Patent ID: 8616258

Claim:
A combination of an apparatus and tape to repeatedly apply seals on the opening of bottles or similar containers to be sealed, the combination comprising: a) composite laminar tape for mass-sealing bottles or similar containers; b) the tape having at least one flexible but not extensible support tape, which has a line of holes passing through a thickness of the support tape, the holes having diameters longer than diameters of openings of the bottles or similar containers to be sealed; wherein c) the holes are of equal diameter; d) and there is provided also an extensible laminar tape, wherein the extensible laminar tape is an extensible plastomeric film, which is made to adhere to the support tape; e) at least one applicator head, having at least a cavity or a notch whose shape is complementary to the opening of the bottle or similar container to be sealed; f) means for feeding the tape between said cavity or notch and the opening of a bottle or similar container; g) means for relative motion along the axes of the cavity or notch of the applicator head and the opening of the bottle or similar container in two directions, wherein the cavity or notch is fitted closely on the opening of the bottle or similar container and the applicator head is displaced from said opening; h) means for feeding a succession of bottles or similar containers, and for positioning them one after the other with their openings being coaxial or substantially coaxial to the cavity or notch of the applicator head; i) the applicator head having at least one face, in which the cavity or notch is formed, and is supported so as to be movable along the axis of said cavity or notch, i.e. substantially perpendicular to said face; j) the tape being unwound from a first coil and wound on a second coil, said applicator head being provided in a laterally staggered position connecting the first and second coils in order to force the tape to form a curve; and wherein k) the tape has a width greater than corresponding dimensions of the applicator head and the applicator head having edge corners around which bend lateral parts of the tape protruding over the corresponding dimensions of the applicator head.