Apparatus and method for applying a heat shrink film to a container

An apparatus for applying a solvent reactive heat shrink film to a container having a first outer wall section, defined by a major diameter, and having a second outer wall section, defined by a minor container diameter, comprising:

• a. a rotary vacuum drum for transporting a film strip upon its outer periphery, said strip having an exposed inner face;
• b. means for applying adhesive to said inner face of the leading end of the film;
• c. means for applying solvent to said inner face of the trailing end of the film;
• d. means for bringing a container into tangential contact with said adhesive on said film;
• e. a curved roll-on pad, spaced from and concentric with said vacuum drum, said pad cooperating with said vacuum drum to rotate the container and wrap the adhesively attached film around the container, compressively forming an overlapping solvent seal along a portion of the film seam supported by the first outer wall section of the container;
• f. means for applying compressive pressure to the inner wall of said film seam along a portion of the label unsupported by said first outer wall section, while the outer wall of said film seam is backed by said vacuum drum;
• g. means for applying heat to said unsupported portion of the film, shrinking said unsupported portion around said second outer wall section of the container.

An apparatus for applying a solvent reactive heat shrink film to a container having a first outer wall section defined by a major container diameter, and having a second outer wall section defined by a minor container diameter, comprising:

• a. a rotary vacuum drum for transporting a film strip upon its outer periphery, said strip having an exposed inner face.
• b. means for applying adhesive along one elongated edge of the inner face of the film, extending substantially from the leading end of the film to the trailing end of the film;
• c. means for applying solvent across said inner face of said trailing end, extending substantially from said one elongated edge to the other elongated edge of the film;
• d. means for bringing a container into tangential contact with said adhesive on said film;
• e. a curved roll-on pad, spaced from and concentric with said vacuum drum, said pad cooperating with said vacuum drum to rotate the container and wrap the adhesively attached film around the container, compressively forming an overlapping solvent seal along a portion of the film seam supported by the first outer wall section of the container;
• f. means for applying compressive pressure to the inner wall of said film seam along a portion of the label unsupported by said first outer wall section, while the outer wall of said film seam is backed by said vacuum drum;
• g. means for applying heat to said unsupported portion of the film, shrinking said unsupported portion around said second outer wall section of the container.