Receptacle capping machine and method

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLYING INDIVIDUAL SHRINK-FILM TYPE CLOSURES FROM A COMMON WEB OF SHRINKFILM MATERIAL TO THE RESPECTIVE MOUTH RIMS OF A PLURALITY OF OPEN-ENDED RECEPTACLES, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING AN AIR-HEATING CHAMBER UNIT CARRYING A PLURALITY OF CAPPING HEADS FOR APPLYING SAID CLOSURES TO THE RESPECTIVE RECEPTACLES, AND MEANS BETWEEN ADJACENT CAPPING HEAD FOR SEVERING SAID COMMON WEB OF SHRINK-FILM MATERIAL TO FORM INDIVIDUAL OVERSIZED CLOSURE PIECES RESPECTIVELY DISPOSED ON THE MOUTH RIMS OF SAID PLURALITY OF RECEPTACLES, EACH SAID CAPPING HEAD COMPRISING A SEALING TUBE HAVING AN OPEN END FOR SURROUNDING THE MOUTH RIM OF ONE OF SAID RECEPTACLES, AND PLUNGER MEANS INCLUDING A TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED DISC FOR ENGAGING THE HOLDING SHRINKFILM MATERIAL AGAINST SAID RECEPTACLE MOUTH RIM, SAID DISC BEING SMALLER THAN SAID OPEN END OF THE SEALING TUBE, AND SAID PLUNGER MEANS BEING MOUNTED FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT CENTRALLY OF SAID SEALING TUBE FROM A FIRST POSITION OF SAID DISC WHEREIN THE DISC PROJECTS A DISTANCE OUTWARDLY OF SAID OPEN SAID TO A SECOND POSITION OF SAID DISC WHEREIN THE DISC IS WITHIN SAID SEALING TUBE NEAR SAID OPEN END, SAID DISC BEING NORMALLY DISPOSED IN ITS SAID FIRST POSITION AND BEING MOVABLE FROM ITS SAID FIRST POSITION TO ITS SAID SECOND POSITION RESPONSIVE TO ITS SAID ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RECEPTACLE MOUTH RIM, EACH SAID SEALING TUBE HAVING PERIPHERALLY DISPOSED APERTURE MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AIR FROM SAID CHAMBER UNIT TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID SEALING TUBE AT A LOCATION BETWEEN ITS SAID OPEN END AND SAID SECOND POSITION OF SAID DISC.