Device and method for applying elastic film sleeves to containers

A device for applying elastic film sleeves to containers, comprising:

• a plurality of revolving stretching units for receiving and stretching the film sleeves in such a way that the containers can be slid into the film sleeves, each of the stretching units comprising a container area for receiving a container as well as a plurality of movable spreading fingers that are distributed around the circumference of the container area and that are for stretching the film sleeves away from one another, and, for producing at least a relative movement of the film sleeve and container with respect to one another in a radial direction, at least one servo motor drive is provided per stretching unit, the at least one servo motor driving the spreading fingers;
• at least one label dispenser for equipping the stretching units with the film sleeves;
• and
• a control device for activating the at least one servo motor in such a way that the spreading fingers are moved between an inner receiving position (S1) for receiving the film sleeves and an outer spreading position (S2) for spreading the film sleeves, and for coordinating the time sequence of a spreading movement of the spreading fingers with the transfer of the label sleeves from the label dispenser to the stretching units.