Automatic box strapping machine

Claim 1

THE COMBINATION IN AN ARTICLE STRAPPING MACHINE FOR BINDING AN ARTICLE WITH A BINDING STRAP PORTION, OF AN ANVIL MOUNTED AT A FORMING POSITION ADJACENT TO A SEALING POSITION, MEANS FOR FEEDING SEAL STOCK TO SAID ANVIL WHEN SAID ANVIL IS IN THE FORMING POSITION, MEANS FOR CUTTING OFF A LENGTH OF THE SEAL STOCK AND FORMING A CHANNEL SHAPED SEAL ABOUT SAID ANVIL, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID ANVIL BETWEEN THE FORMING POSITION AND THE SEALING POSITION THEREOF, MEANS TO PRESS AND HOLD THE SEAL AGAINST SAID ANVIL AS THE ANVIL IS MOVED FROM THE FORMING POSITION TO THE SEALING POSITION, SEAL DEFORMING MEANS AT THE SEALING POSITION TO MOVE THE FREE OUTER ENDS OF THE SIDE WALLS OF THE SEAL INWARDLY TOWARD EACH OTHER SO THAT THE OUTER ENDS ARE SPACED APART A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE BINDING STAP PORTION WHEREBY TO PROVIDE A GUIDE SUBSEQUENTLY FOR LOOPING THE STRAP PORTION ABOUT AN ARTICLE WITH OVERLAPPING STRAP POSITIONS EXTENDING THROUGH THE SEAL, AND ABUTMENT MEANS POSITIONED AT THE SEALING STATION TO ENGAGE THE SEAL AFTER DEFORMATION THEREOF AND IN COOPERATION WITH SAID SEAL DEFORMING MEANS TO HOLD AND RETAIN THE SEAL AT THE SEALING STATION WHEN SAID ANVIL IS RETURNED TO THE FORMING POSITION.