Apparatus and method for wrapping a plastic label around a container

In apparatus for applying labels to the cylindrical body of containers wherein the labels are individually cut from a moving web of a film-foam laminate of a thermoplastic polymer and carried by a vacuum drum from the cutting zone to a label applying zone, the improvement comprising means for applying a solvent for the polymer to at least two finite areas of the foam side of the label as it is being carried on the drum with the two areas being spaced apart such that one is adjacent the leading edge of the label and the other is a strip covering the trailing edge the solvent dissolving the polymer of the foam layer rapidly to form a momentary tacky bond at the finite areas of the leading edge sufficient to tack the label to the container, the leading edge bond becoming weaker and weaker as the solvent evaporates, there being means to wrap the label around the container while the leading edge bond is tacky enough to secure the label to the container sufficiently to anchor the leading edge thereto for wrapping, the bond formed by the tacky solution of the polymer in the solvent in the wrapped overlapped ends becoming stronger and stronger after wrapping, wherein said means for applying solvent comprises a gravure roll, rotatable about a vertical axis, with its periphery engaging the label carried by the drum, and further comprising a vertical fountain engaging said roll with means for supplying solvent to said fountain, said solvent supplying means further comprises an elevated container for said solvent, means for cooling the solvent in said container, means connecting the bottom of said solvent container to the bottom of said fountain and means connected to the top of said fountain for returning excess solvent from said fountain to said elevated container.

In a method of providing a label around a container having a body whereby the label is wrapped around the container and the plastic label comprises a foam polymer layer, the method comprising the steps of:

• A. transporting toward a wrapping station a sheet of the plastic label stock whereby the transporting is continuous and the length axis of the stock is parallel to the horizontal;
• B. cutting the stock to form a plurality of labels of a desired length;
• C. moving the leading edge of the label to a vacuum drum;
• D. placing and guiding the label on the periphery of the drum with the top face next to the peripheral drum surface;
• and
• E. wrapping the label around the container, the improvement comprising:
• F. just before wrapping, applying a low boiling, quick evaporating solvent for the polymer of the foam layer to the underside of the foam layer in at least a finite area adjacent the leading edge of the label to form a momentary tacky bond that is a viscous tacky solution of the polymer in the solvent in the finite area, the bond between the label and the container becoming weaker and weaker after wrapping, whereby the label can be easily and cleanly stripped from the container so the container can be recycled;
• and
• G. applying the solvent to a finite area of the trailing edge to form a solid adhesive bond between the foam layer and the overlapped end of the label, the bond at the overlapped ends becoming stronger and stronger.