The Boeing Company

Liepelt & Son, Inc.

Gregory E Jansen

Edwin E Thompson

Babak Sayyadi

Dennis W Fritz

An automated applicator (120) for forming a welded identification sleeve (34) around an elongate object, such as a conductor (16), includes a base (124, 146, 148) defining a receiving surface (186) for receiving the conductor. A reversible line-feed printer (18) for feeding a weldable material strip (24) is positioned adjacent the receiving surface of the base. The printer is capable of selective operation in an advance mode to advance the leading end portion (22) of the material strip toward a first end of the base and transversely past the conductor, and a reverse mode in which the material strip is retracted away from the first end of the base. The applicator includes a guide member (151) mounted on the base and positionable adjacent the receiving surface for guiding the lead portion of the material strip, when advanced by the printer, around the elongate object. When so advanced, the leading end portion of the material strip overlaps the material strip in order to wrap the conductor. The applicator further includes a vacuum line (244) and grip assembly (246) mounted on the base for gripping the wrapped lead portion of the material strip during operation of the printer in the reverse mode to tighten the wrapped material strip around the conductor. An ultrasonic welder (33) mounted on the base welds the wrapped lead portion of the material strip to the material strip, thereby forming the tubular sleeve around the elongate object. A cutting blade (52) mounted on the base cuts the tubular sleeve from the material strip.

Method and apparatus for forming a welded identification sleeve

A cylinder press converted to printing foil embossed images onto a printing stock. A supply roll of foil bearing ribbon is mounted forward on the reciprocating chase and the ribbon is extended over the chase through a pair of adjusting guide rollers to a stationary take-up mechanism. In the take-up mechanism, the ribbon is wrapped around a puller roller and onto a rewind roller. One of the guide rollers is stationary and the other reciprocates in a parallel path in at least half the speed of the reciprocating chase. The ribbon is wound in a serpentine configuration around the reciprocating guide roller forward to the stationary guide roller and back to the take-up mechanism to thereby retain a fixed pathway length regardless of the position of the chase. The ribbon is wrapped around the puller roller having a friction gripping surface for non-slip pulling of the ribbon. A stepping motor provides precise rotational control of the puller roller and a programmable computer is selectively programmed for the desired sequence of ribbon movement.

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Hillsboro, OR, United States of America

Gregory E Jansen