FIXED LONGITUDINAL SIDE FOLDER

An elevator lifts a package through the plane of a wrapper sheet to form top, front and back end folds, while fixed depending side folder plates form top side folds in projecting sides of the sheet. Forwardly and rearwardly directed air jet nozzles carried on the outer sides of the side folder plates form upper front and rear tuck folds in the projecting sides of the wrapper. Next, front and rear bottom folder plates advance in under the package to form front and rear bottom folds in lapped relation on bottom of the package. Front side folder plates advanced with the front bottom folder but in trailing relation to its leading edge advance to adjacent the front edges of the fixed side folder plates and complete the front side tuck folds. Rear side folder blades spaced outwardly from the depending side folder plates and moved forwardly with the rear bottom folder break rear side tuck folds over the lower rear sides of the package, while front side folder blades spaced outwardly from the front side folder plates break lower front side tuck folds in the ends of the wrapper sheet. A front package pusher ejects the package rearwardly from between the fixed side folder plates to between fixed side plows that hold the side folds and upper tuck folds against the sides of the package while plowing up bottom side folds and lower front and rear tuck folds against the sides of the package. A transversely and downwardly rounded edge below the rear end folder stretches the rear of the sheet laterally to the ends of the package as the rear side fold and rear tuck folds are formed.