Material positioning and securing apparatus and process

Abstract

A disposable elongated material engaging member, formed from reasonably stiff and yet deformable material, is placed adjacent one side of units on a pallet at a wrapping station with the material engaging member having protruding portions oriented to extend in a direction away from the surface of the units for engagement with the netting material as the netting material is wrapped around the units. A forming and feeder mechanism, receiving a continuous supply of the reasonably stiff material, forms the material engaging member into the desired configuration and shape, and then dispenses the thus formed member into the wrapping station where the formed member is severed from the continuous supply by the forming and feeder mechanism after the formed material at the wrapping station has been contacted by a plurality of wrapped layers of the netting material. A variably positonable net manipulation arm is utilized for holding the netting material in place against the units during the initial wrapping cycle of netting material about the palletized articles, with the arm being moved away from the wrapping station and clear of the wrapping process during subsequent wrapping cycles, except that, after the final wrapping cycle, the arm is again brought into engagement with the netting material to hold the netting material in a spaced relationship with respect to the units to enable the cutting of that portion of the netting material not wrapped about the articles.