Method of and apparatus for producing a tightly packaged food product

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF PROVIDING A TIGHT WRAP, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE IMPOSING STRETCHING STRESS BY A PLURALITY OF STREATCHING FINGERS DIRECTLY ON OPPOSITE INNER SURFACES OF A CONTAINER FORMED OF AN ELASTIC TERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL AND HAVING A NORMAL PERIMETER LESS THAN THE FOOD ITEM TO BE PACKAGED THERIN UNTIL THE PERIMETER OF SAID CONTAINER IS GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID ITEM, INSERTING THE ITEM TO BE PACKAGED IN THE CONTAINER WHILE SAID CONTAINER IS IN THE STRETCHED STATE, RELEASING THE STRETCHING STRESS AT A FASTER RATE THAN THE RATE OF CONTRACTION OF THE ELASTIC MATERIAL WHEREBY FOR AN INTERVAL THE CONTAINER BECOMES LOOSE AROUND THE STRETCHING FINGERS,REMOVING THE CONTAINER WITH ITS INSERTED FOOD ITEM FROM THE STRETCHING FINGER DURING SAID INTERVAL WHEREUPON THE CONTAINER WILL OF ITS OWN ACCORD CONTACT UNTIL RESTRAINED BY SAID ITEM FORMING A TIGHT WRAP.