Apparatus for packaging articles

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING ARTICLES COMPRISING A HOLDER ARRANGED TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT A SINGLE, UNITARY FOLDABLE PACKAGING CARD COMPONENT OF THE TYPE HAVING AN OPENING IN IT AND HAVING A STRETCHABLE AND SHRINKABLE PLASTIC MEMBRANE SPANNING THE SAID OPENING, SAID HOLDER HAVING A FORMING RECESS ADAPTED TO REGISTER WITH THE SAID OPENING, POWERED MEANS FOR EFFECTING A CONTINUOUS TRAVEL OF THE HOLDER IN A PREDETERMINED PATH PAST A PLURALITY OF OPERATION-PERFORMING STATIONS, AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR HEATING THE MEMBRANE OF THE PACKAGING COMPONENT AS THE HOLDER MOVES PAST A HEATING STATION IN SAID PATH, AUTOMATIC FORMING MEANS INCLUDING A TRAVELLING PUNCH FOR FORMING THE HEATED MEMBRANE TO A BELLOW SHAPE AS THE HOLDER MOVES PAST A FORMING STATION IN SAID PATH, FOLDING MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE MOVEMENT OF SAID HOLDER AND CARD COMPONENT CARRIED THEREON FOR FOLDING SAID COMPONENT ON ITSELF WHILE ON THE HOLDER AND WITHOUT TILTING THE HOLDER, THEREBY TO ENCLOSE THE HOLLOW OF THE FORMED MEMBRANE AS THE HOLDER MOVES PAST A FOLDING STATION IN SAID PATH, AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR SECURING TOGETHER THE FOLDED PORTIONS OF THE FOLDED COMPONENT AS THE LATTER IS CARRIED BY THE HOLDER AND AS SAID HOLDER MOVES PAST A FASTENING STATION AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR HEATING THE FORMED MEMBRANE TO HEAT-SHRINK IT, TION IN SAID PATH.