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: 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 by a lap sealer or side sealer. 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 second station comprises a cross head sealer unit which includes a skip seal mechanism thereon for overriding mechanical synchronization of the cross head sealer to the remainder of the machine through a predetermined number of sealings, allowing for packages of greater length to be accommodated, the skip seal mechanism further including a shock absorbing subassembly for smoothing action of the cross head sealer unit, increasing functional longevity of the cross head sealer unit.

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: A continuously operating machine is provided for wrapping articles with a heat shrinkable plastic film automatically and sequentially. Articles are continuously, translated along a horizontal pathway. At a first station, articles are longitudinally circumferentially tubularly overwrapped and sealed. At a next succeeding station, the so overwrapped articles are cross sealed and separated (cut). At a last succeeding station, the resulting wrapped articles are subjected to thermal film shrinking. The cross sealing and separating brings a continuously rotating heated knife and an opposed cross bar into a predetermined registration with the interspatial region between succeeding articles. The registration time duration can be regulated and increased to values substantially in excess of the momentary contact time existing in normal rotation and tangential point contact.