Abstract: A sleeve applicator machine is used to remove and open a sleeve from a carrier for application of the sleeve around an elongated object such as a wire. A mandrel is inserted into an opening of an unopened sleeve while the sleeve is still supported by the carrier. Once the mandrel is inserted into the sleeve, the mandrel is lifted to separate the unopened sleeve from the carrier. While still on the mandrel, the sleeve (which is now in a semi-opened state) is positioned between a separable pair of sleeve-opening dies in which the dies are in an opened position. The dies are closed or brought together around the sleeve and mandrel to compress the sleeve to a fully open state. At this point and with the dies holding the sleeve open, the mandrel may be withdrawn from the sleeve and a wire or other elongated object inserted into the opening of the sleeve.

Abstract: Provided here is a novel construction for making and attaching wire handles to folded boxes from straight pieces of wire for both automatic pail box machines and vending cabinets. The mechanisms for making and attaching handles include: a container for containing wire blanks and feeding them only one piece per cycle, a bed die mechanism and reciprocated shuttle. The lead wire blank, which is fed from the container is placed on the receiver portion of the shuttle. At the same time from the bed die mechanism, a handle is pushed which has been made in the previous cycle. This handle is placed on the shipping portion of the shuttle. In its motion the shuttle attaches the made handle to the folded box and in cooperation with the bed die mechanism bends the lead wire blank to form a new handle. Thus, the process of each cycle includes fastening the made handle to the folded box and bending a new handle for fastening it in the next cycle.

Abstract: In a machine for mounting metal wire handles on pots, pails and similar containers, in which the handle ends are bent twice in such a way that by the second bending operation the bent-over ends provided by the first bending operation are inserted into handle fittings on the container, only a single set of bending tools are used for performing both bending operations. Preferably the two bending operations are performed by a single bending slide performing two successive bending movements in the same direction.