Importance

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Abstract

This invention discloses a method and apparatus for forming a tubular sleeve of a shrinkable cellular polymeric material from a predecorated web. Predecorated neck labels are formed from a web having a pair of cross-dimension score lines in precise location to facilitate flat folding. The neck labels preformed from the web are adapted to overlying the neck and closure of a bottle, for example, to provide a tamper-proof feature. Such labels are formed from a web by cutting a presized blank having, if desired, a partial-depth slit along the longitudinal dimension to provide a parting line, winding the blank on a mandrel while successively forming the score lines in precise location, and then overlapping the ends and seaming the same to make a tubular sleeve having precisely-formed sides adapted to uniform flat-folding. The sleeves are stripped from the forming mandrel, flat-folded and packed into tightly-nested stacks for subsequent use. The sleeves are subsequently opened and applied to the neck and closure of a bottle for heat-shrinking thereon to provide a snug fit. This disclosure pertains to both novel apparatus and method for making the sleeves from a semi-rigid plastic sheet blank and flat-folding the same for later use. The interior score lines are formed successively interiorly during winding of the blank just prior to heat seaming its ends on the same mandrel to ensure precise location of the score lines for flat-folding. The present invention relates to method and apparatus for making labels for containers of heat-shrinkable polymeric material which is preprinted or predecorated in web form and then cut to length into individual blanks for forming presized tubular sleeves. The cut blanks are scored in precise location on a forming mandrel and heat sealed into tubular form on the same mandrel to ensure flat-folding. The sleeves may then be packed in nested condition in a multipack for their application and heat-shrinking onto the neck and closure portion of a container in a subsequent operation. The shrunken label also provides a tamper-proof feature for the container.

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First Claim