Method for producing plastic-covered containers

Claim 1

The method of forming an encircling plastic covering on elongated base articles comprising: conveying base articles in a first path with their longitudinal axes perpendicular to the direction of movement, moving hollow body sleeves of a heat shrinkable plastic material in a separate, second path spaced from the articles, a portion of said second path being parallel with said first path so that the central longitudinal axes of said sleeves are substantially in a coaxial relationship with said articles, the sleeves having an interior cross dimension slightly larger than the exterior cross dimension of said articles, during said movements, telescopically transferring the sleeve over each article by movement in said coaxial direction to a position whereat the sleeve is placed over at least a portion of the article for movement with the latter in said first path, conveying the transferred sleeve and article together in said first path through a subsequent portion thereof past a zonal heating device for applying tacking heat to an annular exterior band region of the sleeve adjacent said article, thereby shrinking said annular band of the sleeve onto the article holding the sleeve in place on the article, conveying the sleeve and article further in said first path into and through a heat applying device, and applying heat to said sleeve sufficient to completely shrink it into a snug, conforming, encircling relationship on the surface of said article.

Claim 2

The method of forming an encircling plastic covering on elongated base articles comprising: conveying base articles in a first path with their longitudinal axes perpendicular to the direction of movement, moving hollow body sleeves of a heat shrinkable plastic material in a separate, second path spaced from the articles, a portion of said second path being parallel with said first path so that the central longitudinal axes of said sleeves are substantially in a coaxial relationship with said articles, the sleeves having an interior cross dimension slightly larger than the exterior cross dimension of said articles, during said movements, telescopically transferring the sleeve over each article by movement in said coaxial direction to a position whereat the sleeve is placed over at least a portion of the article for movement with the latter in said first path, conveying the transferred sleeve and article together in said first path through a subsequent portion thereof past a zonal heating device for applying tacking heat to an annular exterior band region of the sleeve adjacent said article, thereby shrinking said annular band of the sleeve onto the article holding the sleeve in place on the article, conveying the sleeve and article further in said first path into and through a heat applying device, and applying heat to said sleeve sufficient to completely shrink it into a snug, conforming, encircling relationship on the surface of said article.

Claim 4

The method of making a container having an encircling plastic covering thereon comprising conveying containers in line in an upright position along a first path, moving heat shrinkable plastic sleeves in line in an upright position along a second path that includes a portion in underlying axial registry with containers being conveyed along said first path, transferring the registered sleeves to overly the respective containers while in registry in said first and second paths, holding the sleeves in said transferred position while moving the containers and sleeves through a narrow band of heat directed onto a zone of the sleeves and sufficient to shrink said sleeves annularly at said zone for holding the sleeves in said position on the containers, and thereafter moving the containers and sleeves held thereon in said first path through a heating zone wherein the sleeves are sufficiently heated to completely shrink them snugly over the container exterior surface.

Claim 5

The method of making a container having an encircling plastic covering thereon comprising conveying containers in line in an upright position along a first path, moving heat shrinkable plastic sleeves in line in an upright position along a second path that includes a portion in underlying axial registry with containers being conveyed along said first path, transferring the registered sleeves to overly the respective containers while in registry in said first and second paths, holding the sleeves in said transferred position while moving the containers and sleeves through a narrow band of heat directed onto a zone of the sleeves and sufficient to shrink said sleeves annularly at said zone for holding the sleeves in said position on the containers, and thereafter moving the containers and sleeves held thereon in said first path through a heating zone wherein the sleeves are sufficiently heated to completely shrink them snugly over the container exterior surface.