Retarder mechanism

Claim 1

Article wrapping apparatus for wrapping articles wit shrinkable film, and comprising in combination: a. endless conveyor means having an article receiving end and an article delivery end, said conveyor means comprising a plurality of parallelly disposed belts having gaps formed between adjacent belts and being adapted to run continuously; b. means for receiving a roll of shrinkable film and for delivering a supply of said film onto said endless conveyor means and along the direction of motion of the conveyor means; c. means for sequentially delivering articles to be wrapped in first predetermined spaced relationship onto said article receiving end and in superimposed relationship to said shrinkable film; d. a first station having means for applying a wrap of said film about said articles and enclosing said articles in a tube of said film having an axis parallel to said direction of motion; e. a second station having means along said conveyor disposed downstream from said first station for forming a transverse welded closure about said articles and for severing said film at a point between adjacent wrapped articles and comprising an elongated weld bar disposed normally above the plane of said conveyor and adapted to intermittently move reciprocably into contact with the entire width of said film at a point generally midway between adjacent wrapped articles and performing said welding and severing operation; and f. article lifting and retarding means disposed immediately downstream from said weld bar having an article lifting element with a top surface normally disposed along a plane below the plane of said conveyor and adapted to intermIttently move reciprocably upwardly from said normal disposition and through the gaps in said conveyor belts to elevate said wrapped articles from the plane of said conveyor and thereby hold said wrapped articles at dwell during said welding and severing operation.