Patent ID: 7104032

Claim:
A method of wrapping an article, whereby the article is fed along a circular wrapping path through a feed station, where the article is applied with a respective sheet of wrapping material which is folded at least into an L about the article so as to have a first free edge not contacting the article, and through a follow-up wrapping station, where the sheet of wrapping material is folded about the article to form a tubular wrapping by applying the first free edge onto the article; between the feed station and the wrapping station, the first free edge of the L-folded sheet of wrapping material being subjected to traction in substantially the opposite direction to the travelling direction of the article by subjecting the first free edge to suction, so as to smooth the sheet of wrapping material onto the article; the method being characterized in that said traction is applied to the first free edge by subjecting the first free edge to suction by a suction body in a fixed position; the suction body comprising a suction surface located along the wrapping path of the article so as to be, at each point of said surface, substantially tangent to the article.