Device for placing sleeves on traveling articles

A device for placing sleeves, which are cut from a continuous sheath, on traveling articles, comprising:

• a shaper adapted to open the continuous sheath, the shaper having a central axis, and being held floating between first outer wheels and backing wheels of parallel axes carried by said shaper;
• a cutter including at least one blade mounted on a support that is arranged to rotate around the shaper, the at least one blade being capable of pivoting on said rotary support and remaining in a plane that is essentially perpendicular to the axis of the shaper, facing a groove in said shaper, and alternating between a retracted position and a cutting position in which it penetrates in part into said groove of the shaper;
• the support comprising a cam system that includes a first ring and a second ring, which are superposed and rotate about a common axis, the first ring defining a cam path parallel to a cutting plane and in a direction oblique to the radius of the first ring;
• a cam disposed in the cam path of the first ring;
• a blade carrier for holding the at least one blade, the blade carrier being connected to the cam by a pin oriented parallel to the common axis of the first and second rings, the pin being pivotally mounted on the second ring;
• second outer wheels being provided downstream from the cutter means to eject each cut-off segment of sheath onto an article located vertically under the shaper as a result of said article moving past a cell,
• wherein the alternating pivoting of the at least one blade between its retracted position and its cutting position is controlled by rotating the first ring and second ring at different speeds and with an alternating phase shift with respect to each other;
• and
• wherein the or each blade presents a free end that is arranged to pierce the wall of the sheath and to cut said wall while exerting a force thereon that is directed radially outwards.