Patent ID: 7380653

Claim:
A method for accommodating a greater height variance of articles in a shrink packaging machine, comprising the steps of: (a) transporting on a conveyor into a hot air chamber of the shrink packaging machine an article covered in shrink film; (b) engaging the article being transported on the conveyor with a first roller such that the first roller rolls over the article and applies a downward force onto the article as the article passes there under; and (c) as the first roller rolls over the article and applies a downward force onto the article, engaging the article being transported on the conveyor with a second roller such that the second roller rolls over the article and applies a downward force onto the article as the article passes there under; (d) wherein, (i) said step of engaging the article with the first roller further comprises engaging the article with the first roller at a first initial vertical height from the conveyor that is less than the initial vertical height of an axis of rotation of the first roller from the conveyor, (ii) said step of engaging the article with the second roller further comprises engaging the article with the second roller at a second initial vertical height from the conveyor that is less than the initial vertical height of an axis of rotation of the second roller from the conveyor, the initial vertical height of the axis of rotation of the second roller from the conveyor being less than the initial vertical height of the axis of rotation of the first roller from the conveyor.