Package forming machine

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a package forming machine wherein one or more articles are packaged as a unit by the wrapping of a film of shrinkable plastics material thereabout, the plastics material being provided as a continuous web. The machine is particularly adapted to the packaging of plural containers arranged in plural rows. A particular feature of the machine is the provision of draw members to draw the film down between adjacent units with the draw members being carried by an endless conveyor for circulation in a plane which extends transversely of the path of movement of the article being packaged and slopes downwardly in the direction of movement of the articles. The plane of the draw members may be varied in accordance with the height of the articles whereby a basic machine may be adjusted to accommodate articles of different heights. The machine includes first and second conveyor means which are separated so as to permit the draw members to pass therebetween while maintaining full control over the articles passing through the machine. The machine is also provided with means for automatically cutting the drawn web, tucking a leading bottom web panel to an out-of-the-way position, moving a trailing bottom web panel under the containers, and then moving the leading bottom web panel into underlying relation to the trailing web panel so that a tight package may be automatically obtained.