Banding machine

Claim 1

Apparatus for accurately placing a band of shrinkable plastic film over an article, comprising in combination: 1. means for dispensing shrinkable plastic tubing, flattened in a first plane and having crimped edges, 2. means for opening a section of said flattened tubing and for reflattening the opening tubing in a plane perpendicular to said first plane without crimping its new edges. 3. means for feeding a preselected length of said reflattened tubing into position for being cut, 4. means for cutting said preselected length of reflattened tubing into bands, 5. means for moving said bands into vertical alignment with an article banding station, said moving means comprising a rotatable horizontally disposed plate having at least one elongated slot, extending through said plate, said slot having perpendicular major and minor axes, the rearward portion of said slot being shaped such that its sides support the rear hemispherical half of the band in a vertical position, said minor axis being approximately equal in length to the outside diameter of said tubing whereby when the reflattened tubing which extends through said slot and lies in the plane parallel to major axis - is cut, the band will spring open in said slot with the edges of the band being slightly compressed by the sides of the slot, 6. band stopping means, located in vertical alignment with said article banding station, said means being shaped such that its concave inner surface supports the front hemispherical half of the band in a vertical position, whereby on mating with the rearward portion of said slot, a collar surrounding said band is formed which holds the band in an open position, in vertical alignment with the article banding station, and 7. means vertically aligned with said article banding station for pushing the opened band through said collar and over said article.