Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
' WO95/27613 2 1 87295 pCT/~5SlQ~331
00001 Method and Apparatus for Producin~ a Sleeve ~abel and
~00002 Container with such Sleeve Label
00003
00004 The invention LS first concerned with a method for pro-
00005 ducing a sleeve label of shrinkable plastic material,
00006 comprising providing a web of the material.
00007
00008 Such method is known for example from US-patent 3 767
00009 496. Further, it has been practiced to provide apparatus
00010 to form a sleeve of thermoplastic material on a series
00011 of rotatable sleeve-forming mandrels that are carried on
00012 a circular turret, for example as shown in US-patent 3
00013 802 942. There is disclosed the process of forming
00014 sleeves from the point where a foamed material is extru-
00015 ded as a tube; then slit into a flat sheet. The sheet is
00016 provided with a stretch orientation in the direction of
00017 its width by reason of its being inflated as it is extru-
00018 ded in the tube form. The inflation of the-tube stretch-
00019 es the tube in a circumferential direction, which pro-
00020 vides some built-in shrinkage in that direction and
00021 stretching the tube in the machine direction, imparting
00022 a much higher shrink capacity in the machine or longitu-
00023 dinal di-rection. Thus, when the longitudinally stretched
00024 material is slit in that direction and formed into a
00025 sleeve, it will, upon application of heat, shrink into a
00026 smaller sleeve or tube. Prior to forming the sleeve,
00027 this material is decoratively printed with appropriate
00028 artwork for the final customer. When the unshrunk sleeve
00029 is placed loosely over a container and heat is applied,
0003-0 the sleeve shrinks and is tightly fitted over the cont-
0003-1 ours of the container, providing a protective and de-
00032 corative label. Further, from US-patent 4 704 173 it is
00033 known to wrap a label stock in form of a web directly
00034 around the container itself using the container as a
WO95/27613 21 87295 PCT~P95/~331
~ ,
-
00035 mandrel, sealing the leading edge of the label to the
00036 container, rotating the container around its axis, lap-
00037 ping the trailing edge of the label over the leading
00038 edge and forming a seal. The wrapped container is then
00039 moved through a heated oven where the label is shrunk to
00040 the container. In the first process in which a sleeve is
00041 formed on a mandrel and is transfered to the container,
00042 the mechanisms are extremely expensive and the process
00043 places strict requirements on the label materials. The
00044 process of US-patent 3 802 942 requires that the contai-
00045 ners be transported from the normal plant conveyor -
00046 accurately positioned to receive the label sleeve - and
00047 then placed back on the plant conveyor after processing.
00048 The mechanism to provide the in and out transfer plus
00049 transport within the machine is very expensive. The
00050 sleeve material processed in this machine design must
00051 have sufficient top-to-bottom strength to be able to be
00052 stripped off the mandrel and onto the container in a
00053 smooth, uninterrupted manner. If the label does not have
00054 sufficient top-to-bottom strength, the label collapses
00055 in an accordion fashion forming unacceptable products.
00056 The machine mandrels, which perform the wrapping and
00057 sealing of the sleeve are required to spin around their
00058 axis during the wrap cycle. They must stop at a very
00059 accurate position to allow the seal to be made and then
00060 re-start the spin. These steps must be made during each
00061 rotation of the main machine. The stop/start mechanisms
00062 to perform these steps are not only expensive to build
OOQ63 the first time, they require continuous maintainance
00064 during the life of the machine. The process according to
00065 US-patent 4 704 173 has some limitations which rest--
-00066 ricted its use to round containers with limited varia-
00067 tion in contour, oval containers cannot be processed and
00068 containers which have variation along the outside surf-
00069 aces such as the traditional waist-shaped coke container
WOgSt27613 2 1 8 7 2 q 5 PCT~P9~l0033l
00070 do not provide the surface support to allow an accepta-
-00071 ble seal to be formed on the label using this process.
00072 Further, there have already been methods proposed to
00073 use hot air to seal the overlapped tail end of this web
00074 ~orming- the sleeve to the leading end, see for example
00075 US-patent 3 970 492 and German laid open publication 2
00076 462 343. The use of hot air seal improved the reliabi-
00077 lity of the process but did not reduce the expense or
00078 complexity of the process in that the mandrels had to
00079 rotate to wrap the sleeve and then stopped to allow the
00080 seal to take place and then renew rotation to pick up
00081 the next label. There has further been proposed an im-
00082 provement as to the process of the US-patent 4 704 173
00083 to allow a hot air sealing system to be used on the
00084 label cutting and registration drum, see US-patent 4 724
00085 029. However, there is only a very limited time availa-
00086 ble to hot air heat and seal the label material at
00087 reasonable production speed. The problem is also not
00088 solved with a further proposal made by US-patent 5 271
00089 783.
00090
00091 Therefore, a technical problem of the invention is to
00092 provide a method and an apparatus, which improve the
00093 shortcomings of the historical process used to shrink-la-
00094 bel containers. This is especially to provide higher pro-
00095 cessing speed andtor label application to a broader
00096 class of containers and~or significantly reducing the
00097 cost, complexity and maintainance requirements for the
00098 equipment. It is also a technical problem to be solved
00099 with the present invention to propose method to produce
00100 a label especially a sleeve label for an application to
00101 containers, which containers have no or only small
00102 cylindrical extensions but are rather conical or of
00103 other uneven shape. Further it is to propose an ap-
00104 paratus for prod~cing such label or label sleeve and
.
` WO95/27613 PCT~P95/00331
2 1 87295
00105 also to propose a method to produce a container with
00106 such label and a container with label.
00107
00108 This technical problem is first solved with regard to
00109 the method by the invention as described in the claim 1.
00110 It is of importance, that a contact between the overlap
00111 and a heated element is produced with the heated element
00112 being located inside of the sleeve by pressing the
00113 leading end of the sleeve against the heated element.
00114 Compared with the further method to create the sleeve
00115 described lateron, this method is especially advanta-
00116 geous with respect to thin web material of for example
~ 00117 5~0g/m 2 Preferably, the pressing of the leading end of
- J 00118 the sleeve against the heated element is performed from
00119 outside of the sleeve. However, it is also possible, to
00120 move the heated element being located inside of ~he
00121 sleeve, into a pressing contact with the leading end of
00122 the sleeve. The pressing contact between the leading end
00123 and the heated element involves or leads further to a
00124 contact between the leading end and the tail end and
00125 thereby, due to the heat transfered by the heated ele-
00126 ment, to a welding between the leading end and the tail
00127 end. It is further prefered, that the overlap is moved,
00128 for performing the welding, against the heated element
00129 by a contact~element or pressing element located outside
00130 of the sleeve. TXe method is performed such, that the
00131 pressing element and the heating element squeeze in the
00132 overlap for a very short time.
00133
00134 The invention is also concerned with a product, normally -
00135 a container, having a sleeve label produced according to
00136 the method as described before. Especially, the invent-
00137 ion is concerned with a label sleeve, the sleeve having
00138 a seam made by welding the leading end to the tail end,
00139 whereby the welding is performed from inside the sleeve.
.. I
' W095n7613 2 18 7 2 9 5 pCT~P95/00331
.
00140 It is of importance for the outer surface of the sleeve,
00141 that the welding is made from inside the sleeve, whereby
00142 inducing a very reduced harm to the outside of the
00143 sleeve compared with known sleeves. Also, it is of im-
00144 portance, that the seam has nearly no freely moveable
00145 overlap on the outer side but a freely moveable overlap
00146 on the inner side of the sleeve.
00147
00148 A further method of the invention is concerned with a
00149 stiffening of such sleeve. In this regard, it is of
00150 importance, that the method comprises producing extensi-
00151 ons in a substantially perpendicular direction with
00152 respect to a plane in which the-web extends. This
00153 characterization is ~ade with respect to the web not
00154 wrapped around a drum or a mandrel but extending
00155 straight in a plane. The invention provides mandrel
00156 designs, which form the sleeve label while continuously
00157 rotating. Further devices, which crease the label for
00158 increasing the column strength of the label thus redu-
00159 cing the label weight and improving the label position-
00160 ing accuracy. The creases allow to provide a sleeve with
00161 the necessary top-to-bottom strength without the need to
00162 improve the strength of the material itself. It is not
00163 necessary for example to increase the thickness of the
001~4 material in order to reach the desired strength. In
00165 further detail, the extensions are ribs or creases,
00166 which are made on the web material itself. For example
00167 by impressing the creases into the web or by folding the
00168 web such that the respective ribs are created. These
00169 extensions are also preferably oriented along a width of
00170 the web. This means,-that once the web is finally
00171 applied to the container, the extensions extend mainly
00172 in a vertical direction of the container. The extensions
00173 are further preferably resiliently, whereby the resilien-
00174 ce maybe due to the resilient properties of the web
' WO9~7613 ~CT~P95100331
~ 21 8~295
,
00175 material itself, at least as long as the web material is
00176 not yet shrunk, or that the resilience is due to the
00177 folding or other technique which may be used to produce
00178 the extensions. Especially by folding, there can be
00179 produced in the web an additionl length, which may serve
00180 as supply for the resilience when the web or maybe a
00181 sleeve made from such web is applied to a container,
00182 prior to shrinking the web on the container. This means
00183 that in further detail or may~e also independant from
00184 the features mentioned before, the method may also com-
00185 prise wrapping a web of the material having a leading
00186 end and a tail end around a mandrel, with the ends in an
00187 overlapping relation, keeping the ends in a first step
00188 in a distance to each other and applying heat to one or
00189 both of the end surfaces, and pressing the ends in a
00190 second step together for welding the tail end to the
00191 leading end. Further, it is prefered, that the mandrel
00192 is rotating during the wrapping of the web around it and
00193 that the heat is applied to the ends over at least one
00194 revolution of the mandrel. Also the heat can be applied
OOl9S by an air stream. In this respect, preferably, the hot
00196 air is directed from inside the mandrel through a gap
00197 created by the ends ~eing seperated - but in a overlap-
00198 ping relation - to each other. The extensions or creases
00199 or ribs may be also created during the revolution of the
00200 mandrel. Alternatively, the creases may be created dur-
00201 ing adherence of the web at a vacuum drum, which drum
00202 may be located in the overall process prior to the man-
00203 drel. In detail, the web is then delivered from the
00204 vacuum drum to the mandrel. To produce the creases dur-
00205 ing the adherence of the web at the vacuum drum is
00206 especially of advantage in case the web is provided with
00207 an adhesive in a manner per se known, for example hot
00208 melt glue or solvent, durin~ the adherence on the vacuum
00209 drum. By the same device which applies the adhesive on
21 87295
WO95~7613 PCT~P~/003~1
00210 the web, also the creases or ribs may be produced in the
00211 web as described later on in detail. Further, it is
00212 prefered, that the hot air is further supplied to the
00213 inside of the sleeve after the ends arè welded together.
00214 The hot air may thèn flow out in a vertical direction,
00215 especially when the containers, on which the web or the
00216 sleeve builded as described before, is to apply, are
00217 already in a vertically alined position to the sleeve.
00218 As long as the containers are not yet vertically alined
00219 to the mandrel or the sleeve builded on the mandrel
00220 respectively, there may be a lower seal or closure of
00221 the hot air manifold in the mandrel. The flow of the hot
00222 air along the inner side of the sleeve may also be of
00223 advantage with respect to a pre-warming of the sleeve
00224 already during its location on the mandrel. Of ore im-
00225 portance seem to be however, that the hot air exiting
00226 from the bottom of the mandrel may help the sleeve find
00227 center and slide on the container.
00228
00229 A further aspect of the invention is an apparatus for
00230 producing a heat shrinkable sleeve label. It is of im-
00231 portance, that an overlap of the leading end and the
00232 tail end of the web on the mandrel is in the region of a
00233 gap and that the gap has a heat source having a tempera-
00234 ture above a welding temperature of the web. This allows
00235 to press the overlap against the heat source or, alterna-
00236 tively to move the heat source against the overlap for
00237 welding the end in the overlap together. The contact
00238 time between the overlap, or, more specifically between
00239 the leading end and the heat source is preferably very
00240 short. For example, the contact time can be less than
00241 1/10 of a second, preferably less than 5/100 of a
00242 second, for example 15/1.000 of a second. More specifi-
00243 cally, the mandrel may have on both sides of the heat
0~244 source suction ports, by which the leading end as well
WO9S/27613 2 1 8 7 2 9 5 PCT~5~00331
00245 as the tail end of the web wrapped around the mandrel
00246 may be held. For example, over the circumference of the
00247 mandrel, there may be specifically three suction port in
00248 one horizontal plane. These suction ports, may however,
00249 in vertical direction, extend in form of a nut. By two
00250 of the suction ports, the leading end may be held on
00251 both sides of the heat source, whereas by the third
00252 suction port the tail end may be held, in a region,
00253 where the tail end is not yet in overlap with the
00254 leading end. Alternatively, it is also possible, that
00255 one of the suction port, the one who is located near to
00256 or at the edge of the leading end, may be such, that
00257 also the tail end is held by this same suction port. The
00258 heat source itself may be a tube, through which flows
00259 hot air. Further, the tube may have, at least on its
00260 side directed to the overlap, a teflon coating. The tube
00261 may be of copper. The pressing element or contact ele-
00262 ment may be in detail of different construction. ~irst,
00263 it can be a roller, which may have a soft covering, for
00264 example a rubber covering. Further, it can be a finger-
00265 like part, which is on its front part co~ing into co-ope-
00266 ration with the overlap and pressing the overlap against
00267 the heat source made of a soft material like rubber or
00268 which is made completely of the soft material. Also the
00269 pressing element may csonsist of two spaced apart to each
00270 other finger-like part (which may however have a verti-
00271 cal extension according to the vertical length of the
00272 overlap). The spacing may be for example 1 mm, whereas
00273 the two spaced apart parts may have each a whidth of 2mm.
00274
00275 According to a further aspect of the invention, which is
00276 also independant of the before described features of
00277 importance, the appartus may have elments for performing
00278 creases in the web or sleeve. Such apparatus comprises
00219 means for forming the sleeve by wrapping a web having a
21 87295
` WO95~7613 P~ 5S~0331
(_~
00280 leading end and a tail end around a mandrel and forming
00281 a seam in an overlap of the leading end and the tail
00282 end, and creasing means for establishing longitudinal
00283 creases in the web- The creasing means may first consist
00284 of a mandrel or a drum being in rolling contact with a
00285 roller, whereby the roller and the mandrel or the drum
00286 have recessions and projections respectively, whereby
00287 the creases in the web are produced being attached to
00288 the mandrel or the drum. Also, alternatively, one of the
00289 surfaces of the mandrel or the drum may be resilient,
00290 for example made by an appropriate rubber or foam materi-
00291 al. The mandrel may be the vacuum drum or the mandrel a~
00292 described before, on which the sleeve is finally pro-
00293 duced. The creases are mainly vertically directed with
00294 respect to the final attachment of the sleeve on the
00295 container. Further alternatively, the roller may have a
00296 resilient surface and the cylindrical means may have
00297 projections forming the creases in the web through the
00298 contact with the rolling means.
00299
00300 Further, the invention is also concerned with a contai-
00301 ner having a label sleeve of plastic material, which
00302 sleeve is attached to the container by shrinking the
00303 label on the container. The container is preferably of a
00304 contour, which has no or only a small cylindrical
00305 region, with respect to a vertical extension of the
00306 container. Further, the container may be of conical
00307 shape in the region, in which the label is attached. Of
00308 importance is, that the sleeve is first attached to the
00309 container with an overlength with respect to the overall
00310 circumferential length of the container but that the
00311 sleeve is already in thLs state on distant locations
00312 over the circumference of the container in contact with
00313 the container Such contact maybe in detail reached by
00314 creases or ribs formed in the web materia-l,-which
. WO95~7613 2 1 8 7 2 ~ 5 P~ 9~033l
_,
00315 creases or ri~s extend in a substantially vertical
00316 direction.
00317
00318 The invention is also directed to an apparatus for form-
00319 ing a heat-shrinkable sleeve label of plastic material,
00320 comprising a mandrel for forming the sleeve by wrap~ing
00321 the label around the mandrel. Hereby is focussed on the
00322 features, that the mandrel has means for applying heat
00323 to the ends of the label wrapped around the mandrel. By
00324 applying heat to the ends of the label being on the
00325 mandrel, it is possible, to produce a complete sleeve
00326 only by adhesion between the ends of the label. Hereby,
00327 the invention takes advantage of the comparatively long
00328 time, the wrap is on the mandrel, as the mandrel is
00329 turning around its own axis and further turning around
00330 a turret axis. In more detail, the mandrel is connect-
00331 able to a hot air supply. The connection is made prefera-
00332 bly during the turning of the mandrel around the own
00333 axis of the mandrel. As to this, the mandrel may have an
00334 internal conduit, being connectable to the hot air sup-
00335 ply. As already explained and as described in more de-
00336 tail later on, the conduit has an outflow orifice being
00337 radially directed. The conduit may have also an outflow
00338 orifice being directed axially to the bottom of the
00339 mandrel. In an embodiment, where the mandrel has suction
00340 ports to fasten the plastic sheet material on the man-
00341 drel, the radially directed outflow ofifice is arranged
00342 circumferentially between and on the shortest circum-
00343 ferential distance of such suction ports.
00344
00345 For the invention is further essential the underlying
00346 concept of the machine, that means in detail, that the
00347 mandrel is rotating around its own axis while moving
00348 from a web receiving location to a sleeve applying lo-
00349 cation. This rotating around its own axis of the mandrel
-
` WO95~7613 21 87295 PCT~SnO331
- 11
00350 provides for a certain time, to complete the sleeve,
00351 especially to~ complete the sleeve by applying heat to
00352 the leading and the tail end of the web and thereby
00353 creating a seam between the leading end and the tail
00354 end. In more detail, the moving of the mandrel between
00355 the web receiving location and the sleeve applying lo-
00356 cation is reached by the fact, that the mandrel is jour-
00357 naled on a turret and the turret is moving also around
00358 its own axis. As to the amount of the rotation of the
00359 mandrel it is prefered, that the mandrel is rotating
00360 around its own axis for about 360 , while rotating with
00361 the turret fQr about 45 , at least 30 . If, as in a
00362 prefered embodiment, the rotation of the turret between
00363 the web receiving location and the sleeve applying lo-
00364 cation is about 180 , the mandrel is rotating about four
00365 times around its own axis.
00366
00367 Further, the invention is described with respect to the
00368 attached drawings, wherein shows:
00369
00370 fig. 1 a schematic plan view of the machine;
00371
00372 fig. 2 a representation according to fig. 1, in an
00373 alternative embodiment;
00374
00375 fig. 3 a perspective detai~ view of the cutting
00376 station;
00377
00378 fig. 4 a schematic detail plan view of the mandrel
00379 being in rolling contact with a roll for pro-
00380 ducing the creases in the label on the mandrel;
00381
00382 fig. 5 a vertical cross section of the mandrel with
00383 hot air manifolds;
00384
' WO95~7613 21 87295 pCT~Sl~331
- 12
00385 fiq. 6 a horizontal cross section of the mandrel
00386 cutted along the line VI-VI in fig. 5 with a
00387 web attached thereon, with the ends in overlap- -
00388 ping but distant relation;
00389
00390 fig. 7 a schematic side elevation of the machine on
00391 the side where the sleeves are put on the
00392 containers;
00393
00394 fig. 8 a detailed view of the representation acc-
00395 ording to fig. 7, with an alternative embo-
00396 diment in which hot air is supplied i~side of
00397 the sleeve on the mandrel;
00398
00399 fig. 9 an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view of
00400 a container with a label sleeve thereon, prior
00401 to shrinking the label in intimate contact to
00402 the container;
00403
00404 fig. 10 a cross-section view of a sleeve with creases
00405 being applied to a container;
00406
00407 fig. 11 a schematically cross-sectional view of a
00408 further embodiment of the andrel with a web
00409 wrapped around;
00410
0041l fig. 12 the mandrel according to fig. 11, whereby the
00412 overlap is pressed into contact with a heating
004I3 element;
00414
00415 fig. 13 schematically and in perspective view dif-
00416 ferent forms of a pressing element; and
00417
00418 fig 14 a representation similar to fig. 9, with a
00419 label sleeve according to fig. 1-1 or 12.
21 87295
WO95127613 P~ 9~/~331
00420 Represented an~ described is, first with respect to fig.
00421 1, a machine 1 for producing a label sleeve 2 (see for
00422 example fig. 7 and 9) of a heat shrin~a~le material,
00423 especially a foamed plastic material. The ~lastic materi-
00424 al used is a polyolefin or copolymer of olefins, for
00425 example polyethylene or lamiates or coextrusion of polyo-
00426 lefins, e.g. a polyethylene foam layer and an ethylene
00427 acrylate film or a polystyrene foam with a polyolefin or
00428 polystyrene blend coextruded or lamitated layer. The
00429 process is also useful with non-foamed film laminates
00430 an~ coextrusion of polystyrene polyolefin blends in a
00431 single or multiple layers.
00432
00433 The plastic material~ is made in sheet or web form that
00434 is highly orientate~ in the longitudinal dimension (Md
00435 direction~ of the web which is to become the circum-
00436 ference of the sleeve. There may be some orientation in
00437 the cross dimension (Td direction) of the web; however,
00438 this should be minimal in relation to the longitudinal
00439 direction Md because this Td direction is ultimately the
00440 height dimension of the sleeve and it is desirable to
00441 control the top margin of the sleeve level at a straight
00442 line along the container. (see f.e. fig. 7)
00443
00444 Examples of plastic sheet materials that may be run in a
00445 web are foamed polyst-yrene or polyethylene coextrusion
00446 or laminates on the order of 0.006 to 0.020 inches thic-
00447 kness ~0.006 x 2.54 cm to 0.02 x 2.54 cm) and highly
00448 oriented in the running (Md) direction of the web. Md
00449 direction orientati~n for shrinkage should be at least
00450 30% and on the order of 60-80% is preferable. The cross
00451 (Td) direction orientation should be less than 15% and
00452 in the range o~ 0-15%.
00453
' ~ WO9S/27613 2187295 PCT~S/~331
14
00454 The plastic is preferably in form of a foam sheet with a
00455 foam/film coextrusion or film lamiate to reduce materi-
00456 als cost at the same strength, but the principles of the00457 invention will also work with non-foam plastic materials
00458 or solid sheets of properly manufactured plastics.
00459
00460 There is first an unwinding roll R of label material.
00461 The label material is delivered in form of a sheet S to
00462 a cutting station 3, which is in fig. 1 only schematic-
00463 ally,depicted..The cuttipg station 3 is shown in more
-00464 detail in fig. 3. The sheet S is advanced toward the
00465 rotatable vacuum drum 5 by a driver feed roll SS past a
00466 web guide 56 and a stationary directing bar 57 which is
00467 parallel to and adjacent to the outer periphery of a
00468 rotating member 58. The sheet S is guided by the action
00469 of the directing bar 57 and a primary feed guide 59 on
00470 the outer side of the passing sheet S toward the vacuum
00471 drum 5 and a final guide 60 guides the leading end of
00472 the cut web W into contact with the rotating vacuum drum
00473 5. Individual webs W are formed at a severing station
00474 indicated generally by reference number 61, by means of
00475 a knife 62 which is mounted on the,periphery of the
00476 rotating member 58 and which seers the sheet S into a
00477 succession of webs W by virtue of the periodic engage-
00478 ment of the knife 62 with fixed knife 63. The leading
00479 end of the web W emerging from the severing station 61
00480 is engaged by vacuum in the rotatable vacuum drum 5
00481 which is applied to the web W through vacuum post 64. A
00482 flexible plastic web w such as a web formed from a po-
00483 lystyrene foam/film laminate or coextrusion, is partly
00484 wrapped around a portion of the periphery of the rotatab-
00485 le vacuum drum 5.
00486
00487 After the sheet 2 has bee~ cut in webs 4, 4', the web 4
00488 is first adhered to a vacuum drum 5, which i-s- rotatable
` ~ WOxn7~l3 2187295 P~ S ~ 33l
00489 about its vertical axis. The vacuum drum S is further in
00490 nearly tangential relationship with a mandrel 6 at a
00491 wrap station W.
00492
00493 Prior to delivering the webs 4, 4' to the mandrel 6, the
00494 web 4 may be provided with a glue pattern and additiona-
00495 lly with a crease pattern. As to this, the vacuum drum 5
00496 is in a rolling contact with a rotating cylindrical
00497 applicator 7. This applicator 7 may have protrusions 8,
00498 which match with recessions 9 in the drum 5 for creating
00499 the creases 10 (see for example fig. 4) in the web 4.
00500 The glue pattern may consis-t of printing or w-iping the
00501 tail end of the label with a solvent adhesive located on
00502 applicator 7 which, when rotated about its axis, places
00503 the adhesive on the tail end of the web 4.
00504
00505 The web 4 is, as already indicated, thereafter delivered
00506 to the mandrel 6, on which the web 4 is also adhered by
00507 vacuum. This is shown in more detail in fig. 5 and 6. At
00508 the beginning of the angle beta (see below) ~ ~vacuum ~
00509 supplied to the màndrel 6 which transfers the web 4 from
00510 the rotatable vacuum drum 5 to the mandrel 6 when the
00511 vacuum on the vacuum drum 5 is interrupted. At this
00512 point the web 4 is wrapped around the mandrel 6 as it
00513 rotates and orbits in a counterclockwise direction
00514 around the machine apparatus. After 45 of turret rota-
00515 tion of the mandrel 6 around the machine turret 65, the
00516 web has completely covered the outside surface of the
00517 mandrel 6. During the 45 rotation of the total turret
00518 65 the mandrel 6 has rotated around its axis 360 . At
00519 the end of angle beta the roll 51 presses th-e leading
00520 end and the tail end together.
00521
00522 In detail, a leading end L of the web 4 is first fixed
OOS23 to the mandrel 6 by a suction port 10 inside the man-
WOgS~7613 PC~S/00331
~ 21 8~2~5
~ 16
00524 drel 6. Further, the web 4 is then wrapped around the
00525 mandrel 6. Near to the leading end of the web 4 but in a
00526 certain distance to the tail end T of the web 4 is a
00527 further suction port 11 in the mandrel 6. By this
00528 suction port, a rearward region 12 of the web 4 is also
.00529 adhered or fixed by vacuum to the mandrel 6. Further, in00530 clockwise direction therefrom to the first suction port
00531 10, the mandrel 6 is provided with a nozzle 13, being
00532 connected to a vertical conduit 14. Through his conduit
00533 14, hot air is supplied as described lateron in more
00534 detail. This hot air is discharged through the nozzle
00535 13, wh~r~hy an angle alpha between a tangent 15 on the
00536 mandrel 6 in the region of the nozzle 13 and the flow
00537 direction 16 is a sharp angle, at the embodiment shown
00538 in the range of 45 .
00539
00540 As it can be further realized from fig. 6, the web 4 is
00541 starting from the suction port 10 (in clockwise direct-
00542 ion) up to the suction port 11 in close contact to the
00543 outer surface of the mandrel 6. The tail end T however,
00544 beginning shortly after the suction port 11, is no more
OOS45 adhered to the mandrel 6. Thereby, it is possible to
00546 direct the stream of hot air exhausting from the nozzle
00547 13 on the inner side 17 of the taiI end of the web 4. At
00548 the same time, also the outer side of the leading end L
00549 of the web 4 is affected with hot air. The affection
00550 takes place in such an amount, that the tail end T and
00551 the leading end L on the respective sides of the web are
00552 heated up to a melting temperature so that they can
00553 lateron - which is not depicted in detail - be welded
00554 together simply by pressing them together.
00555
00556 The nozzle 13 may be in detail a slit extending in verti-
00557 cal direction over a length corresponding approximately
00558 to the vertical length (Width) of the web 4.
WO95~7613 PCT~5~0331
~ 2187295
17
00559 By exhausting hot air through the nozzle 13, adventa-
00560 geously the aerodynamic principle is used, that the tail
00561 end T is the more forced against the leading end L the
00562 higher the flow velocity of the hot air is. However, as
00563 long as the hot air is flowing, no contact between the
00564 (inner side of) the tail end T and the (outer side of)
00565 the leading end L is possible. Therefore, also the outer
00566 surface of the leading end is well heated. Finally, as
00567 already mentioned, by pressing the tail end and the
00568 leading end together, a seam is produced by welding and
00569 the sleeve is completed.
00570
00571 Alternatively, the sleeve may be produced by applying
00572 glue or solvent to the leading end L and tail end T, in
00573 which case the seam is already completed as soon as the
00574 web is completely wrapped around the mandrel.
00575
00576 Further alternatively to creating the creases already at
00577 the station of the vacuum drum 5, the creases may be
00578 also created only on the mandrel by several further
00579 wheels 18-20 in rolling contact with thë mandrel as
00580 shown in fig. 2. Fig. 2 is only indicative. The wheels
00581 18-20 are in praxis located such that the region of the
00582 seam comes always in contact with one of the wheels
00583 18-20. This arrangement is prefered in case the seam is
00584 produced by applying hot melt glue or solvent to (the
00585 inner side of) the tail end as descri~ed before.
00586
00587 As shown in more detail in fig. 4, a wheel 18 may have a
00588 resilient outer layer 22 whereas the mandrel 6 may have
OOSB9 in its outer surface 23 -rib-like protr~sions 24. The
00590 outer surface 23 and the protrusions 24 may be made from
00591 a hard material like metal (steel). By rolling the ~an-
00592 drel 6 against a wheel 18, the we~ 4 being attached to
00593 the surface 23 of the mandrel 6, the creases-c will be
~ WO95~7613 21 87295 P~ g~331
18
00594 produced in the web 4 or the sleeve 2 already completed
00595 respectively. There are in detail four creases c in
00596 equal circumferential distance. Whereas a mandrel is
00597 rotating with the turret, the wheels 18-21 are station-
00598 ary and may only rotate about their vertical axis. As a
00599 sleeve as shown has four vertical creases, also in this
00600 case four wheels 18-21 as shown are necessary.
00601
00602 After the sleeve has been completed on the mandrel 6 as
00603 described, during rotation of a turret 25 (see fig. 1),
00604 whereby the mandrel 6 is also rota~ing relative to the
00605 turret 25 about its vertical axis, the sleeves are push-
00606 ed down on the containers 26.
00607
00608 As to this end, the containers 26 are fed on a conveyor
00609 27 to a timing screw 28, by which the containers 26 are
00610 placed at such intervalls, that they match with the
00611 mandrels 6 atop of them.
00612
00613 As can be seen in detail from figure 7, a mandrel 6 with
00614 a sleeve 2 is aligned vertically to a container 26.
00615 Thereafter, the sleeve 2 is pushed down on the container
00616 26 as only depicted schematically by the downward moving
00617 sleeves 2', 2'' and 2'''. The creased sleeve 2 holds on
00618 a container 26 through the action of the creases forming
00619 a sleeve which expands as the creases are opened through
00620 the action of being pushed or stripped from the mandrel
00621 over the container. The "spring' action of the partially
00622 opened creases hold the sleeve at the correct height as
00623 the sleeve is shrunk. The containers 26 then proceeds
00624 along conveyor 66 downstream to a shrinking tunnel 67
00625 where heat is applied to the shrinkablç sleeve 2 which
00626 shrinks the sleeve into tight-fitting conformance with
00627 the container 26 forming the product container with
00628 sleeve
` V WO95~7613 21 87295 P~ 9~1~331
19
00629 With respect to figures 5 and 6 is described in more
00630 detail the inner structure of a mandrel 6 and the turret
00631 25.
00632
00633 In a stationary part 29 is supported a conduit 30, on
00634 which conduit vacuum is applied. The conduit 30 ends in
r- '~.
00635 a further stationary part 31. In this part 31 is built
00636 on the side facing to a further part 33 a circumferent-
00637 ial groove 3~,. Further, in intimate contact to the part
J
00638 31 is the part 33 which is rotating and has a groove 34
00639 corresponding to the groove 32. However, the groove 34
00640 is not built over the hole circumference of the part 33
00641 but rather only over a part thereof. As long as a groove
00642 34 registers with a groove 32, the vacuum is further
00643 supplied by conduit 14, as already described with res-
00644 pect to figur 6, inside of the mandrel 6 to the suction
00645 ports 10, 11.
00646
00647 The part 29 is provided on its outer circumference with
00648 a toothing. Thereby, part 29 is meshing with a toothed
00649 wheel 50. As the wheel 50 is connected with the mandrel
00650 6 and the mandrel 6 is further connected with the turret
00651 25 by the rotatinq part 23, there is a gear producing
00652 the rotation of the mandrel 6 about its own vertical
00653 axis.
00654
00655 Furthermore, there is a stationary hot air conduit 38.
00656 This conduit 38 is fastened in the stationary part 39.
00657 Above the stationary part 39 is a rotating part 40 of
00658 the turret in a ring form, which again serves to open
00659 and close the conduit 33 over the circle. The conduit 38
00660 is further in contact with a circumferential chamber 41,
00661 which is rotating and sleeve-like em~racing the mandrel
00662 6. This chamber 41 has an opening 42. This opening 42
WO95~613 21 8~5 P~l~r9~331
00663 registers with a hot air manifold 4 3 inside the mandrel
00664 6.
00665
00666 Further, inside the mandrel 6 is a vertically moveable
00667 rod 44, which is connected via spokes 45 with an outer
00668 stripper 46 on the mandrel 6. The stripper 46 may be
00669 moved down on the mandrel 6 and over a container 26
00670 vertically alined with the mandrel 6 down to a position
00671 as shown in dotted lines. Thereby, the sleeve 2 can be
00672 pushed down on the container 26 (see also fig. 7) .
00673
00674 The drive for the rod 44 is not shown in detail.
00675
00676 During a cycle of the turret 25 ~ the following procee-
00677 dings can be distinguished (see fig. 1). Starting on the
00678 location, where the mandrel 6 is in contact with the
00679 vacuum drum 5, first, over a first anqle beta of about
00680 45 one revolution of the mandrel 6 occurs, for winding
00681 the web 4 on the mandrel 6. In case, the seam is made by
00682 hot melt glue or solventr there is a roll 51 at the
00603 45 -station, to press the lead end to the tail end.
00684 Further, in case the seam is-produced by hot air
00685 sealing, there is a further angle gamma of about 135
00686 in which the seal in this case can be finished. There
00687 are different optional locations for seam seal rolls 52
00688 and 53, for pressing in thi-s case the tail end to the
00689 leadinq end of the web 4. One of the optional locations
00690 will be choosed in case additional heat is needed and/or
00691 on higher speeds. Delaying the pressure from roll 51 to
00692 the positions of roll 52 or 53 increases the time the
00693 we~ 4 is exposed to tail end heat from the air nozzle 13
00694 located in the various mandrels represented in this
00695 discussion by mandrel 6. In the 180 -position, the man-
00696 drel 6 and a container 26 is for the first time verti-
~ wog5n7613 ~7~ P~ ~95nO331
21
00697 cally aligned. The vacuum on the mandrel 6 is released
00698 prior to the web 4 (sleeve 2) reaching the 180 rotation
00699 of the turret 65. In the following a~out 45 (angle
00700 delta) the transfer of the sleeve from the mandrel to
00701 the container will be performed. Over this way, the
00702 stripper 46 moves down. The following angle epsilon of
00703 also 45 allows the stripper 46 to return to its "up"-po-
00704 sition.
00705
00706 In fig. 7 the alignment of the mandrel 6 with a contai-
00707 ner 26 and the stripping of the sleeve 2 and pushing on
00708 the container 26 is shown schematically.
00709
00710 There is also schematically shown a further feature of
00711 the machine as described, in that the vacuum drum 5 is
00712 vertically displaceable into a position 5'. In this po- '
00713 sition, with to the conveyor appropriately moved, the
00714 webs 4 can be applied directly to a container 26, in
00715 case it will not be necessary to produce first a sleeve
00716 2. In detail, the vacuum drum 5 is moved to the left in
00717 fig. 1. The shrinking oven 67 will then be positioned a
00718 bit more downstream in order to allow the vacuum drum to
00719 come into contact with the containers 26 on the conveyor
00720 66, in a per se known fashion.
00721
00722 Fig. 8 shows a further feature. In fig 5, it is shown,
00723 that the hot air manifold 43 in the mandrel 6 is closed
00724 at its bottom end. Howeverr it is also possible to open
00725 the hot air manifold 43 at its bottom end. In this case,
00726 there is provided a further stationary part 54, see fig.
00727 8.. The part 54 has a plate form. This plate blocks the
00728 hot air exït from the manifold 43 during the time, the
00729 mandrel 6 is moving over the first 180 or less. Prefera-
00730 bly, the part 54 ends (see end 55 in fig. 8) at the po-
00731 sition of the roll 53 (see fig. 1). Thereafter, until
` WO ~7613 2 1 8 7 2 9 5 PCT~5/00331
22
00732 the end of the angle delta, the hot air impinges the
00733 container shoulder, and eventually enters the space
00734 between the label and the container. This is shown in -
00735 more detail in fig. 9. Hot air entering the space SP
00736 between the stripper 46, the sleeve label 2 and the
00737-container 26 is of advantage in supporting the applica-
0073B tion of the sleeve 2 on the container 26. Also, ad-
00739 ditionally delivery ports can ~e included in the mandrel
00740 6, if desired.
0074l
00742 Further, in fig. lO there is schematically shown a cross
00743 section view of a sleeve 2 being applied to a container
00744 26 prior to the shrinking station. It can be seen, that
00745 the sleeve 2 is riding on the container 26 by means of
00746 the creases c, whereby there are four creases c over the
00747 circumferential distance. The re~ining parts of the
00748 sleeve are in distance to the container 26. However,
00749 this is only an idealized representation.
00750
00751 In fig. ll a schematic cross-sectional view of a mandrel
00752 is shown, around which the web W is wrapped such, that a
00753 tail end T is in an overlap to a leading end L. The man-
00754 drel 6 has a vertically extending U-shaped groove 68, in
00755 which is located a tube 69, also extending vertically.
00756 The tube 69 may be of copper and having a teflon coating
00757 70 on its side facing radially outward, to the open side
00758 of the groove 68. The temperature of the heated element
00759 may be in the region of 140-200 C. However, the tempera-
00760 ture of the heated element, the contact time and the
00761 contact pressure are to adjust according to the specific
00762 needs. These will be mainly due to the thickness and the
00763 properties of the web material. Further the groove 68 is
00764 of such depth, that the outer surface of the tube or the
00765 coating respectively is located for a distance d beneath
00766 an outer circumferential surface of the mandrel.
WO95~7613 ~ P~ 5~0331
(_'
00767 Further, there are suction ports 71, 72 and 73 for fa-
00768 stening the web with the ends in overlapping relation on
00769 the mandrel. Whereas the suction port 72 is located on
00770 the one - circumferential - side of the tube 69, the two
00771 other suction ports 72 and 73 are located on the other -
00772 circumferential - side of the tube 69.
00~73
00774 The leading end L bridging the open side of the groove
00775 68 is held by the two suction ports 71 and 72. The tail
00776 end, which extends not over the full width of the groove
00777 68, is only held by the suction port 73.
0077~
00779 Further, on the apparatus is arranged a pressing element
00780 74, which is on the embodiment shown made of a resilient
00781 cylindrical form. Due to the rotating movement of the
00782 mandrel 6, first around its own axis and second with
00783 respect to the turret, the pressing element 74 comes
00784 into contact with the mandrel 6 or the web wrapped
00785 around the mandrel 6 respectively. This contact is shown
00786 in fig. 12. One can see, that the pressing element 74,
00787 due to its resilient property, presses the overlap
00788 against the hot surface of the heating element 6g,
00789 thereby welding the leading end to the tail end from
00790 inside of the sleeve. Due to the specific welding
00791 technic and the location of the tail end relative to the
00792 groove 68, the seam created is very specific. Specifi-
00793 cally the very edge 74 of the tail end is located in the00794 region, where , as shown in fig. 12, the welding is
00795 performed. Viewed from the outside of the sleeve, there-
00796 fore, the seam so created is very uniform and nearly no
00797 freely moveable overlap remains on the outer side. On
00798 the other hand, a certain overlap O, which is freely
00799 moveable, remains on the inside of the sleeve.
00800
~ WO9S~7613 P~ 9~/~331
~ 21~7~
24
00801 Further, in fig. 13, schematically some of the possible
00802 configurations of the pressing element 74 are shown.
00803 Whereas fig. 13a represents also a cylindrical configu-
00804 ration, as in principle already shown in fig. 11, fig.
00805 13b shows a finger-like element, which is slightly
00806 reduced on its forward side. The tip 75 may press the
00807 overlap into the groove 68. The element according to
00808 fig. 13b may be arranged such, that it comes into a
00809 meshing relation with the mandrel, thereby going into
00810 the groove 68 to a certain extent. Nearly the same can
00811 be performed with the configuration according to fig.
0081Z 13c. With the two spaced apart pressing elements 76, 77,
00813 a double seam can be made. Two vertically, very near to
00814 each othe~ extending welding lines can be performed.
00815 Therefore, a distance f between the two elements 76 and
00816 77 can be very short, for example about 1 mm. The ele-
00817 ments according to fig. 13b and fig. 13c can be of alumi-
00818 nium for example.
00819
00820 Fig. 14 shows the sleeve created as before described on
00821 a container 26. It is shown, that the inside overlap O
00822 keeps the sleeve in this region - before shrinking - in
00823 a certain distance to the outer surface of the container
00824 26. On the other hand, the overlap O is of advantage
00825 with respect to an adjustion of the sleeve on a contai-
00826 ner, especially with a non-cylindrical surface, for
00827 example of conical outer shape. To a certain extent,
00828 this kind of sleeve may lead to a comparable result as a
00829 sleeve with creases as decribed also before. However, a
00830 sleeve as produced according to ~ig. 11-13 may be also
00831 combined with the creases described above.
00832
00833 The features of the invention disclosed in the preceding
00834 description, the drawings and the claims may be individu-
00835 ally as well as in a free combination of importance for
` WO ~7613 21 87295 P~ 5S/00331
'J:
00836 the realization of the invention. In the disclosure of
00837 the invention herewith also the disclosure of the appro-
00838 priate/attached priority document (copy of the prior
00839 application) are enclosed with their full content.
