a packaging method and machine for placing highly stretched relatively thin elastic plastics tubes from a roll of such tubes about a series of generally rectilinear objects . the method and machine involve three basic mechanism , one is a jaw assembly that opens and closes and tilts up and down to receive and stretch a tube and release the tube about one of the objects , the second is a tube shuttle assembly that delivers a tube to the jaw assembly and retracts into the next tube , and the third is a chain and paddle conveyor that intermittently delivers objects to the jaw assembly and moves the objects from the jaw assembly after a tube has been applied .