Flexible wrapping apparatus

Apparatus for continuously wrapping a plurality of consecutive loads of varying cross-sectional sizes with a continuous wrap and unitizing the loads into wrapped enclosed packages comprising conveyor means adapted to receive the plurality of loads, wrapping means positioned adjacent said conveyor means, said wrapping means comprising a frame, film dispenser means rotatably mounted on said frame, a wrap conveyor means positioned within a wrapping area defined by rotation of said film dispenser means and aligned with said conveyor means to receive said loads from said conveyor means and carry said loads spaced apart through said film dispenser means, film support means mounted to said frame, said film support means extending from said frame downstream through and past the wrapping area to sides of a wrapped load downstream from the wrapping area, said film support means comprising a plurality of bendable flexible members, said film dispenser means being adapted to hold a roll of film material and continuously wrap said film material across each of the loads, said flexible members and said wrap conveyor means, drive means connected to said film dispenser means to drive said film dispenser means continuously to dispense film material across said flexible members, wrap conveyor means and loads, and film stretching means mounted to said film dispenser means, said film stretching means being adapted to engage the film material carried by said film dispenser means and substantially stretch and tension said film material as it is being dispensed so that said tensioned film material continuously forms a tube extending around and between each two consecutive loads and around said film support means, take-off conveyor means positioned adjacent said wrap conveyor means adapted to convey said continuously wrapped plurality of loads spaced apart, and a unitizing station comprising heat sealing means and cutting means adapted to sever the film material between loads so that each load is enclosed with a stretched film wrap holding it in a compressed wrapped package.

Apparatus for consecutively wrapping a plurality of spaced loads of varying sizes and unitizing the loads into separate enclosed wrapped packages comprising a conveyor assembly adapted to receive a plurality of loads, a wrapping means positioned adjacent said conveyor assembly, said wrapping means comprising a frame and a film dispensing means rotatably mounted on said frame, said film dispensing means when rotated defining a wrapping area, said film dispensing means being adapted to hold a roll of film material and wrap film material around loads passing through the wrapping area, said conveyor assembly comprising at least two conveyor means driven at substantially the same speed, a first one of said conveyor means being adapted to receive a load and transport said load, a second one of said conveyor means being adapted to be wrapped with film dispensed from said film dispensing means so that the wrapped load on the first one of said conveyor means and film web wrapped around the second one of said conveyor means are carried by both conveyor means at substantially the same speed, film support means mounted to said frame, said film support means comprising a plurality of flexible members extending downstream from said frame into and across the space between two consecutive loads, thereby providing support for film web formed into a tube between consecutive loads, drive means connected to said film dispensing means to drive said film dispensing means, and film stretching means mounted to said film dispensing means engaging said film to substantially stretch and tension the film being dispensed from said film dispensing means to form said tube under tension against said consecutive loads and said flexible members.