Heat shrinkable covering and method for applying same

A method of applying a close fitting protective covering to an article to be covered, which method comprises:

• providing a dimensionally heat unstable material in sheet form having longitudinally spaced end portions, the material having been stretched in the longitudinal direction from an original heat stable form to a dimensionally heat unstable form capable of moving in the direction of its original form by the application of heat alone,
• applying a hold-down adhesive to one side of the sheet across a transverse zone adjacent one of its ends, said zone being spaced from the other end by a distance greater than the girth of the article to be covered,
• wrapping the sheet around the article by laying the sheet against the article and overlapping said end portions, and bonding the adhesive-covered zone against the opposite side of the other end portion while leaving an adhesive-free zone at the interface between said overlapping end portions,
• applying heat externally to said overlapping end portions sufficient to effect a fusion bond therebetween at the adhesive-free interface, and
• further heating the material to shrink the sheet into close fitting relation with the article.