Apparatus for applying tubular neckbands to containers

• US 3,910,013 A
• Filed: 02/13/1974
• Issued: 10/07/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph G. Babineau
• Original Assignee: Joseph G. Babineau
• Inventors: Babineau, Joseph G.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGehee, Travis S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Culver, Horace M.
• Application Number:
  US05/441,957
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 53/291,292,295,296,389,18M,361 156/423,516,86,521
• US Class Current: 53/291
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 5/036 the covers being heat-shrinkable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1317 Means feeding plural workpieces to be joined

Abstract

Tubular plastic band stock material is pushed down over an antifriction-surfaced mandrel, onto the capped neck of a container, by a feeding sleeve having inverted U-cup packing rings at each end and a tubular diaphragm between the U-cups which is pneumatically compressed about the tubular band stock material and mandrel in the down stroke of the sleeve to firmly push the band stock down over the mandrel.

Claims

1. An improved apparatus for feeding shrinkable tubular band stock over the necks of containers comprising a reciprocating sleeve and floating internal mandrel gripping said tubular band stock between them and feeding it forward when the mandrel strikes the neck of a container characterized in that a resilient tubular insert having a substantial length is mounted within the sleeve and is disposable in forceful resilient pressure against the tubular band stock and the floating mandrel within it, the mandrel has an antifriction surface disposed opposite the pressure of the resilient tubular insert whereby downward movement of the sleeve and tubular band stock past the bottom end of the mandrel after it is arrested on the necks of the containers to extend the band stock around the necks of the containers is facilitated and length of upward and downward movement of the extended end of the tubular band stock is precisely controlled, said resiliant tubular insert comprising a tubular diaphragm having upper and lower ends, sealing meAns securing said upper and lower ends to upper and lower portions within said sleeve whereby an annular pressure-tight chamber is formed between the tubular insert and the inside of said sleeve, and a source of pressure is connected to said sleeve into communication with said chamber whereby said tubular diaphragm is firmly pressed against said tubular band stock and said mandrel within it to minimize slippage.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said resilient insert comprises an elastomeric insert.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said source of pressure comprises compressed air.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said tubular diaphragm comprises a tubular rubber diaphragm.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said tubular rubber diaphragm has enlarged upper and lower flanges and recesses are disposed when said upper and lower portion of said sleeve for receiving said flanges, and said sealing means comprises cement between said flanges and said recesses.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said antifriction surface comprises polytetrafluoroethylene or polytrifluorochloroethylene.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said polytetrafluoroethylene or polytrifluorochloroethylene comprises a substantial sheath extending substantially over the length of said mandrel.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein inverted U-cup packing rings are supported within the top and bottom of said sleeve for helping grip said shrinkable tubular band stock.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said resilient insert comprises an elastomeric tubular diaphragm having upper and lower ends, sealing means securing said upper and lower ends to upper and lower portions within said sleeve whereby an annular pressure-tight chamber is formed between the tubular insert and the inside of said sleeve, and a source of pressure is connected to said sleeve into communication with said chamber whereby said tubular diaphragm is firmly pressed against said tubular band stock and said mandrel within it.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein control means is connected to said source of pressure, detector means being included in said control means, and said detector means being operatively associated with the upward and downward movement of said reciprocating sleeve whereby it actuates said control means to apply said source of pressure to said chamber on the down stroke of said reciprocating sleeve and to disconnect said source of pressure of said chamber during the up stroke of said reciprocating sleeve.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein cut off means is connected to said apparatus for severing said band stock after it is fed around the necks of the containers, and said detector means being constructed and arranged to maintain said source of pressure connected to said chamber a slight distance during said up stroke until after said severing means has severed said band stock just below the bottom end of the mandrel whereby a slight clearance is provided between the bottom of the mandrel and the top of the banded neck of the container for entry of said severing means.