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.