Unwrapping apparatus for stretch-wrapped load and shrink-wrapped load

An unwrapping apparatus for unwrapping a palletized load with a film wrapping articles. The apparatus includes at the front side thereof lower grippers and upper grippers to grip lower and upper edges of a film of the load, respectively, and a cutter unit for vertically cutting the front side of the gripped film. The lower grippers are movable in the direction toward and away from the load as well as in the direction parallel to the load conveying direction. The unwrapping apparatus includes at the rear side thereof a vertically movable carriage with a platen to stabilize the load and a pair of swing arms. The swing arms carry the upper grippers and can swing to spread and remove the film. The platen includes a Z-shaped suction groove to retain the film on the top of a load and a heat cutter extending along the suction groove to cut the film of the top of the load held by the suction groove, for unwrapping the shrink-wrapped load.