A method for wrapping a load with a film, strip, band of extensible material comprises: unwinding a film of extensible material from a reel; making a pleat on the film by means of a pleating system; stretching the film by means of a pair of pre-stretching rollers; welding the pleat by means of at least one of the pre-stretching rollers; wrapping the load with the film provided with the pleat.

A large square baler includes a frame and a baling chamber for forming a bale. A support beam is attached to the frame and extends to a distal second end. A support structure is attached to the second end of the support beam. A track is attached to the support structure and includes an endless loop defining a path. A rotational drive is attached to the support structure and includes a crank rotatable about a rotation axis. An arm is coupled to the crank and includes an elongated slot. A carriage is attached to the arm and moves on the track along the path. The carriage supports a transverse face wrap roller for wrapping the transverse faces of the bale. A portion of the crank extends through and is moveable within the elongated slot such that a distance between the carriage and the rotation axis is variable.

A machine for packaging groups of tissue products including a dosing element equipped with a plurality of passageways each configured for receiving a row formed by a predetermined number of products for defining a layer of a group of products. A detection device associated with the dosing element detects a filling parameter relative to a number, dimension and/or orientation of the products occupying the passageways and generates a signal representing the filling parameter. A processing and control unit receives the signals representing the products and processes the signals to compare with signals relating to a reference layer for deriving an acceptance condition, wherein the layer is consistent with the reference layer and suitable for the packaging, or for eliminating the layer of products released from the dosing element. A rejection system ejects the layer when it is in the eliminating condition.

A wrapping machine comprising a base and a wrapping arm connected to the base and configured to be movable relative to the base. The wrapping arm includes a carriage vertically movable on the wrapping arm, with the carriage having a roll of wrap film. The wrapping machine also includes a bumper assembly movable with the wrapping arm. The bumper assembly includes a bumper and an actuator, wherein engagement of the bumper with an external object will actuate the actuator to stop movement of the wrapping arm about the product. The wrapping arm can include side tubes connected by a connection tube, with the side tubes forming a link recess between the side tubes. Each of the side tubes includes an exteriorly facing slot, with the carriage riding on the side tubes along the slot. A link moves within the link recess to move the carriage.

Control of a wrapping apparatus is facilitated by enabling an operator to input a load containment force requirement and/or a minimum number of layers of packaging material to be applied to a load, with a wrap control system automatically determining wrap force and other parameters required to meet user input requirements and/or parameters to minimize the expertise required of an operator and to provide more consistent and reliable wrapping of loads. In addition, a wrapping apparatus may be controlled to apply at least a minimum number of layers of packaging material to a load throughout a contiguous region thereof.

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize packaging material quality compensation to sense changes in certain characteristics of a packaging material that can be associated with increased risks of film breaks, and automatically make certain changes in machine settings to mitigate the impact of those enhanced risks.

Systems and processes for packing complementary articles of footwear into a container are disclosed. The processes can include utilizing a reusable packing sheet positioned underneath complementary articles of footwear to transfer the complementary articles of footwear into a container. The processes can also include removing the reusable packing sheet from underneath the complementary articles of footwear while the complementary articles of footwear remain positioned in the container. Additional processes can include aligning and sizing complementary articles of footwear for packing in a container.

A method of wrapping a palletized load includes forming at least two composite stretch films, wrapping each of the composite stretch films around the palletized load, and leaving a gap between the first composite stretch film and the second composite stretch film as the composite stretch films are wrapped around the palletized load. Forming the composite stretch films includes narrowing stretch film from a first spool to create a first banded stretch film with a first width, narrowing stretch film from a second spool to create a second banded stretch film with a second width smaller than the first width, and overlaying the second banded stretch film on the first banded stretch film, with the second banded stretch film positioned between the top edge and bottom edges of the first banded stretch film. The gap may have a width that is equal to or larger than the first width.

A wrapping machine for making a composed palletized load made by a plurality of partial palletized loads wrapped with a plastic film, comprises a first operating station to individually and separately wrap the partial palletized loads with the film, a conveyor assembly to move along an advancing direction the partial palletized loads inside, towards and outside from the first operating station, a second operating station to arrange the plurality of partial palletized loads in a grouped configuration, in which they are adjacent and placed side by side, and then joint the plurality of partial palletized loads by an adhesive film in order to make the composed palletized load.

A packaging material dispenser of a stretch wrapping machine supports multiple discrete amounts of pre-stretch in a reliable and cost-effective manner in part by incorporating a loop drive assembly with multiple pre-stretch rate wheels capable of being used to drive a driven wheel associated with a pre-stretch roller at different discrete rates of rotation relative to another pre-stretch roller.