Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~orm233
~.23~68 15759 USA
APPARATUS FOR HAT SHRINKING THERMOPLASTIC
SLEEVES ABOUT GLASS CONTAINERS
1 The present invention relates to a machine for receiving
2 preheated glass containers moving in an upright attitude on
8 a conveyor belt which moves the containers in series into a
4 machine for grasping the necks of the containers. The machine
6 then takes the containers held by their necks and conveys
them through approximately 320 of movement about a central
q vertical axis. During movement through this circular path,
8 the container will receive a thermoplastic shrinkable sleeve
8 thereabout and the sleeve will be shrunk about the container,
10 and then the container with the applied sleeve will be
11 released to move on an outgoing conveyor belt similar to the
12 incoming belt.
18 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
14 It has been the practice in the past to provide apparatus
16 to form a sleeve of thermoplastic material on a series of
id rotatable sleeve-forming mandrels that are carried on a air-
17 cuter turret, for example, as shown in U.S. Patent 3,802,942
18 issued April 9, OWE This patent discloses the process of
19 forming sleeves from the point where a foamed material is
20 extruded as a tube, then slit into a flat sheet. The sheet is
21 provided with a stretch orientation in the direction of its
22 width by reason of its being inflated as it is extruded in
I tube form. The inflation of the tube stretches the tube in a
24 circumferential direction, and this provides the built-in
26 shrinkage characteristic which is desired. Thus, when the
26 material is formed into a cylinder with the direction of shrink
27 extending circumferential about the cylinder and this
28 cylinder or sleeve is then applied to the container, heating
29 of the sleeve will shrink the sleeve into conformity to the
80 external surface of the container.
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1 The method and apparatus for producing the shrink sleeves
2 of the present invention is essentially the same as that disclose
3 Ed in the above-referred~to U.S. Patent 3,802,942. Figs. 1 and
4 2 ox this patent show two essentially similar systems, in plan
S view, wherein sleeving material aye is brought into association
6 with preheated containers at the turret 58. At turret 58 t
7 the material is formed on mandrels into sleeves and then put
8 onto glass containers, and the containers with the sleeves
9 thereon exit from the mandrel and pass through a heat-shrink
10 oven 77 on their way to an exit conveyor 81. The newly
11 formed or preheated containers are picked up at the end of a
12 feed screw 53 in both Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 embodiments of this
13 patent. It should be pointed out that in this patent the
14 container sat the point of pickup and throughout their entire
travel through the ovens and the sleeving operation, are
16 carried by an individual set of tongs carried on an endless
17 chain-drive system. There are as many tongs as there are
18 positions along the length of the chain used to convey the
19 bottles. The bottles are spaced apart a fixed distance,
depending on the spacing of the tongs. Thus, the above-
21 ref~rred-to patent discloses an endless pair of chains carrying
22 a series of neck-grasping chucks for holding the necks of the
23 containers through the cycle of operation of preheating the
24 containers, applying a shrinkable sleeve to the container
and subsequently heat-shrinking the sleeve that has been
26 applied to the container. It will be noted that in this patent
27 the shrinking of the sleeve takes place in a long, straight
28 line moving away from the turret where the sleeves have been
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1 formed and applied to the container. This patent also provides
2 a clear teaching of a bottle-handling system where a relatively
8 tall set of tong-transporting mechanisms are used to pick
up the containers, on the fly, and to drop the containers,
on the fly, with the tong mechanism having the ability to be
raised and lowered and opened and closed while moving in the
q straight line motions.
8 The heat-shrinking of sleeves on containers while being
transported about the axis of the sleeve forming and assembling
10 turret is disclosed in cop ending Canadian application Serial
11 No. 455,256, assigned to the assignee of the
12 present application. This application is generally drawn to
13 the method of heat-shrinkiny sleeves on bottles Chile they are
14 moved about the center of the turret. The present invention
15 being considered is an improved, detailed apparatus for
16 carrying out the method disclosed therein.
17 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
18 In contrast to the foregoing, it is an object of this
19 invention to provide apparatus for handling containers which
are moved into the apparatus while carried on a conveyor to be
21 grasped by a chuck mechanism supported by a chuck holder,
22 Of which there are as many chuck holders as there are positions
23 about the turret of the handling system.
24 It is a further object of this invention to provide a
system for handling a plurality of containers in succession
26 through a series of positions where the containers will
27 receive shrinkable sleeves thereon, and the containers will
28 have the sleeve shrunk thereon while they are still within the
29 relatively short transport period from the entrance to a
rotating turret to the exit from the rotating turret. During
Prom 2~3
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aye
1 the transport of the containers, the sleeves will be shrunk
2 in place and the containers will be handled in an expeditious
8 and relatively speedy simplified handling system.
4 It is another object of this invention to provide a
more compact sleeve-applying and shrinking system than that
disclosed in the prior art and provide a mechanism for
7 carrying out such a system with adequate controls.
a Other and further objects will be apparent from the
following description taken in conjunction with the annexed
10 sheets of drawings.
11 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
12 FIG. l is a schematic plan view of the apparatus of
18 the invention;
14 FIG. 2 is a cross-sec~ional view taken at line 2-2 on
I Fig. luff the upper portion of the machine only, on an
lo enlarged scale;
lo FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 3-3 of
18 Fig l on an enlarged scale;
I FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 4~4 of
20 Fig. l on an enlarged scale;
21 FIG. 5 is a schematic, plan view of the apparatus of
22 the invention illustrating the position of the shrink ovens
I and hot air delivery system;
I FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views through the
26 hot air manifold, on an enlarged scale, at three indicated
26 locations in the length of the manifold of Fig. 5; and
27 FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the heaters and their
28 controls.
29
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1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TOE DRAWINGS
2 With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus of the
invention will be described in conjunction with the application
of a sleeve ox shrinkable plastic material to a container.
6 The emphasis in the present application is on the mechanism
for shrinking sleeves on the bottles as they are carried
7 through the system, and in particular, the details of the
8 heaters and control thereof.
With particular reference to Fig. 1, which is a plan view
10 of the overall apparatus utilizing the invention, it can be
11 seen that glass containers C positioned upright on a moving
12 conveyor 10 are shown exiting from a preheat oven 11. As
18 the containers move in the direction of the arrow shown at
I the bottom of Fig. 1, they will be carried by the conveyor 10
I into and be engaged by pockets 12 of an inlet stroll 13.
I The stroll 13 is mounted to and rotates about a vertical
to axle 14. The bottles or containers C, as they are moved by
I the stroll 13, will be moved into a position referenced 15
I in Fig. 1, at which time the bottle will be grasped by its
20 neck by a chuck mechanism, generally designated 16. As can
21 readily be seen when viewing Fig. 1, there are a plurality of
22 Shylock mechanisms, only a few of which are shown in any detail.
28 In actual fact, there are eighteen chuck mechanisms in the
I apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1. The details of the chuck
26 mechanism will be explained later. Each of the individual
I chuck mechanisms 16 is mounted on a generally horizontal
27 plate 17. The eighteen plates 17 are mounted on a circular
28 plate or disc 18. The disc 18, as perhaps best shown in
29 Fig. 2, is mounted to an annular ledge 19 of a central hub 20.
80 The hub 20 is rotatable supported relative to a vertical shaft 21
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1 by suitable bearings 22 shown in Fig. 3. The hub 20 and the
2 vertical cylinder 23, to which it is fixed, is driven from
8 above by a large diameter bull gear 24. The bull gear 24,
as best seen in Fig. 4, is driven by a pinion 25, which in
turn is driven through an idler gear 26. The gear 26 is
driven by a spur gear at the upper end of a shaft 27, which
q may be driven by a motor (not shown). The main central support
8 shaft 21, which is stationary, extends vertically upward
9 through and coaxial with the cylinder 23, and at its upper
lo end is bolted to a cross beam 28. At the same elevation as
11 the cross beam 28 and parallel thereto is a shorter beam 29
12 The beams 28 and 29 are fixed relative to each other by an
18 overhead support member 30. The beam 29 at its one edge
14 carries an angle bracket 31. The bracket 31 in turn carries
16 and supports a pair of spaced-apart guide roller devices 32
similar in configuration to pulleys. The rollers 32 serve as
17 reinforcing guides or steadying devices for a vertically
18 upstanding bar 33, which has an edge plate 34 riding between
19 the rollers 32. The bar 33 at its lower end is connected
20 by an angle bracket 35 to a drive motor and cam plate supporting
21 platform 36. The platform 36 extends outwardly from the
22 cylinder 20. Ever, since the cylinder rotates and the
23 platform 36 does not, bearings are provided between the two.
I The under side of the platform 36 carries a pair of parallel
26 downwardly-extending bars 38 bolted thereto. A cross bar 39
I extends between the ends of the bars 38 that are remote from
27 the hub. The platform await its extended end as viewed in
28 Fig 2, has a combined gear box and motor unit 40 bolted to the
I under surface thereof by a set of bolts 41 extending through
80 elongated slots therein. An adjusting screw 43 extends
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1 between the unit 40 and the bar 39. In addition to the
2 unit 40 being suspended from the under surface of the platform
36, the platform also supports a first stationary cam plate 44,
whose function is to engage a follower 45 which in turn biases
a detent 46 toward a slot provided in the outer hub portion
of the chuck mechanism 16. The platform 36 also supports a
7 second cam plate 47. The fixed cam plate 47 is positioned to
8 be engaged by a follower 48. The follower 48, when engaged
9 with the cam 47, will open the jaws 49 and 50 of the chuck
lo mechanism 16.
11 The jaws 49 and 50 are mounted to the lower portion of
12 a generally circular hub 51 of the chuck mechanism 16. The
18 hub 51 extends through and is mounted for rotation relative
14 to the horizontal plate 17 by the fact that the plate 17
supports four equi-spaced pùlley-like rollers 52. In
configuration, the rollers 52 are similar Jo the rollers 32
7 previously described. The rollers 52, however, are engaged
18 by a circular plate or disc 53, whose outer peripheral edge is
19 sharp and therefore engages within the crevices of the rollers
20 52. In this manner, the hub 51 and the jaws which are supported
21 from the hub are rotatable relative to the plate 17 and the
Z2 disc 18, which supports all of these mechanisms. Extending
28 vertically above the hub 51 and coaxial therewith is a
I shaft 54. The shaft supports, coccal with respect thereto,
26 a pair of spaced-apart sprockets 55 and 56. Above the
26 sprockets 55 and 56, -the shaft 54 supports a pair of cam
27 follower rollers 57 and 58. The cam follower rollers 57 and o
28 58 engage a third cam 59. The cam 59 is supported from a
29 horizontal plate 60 which in turn is supported beneath the
80 platform 36. Not only does the plate 60 support the cam 59,
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1 but also supports a plurality of shafts to which are mounted a
2 plurality of idler sprockets 61, which are described in greater
3 detail in U.S. Patent 4,480,984 of Nov. 6, 1984 in conjunction
4 with Figs. 3-5 thereof.
The motor and gear box unit 40 has a downwardly-extending
6 output shaft 62 to which a large diameter dual sprocket 63 is
7 connected. The dual sprocket 63 is in engagement with a
8 pair of endless chains 64 and 65 schematically shown in Fig. 1.
9 The chains 64 and 65 engage the sprockets 55 and 56 on all of
10 the chuck mechanisms when the chuck mechanisms are outside
11 of the zone of the cams 44, 47 and So. Thus, the two chains
12 drive and rotate the chuck mechanism 16 throughout generally
13 240 of the movement of the chucks about the central axis of
14 the shaft 21. The rotation rate may be adjusted as desired
and is related to the overall machine spied.
16 It is during this movement that the sleeves are assembled
17 onto the bottles and are shrunk by the influence of the
18 radiant heaters 66 and 67. The heaters 66 and 67~ of which
19 there are three arcuate sections to each, extend approximately
20 180 about the circumference of the path of travel of the
21 containers when being moved by the mechanism of the invention,
22 as schematically illustrated in Fig 5. The heaters 67
23 (only partially shown) are positioned within the circumference
24 of the bull gear 24, and thus are only shown in a small section
25 as dotted relative to the path of travel of the containers
26 in Fig. 1. The heaters 67, of which there are three in number,
27 match the circumferential degree of coverage of the heaters
28 66. Thus, the containers with the sleeves applied thereto
29 are rotated about their vertical axes in the chucks 16, as
they are moved between the two sets of heaters 66 and 67,
31 to effect the shrinkage of the sleeves to the contour of the
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I
1 exterior of the bottles. When the containers have moved
2 through the zone between the heaters, they will be stopped
in their rotation by the fact that the drive chains 64 and
4 65, and in particular chain 65 which is the lower of the two
drive chains, will be guided away from engagement with the
sprocket 56 of the heads or chucks 16 as they approach the
7 bottle release point. This release point will occur when the
8 container carried by the chuck has approached and is to be
3 engaged by an exit stroll 640 This position is indicated
lo by the position of the container to the right as viewed in
11 Fig. 2. The stroll 68 is driven through a support shaft 69,
I which is rotated by a lower ring gear 42. The containers I
as they exit in the pockets of the stroll 68, are guided
14 by a curved rail 70 as the bottles slide over the bottom
16 plate 71. The plate 71 is stationary and located opposite
16 the ends of the incoming conveyor 10, as well as opposite an
7 exit conveyor 72. The conveyor 72 is driven in the direction
18 of the arrow shown thereon in jig. 1. A second guide rail 73
19 overlying the exit conveyor 72 guides the finished, sleeved
20 containers away from the sleeving apparatus.
Al us previously explained, both the chains 64 and 65
22 engage the sprockets 55 and 56, respectively, of all of the
28 chucks 16, particularly during the movement of the chucks
I through the zone of the heaters 66 and 67, at which time the
26 chains will cause the chucks to rotate about their vertical
26 axes. It should be kept in mind that the follower rollers 57
27 and 58 at this time are free and clear of the cam 59. It
I should be pointed out, however, that the chain 65, which is the
23 lower of the two chains, leaves the sprockets 56 at the
80 position indicated by the arrow 74 on Fig. 1. The chain 65,
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1 after leaving the sprocket of the chuck mechanism is threaded
2 about a pair of idler sprockets 61, and then about the lower
8 run of the dual sprocket 63 driven by the motor unit 40.
After passing about the dual sprocket 63, the chain 65 is
guided about a second pair of sprockets 75f which are dual in
8 nature, and the chain continues on toward the right side of
7 the mechanism and resumes contact with the sprockets carried
8 by the chuck mechanism 16 after they have passed out of the
zone of influence of the cams 44, 47 and 59. In the same
lo manner, but at a different position, the chain 64 leaves the
11 path of the travel of the chuck mechanism 16 and is guided
I over a series of idler sprockets, and in turn, after passing
I over the upper run of the dual sprocket 63, will engage the
I pair of sprockets 75 and return to engage the chuck mechanism
16 16 along the same path as the chain 65. The details of the
I chain drive and the sprockets associated therewith are clearly
17 set forth in U.S. Patent 4,480,984.
18 The significant factor in the present invention is the
19 ability of the heat-shrinking system and the heaters 66 and
20 67 to shrink the sleeve on the containers during the short
21 run of the containers through the arc of the handling turret
22 previously described. The thermoplastic shrink material,
23 of which the sleeves that are applied to the bottles are formed,
24 is cut into individual lengths and transferred to the surface
25 of a drum 76. This upright cylindrical drum 76, shown in
26 phantom line in Figs. 1 and 5, will carry the individual
27 strips of material to an oppositely positioned winding
28 mandrel 77. The mandrels 77 are carried about the axis of
29 the shaft 21 on a turret 78. Needless to say, there are
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1 eighteen mandrels 77 mounted at equi-spaced positions about
2 the circumference of the turret 78. Each of the mandrels is
8 mounted on a vertical shaft 79 supported by bearings 80 in
vertical openings formed in the turret 78. The ring gear 42,
as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is bolted to the lower portion of
B the turret 78, and thus the turret 78 will be rotated by the
q shaft 27 in synchronism with the bull gear 24, which is
8 rotating the chuck-supporting mechanism above.
9 Thus, it can be seen that the chucks and the mandrels
10 rotate in vertical alignment with each other throughout the
11 entire rotation of the mechanism. The lower end of each
12 shaft 79 is provided with a pinion gear 81. These pinion
I gears 81 are in mesh with an individual sector gear 82.
I The gear 82 is racquetball supported by a pivot pin 83 secured
15 to the lower portion of the turret 78. Each sector gear 82
16 has a cam follower 84, which rides in an annular track 85
of a box cam 86. The box cam 86 is stationary, and as the
18 turret is rotated, the cam track radius moves toward and away
13 from the axis of tube shaft 21 to, in effect, crank the follower
20 about the axis of the pivot pin 83, thus moving the sector
I gear 82 to effect rotation of the mandrels 77. This only
22 occurs during the interval between the transfer of a sleeve
28 blank by the drum 76 to the adjacent mandrel 77 and the short
24 period necessary to totally rotate the mandrel through
26 slightly more than 360 to overlap the ends of the strip of
I material.
27 At the overlap of top material wound on the mandrel 77,
28 an air nozzle will provide a flow of hot air and a tamper
29 bar 87, shown in Fig. 3, will be gemmed by a cam 88 into
80 engagement at the overlap area of the sleeve blank 89 shown
81 in Fig. 3. The seal tamper bar 87~ of which there will be one
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1 corresponding to each of the mandrels 77, is supported on a
2 pedestal 90 fastened to the upper surface of the turret 78.
8 The heat-sealing of the sleeve material is accomplished in
approximately 5-30 of the rotation of the turret 78.
6 When the mandrel containing a sleeve has arrived at the
point adjacent the stroll 13 and a preheated bottle has
7 been grasped by the chuck mechanism 16, a sleeve stripping
8 ring 91 surrounding the mandrel 77 will begin it's upward
9 movement This upward movement of the ring 91 is carried out
lo by the reciprocation of a rod 92, which is fixed to a cam
11 follower 93 adapted to ride on a stationary cam 94. The
12 sleeve 89 is moved upward into the position shown in Fig. 4,
18 at which time the ring 91 will begin to be retracted. The
I lower end of the sleeve 89 will just clear an arcuate plate 94
16 that extends coextensively with respect to the arcuate heaters
18 66 and 67. This plate 94 prevents heat radiating from the
It heaters 66 and 67 from flowing down below the plate to
18 interfere with the operation of the winding mandrels and material
I wound thereon which is positioned at the lower level of the
20 turret 78.
21 The heaters 66 and 67 are formed of stainless steel
82 cases with insulating board forming the surface facing the
28 path of travel of the containers. The heater elements them-
I selves are stamped, serpentine elements which are pinned to
I the insulating board. The inside heaters 67 have their steel
cases provided with metal brackets 98, which may be attached
27 to vertical plates 99 attached to a fixed plate or support 100.
28 The slots shown in the bracket 98 and plates 99 are for
29 purposes of adjustment of the inner heater 67, both in height
80 and in assuring that the three units abut each other when in
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1 operating position. The outer heater elements 95 are supported
2 by brackets 101, which are in turn fastened to a ring 102 by
adjustable connectors 103. The ring 102 has a vertical rod
104 fixed to the back thereof, with the rod 104 extending up
above the upper cross beam 28. The rod 104, of which there
e are more than one in the actual embodiment of the apparatus,
7 is a mechanism by which the outside heaters 66 may be raised
8 in order to provide access to the area between the two heaters
Obviously, this a ens is nut limited, inasmuch as the outer
lo heaters 9 5 can be raised above the chuck mechanism without
11 disturbing any of the mechanism. While a single rod 104 is
12 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, it should be pointed out that
18 the ring 102 will have a plurality of rods 104 connected
thereto, and these rods will be supported from above by a
I lifting mechanism snot shown).
I - As perhaps best illustrated when viewing Figs. 3 and 5,
7 the arcuate heaters 66 and 67 extend about approximately 180
18 of the circumference of the handling system. The heaters
19 each have seven serpentine elements formed thereon in vertical
20 spaced array. The upper two elements are separately controlled
21 to provide the radiant heat necessary to shrink the upper
22 portion of the sleeve into engagement with the underlying
28 bottle. The four elements immediately below are separately
I regulated to provide the required heat to shrink the sleeve in
26 the center portion of the container, and the lower, single
I element is separately controlled and its function is to shrink
27 the lower portion of the sleeve 89. As shown in Fig. 4, the
28 sleeve is in the position at which shrinkage begins, and to
29 shrink this lower edge into underlying engagement with the
80 heel and a portion of the bottom of the container, a single
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element is viewing this region. One problem encountered in
2 shrinking the foamed shrinkable material onto the container
8 is the fact that infrared heaters, of which the heaters 66
and 67 of of this type, only shrink the material which is in
direct view of the heaters. Thus, it can be seen that the
8 material at the bottom of the bottle, as it begins to turn and
7 shrink inwardly and upwardly, will pass outside the view-of - -
8 the heater element that is at the lower most position in the
array of the heaters. To insure that the sleeve is uniformly
10 shrunk and is brought into close underlying engagement with
11 the bottom of the container, Applicant has found that it is
12 important to have assistance in this area by providing a
18 manifold 105, which is adapted to contain hot air.
14 As best seen in Fig. 5, the manifold 105 is in the form
16 of a tube that extends from adjacent the end of the heaters 66
16 to approximately midway of the length of the full three
7 heater array 65. During the first one-third of the length
18 of the manifold 105, it is provided with a series of radially-
I extending openings 106 shown in Fig. 6. These openings will
20 direct hot air radially toward the center of the turret
21 machine at the approximate height of the manifold. The
22 middle one-third of the length of this manifold 105 is
28 provided with a series of two holes, with the holes 106
I continuing and another set of holes 107 directed more upwardly
26 as depicted in Fig. 7. At approximately two-thirds of the
26 distance or length of the manifold 105, the holes 106 are
27 discontinued, but the holes 107 are continued to adjacent the
28 end of the manifold. Fig. 8 shows the continuation of the
29 openings 107.
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1 With this particular arrangement and with the manifold
2 105 carried below the heaters as illustrated in Fig 3 by a
8 bracket 108, the containers, as they pass between the heaters
66 and 67, will begin to be shrunk into engagement with the
6 containers, and as the containers arrive in the zone of the
manifold 105, that portion of the sleeve which is below the
7 heel of the container will be impinged by the hot air issuing
through the openings 106, and this portion of the sleeve will
9 begin to curl up and shrink relative to the bottom of the
10 container. As the container continues along the path of
11 travel, the air directed through the openings 106 will be
12 impinging on less of the sleeve as the sleeve moves upwardly
18 into contact with the bottom of the container. However, the
14 openings 107 will then come into play and hot air will impinge
15 upon the bottom of the container itself, which therefore will
16 insure the complete shrinkage of the sleeve into contact
7 with the bottom area of the container.
18 While the foregoing description of the heaters with
19 seven elements is disclosed in detail, it should be kept in
20 mind that the height of the heater and the number of heating
21 elements is related to the height of the sleeve being shrunk.
22 The seven element heater disclosed is primarily for one liter
28 size ware. In the case of 10 oz. or 16 oz. bottles with
I shrinkable sleeves applied, the heaters will have only four
I elements each, since the height of the sleeve is considerably
26 less.
27 Turning now to Fig. 9, there is schematically shown the
28 configuration of the serpentine heater elements in the three
I sections of the outside heater 66 and the inside heater 67.
80 As previously explained, these heaters are in three ark
81 sections; however, in Fig. 9 they are shown flattened. The
32 first section of the heater 66 and the first section of the
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Norm 2~3
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I
1 heater 67 have their elements connected in parallel and are
2 controlled in the three vertical zones by the outputs from
8 three thermocouples 109, 110 and 111. The thermocouple 109
4 is connected to a controller 112, and the controller 112 is
connected to the two upper elements of the first sections of
the heaters 66 and 67. The thermocouple 110 is connected to
q a controller 113. This controller 113 is connected to the
8 four intermediate elements of both the heaters 66 and 67,
9 but only the first sections thereof, and a third controller
10 114 is connected to the thermocouple 111, and also is connected
11 to the two lower individual elements of the first section of
12 the heaters 66 and 67. In this manner, each of the zones of
13 the first section of the heaters is under control of a
I thermocouple and controller. The remaining four heater
I sections are connected together, with the top elements of the
18 sections being connected in parallel, and each is controlled
17 by a thermocouple as shown in Fig. 9. A thermocouple 115 is
18 monitoring the temperature of the upper two heater elements
I of the last two sections of both heaters 66 and 67.
20 thermocouple 116 monitors the temperature of the center zone
21 owe the four heaters, while a thermocouple 117 monitors the
22 bottom most zone of the last two sections of the heaters 66
28 and 67. Each of the thermocouples 115-117 is connected to a
I temperature controller which will control the current, and
26 thus the temperature of all of the heater elements in the zones
I being monitored by the thermocouples. With the system under
27 the control of the temperature controllers, it has been found
28 that containers successfully have the sleeve heat shrunk
29 thereon at various rates of bottles per minute.
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1 As an example with the top heaters in both the first
2 section and the second and third sections set at 1100F
and the intermediate heaters in the second and third sections
at 900F, with the bottom heater in the first section at
5 1140F and the bottom healer in the second and third sections
at 1220F, sleeves were successfully shrunk at a speed in
7 the range of 200 to 275 bottles per minute. This was found
8 to be satisfactory; however, when the hot air manifold was
g turned on, it was possible to achieve a rate in excess of
lo 300 bottles per minute processed through the apparatus.
11 While the foregoing description is primarily directed
12 to the placing and shrinking of sleeves on glass containers,
18 it should be apparent that the invention would have utility
14 in handling plastic containers or other objects that are
16 susceptible to handling in the same manner as glass containers.
16
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