Machine for applying heat shrinkable bands to containers

A band application machine for applying bands to containers passing on an underlying conveyor, comprising:

• (a) cutter means for cutting bands from a supply strip;
• (b) a pair of laterally-spaced gripper arms mounted on the machine with each gripper arm having a suction cup mounted thereon;
• (c) at least one gripper arm being movably mounted relative to the other gripper arm and moveable laterally across the conveyor such that the gripper arms and suction cups are moveable from a closed position where they engage and hold opposite sides of a generally closed band while the band is being cut from the supply strip by the cutter means to an open position where the gripper arms and suction cups assume laterally-spaced apart positions and the cut band held by the suction cups assumes a generally open circular shape;
• (d) means for moving the gripper arms and suction cups between the closed and open positions;
• (e) tilt means for tilting the gripper arms back and forth between a generally horizontal position where the suction cups initially engage the cut band and a downwardly-tilted position where the held open band is oriented such that the band is tilted and a portion thereof lies in the path of oncoming containers being conveyed underneath the tilted band;
• (f) a shoe assembly disposed generally on the downstream side of the gripper arms and suction cups and moveable generally horizontally back and forth between a retracted position that permits the arms to be tilted back and forth while clearing the shoe assembly and an extended position where the shoe assembly extends over a portion of the downwardly-tilted band and prevents the band from moving upwardly past the shoe as the tilted band is engaged and stripped from the suction cups by an underpassing container;
• and
• (g) means for moving the shoe assembly back and forth between its retracted and extended positions.

A method for applying bands to containers being conveyed on a conveyor past a band application machine, comprising the steps of:

• (a) feeding a band strip from a supply strip to a cutter, the band initially being in a generally closed, flattened position, and having a first side and an opposite second side;
• (b) gripping the closed band on the opposite sides of the band with opposing first and second gripper arms and cutting the band from the supply strip while the band is gripped by the gripper arms and held in an offset position with respect to the centerline of the conveyor;
• (c) opening the band by moving at least one of the gripper arms laterally across the conveyor so as to move the first and second gripper arms apart such that the band forms a generally open circular shape;
• (d) tilting the gripper arms and the open band from a generally horizontal position to a tilted band application position where a lower portion of the band extends into the container's path of travel;
• and
• (e) passing a container under the tilted band and engaging the lower portion of the band and transferring the band from the gripper arms to the passing container.

A method of applying heat shrinkable bands to containers being conveyed along a conveyor comprising the steps of:

• (a) feeding a strip of banding material to a cutter;
• (b) positioning two lever arms on opposite sides of the banding material with each lever arm having a terminal end portion that includes at least one suction cup;
• (c) closing the lever arms by moving at least one lever arm laterally across the conveyor towards the other to a closed position where the suction cups on the terminal ends of the lever arms grip an end portion of the banding material adjacent the cutter;
• (d) cutting the banding material while the banding material is held by the suction cups to yield a cut band which is held by the suction cups;
• (e) opening the held band and the lever arms by moving at least one lever arm laterally across the conveyor with respect to the other lever arm and in the process opening the cut band being gripped by the suction cups disposed on the terminal end portions of the lever arms;
• (f) tilting both lever arms and the held band with respect to the underlying conveyor such that a lower portion of the tilted band lies in the path of a container being conveyed on the conveyor;
• and
• (g) engaging the lower portion of the tilted band with a passing container and transferring the cut band from the tilted lever arms to the passing container.