Apparatus for making packaging sleeves

In an apparatus for making a packaging sleeve from a sheet blank, including a mandrel having a length dimension;

• folder means for wrapping the sheet blank about the mandrel, whereby opposite free longitudinal edge zones of the blank are brought into an overlapping relationship on the mandrel;
• pressing means for pressing and bonding the overlapping edge zones to one another for obtaining a seam along the length dimension of the packaging sleeve;
• the improvement wherein said mandrel has a recess extending in said length dimension;
• said pressing means comprises an elongated first pressing shoe arranged to be receivable in said recess and to be displaceable in its length dimension parallel to the length dimension of said mandrel;
• said first pressing shoe having at least one face that complements a face of said mandrel into a substantially continuous folder face;
• said pressing means further including a second pressing shoe arranged to cooperate with said first pressing shoe for pressing overlapping edge zones of the blank sheet to one another;
• said pressing means further comprising shoe moving means connected to said first and second pressing shoes for displacing said second pressing shoe towards or away from said first pressing shoe into a pressing state and a relased state, respectively, and for shifting said first and second pressing shoes as a unit relative to said mandrel and parallel to the length dimension thereof for stripping the packaging sleeve from said mandrel with said first and second pressing shoes.