Abstract: Apparatus for wrapping an article with stretch film. The article is first advanced against a vertical web of film to partially enfold the film longitudinally about the article and to advance the article to a longitudinal folding station where a tail of the film is folded up against the bottom of the article and at which film wings laterally project from the article. The partially wrapped article is then advanced to a stretch and lateral fold station at which the film wings are clamped by clamping jaws which are moved laterally away from the article whereby to stretch the film. The article is then lifted and the clamping jaws are advanced toward each other and beneath the bottom of the article whereby to fold the wings at least partially against the article while maintaining stretching tension on the film. Thereafter, the article is advanced through a plow to complete the wrapping of the wings against the article.

Abstract: A packaging machine for making sealed packages with articles contained therein includes seal bars and anvils mounted for relative rotation along circular paths so that both the seal bars and the anvils maintain their orientation in space constant. Resilient mounting of the seal bars and anvils allows for extended contact time with a thermoplastics web which forms the packages. The seal bars and other parts of the machine may be driven by a common variable speed motor through a drive chain which maintains constant speed ratios between the operative parts. The accuracy of the sealing may be improved by clamps mounted on the seal bar assembly which cooperate with the anvils to hold the web while sealing and cutting take place. The seal bar assembly may include two seal bars, one of which cuts and seals to form an edge of a package and also forms a handle cut-out and the other seal bar forms a transverse seal to seal off a main portion of the bag from a handle cut-out portion.

Abstract: Preprinted rectangular blanks of longitudinally stretch-oriented foam sheet material are formed into cylinders by a continuous folder and seamer and transferred onto mandrels on which they are shrunken by heat to assume the shape of the mandrel. In forming containers, means are provided to place bottom blanks on the mandrels prior to the loading of the cylinders thereon so as to shrink the cylinders to sidewall shapes overlying the bottom blanks. The top curl on containers such as drinking cups and food tubs is formed after shrink forming and the bottom seam of the container is also reinforced by ironing after shrink forming. A method of continuously forcing and filling containers on a continuous in-line basis is also provided.