Rotary article transfer apparatus

Apparatus of the kind described comprising a wrapping member, means moving said wrapping member continuously along an arcuate path, a plurality of pocket supports each slidably mounted individually on the wrapping member, a cam follower mounted on each pocket support, a cam track arranged about the axis of curvature of said arcuate path and arranged for engagement by said cam followers thereby to control the sliding movement of said pocket supports, an article-receiving pocket mounted on each pocket support, a continuously rotatable closing member mounted for movement about an axis radially spaced from the axis of the arcuate path of said wrapping member and provided with a plurality of closing units disposed at equal circumferential distances around a pitch circle concentric with the axis of rotation of said closing member and cutting the arcuate path of movement of said wrapping member, the number of said closing units being substantially less than the number of pockets of the wrapping member, means for driving the wrapping member and the closing member at such relative speeds that, as each pocket of the wrapping member approaches a final wrapper-closing station, a closing unit moves towards a position of alignment with that pocket, said cam track being so shaped as to cause the pocket for the time being approaching said closing station to move into alignment with that closing unit and remain in such alignment during operation of said closing unit.