DE3123637

• Main Authors: MILLER, ROBERT CHARLES, WHITEHOUSE, OHIO, US, HECKMAN, RUSSELL WILLIAM, PERRYSBURG, OHIO, US, BURMEISTER, ROBERT JAMES, TOLEDO, OHIO, US
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.08.1985
• Edition: 4
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES, OR VITREOUSENAMELS; CHEMISTRY; CONVEYING; GLASS; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS; LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES; MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGINGARTICLES OR MATERIALS; METALLURGY; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; STORING; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS,MINERALS OR SLAGS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; TRANSPORTING; UNPACKING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

The present invention relates to method and apparatus for applying a tubular plastic sleeve or label to a rigid base article or container, such as a glass or plastic bottle. The sleeve may be formed immediately prior to its application and be comprised of oriented, heat-shrinkable, thermoplastic material which is telescopically assembled over the container while both are conveyed through a coincidental aligned path. The container preferably consists of a hollow glass or plastic bottle held upright by its neck or finish portion. The tubular sleeve is made slightly larger in diameter than the container body portion. The sleeve is telescoped upwardly over the container body portion and held in aligned relation during its transport through a heat-shrinking tunnel oven. Electrical heat energy having a high level of infra-red energy is employed to heat-shrink the sleeves in a thermoconstrictive operation during such transport, the sleeve being contracted into snug engagement with the container body portion.