MULTI-STAGE SHRINK-WRAP SEALING AND CUTTING APPARATUS

摘要

An improved film sealing and cutting apparatus (10) for use with a shrink-wrap machine that individually wraps articles (219) sequentially with shrink-wrap film material (200) of different possible thickness and composition, especially thick, tough film which would be difficult to seal. The apparatus (10) includes two pairs of selectively heated rollers (97, 98). Overlapping layers (209) of film material wrapped around an article are passed between peripheral surfaces of each roller pair. The first roller pair forms a thermal conditioning pre-seal (208) between opposing surfaces of the overlapping layers by application of heat and pressure along the peripheral surfaces of the first roller pair. The second roller pair then completes the seal and cuts through the opposing surfaces, leaving a margin between a cutting path formed by the peripheral surfaces of the second roller pair and the seal.