To effectively prevent a film from slipping out from a gripper by a method wherein on one of film gripping parts, a front gripper and a side gripper, which grip the discharging end of the film and the side edge part in the width direction of the film, a film contact member made of silicon sponge, is fitted.

After pulling out a packaging film by gripping the discharging end by a front gripper, the width of the film is widened by gripping the side edge parts in the width direction of the pulled out film by a pair of side grippers 85, 86, for this packaging machine. For such a packaging machine, to an upper clamper 88b of the side grippers 85, 86, a film contact member 100 made of a flexible silicon sponge for which silicone is formed into a sponge-form, is bonded so as to cover the lower surface of the leading end part 88a. In the meantime, a contact member 101 is bonded to a lower clamp 89 so as to cover the upper surface of the leading end part 89a. Also, a U-shaped flange 88c is formed for the upper clamper 88b to reduce a frictional resistance when the film is folded into the bottom part of a tray.