Apparatus for producing tubular plastic sleeves for application to containers

• US 4,444,613 A
• Filed: 05/17/1982
• Issued: 04/24/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Owens-Illinois Glass Container, Inc. (O-I Glass, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Owens-Illinois Incorporated (O-I Glass, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burmeister, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, David A.
• Application Number:
  US06/378,564
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 156/456, 156/458, 156/447, 156/448, 156/446, 156/583.1, 156/583.4, 493/202, 493/197, 493/205, 493/209, 493/305, 493/306, 219/243
• US Class Current: 156/446
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/42 using internal forming surfaces, e.g. mandrels

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. In apparatus of the rotary turret type for forming tubular sleeves of heat-shrinkable thermoplastic material on a series of equi-spaced rotary, cylindrical mandrels mounted at circumferentially spaced intervals on said turret with an annular heated metal ring mounted interiorly of said mandrels and wherein reciprocated heat sealing bars corresponding in number to the number of mandrels are mounted on said turret with actuating means connected thereto extending through openings in said metal ring, said heat sealing bars being held in physical engagement with said ring to be conductively heated thereby when retracted out of sealing engagement with sleeves on the mandrels, the improvement in said annular metal ring comprising a plurality of spaced-apart vertical apertures extending through said ring adjacent the exterior face thereof, an electrical cartridge heater mounted in each said aperture and extending substantially the full height thereof, a source of electrical power connected to said heaters, and wherein said annular metal ring comprises an aluminum alloy having a coating of electro-less nickel over at least its exteriorly-facing surfaces to form a heat sink for surface-to-surface conductive heating of said sealing bars.