Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
169 words
The method comprising the steps of extruding a thermoplastic material in a longitudinal direction, forming the extrusion into flat sheet form extending in said longitudinal direction, applying longitudinal tension to said sheet form in the direction of extrusion to stretch the thermoplastic material and highly orient it in said longitudinal direction, trimming the stretched sheet to a predetermined width dimension, printing one surface of the sheet with a decoration, cutting the printed sheet longitudinally into plural strips such that their transverse dimension is equal to the height of a tubular sleeve to be formed therefrom, accumulating the individual strips in lengths for use in making said sleeves, cutting said strips individually into successive lengths to form flat sleeve blanks having a length slightly in excess of the circumference of a mandrel, wrapping the blank lengthwise around the mandrel so that the opposite ends overlap, seaming the overlapped portions of the blank on the mandrel to form a tubular sleeve, and stripping the tubular sleeve axially off of the mandrel.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
169 words
The method comprising the steps of extruding a thermoplastic material in a longitudinal direction, forming the extrusion into flat sheet form extending in said longitudinal direction, applying longitudinal tension to said sheet form in the direction of extrusion to stretch the thermoplastic material and highly orient it in said longitudinal direction, trimming the stretched sheet to a predetermined width dimension, printing one surface of the sheet with a decoration, cutting the printed sheet longitudinally into plural strips such that their transverse dimension is equal to the height of a tubular sleeve to be formed therefrom, accumulating the individual strips in lengths for use in making said sleeves, cutting said strips individually into successive lengths to form flat sleeve blanks having a length slightly in excess of the circumference of a mandrel, wrapping the blank lengthwise around the mandrel so that the opposite ends overlap, seaming the overlapped portions of the blank on the mandrel to form a tubular sleeve, and stripping the tubular sleeve axially off of the mandrel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method defined in claim 1, wherein said printing step includes printing indicia on each strip spaced lengthwise thereof at intervals corresponding to a sleeve blank length, orienting the sleeve blank lengths between successive indicia, and cutting the oriented strips to sleeve blank lengths, thereby registering the decoration in the successive blanks cut from said strip.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
143 words
The method of making shrinkable thermoplastic sleeve-like members comprising feeding a rolled length of shrinkable thermoplastic material having a predetermined width equal to the height dimension of said sleeve member onto a feed drum, holding the strip of said drum by vacuum, cutting successive sleeve blank lengths of the strip on said feed drum, moving the leading edge of each cut length into engagement with a mandrel, holding the leading edge of the blank length on the mandrel by vacuum and releasing the vacuum hold on the cut strip by said feed drum, wrapping the blank length on the mandrel by rotating the latter, the mandrel being of lesser circumference than the length of said blank, thereby overlapping the ends of said blank, connecting the overlapped ends to each other to form a seamed sleeve, and stripping the sleeve axially from the mandrel.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
143 words
The method of making shrinkable thermoplastic sleeve-like members comprising feeding a rolled length of shrinkable thermoplastic material having a predetermined width equal to the height dimension of said sleeve member onto a feed drum, holding the strip of said drum by vacuum, cutting successive sleeve blank lengths of the strip on said feed drum, moving the leading edge of each cut length into engagement with a mandrel, holding the leading edge of the blank length on the mandrel by vacuum and releasing the vacuum hold on the cut strip by said feed drum, wrapping the blank length on the mandrel by rotating the latter, the mandrel being of lesser circumference than the length of said blank, thereby overlapping the ends of said blank, connecting the overlapped ends to each other to form a seamed sleeve, and stripping the sleeve axially from the mandrel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method defined in claim 3, wherein the overlapped ends of said wrapped sleeve blank are connected by moving a heated elongated member into contact with the overlapped thermoplastic and disposed along the height thereof, and applying pressure by said member radially inwardly on said mandrel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method defined in claim 4, wherein the leading edge of the blank length is moved into engagement with the mandrel and the mandrel is rotated one and one-half revolutions in wrapping the blank length thereon, the heated elongated member being disposed to one side of the mandrel diametrically opposite the location whereat the blank length engages the mandrel.