Abstract: In packing machines which produce aseptic packing containers for e.g. foodstuffs, it is of greatest importance that the machines can be cleaned and sterilized in a satisfactory manner prior to the production of packing containers. In accordance with the invention a method and an arrangement are provided on a packing machine for the sterilization of the lower end of a filling pipe 10 as well as of surrounding parts of a packing material tube 8. Use is made for this prupose of a connecting element 20 which connects two feed ducts 11,12 present in the filling pipe 10 to each other so that cleaning and sterilizing agent can circulate in the filling pipe. In a subsequent stage the connecting element 20 is removed so that sterilizing agent can be made to circulate also along the outside of the filling pipe 10 and in the packing material tube surrounding the filling pipe, whereupon the production of the packing containers commences.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing liquid and residue from a web of film is provided. The apparatus includes an exhaust tube having an inlet and an outlet, the web of film passing through the exhaust tube from the inlet through the outlet, the exhaust tube being under a negative pressure. Two air knives are located above the outlet of the exhaust tube, one air knife being located on a first side of the film and second air knife being located on a second side of the film, the air knives include a plurality of holes for directing a gas for removing the liquid and residue onto the web of film. The exhaust tube cooperates with the air knives to capture a portion of the removed liquid and residue.

Abstract: A machine for apportioning and packaging quantities of bulky particulate product has a weighing device (11), a conveying device (12) and a packing device (13). In order to ensure that the weighed product quantities (10) have approximately the same volume, a level sensor (32, 33), a compressing member (46) and a secondary apportioning device (50) are assigned to the conveying device. When the volume of product quantities is too large it is compressed, wherein bulky portions of the product break; when the volume is too small, a small quantity of product is added to the main quantity. In addition, an addition device (52), which supplies addition articles (53), is assigned to the conveying device.

Abstract: A sealing bar for heat sealing a length of heat-sealable material, such as tubing, to form packages and the like. The sealing bar has a metal surface adapted for pressure engagement with the heat-sealable material for flattening it and heating it. A slot extends substantially through the bar, the slot being arranged to define the portion of the bar between the slot and the surface as a relatively thin resiliently flexible metal bridge. The bridge is engageable with a portion of the flattened heat-sealable material, such as a portion of tubing having a longitudinal seam or a gusset, thicker than other portions of the heat-sealable material and the bridge is adapted resiliently to yield on engagement with the thicker portion of the material.

Abstract: A vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine is characterized by a sealing apparatus which provides for variable sealing jaw displacement having an externally selectable magnitude. The sealing apparatus also includes a displacement sensor for providing feedback signals indicative of a measured sealing jaw displacement.

Abstract: An adjustable guide roller assembly installed on the tube forming apparatus of form-fill-seal packaging machines of the type having a tube former and depending tubular fill pipe through which quantities of product are passed and over which a strip of packaging material is pulled to progressively form the material into a depending and upwardly open tubular configuration and subsequently sealed to form product bearing packages. The adjustable guide roller assembly is removably mounted on the back of the tube former adjacent the curved shaping portion which receives the strip material and is pivotally and horizontally movable relative thereto to receive and adjustably position the strip material thereon. The guide roller member of the assembly is capable of being pivotally raised above the top of the lowermost surface of the shaping portion of the former to clear the machine framework supporting the former allowing it to be removed horizontally outward from the packaging machine.

Abstract: The apparatus for welding a strip of tape to film includes a tape feed roller for feeding the film continuously and a welding roller disposed in a position where the film is held between both the rollers, both the rollers being rotated in synchronism with each other. The tape is held onto the outside periphery of the tape feed roller and is cut into a strip by a cutting member. The tape is fed to be overlapped on the film while being held onto the tape feed roller. The film and the tape are held between the tape feed roller and the welding roller and the tape is welded to the film in spaced manner by a welding member provided with the welding roller.

Abstract: A film continuously fed passes through first rollers and second rollers disposed at wider spaces than that of the first rollers. The first and second rollers are relatively moved and the speed of part of the film continuously fed is reduced to zero temporarily. The tape cut into a strip is juxtaposed in contact with the part of the film of which the speed is reduced to zero and is welded to the film by means such as the high-frequency welding means in spaced manner.

Abstract: A film made of synthetic resin is pulled continuously from a roll thereof and formed into a tubular shape the overlapping longitudinal edge portions of which are fused. The interior of the resulting tubular film is filled with a liquid or viscous material to form a tubular body fed while it is being formed. The tubular body is squeezed intermittently at a predetermined time interval by a pair of rotating cylindrical rollers to form flattened portions devoid of the material, after which each flattened portion is constricted transversely of the tubular body to form a constricted portion. An ultrasonic horn and an anvil are brought into abutting contact with the constricted portion, which is sealed ultrasonically by holding the ultrasonic horn and anvil in abutting contact therewith at a constant contact pressure for a set period of time while the ultrasonic horn applies ultrasonic waves to the constricted portion.

Abstract: To provide for continuous feed of a packaging film, the film into a tube, filling the tube into packages and severing the packages, markers are located longitudinally along the film for example of plastic; the film is fed and formed into a tube by a pulling mechanism, the drive of which is synchronized with the bag-forming operation as such, that is, sealing and severing tube portions, under control of the markers so that slippage between drive rollers or units and the film being fed or inaccuracies in operation of the filling mechanism are immediately compensated by change in speed of the drive unit or operation of the filling and bag-forming mechanism to maintain relative alignment of bag closing with respective areas on the film, preventing accumulation of positioning errors and hence possible misalignment of printed information on the film with respect to the closing seams of the bag.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to an improvement of a bag-making-and-filling packaging apparatus in which a web supplied from a roll of packaging material is formed into a tube through a tube-forming member and intermittently delivered and the formed tube is filled with a material to be packaged and when the filling is completed, the tube is sealed along the width thereof. The apparatus comprises an improved packaging material delivery device which is effective to assure durability of delivery means and to prevent damage to the packaging material for good packaging finish as well as to increase precision of delivery of the packaging material, and an improved registering device in which setting and adjusting operation of registering is facilitated and the structure associated with a register mark sensor is simplified.

Abstract: A combined stripper and bag sealing apparatus for use in a form, fill and seal packaging machine includes a pair of sealing jaws operated in reciprocating fashion to close and seal a package film tube. A pair of stripper plates are mounted on the sealing jaws for movement into and out of contact with the packaging film tube to strip any product from the area of the package film tube to be sealed prior to sealing by the sealing jaws. The sealing jaws are mounted on a carriage for limited oscillating movement in the longitudinal direction of the package film tube to perform the stripping and sealing functions. The stripper/plates sealing jaws are sequentially moved by one or more crank assemblies having drive links connected to the sealing jaws. Each crank assembly is actuated by means of opposed pneumatic operating cylinders functioning in concert to move and positively stop and accurately position the stripper plates/sealing jaws.

Abstract: A stuffer nozzle of a double pipe type is inserted in a cylindrical member formed by joining opposite ends of a film. Fluid material such as raw egg is supplied from an inner pipe of the stuffer nozzle to fill the cylindrical member with the fluid material. An air valve communicating with an outer pipe of the stuffer nozzle is opened to exhaust air in the cylindrical member and reduce pressure in the cylindrical member in synchronism with a timing that a pair of squeezing rollers squeeze the cylindrical member filled with the fluid material. The squeezed cylindrical member is clamped by a clamping member. The air vent valve is closed to prevent air from entering into the cylindrical member from outside through the outer pipe of the stuffer nozzle in synchronism with a timing that the squeezing rollers are separated from the cylindrical member.

Abstract: The manufacture of non-returnable packages for e.g. milk is frequently carried out by the conversion of web-shaped, laminated packing material to a tube, filling of the tube with milk and sealing and forming to filled packing containers of the desired, e.g. parallelepipedic, shape. During the forming, which is done by means of external forming devices, the contents are made use of as an internal mandrel or a holder-up for the forming devices, so that the desired shape can be achieved without creasing or other deformations. The above-mentioned forming principle works less well if the packing containers are not to be completely filled but have a certain air space or headspace. The proportioning of the contents also becomes uncertain and the desired accuracy of volume cannot always be achieved.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for forming reclosable storage containers are provided to form and seal pouches containing products such as consumer food products. The film material handled thereby and the pouches thus formed include an access opening assembly having a reclosable closure assembly that is characterized by mating flexible closure strips having interlocking means that permit the consumer to easily open and readily and positively reclose the formed pouch. The apparatus and method engage together mating strips of film material sheeting to form a substantially closed web of sheet material that is generally spread or flattened and otherwise handled in order to minimize the formation of kinks and the like in seals formed by the apparatus and method.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the relative position of printing appearing on packages formed by form-fill-seal packaging machine in which individual packages are formed in substantially continuous fashion from a web of pre-printed package stock. Pre-printed registration indicia are detected on the web of package stock, and a control signal if generated which actuates a tension regulating device which varies the tension applied to the package stock as the package stock is formed into packages. In a preferred embodiment, the tension regulating device comprises a roll having selectable rotational resistance, over which the web is partially wrapped.

Abstract: To fill low-weight, high-volume goods, such as potato chips, popcorn and the like into bags as the bags are being made, the fill goods are introduced into a hopper and a filling funnel which is joined to a fill tube. The fill tube has air inlet openings at the upper portion, air outlet openings at the lower portion, and then continues to a holder and bag-forming tube. A film (102), for example, of plastic, is wrapped about the bag forming tube (105), and seamed vertically, so that the tube is being made as goods are introduced into the hopper and funnel. An air stream (B) is generated longitudinally in the fill tube (103) by introducing air under above-atmospheric pressure into the upper air inlet openings (104) formed as downwardly directed flap nozzles (119), the air being removed from lower openings (122) and, for example, recirculated in the recirculating blower (107), the openings being closed off outwardly by a jacket forming respective air inlet and outlet chambers (111,116).

Abstract: Improved form, fill, and seal machine for making aseptic sealed packages incorporating a plurality of web guiding rollers and flanges for manipulating a continuously fed polyfoil web into a longitudinal tube having a triangular cross section and opposing superimposed web edges that are sealed together to form the longitudinal seal in the tube. Web advance may be continuous or intermittent. Induction heating is used to longitudinally seal the edges of the web together to form a tube.

Abstract: Process for packaging items having irregular shape and size, singly on in groups, in a stretchable film of plastic material, comprising the operations of forming, filling and sealing a bag from the stretchable plastic film such film being maintained under adjustable tension and stretch and subsequently adherent on the items due to the elastic "memory" of the released film. The machine for operating the process continuously comprises essentially two members subjected to a reciprocating motion, provided with means for gripping, stretching, sealing and cutting the plastic film, each of such members being subjected to a motion having a stroke of varying length and independent from the one to the other member.

Abstract: A steering, joining and guiding mechanism is disclosed for joining together opposing rib and groove fastener elements on a traveling continuous bag film. The steering, joining and guiding mechanism includes a pair of opposing press rolls. The longitudinal axis of each of the press rolls is offset from the direction of travel of the bag film. The press rolls are offset from about 2.degree. to about 30.degree. from a line perpendicular to the direction of travel of the bag film, and are preferably offset at about 5.degree. from the direction of travel of the bag film.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing liquid-filled bag packages including a tube former for shaping a tube from a strip of packaging material. To introduce amounts of liquid into the end of the tube, a filling tube extends into the tube former with its outlet end having a metering valve. To supply the liquid to the filling tube, the filling tube has, on its end located at the height of the inlet opening of the tube former, a crosswise extending supply fitting, the end face of which is closed with a flexible diaphragm. To actuate the valve, a rod extending in the filling tube is pivotably connected at the height of the supply fitting with a lever, which is pivotably connected to an adjusting cylinder. For pivoting of the lever, the lever has two crosswise arms, which are pivotably connected to connecting rods, the longitudinal axes of which intersect one another in the center of the diaphragm.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing and filling tubular bag packages includes a shaping mandrel, about which a sheet of packaging material is shaped into a tube and an open end of the tube is filled with one portion of a product at a time and separated from the formed tube. For sending the portions of the product gently and quickly through the hollow shaping mandrel, a feed apparatus is disposed in the mandrel. The feed apparatus has a plurality of spaced flaps pivotably connected at equal intervals to two synchronous belt drives. In a feed conduit of the shaping mandrel, these flaps define downwardly moved chambers which receive portions of the product and transport them to the lower end of the shaping mandrel, and then, through a relatively narrow return conduit in the shaping mandrel, the flaps return upward again in an upright position by the belts.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving transverse seal strength in a vertical form-fill-seal machine includes directing a cooling medium on a just formed transverse seal from an area beneath and on either side of the film, in an arcuate pattern to effect cooling during at least a portion of the downward movement of the seal toward a cutting means.

Abstract: A dunnage shock absorber and a method and apparatus for making the same is disclosed. The shock absorber is constructed from plastic material which forms a series of trigonal-shaped, gas-filled units which maintain adequate shock absorbing characteristics over a broad range of temperature conditions. This disclosed method includes the steps of forming a plastic tubular body, introducing a cooled gas into the body and forming individual trigonal-shaped units having cooled gas entrapped through angularly heat sealing the edges of such units. The disclosed apparatus forms plastic film into a series of gas-filled trigonal units through the use of fin seal rollers to seal the film into a tubular body. Sponge-like rollers downline of the fin seal rollers grip the tubular body and a conduit injects cooled gas into the tubular body. Horizontal and vertical sealers are provided downline of the sponge-like rollers to heat seal the tubular body with gas entrapped therein.

Abstract: Wear strips removably installed on the tube forming apparatus of form-fill-seal packaging machines of the type having a tube former and depending tubular fill pipe through which quantities of product are passed and over which a strip of packaging material is pulled by transfer belts to progressively form the material into a depending and upwardly open tubular configuration and subsequently sealed to form product bearing packages. The wear strips comprise a pair of circumferentially spaced rectangular members removably attached to the fill pipe adjacent the transfer belts to receive substantially the full frictional wearing force caused by the transfer belts pressing and moving the packaging material against the fill pipe. The outer surface of the wear strips are configured to substantially reduce the contact surface area and the resulting wearing of the transfer belt and thus reduce the frequency of replacement and repair of the belts.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing bag packages which is equipped with a device for fastening dispensing fitments to the bags. The fastening device has a holder for supplying one dispensing fitment at a time to the inside of the tube, formed from a strip of packaging material, and a sealing stamp, which are disposed in the vicinity of a tube former such that they are displaceable toward one another. The holder, which receives one dispensing fitment at a time from a conveyor device, engages the inlet opening of the tube former, while contrarily the sealing stamp is movable from the opposite side toward the outside of the tube, below the apex of a collar of the tube former.

Abstract: A vertical form, fill, and seal process and apparatus for individually packaging easily bruised articles of produce such as apples, pears, tomatoes, etc. by catching each article as it is dropped through a tube of thermoplastic, heat sealable film and simultaneously sealing and severing the tube below the caught article without the article forceably contacting the hot seal or striking the heat sealing means.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for providing uninterrupted guidance of a reclosable bag through a filling station in a form fill and seal system. The apparatus includes a guide mechanism positioned inside the bag film for providing uninterrupted guidance of the bag film through the filling station. The guide mechanism includes a first guide wheel for engaging the bottom of the bag film and a second guide wheel for engaging interlocked fastener elements on opposing plies of the bag film. A separating device is positioned along the path traveled by the bag film for separating the interlocked fastener elements as the bag film is advanced.

Abstract: An apparatus for flattening the horizontal seal area of a form-fill-seal pouch or bag comprising a pair of spreaders adapted to be located in the interior of the film pouch to stretch the film in the horizontal seal area to eliminate wrinkles in the film to insure an air-tight seal.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of tensioning a web packaging material in a form-fill-seal packaging apparatus wherein the web is pulled from a supply roll through web feeding rolls, guided over means for forming it into tubing and fed toward means for feeding the tubing forward, and wherein articles to be packaged are provided in the tubing and sealing operations are performed on the tubing to seal it to form packages. The invention method is characterized in that the web feeding rolls and the tubing feeding means are concurrently started, and when the web feeding rolls and the tubing feeding means are stopped to form a seal on the tubing, the tubing feeding means is stopped slightly later than the web feeding rolls so that the web forward by the web feeding rolls is taken up and pulled toward the tubing feeding means under tension.

Abstract: An easy open and reclosable bag has flexible sheet walls sealed together to form a pouch. A separable reclosure tie is located adjacent one of those seals. The reclosure tie is composed of extensions of the bag walls which have an integral channel-shaped molding spaced from that seal. A line of specially shaped, closely spaced apart perforations through the bag walls extends between the molding and the one seal to permit the reclosure tie to be separated from the pouch-defining walls of the bag. Apparatus for making the easy open and reclosable bag is also disclosed.

Abstract: A treating solution e.g. for forming a damp course in porous walls, is encapsulated in a plastics tube. The filled tube is frozen to produce solid rods of treating solution which, after stripping the jacket, can be inserted in bore holes in a building wall to thaw and be absorbed into the wall. To obtain a frozen rod that is substantially cylindrical over its whole length, the plastics material at each end of the liquid-containing tube is bundled together and clamped to maintain the tube in a substantially cylindrical shape.

Abstract: An automated handling system intended notably for storehouses in which miscellaneous articles are kept, for allowing either the restocking of the storehouse, or the regrouping of articles picked up in the storehouse for constituting lots or articles which correspond to a customer's order. The system comprises a central control and management computer and one or a plurality of self-powered trucks adapted to handle stock bins and order receiving bins in the storehouse, and to pick up articles from the bins to constitute lots of articles and gather the various customers' orders.

Abstract: The specification describes an apparatus for forming, welding and conveying packs, particularly liquid filled plastic bags, where the forming shells (17) are each made up of two half shells provided on two parallel, opposing endless conveyors (1,3) with a circling motion, wherein heatable welding jaws (2) are located between successive half shells on one endless conveyor (1) and counter pressure jaws (4) are provided on the opposite endless conveyor (3).To enable forming shells of a specific volume to be produced between opposing endless conveyors without any great outlay on construction and with safe operation, the invention provides for each half shell to be formed by a trough plate (6) which is supported displaceably and deformably between two adjacent welding jaws (2,4).

Abstract: A device for the step feeding of web material for making bags, in automatic bag-filling machines. The device comprises two opposing feeding members which are made to rotate continuously and are supported by slides running along horizontal guides, in order to move alternatively from an advanced position in which they frictionally feed and move forward a sufficient length of web material to form a bag, to a retracted position.

Abstract: A packaging machine is described which comprises a pair of squeezing guide rolls opposite each other and movable to and from a tubular plastic film, perpendicularly thereto; a pair of heat-sealing members located under the guide rolls and operating in the same manner; and a multi-purpose unit consisting of a compressing component, a cooling component and a cutting component. This unit is divided into two members operating similarly to the other parts of the machine. The film container, after having been charged is moved downwardly and guided first to the heat-sealing members, then to the compressing-cooling-cutting unit by drive rollers means. The displacements are effected for predetermined distances, so as to insure perfect sealing and severing of the containers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing and filling sterilized bags includes the steps of: feeding a film material from which the bags are formed from at least one reel; printing information on the film; cleaning the film in two stages which includes ultrasonic vibration and washing with water; drying the film; sterilizing it with ultraviolet rays; applying valves to the film; welding, punching and printing the film to generate a large bag; filling the large bag with liquid and inert gas; applying a second welding orthogonal to the first welding direction to divide the larger bag into a plurality of final bag having a predetermined size; cutting the film into the individual bags and testing the integrity of each bag; and vacuum packaging the bags and/or megablistering it.

Abstract: A packaging machine is disclosed for making and filling packages (1) consisting of inner (13) and outer (2) containers formed from sheet material. The apparatus comprises two supply locations (35) for supplying two separate webs of packaging material (31, 32). In station A tubular outer containers (2) are constructed from the web (31). In station B web (32) is formed into individual containers sealed and filled with a flowable, e.g. liquid, material. In station C the filled inner containers (13) are mated with the outer covers (2) which are sealed in station D and discharged from the apparatus.

Abstract: A feed conveyor arrangement is disclosed for horizontally unwinding zipper-equipped sheet packaging material from a supply roll and turning back a flap portion of the sheet material for reception of product prior to delivery into a form, fill, and seal machine. The feed conveyor utilizes a special guide wheel device for maintaining the zipper, and hence the sheet material, in an aligned flow path and holding down the flap portion only adjacent the zipper. A subsequent flap turning wheel device turns the flap portion away from the remaining panel area of the sheet below the zipper line, pivoting the flap about the hold down area of the guide wheel device. The guide wheel device is in the form of skewed wheels acting on the upper surface of the flap at opposed sides of the zipper. The flap turning wheel device includes an offset wheel which applies both upward and horizontal forces to the upturned inner surface of the flap to open up the sheet material.

Abstract: In a machine for manufacturing packing containers by sealing and cutting a tubular packing material, a sealing unit positioned in the tube comprising a sealing guide, a sealing holder movably supported by the sealing guide, a sealing member of flexible material on the periphery of the sealing holder which contacts the inside of the material tube and passages in the sealing guide and sealing holder for conveying pressurized air therethrough.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming bags from a packing film and then filling the bags with bulky solid or powdery materials includes a bag-making cylinder which has air-removing grooves in its outer periphery for removing air in the bags when the materials are collectively filled into the bags, thus resulting in a constant and high speed packing operation.

Abstract: A container forming apparatus for packaging machine by which a vertical tube filled with contents is sealed over a required width at a spacing corresponding to the length of one container and is cut at the midportion of the seal width, the apparatus comprising a slide having forming jaws, and a slide lift assembly drivingly movable by a pulse motor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in form, fill, and seal machines wherein a polyfoil material is compressed between two jaws, one jaw having a secondary induction coil which passes through an electromagnetic field and induces a current in the metallic layer of the polyfoil, to heat and then seal the polyfoil.

Abstract: This invention relates to an air extractor for a bag-making filling and packaging machine for exhausting the air in a bag filled with goods. The air extractor comprises frames freely closing and opening for surrounding in an air-tight manner the bag filled with the goods. Air is supplied into the closed frames so as to squeeze the outer surfaces of the bag by the pressure of the supplied air to extract the air from the bag. In this manner, the air in the bag is reliably extracted irrespective of the shapes of the goods and their filled conditions without damaging the goods.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for creating the transverse seals in a form, fill and seal packaging machine is provided. The apparatus includes a heating member that heats a portion of the web of film to create the transverse seals, and a cooling member that cools the heated portion of the web of film and the heating member. The heating member includes a hot bar, a heater for heating the hot bar, and a biasing member that disengages the hot bar from the heater before the hot bar contacts the web of film.

Abstract: A package container tube processing apparatus by which a vertical tube filled with contents is divided into lengths each corresponding to one container to form intermediate containers. The apparatus comprises a vertical rod movable upward and downward and reversibly rotatable, a movable frame attached to the vertical rod and movable therewith upward and downward while permitting the reversible rotation of the vertical rod, a pair of pressure arms supported at their lower portions by the movable frame so as to be pivotally movable about a pair of horizontal axes parallel to each other, a pair of seal bars fixed to the upper portions of the pressure arms respectively and opposed to each other, and conversion means for converting the forward-reverse rotation of the vertical rod to a pivotal motion of the two pressure arms to move the two seal bars toward or away from each other.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming plastic bags with zipper profile thereon, in situ, on a form and fill machine. Plastic film sheeting containing profiles is moved over a forming collar disposed about the filling spout of the machine. A major portion of the film is formed into a tube about the spout while a minor portion of the film, including the profiles, is directed away from the spout. After the tube is formed and filled, the major and minor portions are brought into alignment and transverse seams are formed on opposite sides of the product to form the bag.

Abstract: The invention is a mechanism for regulating the speed and stroke of a transverse sealing means for a vertical packing machine using tubular film. The mechanism comprises a cranking disc, and elongated transverse rod and a vertical rod, these members being connected adjustably to each other to regulate the movement of the transverse sealing means.

Abstract: A low-to-high pressure, fusion-welding, press mechanism for vertical packing machines which seals packed products using packing film. The press mechanism comprises a cylinder, a cylinder rod, a circular disc, a plurality of pairs of levers and a pair of sealing substrates having a pair of sealing blades, these members being interconnected to each other to fusion-weld packed products with said pair of sealing blades under desired sealing pressure.

Abstract: A parallelogram feed system for packaging film is provided. The system includes a pair of idler guide rollers bodily movable between a feed position adjacent the packaging film and a rest position away from the packaging film. Drive rollers are provided away from the packaging film. An endless belt extends around the rollers and engages the packaging film between the two guide rollers when in the feed position. The rollers are linked together by four connecting links in the shape of a parallelogram that are pivotally attached to the shafts to which the rollers are rotatably mounted. A pneumatic cylinder moves the guide rollers between the feed and rest positions. The cylinder is attached to the link connecting the two guide rollers by means of a pin slidably received in an elongated slot in the connecting link so as to allow parallelogram shifting movement. In addition, optional air passages may be provided for directing a cushion of air beneath the packaging film adjacent the feed system belts.