Owens-illinois, Inc.

Marshall G Brummett

George A Nickey

Russell W Heckman

James E Taylor

There is disclosed a brush assembly that is shaped to an elongated longitudinal contour corresponding with the path for articles carried by a conveyor between an assembly station, whereat sleeves of heat shrinkable thermoplastic are telescopically placed thereon, and a tunnel-like oven. The sleeves are positioned in the assembly station in a position for subsequent heat shrinkage. The sleeves are each engaged by flexible bristle or like projections of the brush assembly during movement between assembly and the oven which hold the sleeve in place on the article. The disclosed brush assembly is an improvement when added to the machine of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,271, and in one preferred form of the invention the brush assembly is used in conjunction with the water-cooled support bar of that disclosure. An adjustable support means is also disclosed for locating the brush assembly in relation to an elevation of the article and toward or away from said article.

Brush assembly holding sleeves positioned on a container

There is disclosed a method of covering glass containers with a preformed, cylindrical sleeve of a polyethylene or like polyolefin material, or laminates of polyolefins, that are heat shrinkable circumferentially of the sleeve and made from sheet of a foam or a laminate of said plastic material such as a foam-film laminate. Upon application of heat, the sleeve initially softens or becomes limp, and grows or enlarges, such that in its telescopic assembly on the upright bottle it tends to slip from position. The method includes supporting the sleeve from underneath during heating it for shrinkage by conveying the container and sleeve over a water-cooled sleeve support bar extending into the heating device a substantial distance allowing the sleeve to shrink onto the bottle. The sleeve support bar includes a lubricious surface layer adjacent the sleeve. The lubricious layer combined with water cooling maintains support surface below 200.degree. F, preferably below 150.degree. F, and prevents sticking of the plastic on the support.

Method of assembling plastic wrap on a glass container

There is disclosed a water cooled support bar comprised of a pipe within a pipe which assures the axial position of a cylinder-like sleeve of heat shrinkable foam thermoplastic material on a glass container during transport from an assembly station on a turret machine into a tunnel-type oven and until the thermoplastic sleeve shrinks sufficiently snugly onto the container to be held thereby. Polyethylene material, and perhaps other polyolefins, have the tendency to become more pliable and grow or enlarge under heat prior to actually shrinking. It is during this initial heat-up time the invention serves to retain the sleeve form in place on the container. The support pipe includes a Teflon or like lubricious surface layer at least along the side thereof adjacent the plastic sleeve lower edge. The lubricious surface layer combined with water cooling prevents sticking of the plastic on the support bar.

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Toledo, OH, United States of America

Marshall G Brummett