Patent ID: 7837140

Claim:
Film exchange apparatus, for installing a fresh roll of wrapping film disposed upon a carriage assembly which is adapted to be separably mounted upon a film roll mounting and dispensing carriage assembly that is mounted upon a film wrapping machine, comprising: first and second separable carriage assemblies respectively having spools disposed thereon for respectively removably mounting rolls of wrapping film thereon, and respectively having first rollers disposed thereon for cooperating with second rollers disposed upon the film roll mounting and dispensing carriage assembly in defining a film feed mechanism for feeding wrapping film from a roll of wrapping film toward a load to be wrapped within the wrapping film; a support arm assembly for removably mounting and supporting said first and second separable carriage assemblies thereon such that either one of said first and second separable carriage assemblies can be removed from the film roll mounting and dispensing carriage assembly mounted upon the film wrapping machine and mounted upon said support arm assembly, and removed from said support arm assembly and mounted upon the film roll mounting and dispensing carriage assembly mounted upon the film wrapping machine; and a motorized drive for moving said support arm assembly with respect to the film roll mounting and dispensing carriage assembly mounted upon the film wrapping machine such that when a roll of wrapping film, disposed upon a first one of said first and second separable carriage assemblies which is disposed upon the film roll mounting and dispensing carriage assembly of the film wrapping machine, needs to be replaced, said first one of said first and second separable carriage assemblies, disposed upon the film roll mounting and dispensing carriage assembly mounted upon the film wrapping machine, can be removed from the film roll mounting and dispensing carriage assembly mounted upon the film wrapping machine and deposited upon said support arm assembly, while a second one of said first and second separable carriage assemblies, having a fresh roll of wrapping film disposed thereon and disposed upon said support arm assembly means, can be subsequently installed upon the film roll mounting and dispensing carriage assembly mounted upon the film wrapping machine.