Abstract: A label for a container is formed by wrapping a length of label material around a cylindrical mandrel and introducing heat, adhesive or other sealing means into a gap between the leading end portion of the label material and the trailing end portion as the label material is wrapped around the mandrel. The cylindrical sleeve is slid off of the mandrel and telescoped over a container passing thereunder. The container with a cylindrical sleeve therearound is then moved to a heating station which heats the label material, preferably foam polystyrene, to cause it to shrink into conformity with the contour of the container.

Abstract: A label for a container is formed by wrapping a length of label material around a cylindrical mandrel and introducing heat, adhesive or other sealing means into a gap between the leading end portion of the label material and the trailing end portion as the label material is wrapped around the mandrel. The cylindrical sleeve is slid off of the mandrel and telescoped over a container passing thereunder. The container with a cylindrical sleeve therearound is then moved to a heating station which heats the label material, preferably foam polystyrene, to cause it to shrink into conformity with the contour of the container.

Abstract: A label for a container is formed by wrapping a length of label material around a cylindrical mandrel and introducing heat, adhesive or other sealing means into a gap between the leading end portion of the label material and the trailing end portion as the label material is wrapped around the mandrel. The cylindrical sleeve is slid off of the mandrel and telescoped over a container passing thereunder. The container with a cylindrical sleeve therearound is then moved to a heating station which heats the label material, preferably foam polystyrene, to cause it to shrink into conformity with the contour of the container.

Abstract: A label for a container is formed by wrapping a length of label material around a cylindrical mandrel and introducing heat, adhesive or other sealing means into a gap between the leading end portion of the label material and the trailing end portion as the label material is wrapped around the mandrel. The cylindrical sleeve is slid off of the mandrel and telescoped over a container passing thereunder. The container with a cylindrical sleeve therearound is then moved to a heating station which heats the label material, preferably foam polystyrene, to cause it to shrink into conformity with the contour of the container.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying labels to containers including a label application station having a label dispensing magazine for holding a stack of labels and releasing the end label of the stack through an opening formed in the magazine to a container. Means are provided for rolling containers past the magazine so that when a leading edge of an end label on a stack is adhered to a side of a container the label is rolled onto the container and withdrawn from the magazine. A plurality of retaining fingers extend in front of the magazine opening to retain the stack of labels in the magazine. Control arms associated with the retaining fingers are adapted to retract the retaining fingers out of label retaining position in response to contact with a container rolling past the magazine.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for applying labels to articles which are particularly useful for articles which are relatively flimsy and dimensionally unstable, such as plastic carriers for a plurality of filled containers wherein the carrier has a top panel and a skirt extending downwardly therefrom with surface areas on the skirt for receiving labels. In the embodiment shown a series of articles are indexed through a label receiving position. Labels are transferred from a label supply and are pressed against the label receiving surface area on the skirt of the article. The opposite side of the skirt is supported against substantial movement while the label is being pressed against the skirt. An adhesive is applied to the label receiving area on the skirt as the article is being indexed into the label receiving position.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling and stacking thin flexible objects or strips, which is particularly useful for labels and may also be used for tickets, cards, etc. In the preferred embodiment shown a supply of the strips is provided by withdrawing an elongated sheet from roll stock and cutting it into strips by coacting knife drum and strip support drum apparatus. A vacuum drum picks up the strips from the strip support drum and transfers the strips to a stacking apparatus. The transfer drum has grooves formed in its periphery to receive stripping fingers extending from the stacking apparatus. The stripping fingers divert the strips from the transfer drum to a stacking position at the stacking apparatus. A magazine and strip pusher are disposed on the opposite sides of the stacking position. Side and bottom wall extensions of the magazine define the stacking position and support the strip therein. The strip pusher includes a frame positioned across from the magazine opening.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for stacking articles which is used in the embodiment herein to stack plastic carriers for holding a plurality of filled containers, wherein each carrier has a top panel and a skirt extending downwardly therefrom. Articles are successively moved into a prestacking position and then elevated into a lifting rack. The rack is reciprocated up a guideway, for receiving a plurality of the articles and maintaining them in a stacked relationship, to a stack support means and then back down to receive more articles from the pre-stacking position. The guideway is preferably provided with an open side for removal of a stack of articles, and is tilted away from the open side to retain the articles therein by gravity. To enable smoother transfer of articles from the pre-stacking position to the lifting rack, the articles are inclined at the pre-stacking position to an angle which is perpendicular to the inclined guideway and elevated into the rack.

Abstract: A labeling machine for successively applying flexible plastic labels to round containers, such labeling machine incorporating equipment to sever labels from a web of indefinite length thereof, to apply a leading edge of each of such labels to the periphery of a rotating vacuum drum, heating the leading and trailing edges of each such label while on the rotating vacuum drum by directing warm air thereagainst to heat such leading and trailing edges to a temperature at which the material therein becomes self-adhesive, and bringing the heated leading edge of the label on the vacuum drum into contact with a container rolling along a curved surface at a label transfer station to cause the label to transfer to the container and to eventually wind itself around the rolling container, thereby causing the heated leading and trailing edges of the label to adhere to the container or, in the case of a label whose length exceeds the circumference of the container, to cause the trailing edge of the label to adhere to the ov

Abstract: Sleeve fabricating apparatus for fabricating cylindrical sleeves from rectangular blanks of a heat-shrinkable thermoplastic material and for transferring the sleeves, in succession, to frustoconical mandrels of a cup-forming machine. The sleeve-fabricating apparatus has a plurality of cylindrical mandrels that are rotatably affixed to a rotary turret. The sleeves are fabricated from rectangular blanks that are cut, in succession, from a web of indefinite length as the web is being unwound from a coil at an unwind stand. Each blank is longer than the circumference of the cylindrical mandrel to which it is applied, leaving ends of the blank which overlap, and the overlapped ends are joined to one another by heat-sealing. Cups are formed by the cup-forming machine, each cup being formed from one of such sleeves and a disc. The sleeve fabricating apparatus also includes a disc forming mechanism for forming discs and applying the discs, in succession, to the cylindrical mandrels.

Abstract: Jaws for receiving, holding, and rotating containers around a turret periphery are provided, the jaws being easily and efficiently adjusted to accommodate various sizes of containers, such as, for instance, oriented plastic carbonated beverage bottles in sizes ranging from about 1/2 liter to about 2 liters. The same original center line for the container is maintained.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of applying a preformed conical heat-shrinkable plastic label to a container as disclosed to provide a tamper-resistant cover, the label being applied by a transfer arm and head that rapidly supplies labels to the containers with a woodpecker-like action. There is also disclosed the novel container and cover therefor--the conical label being efficiently applied to the container and easily heat shrunk thereon.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of applying a preformed conical heat-shrinkable plastic label to a container is disclosed to provide a tamper resistant cover, the label being applied by a transfer arm and head that rapidly supplies labels to the containers with a woodpecker-like action. There is also disclosed the novel container and cover therefore, the conical label being efficiently applied to the container and easily heat shrunk thereon.

Abstract: A machine for placing and heat-shrinking oriented plastic tubular sleeve labels around containers is described. The machine has a turret with means for holding and rotating containers around the turret periphery including rope drive means. There is also provided sealing means for heating and pressing the heated seam of the sleeve, the means including a free floating self-aligning pressing bar.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for orienting the seam of a cylindrical sleeve label or conical label, the label being of a heat shrinkable plastic material and being formed of a length of the plastic with an overlie to form a seam, means for holding a stacked column of labels, means for rotating the labels including rollers, aligning means for aligning the seam of each label at the bottom of the stack, the aligning means including aligned wire fingers that contact the seam and stop the rotation of the label container, each label being adapted for application over the top of a container to form a sleeve label thereon.

Abstract: Fixed jaw means for receiving, holding, rotating and maintaining containers in a vertical alignment while traveling around a rotatable turret periphery is shown. The jaw means nests the container in the center of a pair of peripheral rollers and a pair of idler rollers.

Abstract: An automatic cup dispenser for dispensing cups at high speeds and at predetermined intervals from a stack of cups wherein each cup includes a bottom wall, a side wall and a peripheral lip comprising a plurality of opposed pairs of rotors mounted for rotation about vertical axes. The rotors are supported in position such that the upper end of each rotor engages the lip of the lowermost cup in a stack. Each rotor has a helical groove in the periphery thereof for engaging the lip of the lowermost cup and guiding the cup downwardly, the helical groove of adjacent rotors extending oppositely, and adjacent rotors being driven in alternate directions. The length of each groove is such that on rotation of the rotors, the lip of the lowermost cup is engaged and moved downwardly out of the stack while the remainder of the cups in the stack are held in position by a shoulder on the rotor.

Abstract: An apparatus for splicing webs from separate web rolls comprising a splicing station across which a web from one roll is moved, a vertically movable brake movable downwardly for engaging the web to momentarily interrupt the web, a fixed knife blade associated with the station beneath the web and a movable knife blade which is movable from a first position above the web to a second position below the web. The apparatus supports the taped end of a web from a second roll in position above the movable knife blade and is operated to move the movable knife blade to sever the trailing end of the web from the first roll and tape the leading end of the second roll to the severed end of the first roll providing a butt splice. The movable knife blade is manually removable from below the spliced web, after being moved downwardly to splice the webs, and is insertable to a position above the second web for a subsequent splicing of the web from the second roll to another roll.

Abstract: A multi-layered blown plastic container is formed by injection molding a first thermoplastic parison, axially stretching the first parison at its orientation temperature, injection molding a second thermoplastic parison around the first parison, and blowing the multi-layered parison at its orientation temperature to provide an oriented container, the inner layer being oriented in the axial and hoop directions, and the outer layer oriented in the hoop direction.

Abstract: A web handling apparatus for selectively positioning web rolls so that the web from each roll can be moved past a work station such as a splicing station comprising a frame and a suspension arm pivoted to the frame for swinging movement about a horizontal axis. The arm is movable between first and second positions on each side of a vertical plane containing the horizontal axis. A pair of roll supports are positioned on the arm such that when the arm is in the first position, one roll is supported so that the web thereof is aligned longitudinally with a work station, and when the arm is in the second position, the other roll is supported with the web longitudinally aligned with the work station whereby the web can be removed and moved horizontally past the work station.