APPARATUS FOR FORMING TUBULAR PLASTICS SLEEVES FOR APPLICATION TO CONTAINERS

• Main Author: BURMEISTER ROBERT JAMES
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.11.1983
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCESIN A PLASTIC STATE; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

This disclosure relates to apparatus for forming tubular sleeves of heat-shrinkable cellular polymeric material from a predecorated web or roll. Predecorated body labels having precisely presized dimensions are formed from a web or roll on a turret type machine by serially winding rectangular thin sheet blanks of such material on cylindrical mandrels and overlapping the ends of each blank prior to seaming the same to make a presized tubular sleeve. The sleeve seam is formed by thermal fusion using an improved heated sealing bar which is heated during its retraction into contact with an improved annular metallic support ring having a series of internal cartridge type heaters therein. The ring is adapted to rapidly heat up and accurately control the heating of the sealing bars to a precise uniform temperature for improved sleeve making. The sleeves are then applied serially to either glass or plastic containers. The sleeves once formed are transferred axially onto the containers for subsequent thermoconstrictive heat-shrinking into final disposition on the container body portion.