Apparatus and dies for forming peelable tube assemblies

In an apparatus for forming tube assemblies of plastic tubular members which can be peeled to separate the tubular members from one another, a set of radio frequency dies placed about the tubular members to connect spaced portions of adjacent tubular members together, the die set comprising:

• a pair of dies having respective leading surfaces which can be moved between a tube-receiving first position and an operative second position wherein in the first position the die surfaces are spaced at a first predetermined distance from each other and in the second position they are spaced at a second predetermined distance less than the first distance for forming the tube assembly, the dies being formed from an RF energy conducting material;
• a plurality of cooperating grooves formed in the leading surfaces of the dies with grooves of the dies aligned with each other to cooperate to define die bores in the operative position, the die bores being sized to engage and radially compress the tubular members without occluding the flow passages of the tubes;
• and
• a land between pairs of adjacent grooves of the leading surfaces of the dies with corresponding lands on the die surfaces facing each other to define flow chambers for portions of the tubular members near the flow chambers which are plasticized upon application of RF energy to the dies for forming connecting webs of plastic between adjacent tubular members in the flow chambers when the dies are in their operative position.