Apparatus for bonding a strip to an article surface

System comprising a strip, an end portion of an article, and an apparatus for use in bonding the strip to the end portion of the article, the article end portion including an article first surface having a first surface profile, the strip disposed on the article first surface, and an article second surface spaced apart from the article first surface and having a second surface profile, the article first and second surfaces being disposed with respect one to the other at a relative spatial position, the apparatus comprising:

• a body having there through a body channel shaped to receive the end portion of the article;
• the body channel defined by a plurality of inwardly facing body surfaces;
• the body surfaces including first and second support surfaces spaced apart and fixed in position relative one to the other substantially to coincide with the relative spatial position respectively of the article first and second surfaces, the first support surface shaped substantially to reproduce the first surface profile and to receive and register with the strip disposed on the article first surface, and the second support surface shaped substantially to reproduce the second surface profile and to receive and register with the article second surface;
• and,
• force means extending into the body channel toward the article end portion to apply force directly to the end portion of the article from within the body channel to move the end portion of the article toward the body first support surface, to press together the article first surface and the strip disposed thereon, to apply force between the strip and the body first support surface and to apply force between the article second surface and the body second support surface.