Abstract: The invention disclosed sets forth a method and machine for forming a sleeve of a shrinkable, cellular polymeric material from a predecorated web. The web is processed to provide (1) a partial-depth slit along the longitudinal dimension, and (2) cross-dimension pleats. Predecorated shrunken neck labels are formed from the web for overlying the neck and closure of the bottle and including a pilfer-proof feature. Such a label is formed from the processed web by cutting a blank having the cross pleats therein and winding the blank on a mandrel to overlap the ends and seam the overlap to make a sleeve. The sleeve is stripped onto the top neck and over the closure of a bottle at room temperature to a label position and shrunken to a snug fit, the pleats absorbing wrinkles that occur in shrinking the material onto a "cold" bottle.The disclosure includes a novel machine for making the sleeve from a plastic web and placing it on the bottle.

Abstract: There is disclosed a water cooled support bar comprised of a pipe within a pipe which assures the axial position of a cylinder-like sleeve of heat shrinkable foam thermoplastic material on a glass container during transport from an assembly station on a turret machine into a tunnel-type oven and until the thermoplastic sleeve shrinks sufficiently snugly onto the container to be held thereby. Polyethylene material, and perhaps other polyolefins, have the tendency to become more pliable and grow or enlarge under heat prior to actually shrinking. It is during this initial heat-up time the invention serves to retain the sleeve form in place on the container. The support pipe includes a Teflon or like lubricious surface layer at least along the side thereof adjacent the plastic sleeve lower edge. The lubricious surface layer combined with water cooling prevents sticking of the plastic on the support bar.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to method and apparatus for producing a base article, such as a container, with a shrunken, surface covering of plastic thereon. While conveyed in axial registry with each other, a sleeve form of shrinkable plastic is telescopically assembled onto the article by a cam-operated push-up element and held in place until the article and sleeve enter a heating device for applying heat to a relatively narrow, bank-like region of the sleeve about the article causing the plastic of that region to shrink into gripping engagement with the article to hold the sleeve in place until the next step of the process, e.g. the total heat shrinking of the sleeve on the article. The heating device structure is comprised of opposed elongated nozzles through which hot air of 200.degree.-900.degree. F is applied in a narrow horizontal pattern. The article is conveyed between the opposed nozzles, and during travel therethrough the article is rotated.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically cleaning excess powder off the masking system of a powder spray unit in which articles, such as glass bottles, are spray coated over their surface exclusive of the neck finish area masked off by said masking system. Two cleaning devices as module units are located beyond the exit of the spray booth in the path of the masking shields. The cleaners function continuously during operation of the masks by engaging the shields in their travel by a pair of contoured rotary brushes, and plural stationary brushes. The brushes sweep the excess powder off the shaped masks in an enclosure kept under negative pressure. Air flow from the enclosure entrains dislodged powder and carries it to a collection system or to the powder supply for recycling and use in the spray system. A blow air assist may be employed to scrub powder loosened by the brushes from the workpiece being cleaned.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing a completely encircling coating of an organic polymeric material on a localized region of a glass container. At a coating station, a glass container is rotated through at least 360 degrees. During the rotation, a material application head furnishes fluid organic polymeric material to the surface of the localized region of the glass container which is to be coated. Stop members hold the application head a fixed distance from the localized region and determine the perimeters of the encircling coating and a doctoring edge of the application head helps form a uniform layer or coating of the organic polymeric material completely encircling the localized region.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a decorative label on a closured bottle, including a pilfer-proof feature. The neck label comprises a sleeve of a shrinkable plastic material shrunken over the neck and closure skirt on a bottle. The label stock may be preprinted in a roll and is (1) scored a partial depth lengthwise along a line corresponding to a cap skirt edge position in the label, and (2) embossed by pleats angularly disposed to the direction of orientation. The pleats provide an embossed decoration which appear in each label blank cut from the roll. Label blanks are wound to a sleeve shape and the overlapped ends united at an axial seam. The sleeves with embossed decoration and pilfer-proof score therein are placed over the neck and closure skirt of a bottle such that the score line is in position adjacent the lower edge of the closure skirt. Heat is applied to shrink the label into snug surface engagement with the underlying surfaces.

Abstract: The novel embodiments disclosed herein also illustrate a novel method for making a recuperator structure. First and second pluralities of layers of elongated tubes are provided which are formed of a glass that is thermally crystallizable to a low expansion glass-ceramic. Each of the tubes is filled with a fluid medium that is expansible in response to the application of heat and the tubes have sealed ends to retain the expansible fluid medium entrapped therein. Each of the tubes has an essentially straight central portion and header connector portions continuing from each end of the central tube portions to the sealed end of the tube. The header connector tube portions of the first plurality of layers diverge away from the header connector tube portions of the second plurality of layers at the ends of the central tube portions when the first and second layers are placed on top of each other.

Abstract: Spin cycle apparatus employed in a glass article forming machine to drive article carrying chucks in rotation as the chucks are conveyed through burner sections of the machine. The spin cycle apparatus includes a spin cycle chain mounted on the machine frame to extend along a portion of the path followed by sprockets mounted on the individual chucks. As the chuck is carried along its conveying path, the sprocket engages the chain to cause the chuck to rotate as it is advanced. That section of the chain which is initially contacted by chuck sprockets is aligned at an angle convergent to the sprocket path and is resiliently maintained at a somewhat looser tension than is the main sprocket driving portion of the chain. This distributes the length of the chain over which the randomly oriented sprocket teeth initially engage the chain and cushions the impact between the sprocket teeth and the chain.Two embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to method and apparatus for producing a base article, such as a container, with a shrunken, surface covering of plastic thereon. While conveyed in axial registry with each other, a sleeve form of shrinkable plastic is telescopically assembled onto the article by a cam-operated push-up element and held in place until the article and sleeve enter a heating device for applying heat to a relatively narrow, band-like region of the sleeve about the article causing the plastic of that region to shrink into gripping engagement with the article to hold the sleeve in place until the next step of the process, e.g. the total heat shrinking of the sleeve on the article. The heating device structure is comprised of opposed elongated nozzles through which hot air of 200.degree.-900.degree.F is applied in a narrow horizontal pattern. The article is conveyed between the opposed nozzles, and during travel therethrough the article is rotated.

Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to a solar energy collector in a conversion system. The collector is made from common glass tubing lengths of different diameters and comprises a first outer clear glass cylindrical tube having approximately a semi-cylinder surface portion mirror coated for reflection and a collector tube inside the first tube having an energy absorbing coating on its exterior surface. The tubes resemble over-sized test tubes in that one end is closed. The collector is held in place inside the outer tube by a spacer-support element snapped on the closed end of the collector. The open end of the outer tube is sealed to the wall of the collector, and the space is evacuated. An open-ended fluid handling tube of glass is inserted into the collector tube and has a spiral or helical baffle along its length to guide working fluid issuing into the collector near its closed end along the wall thereof and absorb collected heat.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a label on a closured bottle, including a pilfer-proof feature. The neck label comprises a secondary closure in the form of a sleeve of a shrinkable oriented thermoplastic material shrunken snugly over the bottle and its closure skirt. The label stock is preprinted in a web and rolled as a supply, the roll width representing the label height. The label stock is (1) scored a partial depth of its thickness extending lengthwise along a line that is at a predetermined height in the final label and (2) pleated transversely at spaced intervals therealong. The pleats are spaced so that a predetermined number thereof appear in each label blank cut from the stock. Label blanks are cut to length, wound to an annular sleeve shape so that the trailing end of the blank overlaps the leading end and the overlapped ends united at an axial seam.

Abstract: This invention discloses structural reinforcements for glass-ceramic matrix products, such as in heat exchanger matrices of the regenerator and recuperator types. In such matrices, a structural improvement is provided as follows: (1) In a regenerator wheel having parallel, open air passages through it, certain passages in areas of the periphery or hub are filled with a finely divided material, such as a ceramic or frit of the composition of the matrix. The composite of the matrix and fill material therein is heat treated or cured to unite the matrix and the material. This filling or "stuffing" converts the honeycombed matrix region to a structurally reinforced portion of the device.

Abstract: The invention disclosed is an improvement in a gas-fired range having a burner means supported in a well in the range structure below its top surface. An annular plate of a glass-ceramic including integral, plural, peripheral downturned legs is supported by the stove well in an overlying, spaced relation to the burner means. The glass-ceramic is formed of a crystallized glass having thermal coefficient of expansion in the range of -12 to +12 .times. 10.sup..sup.-7 /C.degree. over a temperature 0.degree.-300.degree.C. In its preferred form, the plate is made of a glass-ceramic having a thermal coefficient in the -5 to +5 .times. 10.sup..sup.-7 /C.degree. range over 0.degree.-300.degree.C.

Abstract: The invention disclosed is a machine for applying in series a molded plastic shell-like carrier over a pre-arranged grouping of containers, such as bottles. The machine includes a storage magazine turret supplying the carriers in nested fashion to a hopper device at a feeding station. The magazine turret indexes a magazine to the feeding station and a cam-operated device releases the nested carrier stack in a magazine to the underlying hopper. A carrier feed device continuously separates the lowermost carrier and drops it to an underlying carrier delivery conveyor. Bottles are advanced in parallel rows under the conveyor and past a carrier gate at the end of the carrier conveyor. First star wheel mechanism spaces the bottles on the conveyor to correspond as groups with compartment cavities in the carrier. Bottles moving through the first star wheel pull carriers from the feed gate; whereupon each such carrier falls over a group of bottles.

Abstract: The invention disclosed is a machine for applying in series a molded plastic shell-like carrier over a pre-arranged grouping of containers, such as bottles. The machine includes a storage magazine turret supplying the carriers in nested fashion to a hopper device at a feeding station. The magazine turret indexes a magazine to the feeding station and a cam-operated device releases the nested carrier stack in a magazine to the underlying hopper. A carrier feed device continuously separates the lowermost carrier and drops it to an underlying carrier delivery conveyor. Bottles are advanced in parallel rows under the conveyor and past a carrier gate at the end of the carrier conveyor. First star wheel mechanism spaces the bottles on the conveyor to correspond as groups with compartment cavities in the carrier. Bottles moving through the first star wheel pull carriers from the feed gate; whereupon each such carrier falls over a group of bottles.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a bottle cap construction wherein a tear section is defined by score means in the bottle cap construction so that the tear section is initially integral with the remainder of the bottle cap throughout the entire juncture of the tear section with the remainder of the bottle cap. The tear section has at least one edge thereof extending from the top portion of the bottle cap to the free edge of the rim portion that is utilized to crimp the bottle cap to the open end of the bottle, a ring pull tab being secured to the tear section at the top portion of the bottle cap to facilitate the pulling of at least one edge of the tear section from the closure member to open the bottle.