Rotating film wrapping apparatus with traveling clamp

摘要

A wrapping apparatus having a rotating ring which carries a film dispenser carriage adapted to dispense film web around a load carried on a wrapping conveyor. A traveling film clamp mechanism is mounted adjacent the wrapping conveyor and extends through the plane of the rotating ring to engage, clamp, cut and brush film web dispensed from the film dispenser carriage. The traveling film clamp mechanism incorporates a linear driver assembly, a fixed clamp jaw mounted to the linear driver assembly and positioned substantially parallel to the line of travel in which the linear driver operates, a rotating jaw mounted to the linear driver assembly adapted to close against the fixed jaw to clamp film web therebetween, and a rotating cutter brush arm carrying a leading cutter edge and a trailing brush. After the web is clamped between the fixed and rotating jaws, the cutter edge of the brush arm severs the web extending between the jaws, and the brush carries the severed web portion against underlying film web layers previously wrapped around the load to create a commercially viable seal, while the jaws clamp the film web so that wrapping of the next load may be initiated.