In-line sealer

Apparatus for applying and sealing a thin flexible sheetlike disk to the top rim of an upwardly opening container, comprising:

• turret means rotatable about a substantially vertical axis of rotation;
• said turret means having a pocket wheel which is concentric therewith and which defines an outer periphery which is substantially concentric with said axis of rotation, said pocket wheel having a plurality of pockets formed therein in substantially uniformly angularly spaced relationship therearound, said pockets having a configuration for at least partially accommodating a container therein;
• elongate arcuate guide means positioned radially outwardly of said pocket wheel and extending arcuately along the outer periphery thereof through a substantial extent, said guide means cooperating with said pocket wheel for maintaining containers in said pockets;
• heating means positioned adjacent said guide means and extending longitudinally therealong over at least a significant arcuate extent;
• a plurality of substantially identical disk applying and sealing mechanisms mounted on said turret means and carried thereby for rotation therewith, said plurality of mechanisms being substantially uniformly angularly spaced around said turret means so that each said mechanism is disposed for cooperation with a single said pocket as provided on said pocket wheel, each said mechanism including a stacker unit mounted on said turret means for containing a vertical stack of said disks therein, and each said mechanism including a disk transfer unit for engaging and removing an endmost disk from a respective said stack and positioning it in engagement with the rim of a container positioned within the respective pocket, each said disk transfer unit including a movable disk-engaging head.