Abstract: A method of applying a label to a container which includes an intermediate portion of the sidewall thereof which has an annular curved surface wherein the vertical height of the portion having a curved surface is a minor portion of the entire height of the container. A narrow rectangular label of shrinkable material is first provided with one or more longitudinally extending strips of adhesive extending intermediate the longitudinal edges of the label at the area of the label which is to contact the portion of greatest diameter on the curved portion of the container. The strip of adhesive material is shorter than the length of the label so that the adhesive material does not contact the overlapping edges of the label. An adhesive is applied to the trailing edge of the label only and the label is wrapped about the compound curved portion with the adhesive strip engaging the curved portion of the container at the area of greatest diameter.

Abstract: A method of applying a label to a container which includes an intermediate portion of the side wall thereof which has an annular curved surface wherein the vertical height of the portion having a curved surface is a minor portion of the entire height of the container. A narrow rectangular label of shrinkable material is first provided with one or more longitudinally extending strips of adhesive extending intermediate the longitudinal edges of the label at the area of the label which is to contact the portion of greatest diameter on the curved portion of the container. The strip of adhesive material is shorter than the length of the label so that the adhesive material does not contact the overlapping edges of the label. An adhesive is applied to the trailing edge of the label only and the label is wrapped about the compound curved portion with the adhesive strip engaging the curved portion of the container at the area of greatest diameter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a shrinkable sleeve of plastic material and applying it as a label to a glass or plastic container. The plastic is fed from a source, cut to successive lengths, wrapped about successive mandrels and sealed to form each sleeve. Thereafter each sleeve is transferred from the mandrel onto an overlying container. The mandrels are circumferentially positioned on a turret, and a combined heat seal bar and tucker bar is associated with each mandrel to bond the overlapping ends of the severed length of plastic material to one another. A stripper transfers each sleeve that has been so formed from a position on the mandrel axially onto an overlying aligned container while the path of the container overlies the respective mandrel for a portion of its movement by the turret.

Abstract: An oven for preheating glass containers in which the containers are moved through the oven on a conveyor with the conveyor moving at a linear speed that is in excess of the permitted speed of the container movement. This permits the containers to produce a "gear effect" rotation of the containers that are guided on the conveyor by side rails that are spaced apart a distance greater than the container diameter. A source of heated air is directed against the shoulder of the container by an adjustable nozzle and another nozzle is directed against the heel so that these areas of the container will be preheated so that the shrinking of a plastic label about the container will be uniform.

Abstract: A solvent applicating roll, mounted for rotation about its vertical axis for transferring a solvent from etched or gravure areas on the roll surface to plastic labels that are moved into rolling contact with the roll, has its temperature controlled. The roll is formed as a hollow cylinder with heated air fed to the interior thereof to heat the roll to keep the solvent at a working temperature and prevent evaporative cooling of the roll due to solvent evaporating from the surface during operation. The heated air is passed through a distributor that assures the heated air will effectively transfer its heat to the metal roll.

Abstract: An infrared heat tunnel with hot air circulation for heat shrinking wraparound labels on containers which are moved through the tunnel in an upright attitude on an open weave conveyor belt. The infrared heating is by electrical strip heaters along the sides of the tunnel and air is blown by blowers across these heaters to impinge on the sides of the containers. The air is drawn down through the conveyor belt since the inlet to the blowers is from beneath the conveyor. A vertical air curtain along each side of the first half of the tunnel is adjustable in length to effectively delay the skin shrinkage of the film-foam material of the labels in order to get wrinkle-free shrinkage of the film and underlying foam about the container wall and heel areas without bottle rotation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to method and apparatus for applying a tubular plastic sleeve or label to a rigid base article or container, such as a glass or plastic bottle. The sleeve may be formed immediately prior to its application and be comprised of oriented, heat-shrinkable, thermoplastic material which is telescopically assembled over the container while both are conveyed through a coincidental aligned path. The container preferably consists of a hollow glass or plastic bottle held upright by its neck or finish portion. The tubular sleeve is made slightly larger in diameter than the container body portion. The sleeve is telescoped upwardly over the container body portion and held in aligned relation during its transport through a heat-shrinking tunnel oven. Electrical heat energy having a high level of infra-red energy is employed to heat-shrink the sleeves in a thermoconstrictive operation during such transport, the sleeve being contracted into snug engagement with the container body portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improved apparatus for forming a tubular plastic sleeve immediately prior to its application to a rigid base article, such as a glass or plastic bottle. A rectangular blank of plastic material is wrapped around a cylindrical mandrel and seamed lengthwise thereon to form the tubular sleeve. The mandrel has a plurality of spline-shaped grooves in its curved peripheral surface and a stripper ring mounted to closely surround such peripheral surface to be slidable thereon. The ring has a plurality of internal lugs which slidably fit within the spline-shaped grooves. The mandrel has a lineal array of vacuum ports for retaining the leading and trailing edges of the plastic blank on the mandrel for its wrapping thereon, and an axial resilient strip mounted in the curved peripheral surface of the mandrel for operation of a movable, axially-extending sealing bar thereagainst.

Abstract: Organic hygroscopic powders are preconditioned to render them free flowing and to facilitate their electrostatic application to preheated workpieces. The preconditioning technique includes drying the powder prior to electrostatic application to remove moisture and break up agglomerates using a fluidized bed drying process with concurrent mechanical agitation to form a substantially dry, free flowing powder.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for producing a composite container having a body label or tubular sleeve mounted thereon adapted to be shrunken onto exterior surface areas of a cylindrical container. The tubular sleeve is preformed of thin flexible thermoplastic material and may be flat-folded until ready for use when it is fully opened and conveyed in axial registry with the container inverted therebeneath. The sleeve preform of heat-shrinkable plastic material is telescopically assembled onto the inverted container while the latter is conveyed through a coincidental aligned path. The container preferably consists of a hollow glass or plastic container held invertedly by its neck portion with the tubular preform made slightly larger in diameter to surround the body and neck portions of the container. The tubular sleeve preform is held fully opened and is then transported downwardly in telescopic relation when in axial alignment with the inverted container.

Abstract: Apparatus for preconditioning of organic hygroscopic coating powders to render them free flowing and facilitate their electrostatic application to preheated workpieces. The preconditioning technique includes drying the powder prior to electrostatic application to remove moisture and break up agglomerates using a fluidized bed drying process with concurrent mechanical agitation to form a substantially dry, free flowing powder and aspirating powder from the fluidized bed.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a smooth, even, substantially encapsulating layer of a heat shrinkable polyolefin plastic on a glass container. The body of the container is substantially greater in diameter compared with the neck. A cylindrical sleeve of polyolefin is telescopically placed along the outer surface of the container and the two are conveyed together into a heating oven for shrinking the sleeve snugly over the container. During heating, the polyolefin initially softens and becomes limp such that the sleeve tends to fold over or upon shrinking creates wavy top margins on the shrunken covering. The apparatus provides controlled rotation of the bottle and sleeve in the oven to apply a centrifugal force to the limp plastic which remains erect and billowed outwardly to give the material time to react with the heat such that the sleeve material shrinks into overall even, snug contact about the contour of the container without folds and wrinkles.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of covering glass containers with a preformed, cylindrical sleeve of a polyethylene or like polyolefin material, or laminates of polyolefins, that are heat shrinkable circumferentially of the sleeve and made from sheet of a foam or a laminate of said plastic material such as a foam-film laminate. Upon application of heat, the sleeve initially softens or becomes limp, and grows or enlarges, such that in its telescopic assembly on the upright bottle it tends to slip from position. The method includes supporting the sleeve from underneath during heating it for shrinkage by conveying the container and sleeve over a water-cooled sleeve support bar extending into the heating device a substantial distance allowing the sleeve to shrink onto the bottle. The sleeve support bar includes a lubricious surface layer adjacent the sleeve. The lubricious layer combined with water cooling maintains support surface below 200.degree. F, preferably below 150.degree.

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: A method for powder coating of articles with an organic polymeric material. Articles to be coated, preferably glass containers, are transported by a first conveying mechanism through a pre-heat oven wherein their temperature is raised to a level above ambient temperature. The preheated containers are then transferred to chucks of a second conveying mechanism which carry the containers through a powder spray apparatus wherein the organic polymeric material is applied to the container. The chucks of the second conveying mechanism are cool and any oversprayed material will not adhere thereto. After spraying, the containers are again heated to cure the sprayed-on powder coating to form a filmlike layer on the container. The containers are then cooled below the softening point of the organic polymeric material and released from the second conveying mechanism for further handling.