Heat sealing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING A DEAL BETWEEN A PLASTIC CONTAINER OR BOX AND A PLASTIC OR PLASTIC-COATED LID THEREFOR, COMPRISING AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR DISPOSED TO TRAVEL ALONG A LINEAR PATH AND HAVING CONTAINER RECEIVING AND PROGRESSING STATIONS THEREON, A FIRST SET OF GUIDE TRACKS DISPOSED IN OPPOSED PARALLEL RELATION ALONG SAID PATH FOR RECEIVING THE BOX AND THE LID AND FOR GUIDING THEIR TRAVEL ALONG SAID PATH, FIRST HEATING MEANS EXTENDING ALONG SAID FIRST SET OF GUIDE TRACKS FOR APPLYING HEAT TO THE CONTAINERS BEING CARRIED THERETHROUGH, A FIRST CONVEYING MEANS INCLUDING RESPECTIVE PARALLEL PAIRS OF UPPER AND LOWER PRESSURE-APPLYING ELEMENTS TRAVELING ALING SAID PATH AND DISPOSED TO RECEIVE THE BOXES AND THE LIDS FROM SAID CONVEYOR AFTER PASSING ALONG SAID FIRST SET OF GUIDE TRACKS AND TO APPLY PRESSURE TO EFFECT A SEAL BETWEEN TWO OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE BOX AND THE TWO CORRESPONDING EDGES OF THE LID, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CONVEYING MEANS AT A FASTER SPEED THAN SAID CONVEYOR TO MOVE A BOX OUT OF PROGRESSING RELATION WITH ITS ASSOCIATED STATION, MEANS FOR RECEIVING BOXES AND LIDS THEREON FROM SAID HEAT SEALING ELEMENTS INCLUDING MEANS FOR EFFECTING A 90 DEGREE ROTATION OF THE BOX, A SECOND SET OF GUIDE TRACKS RECEIVING BOXES FROM SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS, SECOND HEATING MEANS ALONG SAID SECOND SET OF GUIDE TRACKS FOR THE CONTAINERS BEING CARRIED BY THE CONVEYOR, SAID CONVEYOR AGAIN HAVING A BOX PROGRESSING STATION IN PROGRESSING RELATION WITH ITS ASSOCIATED BOX WHILE PASSING THROUGH SAID SECOND SET OF GUIDE TRACKS, AND A SECOND CONVEYING MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND SET OF PARALLEL PAIRS OF PRESSURE-APPLYING ELEMENTS DISPOSED TO RECEIVE THE CONTAINERS FROM SAID SECOND SET OF GUIDE TRACKS AND TO SEAL THE TWO OTHER SETS OF EDGES OF THE CONTAINER AND THE LID TO COMPLETE THE SEAL.