Abstract: An apparatus for heat sealing thermoplastic articles includes a heater movable reciprocably in a longitudinal direction, and two opposed transversely reciprocable and pivotable carriers, each supporting a thermoplastic workpiece to be bonded. Two opposed heating surfaces of the platen heater are inclined and diverge in the longitudinal direction, to give the heater a "V" configuration. The carriers may be pivoted to a corresponding "V" configuration to position each workpiece against an associated heating surface of the platen. Following heating of the workpieces, pneumatic or other force applying cylinders urge the carriers toward one another as the heater is withdrawn from between them. Cam surfaces on the heater cooperate with cam following rollers on the carriers to control the position of the carriers during withdrawal of the heater, and permit rapid and accurate engagement of the thermoplastic articles after withdrawal.

Abstract: A machine for facilitating the simultaneous heating, bonding or sealing of a group of thermoplastic articles retained within a rotary sealing system. First and second rotatable workpiece carriers are arranged to transport the workpieces to be bonded, step-by-step, from loading stations to a heating station, and subsequently, to a bonding station, thereby accomplishing a plurality of operations on a simultaneous basis. The same drive mechanism used to incrementally rotate the workpiece carriers also imparts a reciprocating motion to the heating element and an arcuate reciprocating motion to the workpiece carriers for first applying heat energy to the workpieces for a predetermined time interval and for subsequently applying compressive forces to the heated workpieces undergoing bonding and thereafter releasing the now-joined workpieces from the carriers.