Patent ID: 7055299

Claim:
A wrapping machine for wrapping a plastic foil web around an object, said wrapping machine comprising: a machine frame supported on a fixed base and comprising vertical upright columns; a lifting frame moveable upwards and downwards in a vertical direction while guided by the upright columns; power means for moving the lifting frame; a circular guide track supported on the lifting frame so as to be movable therewith; a foil dispenser on which a foil web roll is rotatably mountable, said foil dispenser being moveable along and guided by the circular guide track to circulate about the object to be packaged for delivering the plastic foil web from the foil web roll to form a wrapping around the object to be packaged; and a gripping and cutting device which is coupled to the lifting frame so as to be vertically movable together with said lifting frame and comprises: a device frame; a first swing arm connected to the device frame by a first joint so as to be pivotable between a first horizontal position and a first vertical position, said first swing arm comprising a first holding device for griping and holding the foil web, and a cutting device for cutting the foil web; and a second swing arm connected to the device frame by a second joint disposed at a distance from the first joint so as to be pivotable between a second horizontal position and a second vertical position, said second swing arm comprising a second holding device for gripping and holding the foil web; wherein the wrapping machine further comprises a crinkling device connected to the foil dispenser and having crinkling means for reducing a width of the foil web delivered from the foil dispenser so that the foil web is constricted to have a form of a string; and the holding devices are configured to grip the constricted foil web.