472,483. Sealing. PRAEMASSING, A. March 20, 1936, No. 8449. Convention date, March 20, 1935. [Class 146 (ii)] A method of producing a sleeve connection between the ends of a package binding strap comprises holding the strap under tension with its ends in overlapping relationship in an apparatus adapted to form the sleeve connection from a sealing strip, feeding a sealing strip in a direction parallel to the planes of the binding strap ends and transversely to the longitudinal direction thereof into a position in which it extends laterally beyond the side edges of the binding strap, and manipulating the apparatus to bend the laterally extending portions of the sealing strip around the binding strap to form the sleeve connection. As shown in Fig. 15, the joint consists of a sealing strip 62 bent around the ends 49, 50 of the strap, and deformations 90, 91 in the sealing strip and the strap ends. The frame of the apparatus consists of two connected base-plates having guide recesses 2 for the strap, the base-plate 11 carrying a tensioning-device 3 of known type consisting of two wheels 6 connected to a ratchet-wheel driven by two pawls on the oscillation of a lever 8, an eccentric 5 rotatable by means of a handle being provided for the adjustment of the wheels 6. The sealing- device is also carried by the plate 11 and consists of a casing having side walls 9, 10, 12, 13 in which is a slide 14, Fig. 3, carrying pivoted two-armed levers 15, 16 and a hollow central bar 25 in which is situated a spring-pressed plunger 29. The lower ends of the levers 15, 16 are hook-shaped and provided with projections 21 which during the sealing-operation co-operate with recesses 27 in the bottom of the bar 25 to make the deformations 90, 91 in the joint. The strap is tensioned, and the two ends 49, 50 are brought together and held against the side of a slot in the casing by an arm 47, and the sealing strip 62, preferably from a roll, is pushed along a guide slot 61 over and across the ends of the strap until the end engages a stop 58. A cam 38 having side projections 72, 73 and uneven circumferential periphery, and mounted on a shaft 39 is then turned by means of a hand-lever 40 so that the slide 14 is depressed. The end of the plunger 29 engages the sealing strip and strap ends, and the ends of the levers 15, 16 press the ends of the strip downwardly. The lower end 15<1111> of the lever 15 cuts off the sealing strip to the required length during its descent. At this stage, the projections 72, 73 on the cam 38 wedge between the upper ends 23, 24 of the levers 15, 16, and press these apart against the actions of tension springs 41, 42 which are connected to the levers and the shaft 39, the walls of the casing for the slide 14 being slotted at 88, 89 to allow the outward movement of the ends 23, 24. The lower ends of the levers 15, 16 are thus moved towards each other to fold the sealing strip around the ends of the strap, and to deform the strip and strap ends at 90, 91. The upper ends 23, 24 of the levers 15, 16 may have rollers thereon to facilitate the wedging action of the cam projections 72, 73, and rollers may also be provided on the upper end of the slide 14 where it is engaged by the cam 38. The inlet guide slot 61 has an adjustable cover plate 63 in the form of a spring tongue which bears on the sealing strip 62, and the counterpart 67 of the slot is adjustable inwardly of the apparatus to act as a cutting edge in conjunction with the edge 15<1111> of the lever 15. The stop 58 for the sealing strip is integral with the arm 47 which prevents transverse movement of the strap ends. The support for the strap ends during the sealing operation comprises a slotted polygonal member 83.