminus behind one set of articles and in front of the next set.