Abstract: Apparatus for guiding an opened tubular label from a tube spreader onto a cylindrical object, e.g. a product cylindrical container, being conveyed past the spreader in a manufacturing environment. The spreader is adapted with an array of wires forming a skirt from the lower surface of the spreader to the top of the cylindrical container. The wires are short at the upstream edge of the spreader to not contact the upper surface of the cylindrical container, and long at the downstream edge of the spreader to contact the upper surface of the cylindrical container.

Abstract: The tubular banding applicator converts a flat tubular material into a cut length expanded tubular sleeve and mounts the sleeve circumferentially on a container. A driver moves a selected length of flat tubular material from a supply station, around a spreader, and into a hollow former having a retaining gate at an exit thereof. A cutter severs the selected length of tubular material from the supply station and a flow of air directed at a side of the flat tubular length assists in opening the sleeve. A conveyor carries a series of containers along a path to position each container in turn in alignment with the opened tubular sleeve. The driver moves a second selected length of flat tubular material from the supply into the former, thereby ejecting the first open sleeve from the former onto a container aligned below. The sleeve is subsequently caused to shrink to securely enwrap the container.

Abstract: A film cutter is provided for use in an industrial process in which a vertical blade and a horizontal blade interact. The vertical blade is mounted to move slidingly in a vertical plane and an end of the vertical blade rests upon the horizontal blade. The horizontal blade is mounted at an acute angle to the vertical blade. In the cutting process, the horizontal blade is moved in a direction that is perpendicular to the vertical blade so as to maintain the acute angle between the cutting edges substantially constant while the cutting intersection moves along the blade length.