Patent ID: 6880314

Claim:
An apparatus for wrapping an elongated article, comprising: an advancing mechanism engaged with the elongated article, wherein the advancing mechanism is operable to advance the elongated article in a direction along a longitudinal axis defined by the elongated article; a web supply arrangement for supplying one or more webs of wrapping material; a web application arrangement for applying the one or more webs of wrapping material to the elongated article so as to form an overlapping area of the wrapping material at an overlap location; and a bonding arrangement for bonding the overlapping area of the one or more webs together to secure the one or more webs about the elongated article, wherein the bonding arrangement includes application means upstream of the overlap location for applying a bond-forming agent to the overlapping area of the wrapping material; an internal backing member located adjacent the elongated article and underlying the overlapping area of the one or more webs, wherein the internal backing member extends downstream from the overlap location and downstream from the application means; and a pressure application arrangement located downstream of the application means, wherein the pressure application arrangement includes a pressure-applying member that bears against the overlapping area of the wrapping material and against the internal backing member to apply pressure to the overlapping area of the wrapping material and to the bond-forming agent to secure the overlapping area of the one or more webs together.