Wrapping apparatus

Claim 1

An article wrapping apparatus including a drum having only one end wall and a peripheral wall, said peripheral wall formed of a series of like, rectangular, planar members each having an opening extending therethrough and which are joined in end-to-end relationship to together define a polygon, means for rotating said drum including a stationary plate disposed in directly adjacent, spaced relationship with the drum end wall and a shaft fixed substantially centrally of said end wall and extending through and supported for rotation by said plate, means at one location for delivering a continuous web of wrapping material onto successive portions of the outer surface of said drum peripheral wall and across the openings in said planar members as the drum is rotated, vacuum means for retaining the delivered web on the successive portions of the drum peripheral wall as they travel from the one location to slightly beyond a second location spaced circumferentially from such one location, a separate blade fixed to each of said planar members at like ends thereof, each of said blades forming a portion of the outer surface of the drum peripheral wall and each having an edge which is aligned with the end of the planar member to which it is fixed, a stationary knife at the second location in position to be engaged by said blade edges as the drum is rotated to thereby effect severance of the web into separate sheets whereby at a third location, outwardly of said drum and circumferentially spaced from the second location, individual articles to be wrapped may be urged against the separate sheets of wrapping material and into and through the respective drum openings underlying such sheets and be removed from the open end of said drum, and resilient means carried by and projecting into the openings of the respective planar members for smoothing traveling portions of the separate sheets of wrapping material onto individual articles as they are passed through such openings.