The invention relates to a method for controlling a production facility of a series of containers from a series of preforms made of plastic materials. The method includes a first step of producing a preliminary series of individual containers from a preliminary series of preforms made of plastic materials. For each individual container produced during a tracking period, the method records (i) a marking that distinguishes said container other containers produced during said tracking period, and (ii) data relative to the production facility, its operation, and/or the preform or container. The method also includes a second step during which one or more physical values of each of the individually identified containers are measured during the first step, and a third step of compiling a database that matches, for each individually identified container, the measurement(s) of the second step, and the series of data acquired during the first step.

Embodiments of a griddle of the type for an outdoor cooking station is provided herein. The griddle includes a flat cooking surface with a splash guard extending along a periphery of the flat cooking surface. The flat cooking surface defines a trough positioned adjacent a rear end of the cooking surface such that the trough includes a sloping surface extending downward toward a rear opening defined in the splash guard along and adjacent the rear end of the flat cooking surface. With this arrangement, as a user cooks food on the griddle, unwanted grease may be pushed to the rear of the griddle and into the trough so that the grease funnels down the sloped surface and through the rear opening and into a grease container centered below the rear opening.

Apparatuses and methods for applying a transfer material onto the surface of an article are disclosed, including methods of transfer printing on and/or decorating three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed and/or decorated thereby. Three-dimensional articles have a surface having two or more portions that each have a radius of curvature that are at least partially separated by an intermediate portion that has a lesser radius of curvature. The transfer material may be pre-formed and transferred to the surface of the articles and may extend continuously across at least parts of the two portions and the intermediate portion.

A machine for labeling containers conveys, along an advancement direction, the labels to be applied, which have a transfer drum which is adapted to bring individual labels into contact with corresponding containers which are supported by a conveyor. A spraying assembly faces the transfer drum and is adapted to apply glue on the labels; the spraying assembly includes at least one spray gun which has a plate-like glue dispensing body which faces the lateral surface of the transfer drum and is passed through by a plurality of dispensing ports, which are arranged mutually spaced apart along at least one row which extends substantially parallel to the axis of the transfer drum; a controller is configured to actuate a slowing of the advancement speed of the labels with respect to the spray gun before actuating the activation of the spray gun for the application of the glue on the labels.

A machine (10, 224, 258, 274, 292, 310) is selectively operative to apply markings such as labels, sleeves, decorations and indicia to containers (58, 130, 162, 254). The machine includes a lower conveyor (LC) (14) and an upper conveyor (UC) (28). LC shuttles (46) are selectively movable around an LC track (16). UC shuttles (52) are selectively movable around a UC track (30). The LC and UC shuttles are selectively movable to engage a container vertically intermediate of respective LC and UC shuttles. In the container engaged position each container is selectively rotatably and linearly movable so as to be positioned in engagement with applicators (108, 256, 296, 298, 300, 314, 316, 318, 320, 322, 324). The applicators are selectively operative to apply markings to respective containers in operative engagement therewith in a precise and repeatable manner.

A system for labeling a beverage container includes a conveyer structured to receive and transport the beverage container. The beverage container is prefilled with an ingestible content and sealed. The top of the beverage container has a mark that a lid reader uses to determine a orientation position and generate an alignment signal. Can positioning pads use the alignment signal to position the beverage container rotationally until the mark aligns with a reference position. An air blast station may be present to release high pressure air onto an exterior of the beverage container and a sleeve applicator overlay a shrink wrap sleeve around an exterior of the beverage container. A steam tunnel uses steam to cause the shrink wrap sleeve label to shrink onto the beverage container.

The present invention is related to a sleeve applicator system for applying a heat-shrinkable sleeve to an object that moves in a first direction. The present invention further relates to a corresponding method. According to the invention, a second mandrel is mounted in a flexible manner to a first mandrel. A second drive system is used for moving the heat-shrinkable sleeve from the first mandrel over the second mandrel towards the object. The second drive system is further configured to push the second mandrel such that the second mandrel moves along with the moving object during the application of the sleeve.

Methods for forming high shrink wrap label sleeves directly from a roll are disclosed herein. A seaming agent is applied to the label, where the trailing edge will overlap the leading edge to form a seam. The seaming agent is then exposed to radiation to cure the seaming agent and form a sleeve. The label comprises a film with at least one external layer that has a Hildebrand solubility parameter, and the seaming agent includes a component having a Hildebrand solubility parameter that is within 2.2 MPa.sup.1/2 or within 4.4 calories.sup.1/2.Math.cm.sup.−3/2 of the Hildebrand solubility parameter of the external layer of the film. The seaming agent also has a viscosity of at least 1 centipoise and less than 1000 centipoise when measured at any temperature between ambient temperature and 60° C.

Botanical materials are dehydrated, ruptured and comminuted into particles by blades or whips in a fluidized bed. Particles separated from a drying gas are transferred to reduced pressure insulated vessels. Solvents dissolve components of the particles under precise temperature control. Solvents are recirculated and distilled to recover distillates. Distillates are refined by thermal and pressure changes to remove fats, waxes and contaminants and are fractionated to specific essential oils. The essential oils are tested, winterized, filtered, decarboxilated, polished, diluted and discharged into collection vessels. The collected essential oils are pumped through needles into sealed cartridges. The cartridges are tamper-proofed, printed and labeled with batch, botanical source, process, tracking and tracing information and codes.

Botanical materials are dehydrated, ruptured and comminuted into particles by blades or whips in a fluidized bed. Particles separated from a drying gas are transferred to reduced pressure insulated vessels. Solvents dissolve components of the particles under precise temperature control. Solvents are recirculated and distilled to recover distillates. Distillates are refined by thermal and pressure changes to remove fats, waxes and contaminants and are fractionated to specific essential oils. The essential oils are tested, winterized, filtered, decarboxilated, polished, diluted and discharged into collection vessels. The collected essential oils are pumped through needles into sealed cartridges. The cartridges are tamper-proofed, printed and labeled with batch, botanical source, process, tracking and tracing information and codes.