GB2043021A - Method of and apparatus for wrapping cylindrical articles - Google Patents

Abstract

Cylindrical articles, e.g. rolls of carpet (26), are delivered to a first wrapping station (29), at which a thermoplastic film (34) is wrapped around each roll (26) by rotation of the roll on driven rollers (28). A heat sealing bar 41 moves downwards into engagement with the film (34) around the roll (26) and seals it along the full length thereof; the wrapping film (34) also being severed by a heated wire (54) close to the roll periphery. Each roll 26 is then ejected from the first wrapping station (29) and delivered to a final wrapping station (63) where companion apparatuses (64 Fig. 12, not shown) and (65) engage projecting end sections of the wrapping film and cause twisting thereof as each roll is again rotated on driven rollers (62). Heat is applied to the twisted film end sections (95) to fuse them, followed by cooling of the film to harden it and form a permanently sealed end closures at the ends of each roll (26). Where a center core is present, the sealed wrapping film snugly embraces the core. Where no core is employed, the twisted sealed film is cleanly severed by a cutter close to the end face (96) or end faces of the carpet roll (26). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of and apparatus for wrapping carpet rolls The wrapping of large commercial rolls of carpet prior to shipment from a carpet mill is a troublesome task which the iiidustry has never completely solved in terms of an efficient and economical method or apparatus. Efficient machinery is available in the industry for almost every other processing operation but the cumbersome practice of wrapping carpet rolls in paper and sealing the wrapping material with tape has continued, requiring a great deal of hand labor and excessive cost. The wrapping process is slow and awkward and the resulting packages are not pleasing in appearance or uniform.

In view of the above difficulties, the objective of this invention is to provide a rapid and efficient labor saving method and apparatus for wrapping large commercial rolls of carpet with an inexpensive thermoplastic wrapping film which may be heat sealed to completely enclose each roll of carpet in a way which forms a neat and uniform package having desirable' eye appeal. The use of wrapping paper and sealing tape and essentially all hand labor is eliminated by the invention. The improved method is practiced by the use of simplified and durable apparatus which is essentially automatic in its operating cycle so that it can be monitored by a minimum number of attendants.

A notable feature of the invention resides in the method and apparatus components for closing and sealing the loose end portions of the wrapping film which extend beyond the end faces of each carpet roll after the roll has been enclosed in the wrapping film and sealed along its longitudinal axis. The invention results in a nearly perfect packaging of the tightly rolled carpet cylinder and the thermoplastic wrapping film is very tough and comparatively puncture and tear resistant.The many advantages of the invention over the prior art will be apparent to those skilled in the art during the course of the following detailed description in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of carpet roll wrapping apparatus used in the practice of the method; Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the core end portion of a carpet roll wrapped in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 is a similar view showing the opposite end portion of the wrapped carpet roll without a projecting core element; Figure 4 is a partly schematic plan view of the apparatus; Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4 and showing carpet roll driving bed rollers driving in one direction; Figure 6 is a similar section showing the bed rollers turning in an opposite direction;; Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on line 7-7 of Figure 4 and showing a pivoted support frame for wrapping material tensioning rollers and heat sealing and severing means in an inclined position; Figure 8 is a similar view showing the pivoted frame and associated elements in a vertical position; Figure 9 is a similar view showing the tension roller, heat sealing and severing unit in a lowered position on the pivoted frame; Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken through the heat sealing bar, tensioning rollers and associated parts; Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing the ejection of a partly wrapped carpet roll after longitudinal heat sealing and severing of the wrapping web close to the carpet roll;; Figure 1 1A is a partly schematic end elevation showing the arrangement of layers of wrapping film relative to the heat sealing means and showing the starting point of the wrapping film in reiation to the carpet end flap; Figure 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of apparatus used to close the end portion of the wrapping material around the projecting core element at one end of the carpet roll; Figure 13 is a similar perspective view of apparatus for closing the wrapping material at the other end of the carpet roll which has no projecting core element; Figure 14 is a fragmentary perspective vievv of the apparatus in Figure 1 2 in one stage of operation; Figure 1 5 is a similar view of the same apparatus in a further stage of operation;; Figure 16 is a further perspective view of the same apparatus in a further and final stage of operation; Figure 1 7 is a further prespective view of the apparatus in Figure 13 in a further stage of operation; Figure 1 8 is a further perspective view of the apparatus in Figure 13 in a final stage of operation; Figure 19 is a perspective view of a heat shield and clamping element forming part of the apparatus of Figure 13; Figure 20 is a side elevation of wrapping material severing means forming a part of the apparatus in Figure 13; Figure 21 is a vertical section taken on line 21-21 of Figure 4 and showing ejecting means for completely wrapped rolls of carpet in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals designate like parts, the numeral 25 designates an accumulation conveyor which receives and accumulates carpet rolls 26 after the rolls have been processed in the mill by cutting and rolling equipment, not shown. As shown in Figure 4, each carpet roll 26 contains a center axial core tube 27 which extends beyond one end face only of the carpet roll, the opposite end face being straight or flush. The tubular core element 27 can receive the lifting tine of an industrial truck, not shown, for lifting and transporting the heavy rolls from place to place in the mill.

The rolls 26 are delivered one at a time in succession by conveyor 25 onto a pair of side-byside parallel axis powered bed rolls 28 at a first wrapping station 29. Reversible power drive means 30 for the bed rolls 28 is shown in Figure 4 and may be conventional. At the wrapping station 29, an elevated support frame 31 for an overhead supply roll 32 of thermoplastic wrapping film is provided. The film roll 32 is cradled on a pair of powered bed rolls 33 which can rotate the film roll 32 to feed a web 34 of the film downwardly in the wrapping operation, to be fully described. The frame 31 is mounted on grooved wheels 35 which engage guide tracks 36 parallel to the axis of the carpet rolls 26 being supported on the bed rolls 28.The frame 31 and the wrapping film supply rolls 32 may traverse the tracks 36 the required distance to position the wrapping film web 34 properly in relation to the opposite end faces of each roll 26. Desirably, the hanging web 34 is positioned so that about one-half of the carpet roll diameter plus six to eight inches of film extends beyond the end face of the carpet rolls for proper end closure and sealing around the core 27, as shown in Figure 2. An excess section of wrapping film projects beyond the other end of the carpet roll 26 without a projecting core to allow the formation of an end closure and seal at such end, as depicted in Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 5, the two bed rolls 28 supporting the carpet roll 26 may be driven in unison clockwise to tighten the carpet roll 26 to a firm state, if required. Following this, the bed rolls 28 are reversed as shown in Figure 6 to lay open a carpet flap 37 so that the lower hanging edge of the wrapping film web 34, Figure 7, can be interleaved with the flap 37 and the roll 26 for convolute wrapping around the carpet roll.

Referring to Figure 8, such convolute wrapping is induced by driving the bed rolls 28 counterclockwise in that figure. Simultaneously, the upper bed rolls 33 are driven in unison to rotate the film supply roll 32 and feed the film web34 downwardly through a pair of couhterrotating film tensioning rolls 38 on a carriage unit 39, to bf further described. The tensioning rolls 38 are driven at a slightly slower speed than the surface speed of the carpet roll 26 to maintain proper tension on the web 34 and provide a taut wrinklefree wrap around the circumference of the roll 26.

The carpet roll 26 is driven in rotation until its flap 37, Figure 1 1A, is beyond the vertical center line through the carpet roll and two layers of the wrapping film are in superposed relationship at the top of the roll 26, as illustrated in Figure 11 A.

At the wrapping station 29, the apparatus further comprises a vertically swingable guide frame 40 for the carriage unit 39 which mounts the film tensioning rolls 38, a film sealing bar 41 and an associated film severing means, to be described. The guide frame 40 has its lower end pivoted at 42 to the bottom of support frame 31 and a cylinder 43 connected at 44 to the frame 40 has its extensible and retractable rod 45 coupled to the swingable guide frame 40 for shifting the latter back and forth at proper times between the inclined and vertical positions shown in Figures 7 and 8.

When each carpet roll 26 is enveloped with the wrapping film to the extent described in connection with Figure 1 A, the guide frame 40 is swung forwardly by the cylinder 43 to the vertical position and the carraige unit 39 is lowered on the guide frame 40 by a pair of opposite side cylinders 46 of the counterbalanced type whose lower ends swing on the pivots 42 of frame 40 and whose extensible and retractable rods 47 are coupled to the carriage unit 39. During the descent of the carriage unit 39, it is maintained horizontally level through the coaction of gear rack bars 48 on the swingable frame 40 and a pair of pinions 49 at each side of the frame 40 carried by a pinion shaft 50 held in bearings 51 which are secured to the frame 40.

Referring to Figure 10, the carriage unit 39 carries, in addition to the tensioning rollers 38 and film sealing bar 41, a pair of horizontal cylinders 52 which act in unison to move a film cut off clamp bar 53 toward and away from contact with a film cut off resistance wire 54 positioned adjacent to one side of the sealing bar 41. At the bottom of the sealing bar 41, a resistance sealing ribbon 55 is provided for contact with the two film layers to be heat sealed together, as shown in Figures 10 and 11 A.

With the carriage 39 down under influence of the counterbalancing cylinders 46 so that the sealing bar 41 is exerting only enough pressure on the ribbon 55 and carpet roll to produce a proper heat seal, the heat sealing cycle is started. When the seal cycle is started, the film tensioning rolls 38 counter-rotate forwardly, Figure 10, pulling the film web 34 from the supply roll 32 and relieving any tension between the rolls 38 and sealing bar 41. The film cut off clamp bar 53 is now forced by the cylinders 52 against the cut off wire 54 and sealing bar 41. Voltage is now applied to the resistance sealing ribbon 55 which heats and forms a thermal seal, 56, Figures 2, 3 and 1 1A, between the two layers of wrapping film near the top of carpet roll 26.When this is accomplished, voltage is applied to the resistance cut off wire 54 causing the wire to heat and melt the single layer or web 34 of wrapping flim extending along one side of the bar 41. At this time, the film tensioning rolls 38 are caused to counter-rotate reversely from the direction shown in Figure 10 in order to pull the softened area of the web 34 apart cleanly thereby separating the web 34 from the cylindrical wrapping now sealed around the carpet roll, the heat seal 56 extending for the entire length of the roll, Figures 2 and 3.

The two cylinders 52 can now retract the clamp bar 53 away from the bar 41, and referring to Figure 11 , the carriage unit 39 rises on the guide frame 40 away from the carpet roll 26 by extension of the rods 47 of the two upright cylinders 46. Simultaneously, the wrapping film drive rollers 33 are reversely driven to elevate the web 34 to the approximate position shown in Figure 11 at the same speed as that of the carriage unit 39 during its upward movement.

The partly wrapped and longitudinally sealed carpet roll 26 is now ejected from the bed rolls 28 at the first wrapping station 29, Figure 11, by the operation of a pair of opposite side eject cylinders 57, coupled at 58, to a support frame 59 for the rollers 28 which is pivoted on the rotational axis 60 of one roller 28. The ejected carpet roll 26 rolls down an inclined ramp 61 supported on the frame 31 and is delivered onto another pair of parallel power driven bed rollers 62 at a second and final wrapping station 63 of the apparatus, where the two ends of each carpet roll 26 are closed and sealed in a manner now to be described, referring primarily to Figures 12 through 21.

The final wrapping station 63 includes two simultaneously operated similar but not identical apparatuses 64 and 65, Figures 12 and 13, the apparatus 64 being adapted to close and seal the end of the carpet roll having the projecting core 27, and the apparatus 65 being adapted to similarly close and seal the opposite end of the carpet roll which is fiush and without the projecting core. The two apparatuses have a common base frame 66 which has a center elevated section 67 for the support of the powered bed rolls 62 which are conventionally driven. The floor level end portions of the base frame 66 beyond the ends of the elevated section 67 support horizontal guideways 68 for shiftable carriages 59 of the two apparatuses 64 and 65.

The carriages 69 are moved horizontally toward and away from the opposite ends of the supported carpet roll 26 by power cylinders 70 on the carriages having their rods 71 attached to fixed lugs 72 at the inner ends of the guideways 68.

The carriages 69 of the two apparatuses have vertical elevator posts 73 rising therefrom for the guidance of elevator carriages 74 which are raised and lowered by the rods 75 of vertical cylinders 76. The carriages 74 are also counterweighted by counterweights 77 whose flexible suspension cables 78 are trained over sheaves between support plates 79 at the top of the elevator structure. Up to this point, the two apparatuses 64 and 65 are identical and beyond this point they differ somewhat.

The apparatus 64 can be further described with reference to Figures 12, 14, -15 and 1 6 as follows.

A flat yoke plate 80 having a top opening divergent side U-slot 81 is supported by a pair of horizontal arms 82 carried by and projecting from the adjacent elevator carriage 74. When the horizontal cylinder 70 is retracted onto its rod 71, the carriage 69 and all parts thereon including the yoke plate 80 will be shifted toward and substantially against the opposing end face 83 of carpet roll 26. Yoke plate 80 is vertical and parallel to the end face 83. Following this movement, the cylinder 76 of apparatus 64 has its rod 75 retracted to elevate the carriage 74 on the guide posts 73 and the yoke plate 80 is similarly elevated and will assume the position illustrated in Figure 14. The loose unclosed wrapping film extension 84 at the adjacent end of the carpet roll 26 will be gathered and wedged into the bottom of the U-slot 81.The bottom of this slot is arcuate, as can be seen in Figure 12, to closely embrace the bottom of the projecting core 27.

During the described movements of the film gathering yoke plate 80 to the position shown in Figure 14, the two bed rolls 62 are rotated in unison to produce counterclockwise rotation of the carpet roll 26 as viewed in Figures 12 and 14.

This rotation is continued for sufficient time to allow the yoke plate 80 to gather the film extension 84 and twist it around the core 27 in a manner which generally simulates the twisting action of the human hand.

Following this, Figure 15, a hot air heating gun 85, preferably of the self-contained electrical type, is swung downwardly by cylinder means, not shown, to a generally horizontal position where its nozzle directs hot air onto the tightly twisted rotating end film extension 84. A generally Lshaped heat shield 86 moves with the heating gun 85 to a position above the top of the core 27 and twisted film to protect the end face 83 and adjacent wrapping film from the heat. The heating gun is operated for a sufficient time to fuse together the gathered and twisted film tightly surrounding the core 27.Following such fusion, Figure 16, the heating gun 85 is retracted and a pivoted air cooling gun 87 is swung downwardly to a generally horizontal operative position by a cylinder means 88 and a blast of cold air is directed onto the twisted and fused film section 84 for a sufficient time to harden or set the material in the permanently sealed state around the core 27 and across the end face 83 of the carpet roll 26, as best shown in Figure 2.

Following the cooling operation, the cooling gun 87 is returned to its inactive position, Figures 14 and 1 5, and the closing and sealing of the core end of the carpet roll is completed.

At the start of the end closing and sealing cycle with the apparatus 64, a similar cycle involving the apparatus 65 at the far end of the carpet roll is also initiated. While the carpet roll 26 is being rotated on the bed rolls 62, as described, the carriage 69 of apparatus 65 is moved horizontally inwardly by the cylinder 70 and the elevator carriage 74 is moved upwardly by cylinder 76 in the same manner described relative to the apparatus 64. The elevator carriage 74 of apparatus 65 carries a gathering yoke 89 similar to the yoke plate 80 but consisting of two separated plates 90 having a cut off mechanism 91 positioned between them. The yoke 89 has a V-shaped top opening slot 92 with a rounded bottom portion 93 of smaller diameter than the bottom of the yoke slot 81 which must receive the core 27.The yoke 89 is supported on horizontal arms 94 projecting from the elevator carriage 74.

The yoke slot 92 gathers and twists the loose unsealed film portion 95 extending beyond the adjacent end face 96 of the carpet roll and rotation of the carpet roll is continued until the film portion 95 is tightly twisted at the bottom 93 of the yoke slot. The yoke 89 at this time is also engaging the end face 96 of the carpet roll.

Referring to Figure 17, after sufficient twisting of the material 95 by the yoke during rotation of the carpet roll, a heating gun 97 similar to the pr.eviously-described gun 85 is automatically lowered to the position shown in Figure 17, and associated with this heating gun and lowered therewith is a heat shield 98 which protects carpet roll end face 96 from heat during the fusing operation. The heat shield 98 has a notch 99 in its lower edge, Figure 19, which clamps the top side of the twisted tail of film 95 and assists the yoke 89 in the twisting operation during continued rotation of the carpet roll as hot air from the gun 97 fuses the twisted material into a sealted mass.

After a sufficient time, the heating gun 97 is retracted and an adjacent cooling gun 100 similar to the gun 87 is lowered by a cylinder means 101, Figure 18, and a blast of cold air is directed onto the fused twisted material to cool and harden it and compiete the sealing operation. At this time, the cooling gun 100 is retracted. It may be noted that the heat shield 98 which travels with the heating gun 97 is carried on a frame 102 which can engage over the top of the gathering and twisting yoke 89 as shown in Figures 17 and 18.

When both guns and the heat shield are retracted to their relative positions shown in Figure 13 and the rotation of the carpet roll 26 is stopped by removing power from the bed rolls 62, it remains only two activate a power cylinder 103, Figure 20, coupled at 104 to one arm of the cut off mechanism 91 ,the rod 105 of cylinder 103 being coupled at 106 to the other arm of the mechanism. The cut off mechanism and operating cylinder 103 are supported on a common pivot 107 provided on the yoke 89. When the rod 195 is retracted to close the blades of the cut off mechanism on the fused tail 95 of wrapping film, the same is severed cleanly close t9 the carpet roll end face 96 to produce a short well defined twisted tail stub 108 at the axial center of the carpet roll 26, Figure 3.This completes the closing and sealing of the carpet roll which is now ready for shipment. The completely wrapped roll 26 can now be ejected from the two bed rolls 62, Figure 21, by the operation of an eject cylinder 109 and associated pivoted frame 110 in substantially the identical manner earlier described in Figure 11 for ejecting carpet rolls at the first wrapping station 29. The cycle of operation is now completed. Each carpet roll 26 delivered by the conveyor 25 is processed in the same manner above-described at the first and second stations 29 and 63. The wrapping process is quite rapidcompared to awkward traditional methods and the resulting package is far superior in quality and appearance and very uniform from roll-to-roll.The cycle of operation is virtually automatic and requires no manual labor and the apparatus used in the method is reliable and easy to maintain and adjust when necessary.

While an embodiment of the invention has been fully described as a method of and apparatus for wrapping rolls of carpet, it should be recognized that the invention claimed herein is applicable to rolls of various types of material including carpet pads, textile material of all kinds, paper and other fabrics. The claimed invention is intended to encompass a method and apparatus for wrapping substantially cylindrical articles of any type whatsoever.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Claims (28)

1. A method of wrapping a substantially cylindrical article comprising supporting said article and rotating it on its longitudinal axis while winding a thermopjastic wrapping film around the periphery of said article, heat sealing overlapping layers of said film longitudinally of said article with end portions of the film extending freely beyond the opposite end faces of said article, further rotating said article on its longitudinal axis and during such rotation radially reducing said end portions of the film until the end portions form enclosures for the end faces of said article, and applying heat of sufficient temperature and duration to the reduced end portions of said thermoplastic wrapping film to fuse and seal said end portions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical article has a central axial core extending beyond at least one end face of the article, and snugly heat sealing at least one end portion of film around said extending core.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said end portions of film are radially reduced by engaging and twisting them during rotation of said article.

4. The method of claim 3, and said twisting of the end portions of film comprising producing relative rotation between said end portions of film and the remainder of the film wrapped around and enclosing said article.

5. In a method of wrapping a substantially cylindrical elongated article to form a sealed package enclosure therefor, the steps of radially reducing overhanging end portions of a synthetic wrapping on said article until the end portions form enclosures for the opposite end faces of the article, and heat sealing the radially reduced end portions to preclude their subsequent opening.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said radial reducing of said overhanging end portions comprises engaging and restraining said end portions while rotating- said article and the remainder of the wrapping thereon to thereby twist said end portions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said radial reducing of said end portions comprises engaging and restraining the end portions while rotating said article and the remainder of the wrapping film thereon to thereby twist said end portions.

8. The method of claim 6, and said heat sealing comprising applying heat of sufficient time and duration to the twisted terminals of said end portions to fuse and seal them, and then cooling the twisted terminals.

9. The method of claim 1, and the additional steps of feeding said thermoplastic wrapping film from a supply roll of the film during rotation of said article and said winding, and parting said wrapping film after the heat sealing thereof close to the periphery of said article.

10. The method of claim 1, and engaging the end faces of said article during said radial reduction of the end portions of the wrapping film to guide the film across the end faces so that said enclosures for the end faces will lie substantially flat against the end faces.

11. The method of claim 10, and shielding the end faces from heat during the application of heat to said reduced end portions.

i 2. An apparatus for wrapping substantially cylindrical elongated article to completely enclose the article within sheet wrapping material, comprising means to support said article and to rotate it on its longitudinal axis, means to feed a web of sheet wrapping material into winding engagement with said article during rotation of the latter, means to sea! said web in surrounding relationship to the article longitudinally of the article, and means movable into engagement with loose end portions of said web which extend beyond the end faces of the article to draw the loose end portions radially across said end faces, and means to secure gathered terminals of the loose end portions substantially centrally of said end faces.

13. Apparatus for wrapping a substantially cylindrical elongated article comprising means to support the article and to rotate it on its longitudinal axis, means to feed a web of thermoplastic wrapping film into surrounding engagement with the article during rotation of the article, means to heat seal the web in surrounding relationship to the article along the periphery of the article, and means movable into engagement with loose end portions of said web extending beyond the end faces of the article to draw the loose end portions radially across the end faces, and means forming a part of the last-named means to heat seal terminals of the loose end portions centrally of said end faces.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, and said means forming a part of the last-named means including a first device to direct heat onto said terminals, and a second device to cool said terminals after the application of heat thereto.

1 5. The apparatus of claim 13, and said means movable into engagement with said loose end portions comprising horizontally and vertically moving carriage means near each end of said article, a gathering device for said loose end portions on the carriage means adapted to be moved substantially into contact with the end faces of said article and to restrain the loose end portions during rotation of the article by the firstnamed means so that the loose end portions will develop twisted terminals near the centers of said end faces.

1 6. The apparatus of claim 15, and independently movable heating and cooling devices on the carriage means operable in sequence to first heat ànd then cool the twisted terminals to thermally seal them.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, and means to sever at least one heat sealed terminal close to one end face of the article.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, and means for heat shielding the end faces of the article during the heat sealing of said terminals.

1 9. The apparatus of claim 15, and said gathering device comprising a substantially flat plate element in a plane parallel to one end face of said article and having a top opening tapering recess for the gathering of said loose end portipns to reduce the diameters of such end portions during rotation of said vehicle.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, and cooperating movable members adapted to engage the reduced diameter end portions of wrapping film while they are within said recesses and being in opposing relationship to the bottoms of the recesses whereby the reduced diameter end portions are held and restrained from opposite sides during rotation of said article.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, and said cooperating movable members including plate portions forming heat shields for the adiacent end faces of said article.

22. An apparatus for wrapping a substantially cylindrical elongated article comprising means to support the article and to rotate it on its longitudinal axis with such axis arranged substantially level at a first station, means at the first station to feed a web of wrapping material into winding engagement with the article during rotation thereof, carriage means at the first station to press a heat sealing element into engagement with the periphery of the article longitudinally thereof while the article is at rest to thereby heat seal the wrapping material around the article, means to separate the sealed wrapping material from a remote supply thereof close to the periphery of the article following said heat sealing at the first station, means to support said article and to rotate it on its longitudinal axis at a second station, and means at the second station engageable with loose end portions of wrapping material beyond the end faces of the article to draw said end portions across the end faces in all radial directions toward the longitudinal axis of the article and to twist the end portions into terminals and to thermally seal the twisted terminals.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, and said carriage means at the first station comprising a rockable support and guide, a carriage on said support and guide for movement toward and away from the periphery of said article and being shiftable with the rockable support and guide laterally of the longitudinal axis of said article, and power means coupled with the support and guide to rock the same between substantially upright and inclined positons.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, and interengaging rack and pinion means on the support and guide and said carriage to maintain the carriage level during its movement on the support and guide.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, and counterbalanced extensible and retractable cylinder means coupled between said carriage and said support and guide to control the movement of the carriage on the support and guide toward and away from the periphery of said article.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, and wrapping material tensioning means, heat sealing bar means parallel to the longitudinal axis of said article, and movable wrapping material parting means mounted on said carriage means and movable therewith.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, and said firstnamed means comprising a pair of reversible power-driven bed rolls for the rotational support of the article at the first station, the second-named means to feed the web comprising a remote pair of power-driven bed rolls for a supply roll of wrapping material.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, and means to transfer the article from the first station to the second station.