Banding method and apparatus with acceleration of band along floating

Abstract

Banding apparatus in various embodiments include accelerator members for accelerating plastic bands downstream along a floating mandrel for propelling them at high speed with significant kinetic energy in being ejected off from an end of the mandrel toward and around articles to be banded. In one apparatus belts accelerate elongated label bands to more than 1,000 feet per minute. The peripheries of tear-off rollers turn continuously at a first speed for tearing successive bands off from perforated plastic tubing which may be pre-perforated label tubing. Alternatively, plastic tubing may be perforated during operation by continuously feeding flattened tubing between perforator and anvil rollers positioned upstream from the mandrel. Accelerator members shown as rollers or as revolving belts have repetitive first and second peripheral speeds alternating with each other in cycles. The first speed matches peripheral speed of the tear-off rollers during a portion of each cycle when both the tear-off rollers and the accelerator members are engaging a band. The second speed is suitably higher than the first speed for propelling bands downstream at high speed along the mandrel, for example being at least 2.2 times faster in one embodiment and at least 3.7 times faster in another. In a different embodiment, elongated pusher elements on four belts project into four longitudinal channels in a mandrel for pushing bands downstream at high speed along the mandrel and then ejecting them from the mandrel with a final acceleration kick.