Abstract: A continuously operating machine is provided for wrapping articles with a heat shrinkable plastic film automatically and sequentially. Articles are continuously, transferred along a horizontal pathway to a plurality of processing stations. At a first station, articles are tubularly overwrapped and sealed along a side edge thereof with excess film material being automatically trimmed away. Next, the articles are separated one from the other at a second station and at a last succeeding station, the resulting wrapped articles are subjected to thermal film shrinking. The side seal and trim apparatus includes a heat seal and trim unit which engages free side edges of the film tube to one another and trims excess away, the unit being sandwiched between drive and alignment members.

Abstract: An electrical impulse hot hole punch apparatus is presented herein for making a tear-resistant hole in a sheet of thermoplastic film. The apparatus includes an electric heating element which is supported for selective reciprocal movement transverse to a sheet of film between a first position, remote from the film, and a film melt position at which the heating element is positioned proximate to the film. An impulse generating circuit is operative in response to the heating element being moved to its film melt position for purposes of supplying an electric current pulse to the heating element. The current pulse has a time duration on the order of one half cycle of an AC voltage pulse and is of a magnitude sufficient to heat the heating element to a temperature in excess of the melting point of the film.

Abstract: A film wrapping apparatus is presented herein wherein a support structure supports a work surface at which items are wrapped in film. A drawer assembly is carried by the support structure below the work surface and includes a drawer carried by the support structure for slidable horizontal movement between a drawer pulled out position and a drawer pushed in position. A pair of cradle rollers are carried by the drawer and support a roll of film as the roll rotates about its axis as film is pulled from the roll. A film gripper grips the leading edge of the film and pulls the film from the roll as the gripper is displaced from a first position below the work surface to a second position proximate to the work surface. The film gripper is actuated so as to move from the first position to the second position as the drawer is moved toward its pushed in retracted position.

Abstract: A wrapping film severing apparatus is disclosed for use in severing sheets of film from a roll of plastic film. The roll of film is supported so that it may rotate about its axis of rotation while film is being withdrawn from the roll. A braking force is applied to the roll so that the film is under tension as it is being withdrawn from the roll. An electrically heated cutoff element is located forwardly of the roll for use in severing a sheet of film from the roll as a length of film is withdrawn under tension from the roll and then brought into contact with the cutoff element. The film is threaded through a pair of pinch rollers extending transversely of the film path and located intermediate the film roll and the cutoff element for guiding movement of the film from the roll to the cutoff element. A one-way clutch is associated with at least one of the rollers permitting forward movement of the film toward the cutoff element while restricting backward movement toward the film roll.

Abstract: Wrapping apparatus including a film cutoff element. The cutoff element being an internally heated rod-type heating unit having an external periphery designing a corner edge. The element is maintained at a temperature below the melting point of the plastic film to be severed by a thermostat which energizes and deenergizes the cutoff element in dependence upon the temperature of the cutoff element. A bimetal thermostat in good heat transferring relationship with the cutoff element is utilized to control the energization of the heating element.