CA2244779A1 - Container - Google Patents

Abstract

Containers are transported on rotatable support plates which are arranged in a circle on a rotating turntable.
The leading edge of a label is adhered to a container as it orbits past a vacuum-type label transfer drum. A curved guide which is tangential to the cylindrical body of the container as the orbiting and rotating container passes it causes the label to wrap completely around the container. One of a circular array of heat sealing elements which are rotating with the turntable adjacent each support plate is cammed radially outwardly of the turntable into contact with the region on the container where the trailing end overlaps the leading end of the cable. This fuses the ends of the labels together. The cam profile is adjustable in length to keep the time during which the heat sealing member is in contact with the label ends overlap constant independently of the rotational speed of the turntable.

Description

This is a division for co-pending Canadian Patent Application No. 2,074921 flled 3 July 1992.
Backqround of the Invention The inventlon disclosed hereln pertains to applying and sealing labels to containers and to the containers resulting from treatment with the method.
A machine for applylng and sealing labels to containers is described in U.S. Patent 4,694,633. In thls machine, each container is supported on a rotating disk so that the container rotates, as it ls carried by a turntable, to serve as a mandrel about which the label is wrapped. At the start of container rotation, a vacuum bar is driven into ~uxtaposition with the container periphery. The vacuum bar attracts the leading end of a label and carries the label around the contalner sufflciently for the tralllng end of the label to overlap the leadlng end. At this time, the overlapped ends are subjected to a heating element or a ~et of hot air which seals the trailing end to the leading end of the label. The vacuum bar is then withdrawn. This leaves a free space between the label and the container so the label flts loosely on the container. Thus, the additional step of heat shrinking the entlre label onto the contalner is re~uired.

The machine is only suitable for applying labels which are heat-shrinkable. Heating the entire surface of the label on the container is expensive and can result in wrinkles developing in the label. The machine is also not suitable for labeling prefilled aerosol cans which cannot be heated safely. Moreover, the thin suction bar and associated control mechanism are cost-ly to manufacture and are vulnerable to damage.
Another machine for wrapping labels around rotating containers is disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,272,311. In this machine, containers are conveyed in a straight line past an application station where a web of labels is drawn from a supply roll. Adhesive is applied at the interface of the leading edge of the label and the container. The leading edge of the web is then pressed against the container by means of a revolving belt. The individual label is cut from the web only after the web is partially wrapped around the container. To provide time for cutting, the web is stopped with a clamping device and the label which is already in contact with the container is torn or cut from the web along a perforated web. The label is then continuously rotated by reason of being in con-tact with the belt until the label is completely wrapped around the container. The overlap region of the leading and trailing ends of the label can be joined by having previously applied adhesive to the trailing end of the label or the trailing end can be sealed to the leading end by applying heat to the overlapped region. One disadvantage of the machine is that the adhesive-coated label is not separated from the web until the label is partially wrapped around the container which requires that the web be stopped for severing the label. This is obviously disadvanta-geous in that the method is intermittent rather than -continuous which results in its product output being low. When the machine is driven at higher speeds, there is not sufficient time allowed for a reliable fusion of the leading and trailing edges of the label to achieve a good seal. Consequently, applying adhe-sive to a large area on the inside of the label or to the outside of the container is often necessary. This is highly disadvantageous, particularly in the appli-cation of labels composed of thin and transparent film, for reasons of appearance. The known apparatus is not suitable for achieving high production rates of 40,000 to 80,000 bottles or cans per hour as is a com-mon requirement in the beverage industry today.
U.S. Patent 4,416,714 discloses applying an adhesive coated leading end of a label to a rotating container to effect wrapping of the label on the con-tainer. The label is secured by adhering the trailing end over the underlying leading end. Labels are fed, one at a time, to the containers from a vacuum drum.
Heat shrinking of the edges of the label to the con-tour of the container is disclosed, but heat sealing the overlapped label ends in addition to having adhe-sive applied near the trailing end as is described herein is not disclosed.
Japanese Patent No. Sho 57-23620, published May 19, 1982, discloses wrapping a heat shrinkable label around a container and heat sealing the overlap-ping trailing and leading ends of the label. The top and bottom edges of the label are heat-shrunk to con-form them to the contour of the container. A back-up bar is placed behind the overlapping ends, at least along the edges which extend over the contour, to al-low pressing the overlapping ends together by a hot heat seal member or a cold member when the label ends are sealed with glue. There is no disclosure of how the heat sealing tlme can be held substantially constant for dlfferent contalner transport speeds as ls descrlbed hereln.
Summary of the Invention The present invention provldes a contalner havlng a cyllndrical section on which a sealable label ls wrapped so that an overlap region ls formed between the leading edge and traillng edge of the label and the trailing edge ls sealed to the leadlng edge of the label, characterlzed ln that the label ls attached to the cyllndrlcal sectlon of the contalner by at least one narrow adheslve reglon near the leadlng edge of the label and lf necessary near the tralllng edge of the label, while the remaining area ls kept free of adhesive.
Only a small amount of adheslve ls re~ulred, applled elther to the leadlng edge of the label or to the container, to attach the leading edge of the label to the container rotating lt to cause wrapplng of the label around the contalner. Only sufficient adheslve is used on the leading edge to ensure that the label does not slip from the container during wrapping. The label is actually secured about the container when the tralling end of the label overlaps the leading end and the overlap region is heat sealed. The result is an extremely fast labeling method which produces containers on which the label is smooth and attractive even though a very thin or transparent film-type label is used. The width or height, as opposed to the length, of the label can be dimensloned so that the upper and lower longit--~;n~lly extending edges of the label ex-tend over radially inwardly tapered top and bottom margins of the container such that only the longitudi-nal edges, rather than the whole label, need to be heat shrunk to cause the edges to conform to the con-tour of the container. The adhesive selected to at-tach the leading edge of the label to the container is preferably one whose adhesive strength diminishes with time following sealing. This is permissible since the label is tightly conformed to the container surface by the tight wrapping and by shrinking the upper and/or the lower longitudinally extending edges. When suit-able label material is used on containers composed of plastic material, the adhesive can be a solvent that forms a tacky area when applied to the label or the container. This allows the label to be attached to the container for a short but sufficiently long time for the labels to be wrapped around the container but which provides for part of the adhesive effect to be dissipated after a few minutes or after longitudinal edges of the label are subjected to heat radiated from an electric heating element or from a jet of hot air projected on the edges of the label while the contain-er is still rotating.
In any case, when only a short time elapses between completion of the label wrapping step and heat sealing the overlapping ends of the label, it is nec-essary that the trailing edge of the label remains on the container during that time. This is achieved by mechanically pressing the label against the container, for example, or preferably by attaching the label to the container tentatively with narrow adhesive strips applied in the region just behind the trailing edge but with overlapping leading and trailing edges, which are to be subject to heat sealing, kept free of adhe-i sive. The advantage of having the adhesive near the trailing end of the label but not extending to the end is that only one layer of adhesive, the layer on the leading end, lies in the region where the ends overlap for heat sealing. The result is a more inconspicuous seal which is one objective of the invention.
When applying labels whose upper and lower longitudinal edges do not follow the contour of the container after the label is wrapped, it is advanta-geous for the unadhered lower and upper edge or edges of the label to be backed up or supported on the in-side facing the container so that the overlapping ends of the label can be sealed along the full height or width of the label. This assures that the upper and lower edges of the label in the region of overlapping will not separate or split open when the edges are subjected to heat shrinking.
An important feature of the invention is that the sealing time for the labels can be held con-stant independent of the present operating speed of the machine. This allows the labeling machine to be incorporated into a production line which has preced-ing and subsequent processing stages without the qual-ity of the sealed seam being adversely affected, that is, without the application of too much or too little heat when there are variations in the operating speed at the input or output side of the new labeling ma-chine.
How the foregoing briefly mentioned features of the new labeling method, resulting article and ma-chine are achieved and implemented, will appear in the following more detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

Description of the Drawings FIGURES 1-4 are schematic top plan views of the new labeling machine with its cover removed and respectively depicting four different embodiments of the invention' FIGURES 5-7 show cross-sections through the overlapping leading and trailing ends of a label con-tainer wherein there are, respectively, different ad-hesive patterns;
FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a label container which has an adhesive pattern on the label corresponding with the pattern shown in FIGURE 6;
FIGURE 9 shows a vertical section through the outer rim or periphery of the turntable of a la-beling machine, such as in FIGURES 1-4, showing how the container is subjected to an axially downwardly applied axial force which holds it firmly to a rotat-ing disk, this figure also illustrating how the upper longitudinal edge of a label which extends over the inwardly tapered part of the container is backed up with an element which prevents the upper edge of the label from collapsing inwardly when the overlap is being sealed; and FIGURE 10 is a diagram used for illustrating and explaining that the radius of curvature of the heat sealing member where it interfaces with the label on the container being sealed is greater than the ra-dius of curvature of the container.
Description of a Preferred Embodiment The labeling machine illustrated in FIGURE
1 has a turntable 15 which is driven rotationally about a vertical axis and carries several rotationally driven plates 16 which are shown in dashed line cir-cles where they are not supporting a container 1 which is to be labeled. One of the dedicated control devic-es 20, depicted only in FIGURE 9, which causes the respective rotary plates 16 to undergo a particular rotational sequence during a revolution of turntable 15. The containers 1 to be labeled are transferred to the rotary plates 16 in succession from a circular infeed conveyor 17 which is shown schematically.
There is a conventional centering container stabiliz-ing bell 19, shown in FIGURE 9, for each rotary plate 16. The centering bell 19 can be raised and lowered with the help of which containers 1, after being transferred from infeed conveyor 17, are clamped with an axially directed force to the associated container supporting rotary plate 16.
Positioned in the region directly behind the infeed conveyor 17, radially outwardly of clockwise rotating turntable 15, is an adhesive applicator 12, commonly called a glue roller, which applies a strip of glue directly on the passing containers 1. The adhesive applicator 12 is basically a rotating roller which, when glass bottles or metal cans are the con-tainers, applies preferably hot adhesive to the con-tainer or label or applies a solvent to the container or label when the container is composed of plastic material. The adhesive pattern formed on the contain-er or label by the applicator 12 depends on the con-figuration of the surfaces of the container and the adhesive roller. If the body of the container and the periphery of the adhesive applicator roller are cylin-drical, they make a tangential contact along a line which results in a narrow vertical strip of adhesive being transferred to the container. When hot melt adhesive is used, it is only necessary to apply adhe-sive to a few points to the leading edge of the label to hold it in place so that the adhesive applicator roller will have several projecting annular lands, not visible, axially spaced apart one above the other.
The resulting glue pattern in such case is illustrated by the three adhesive strips depicted in FIGURE 8.
Upstream of glue applicator 12 in the rota-tional direction of the turntable 15, a label transfer device 9 is positioned for depositing individual la-bels 2, which have been separated from a roll of la-bels, on containers 1. The label transfer device 9 in this particular embodiment constitutes a rotationally driven vacuum cylinder 14 which rotates synchronously with turntable 15 and, in this embodiment, in the same direction. The labels 2, which are cut to size al-ready, cling to vacuum cylinder 14 after having been separated from an incoming web of labels by a cutting device 7 positioned adjacent the vacuum cylinder 14.
The web is fed through web delivery pinch rolls 6 at a rate which is synchronous with the machine output from a supply roll, not shown, so that the labels 2 are positioned with their graphics facing the vacuum cylinder. The device which severs the individual la-bels from the web consists of a stationary blade 29 and a rotating blade 30 on the rotating vacuum cylin-der.
Oppositely of the main vacuum cylinder 14 and radially inwardly of the rotary plate 16 orbit 23 there is a curved stationary guide element 21 whose outer surface lies adjacent the containers 1. As the labels 2 are wrapped about the containers in succes-sion, guide element 21 guides the free end of the la-bel which is not yet on the container 1 and simulta-neously pulls the label taut so that it fits tightly on the container. The guide element 21 is preferably supplied with vacuum orifices, not shown, to enhance attraction of the labels. The length of guide element 21 is such that its downstream or trailing end guides the trailing end of the label at least until the label is completely wrapped around the container such that the overlap between the leading and trailing ends of the label is formed in the region 3 which is identi-fied in FIGURE 8.
Radially inwardly of the rotary plate 16 orbit 23 is a circular guide frame 28, shown in sec-tion, which holds radially reciprocable heat sealing members 22. Guide frame 28 rotates in synchronism with turntable 15. The number of heat sealing members 22 carried on guide frame 28 corresponds to the number of rotary plates 16 on turntable 15. The sealing mem-bers 22 are positioned to cooperate with the respec-tive rotary plates 16. There is an electric heater cartridge 37 on each sealing member. Positioned in-side of the guide frame 28 is a control device 24 which drives the heat sealing members 22 radially out-wardly. Control device 24 comprises first and second superimposed radial cams 25 and 26 which are adjust-able rotationally in relation to each other in the rotational direction of turntable 15 or in the oppo-site direction. Each heat sealing member 22 has on its radially inward end a guide roller 27 which is spring biased into contact with radial cams 25 and 26.
The spring which holds each roller in contact with cams 25 and 26 is not shown.
The first or upper radial cam 25 of control device 24 is held stationary on a central machine sup-port 31 in this embodiment while the lower or second radial cam 26 is rotationally adjustable about sta-tionary center support 31 by means of an actuation device, not shown, between two limit positions. The upper or first radial cam 25 determines the beginning of the heat sealing step by forcing a heat sealing member 22 radially outwardly into contact with the -label overlap, while the trailing edge of the lower or second radial cam 26 determines the end of the heat sealing step. Offsetting the lower cam 26 relative to the upper cam 25 enables the turntable rotational an-S gle during which a heat sealing member 22 bears on the overlapping trailing and leading label ends in the region 3 of label 2 to be enlarged or reduced in size in proportion to the present rotational speed of turn-table lS. Because the second or lower radial cam 26 is continuously adjustable within limits, the sealing time can be kept constant within limits by varying the control angle. In other words, the heat application angle is increased or largest when the output rate is high and is reduced as the output rate decreases.
The advancing edge of the first or upper cam 2S is positioned so that the sealing members 22 are pushed radially outwardly shortly before the trailing end of the fixed guide element 21 is reached and are applied to the overlapping end region 3 of a label 2 immediately beyond the end of guide element 21. The edge of the lower or second radial cam 26 begins shortly before the outfeed conveyor 18 is reached, and at the latest, so that the heat sealing members 22 can be pulled by spring action radially inwardly again to provide for removal of containers 1 from turntable 15 and for transferring of the containers to outfeed con-veyor 18. At the moment transfer of a container from the turntable to the outfeed conveyor 18 occurs, the ~entering bell 19, depicted in FIGURE 9, is lifted so that the container is free to be carried away on the outfeed conveyor.
The rotational or oscillation sequence of the container support plates 16 is such that a con-tainer 1 is set into rotary motion counter to the turntable lS after passing the adhesive applicator 12 , '~

or upon reaching the label transferring vacuum cylin-der 14, at the latest. After termination of the label wrapping step resulting from at least one complete revolution of the container, the rotary motion of the container relative to the turntable 15 stops for the sealing step with the overlapping label end region 3 pointing inwardly toward the sealing member 22 which is traveling along with it. In other words, the heat sealing member 11 is maintained in contact with the region 3 in which the leading end of the label is overlapped by the trailing end after the turntable orbits the container beyond guide 21. It should be remembered that the trailing end of the label will not have adhesive directly on it in the overlapping or sealing region and that the adhesive applied to the leading end is set back out of the overlapping region by a small amount.
The alternative embodiment of the new label-ing machine depicted in FIGURE 2 is basically the same as that shown in FIGURE 1 but differs in respect to the motion relationships in the area of the label transfer device 9 and in the wrapping of the labels around containers 1. In contrast to the FIGURE 1 em-bodiment, the vacuum cylinder 14 in the FIGURE 2 em-bodiment is driven counter-rotationally to the direc-tion of turntable 15. In other words, in FIGURE 2 the turntable 15 is rotating clockwise and the vacuum drum 14 is rotating counterclockwise. In this case, at the moment of label transfer from vacuum cylinder 14 to a container 1 and during subsequent wrapping of the la-bel around the container, the container is moved by rotary plate 13 in the rotational direction of the turntable so that a container 1 is rolled slip-free on the vacuum cylinder 14 when the leading edge of the label is delivered. Because the containers 1 rotate in the same direction as the turntable 15 in the FIG-URE 2 embodiment, the stationary guide element 21 is positioned radially outwardly.of the container orbit which is outlined by the dashed circular line 23.
The FIGURE 2 embodiment makes it possible to process labels which are longer than those which can be handled in the FIGURE 1 embodiment with a turntable 15 having the same divisional scale and it offers more favorable transfer conditions at the vacuum cylinder 14.
Since the electrically heatable sealing mem-bers 22 are positioned radially inwardly of the rotary plate orbital path 23, as in the FIGURE 1 embodiment, but the overlap region at the ends of label 2 point radially outwardly after wrapping the label, the con-tainer must be turned at least 180~ for sealing, so that the overlapped region is positioned opposite of a heat sealing member 22. To prevent the trailing edge 5 of the label from falling off the container during the 180~ of rotation, it must be attached to the container until the sealing member 22 is pressed against the label overlapping ends of the container.
For instance, attachment of the trailing end of the label to the container can be achieved mechanically by a method, not shown, wherein a pressing or guiding element is provided for each rotary plate and contain-er 1 thereon and revolves with them and is applied to the container at least by the time the container reaches the departing end of the stationary guide ele-ment 21, to hold the trailing part of the label 2 on the container until the overlap region 3 is aligned with and contacted with a sealing member 22. A press-ing or guiding element, not shown, of this kind is mounted for radial movement on circular guide frame 28 and actuated by an associated control device, not shown, slmllar to the control devlce deplcted ln FIGURE g for actuatlng heat seallng members 22.
Alternatlvely, the tralllng edge 5 of the label 2 can be held on the contalner by attachlng the tralllng edge slmllarly to the leadlng edge, but wlth a narrow adheslve reglon or polnts, applled before the overlap reglon 3 of the label 2 ls secured by seallng. In other words, the adheslve dots or llne ls applied near the tralllng edge but not so close to the tralllng edge as to be colncldent wlth any part of the area at the tralllng edge whlch overlaps the leadlng edge. In comparlson to the FIGURE 1 embodlment, thls modlflcatlon requlres no addltlonal mechanlcal parts. When the leadlng edge 4 of the label ls applled to contalner 1 by vacuum cyllnder 14, the rotatlon of the contalner 1 wlth rotary plate 16 must merely be ad~usted relatlve to rotatlon of the vacuum cyllnder 14 ln the area of the transfer devlce 9 so that leadlng edge 4 of the label does not completely cover the adheslve strlps prevlously applled to the contalner by the adheslve appllcator 12 for attachlng the label to the contalner. Thus, part of the adheslve applled to the contalner for attachlng the leadlng edge of the label ls exposed. Thls not yet covered part of the adheslve strlp or strlps ls contacted by the tralllng edge 5 of the label at a dlstance from the extremlty of the tralllng edge durlng subsequent wrapplng but the overlapplng reglon 3 ls kept free of adheslve for subsequent heat seallng although there ls a slngle layer of adheslve between the leadlng end of the label and the contalner. (See FIGURES 6 and 8).
Another alternatlve embodlment ls lllustrated ln FIGURE 3. It dlffers from the FIGURE 2 embodlment ln that lt has a dlfferent heat seallng devlce 11. The heat seallng devlce ln FIGURE 3 ls a curved heatlng element 32 whlch ls held statlonarlly radlally outward of the orbltal path 23 of the contalners and ls enclrcled by a thln, heat reslstant but heat transmlsslve bèlt 33 of fllm-llke materlal such as that -14a-608g5-1469 which is known by the trademark TEFLON. The belt 33 is diverted or directed by deflection rollers 34 and 35 at each end of the heating element. The deflection roller 35 iS driven rotationally synchronously with the current rotational speed of turntable 15 SO that belt 33 bears against container 1 and travels slip-free with it.
The process of wrapping a label 2 on a con-tainer 1 in the FIGURE 3 embodiment is the same as in the FIGURE 2 embodiment, for example, until the aft end of the guide element 21 iS reached. However, af-ter wrapping a label on a container is complete, the rotary motion of container 1, activated by a control device 20 of the rotary container support plate 16, is stopped near the aft end of the guide element 21 SO
that the region 3 where the ends of the label overlap faces radially outwardly of the turntable and in this position is conducted past the heat sealing device or element 11 while the container is orbiting with the turntable but it is not rotating relative to the turn-table.
As shown in the FIGURE 3 embodiment, heat sealing can be apportioned between one or more heating elements 11 which are positioned in succession on the turntable adjacent the course 23 followed by the ro-tating containers. The heating elements can be shift-ed away from the containers radially outwardly with actuation devices, not shown, to adapt the sealing rate to different machine outputs. At full capacity, both heat sealing elements 11 assume their radial in-side position, whereas at half capacity, for instance, one element 33 is shifted radially outward or deenergized to avoid overheating. This allows at least one-step adaptation of sealing time to different machine output. If the labeling machine should fail to stop because of a malfunction, all heat sealing members 11 can be shifted to the outer disengaged po-sition simultaneously.
In the FIGURE 4 embodiment of the labeling machine, the sealing device consists of several heated sealing rollers 36 positioned in staggered sequence inside and outside of the container orbit 23. In con-trast to the previously described embodiments, the containers 1 are still continuously rotated about their own axes in the same direction by the control device for the rotary plate 16, even after completion of the wrapping process, as they travel through the sealing region. The stationary heatable sealing roll-ers 36 are positioned in staggered sequence on the turntable 15 so the overlapped region 3 is always briefly pressed by one of the sealing rollers 36 in - alternation when it faces the respective radial inside or outside. To avoid slipping between the label sur-face and the surface of the sealing rollers 36, the rollers are driven synchronously with the speed of the label surface which is clinging to the container. By means, not shown in detail, the sealing rollers 36 can be drawn away from the containers radially inwardly or outwardly, respectively, so that the sealing time can be adapted to the present output of the labeling ma-chine or to the operating speed of turntable 15 as is the case in the FIGURE 3 embodiment.
FIGURES 5-7 show a section through a part of a container where the leading and trailing ends of the label overlap. In these figures, sealing of the label ends is completed. The three embodiments in FIGURES
5-7 differ only in respect to the adhesive regions 13 used on the labels 2.
In the FIGURE 5 option, only the leading edge 4 of the label is attached to the periphery or outside of the container wall 38 through narrow adhe-sive regions 13. The trailing end of the label is held to the leading end exclusively by the heat seal in the overlap region 3. It will be understood that the adhesive region 13 can be shifted laterally a cer-tain distance from the leading edge of the label so it no longer lies directly in the overlapping region 3.
As is also shown, the trailing edge 5 in FIGURE 5 can be sealed to the leading edge of the label by a seal-ing member 22 that is movable radially in relation to container 1 and can be adjustably heated by previously mentioned rod-shaped electric heating cartridge 37.
To prevent the label material from sticking to the sealing member 22 due to the heat of the sealing pro-cess, at least the part of the sealing member which interfaces with the label surface can desirably be coated with TEFLON. The sealing effect is influenced not only by the adjustable and controllable tempera-ture of the sealing members 22 but also by the pres-sure of the members against the container. The seal-ing members 22 are therefore biased by springs, not shown, which at the same time compensate for tolerable variations in the diameters of the containers which may occur.
In the FIGURE 6 embodiment, the adhesive region 13 holds not only the leading edge 4 but also the aft section of the label 2 in the vicinity of its trailing edge 5 to the container wall 38, although the overlap region 3 between the trailing edge 5 and lead-ing edge 4 of the label remains free of adhesive.
This is necessary to achieve a flawless seal. The adhesive pattern in FIGURE 6 is also discernable in FIGURE 8. It is not absolutely necessary that a con-tinuous vertical line of adhesive be applied parallel to the leading edge 4 of the label to obtain satisfac-~ , , tory adhesion and wrapping. Two or three narrow, ver-tically aligned and slightly horizontally extending adhesive stripes or dots are sufficient. These can be applied with an adhesive roller 12 having radially projecting annular lands acting directly on the con-tainers or with spray nozzles, not shown.
The application of adhesive only at certain points or dots, as indicated in FIGURE 8, can also be used with the adhesive arrangement of FIGURES S and 7.
FIGURE 7 shows an adhesive pattern similar to that of FIGURE 6 but differs in that no adhesive is applied between the leading edge 4 of the label and the con-tainer wall 38 in the overlapped region. Each adhe-sive region 13 is a certain distance from the leading edge 4 or the trailing edge 5 of the label. The ad-vantage of this is, because there is no superimposed mass of material and adhesive, the overlapping region 3 lies tightly against the container wall 38 after it is sealed which makes a less visible or invisible seal.
The adhesive patterns of FIGURES 5-7 can be applied, not only directly onto the container, as shown in the FIGURES 1-4 embodiments, but also direct-ly on the corresponding regions of the inside surface of the label. The adhesive roller or applicators re-quired for this must then be positioned on the periph-ery of the vacuum cylinder 14. The separated individ-ual labels 2 are held inside out on the vacuum cylin-der. To obtain the adhesive pattern of FIGURE 5, for example, the vacuum cylinder 14 may have radially mov-able slides, not shown, in proximity with the leading edge of the label so that a smooth adhesive roller with minimal radial interspace can be placed on the vacuum cylinder 14 to apply adhesive to the leading edge 4 of the label. These slides can also be used to ..

transfer the leading edge 4 of the label from the vac-uum cylinder 14 to the container 1 as the container is conveyed past it on the turntable 15.
In FIGURE 8, the label 2 is attached to the container wall 38 of container 1 using the adhesive pattern of FIGURE 6. Although the label 2 is held to the container wall 38 only at certain points by three narrow adhesive strips or dots 13 applied one above the other near the leading end of the label, the trailing end of the label is sealed continuously along its entire length to the leading end.
In processing containers having radially tapered sections at the top or bottom that are to be covered by a label that fits the container contour after the labeling process is complete, the label can be attached first directly to the cylindrical part with the narrow adhesive regions unwrapped by the pre-viously described method. Then to seal the overlapped region, a support is needed on the inside of the over-lap where it is not yet in contact with the outer con-tainer wall after wrapping so that it can be sealed along its entire length. After sealing, the extending portions of the label can be shrunk to the container contour by means of heat confined to the extending portions.
FIGURE 9 shows a container 1 clamped axially between a rotary plate 16 and a centering bell 19 where the upper edge of the label extends upward be-yond the cylindrical region of the container which is clamped between the top and bottom. To support the overlapped region 13 in this extending part of the label, a support surface designed in the form of a tongue 39 is mounted on the centering bell 19.
Attention is invited to FIGURE 10 for a dis-cussion of manner in which the hot curved surface 41 i~

of heating element 22 interfaces with the overlapped label ends on container 1. The container 1 is shown as a solid line circle that has a radius RG. The ra-dius of the heater element surface 41 is RS which is a little greater than RG. The heater element face 41 is an arc of the phantom line circle which is an extrapo-lation of the arc. Thus, the center of the heater element surface makes contact with the label on con-tainer 1 about where the lead line from the numeral 41 touches the container. This makes the sealed label overlap area less conspicuous which is desirable.

Claims (5)

1. A container having a cylindrical section on which a sealable label is wrapped so that an overlap region is formed between the leading edge and trailing edge of the label and the trailing edge is sealed to the leading edge of the label, characterized in that the label is attached to the cylindrical section of the container by at least one narrow adhesive region near the leading edge of the label and if necessary near the trailing edge of the label, while the remaining area is kept free of adhesive.

2. A container as in claim 1, characterized in that in the case of a container having radially tapered sections of its outer surface, particularly in the bottom and top regions, and a label extending over the tapered sections, the trailing edge of the label is sealed to the leading edge along the entire height of the label.

3. A container as in any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the adhesive effect of the adhesive regions between the label and the container wall diminishes after the sealing.

4. A container as in claim 3, characterized in that the adhesive regions are created with a solvent of the material composing the label.

5. A container as in claim 2, characterized in that the label fits the container wall after the heat treatment of the label regions assigned to the radially tapered surfaces of the container.