Patent ID: 7153122

Claim:
An apparatus for processing a film, the apparatus comprising: a conveyor comprising gripping members that hold opposing edge portions of the film and convey, under influence of a drive member, the film along a machine direction within a stretching region of the apparatus, wherein a portion of the conveyor in the stretching region is configured and arranged to provide diverging curvilinear paths along which the gripping members move to stretch the film; a slitting member positioned within the apparatus to slit the stretched portion of the film between the opposing edge portions of the film and the opposing takeaway regions of the film to form selvages that continue along the diverging paths while a remainder of the stretched portion of the film is conveyed in the machine direction; and an isolated takeaway device that receives the film from the conveyor and comprising gripping members to grasp opposing takeaway regions of the film directly from the stretching region and convey the film in the machine direction.