Method and apparatus for skin packaging articles and packages formed thereby

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF SKIN-PACKAGING ARTICLES BETWEEN AN AIR-PREVIOUS SUBSTRATE AND A THERMOPLASTIC FILM, THE STEPS COMPRISING PLACING AN ARTICLE ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF AN AIR-PERVIOUS SUBSTRATE TO FORM A PACKAGING SUBASSEMBLY; SUPPORTING A LENGTH OF THERMOPLASTIC FILM ABOUT ITS MARGINS IN SPACED, GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP ABOVE SAID PACKAGING SUBASSEMBLY; SUPPORTING BETWEEN SAID FILM AND PACKAGING SUBASSEMBLY A HEAT-RESISTANT SHIELD MEMBER DIMENSIONED AND CONFIGURED TO OVERLIE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID PACKAGING SUBASSEMBLY; DIRECTING HEAT DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID FILM SUFFICIENT TO HEAT SAID FILM TO DEFORMABILITY, SAID SHIELD MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY SHIELDING SAID PACKAGING SUBASSEMBLY FROM THE HEAT; WITHDRAWING SAID SHIELD MEMBER FROM ITS POSITION BETWEEN SAID HEATED FILM AND PACKAGING SUBASSEMBLY; AND MOVING SAID PACKAGING SUBASSEMBLY AND HEATED FILM INTO CONTACT WHILE DRAWING VACUUM THROUGH SAID SUBSTRATE, SAID VACUUM DRAWING SAID HEATED FILM DOWNWARDLY ABOUT SAID ARTICLE INTO A CLOSE-FITTING SHEATH AND INTO LAMINAR CONTACT WITH SAID SUBSTRATE SURROUNDING SAID ARTICLE, SAID FILM BEING BONDED TO SAID SUBSTRATE UPON BEING DRAWN INTO LAMINAR CONTACT.