GB2227779A

GB2227779A - Fitting sealing strips

Info

Publication number: GB2227779A
Application number: GB8928471A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dieter Goedderz; Markus Reuvers
Original assignee: Draftex Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Laird Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 1988-12-20
Filing date: 1989-12-18
Publication date: 1990-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 2009-12-18
Also published as: JP2831067B2; GB8928471D0; DE3941376A1; CA2004418A1; FR2640553B1; CA2004418C; IT8909585A0; FR2640553A1; ES2020039A6; JPH02221582A; IT1238856B; GB2227779B; DE3941376C2

Abstract

An arrangement for mounting a sealing strip 7 on a mounting flange 6 comprises a body 12 preferably supported at the end of a robot arm. The sealing strip 7 is received by the body at A and driven through it to emerge at B. Its end may be engaged by a pivotted finger which may carry a spigot. As the strip movement continues, this finger pivots and constrains the strip to follow a curved path around a guide roller on the end of an arm. The robot arm 14 then moves the body towards the flange 6 so that the curved strip, as shown at C, engages the flange 6. Thereafter the finger is accelerated by a motor out of engagement with the strip. The robot arm then drives the body along the flange, thus laying the strip onto the flange. The first end applied may be left sticking up until the other end has been applied, when there is provided a mechanism to lay in the first end whilst compressing the strip 7 longitudinally. <IMAGE>

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FITTING A FLEXIBLE STRIP The invention relates to apparatus and methods for fitting a flexible strip. For example, the strip may be a sealing strip which is required to be fitted around a door or other closable opening on a motor vehicle body.

According to the invention, there is provided apparatus for use in mounting an elongate flexible channel-shaped strip onto a mounting flange or the like, comprising a portable body, and strip drive means carried by the body and arranged to feed the strip longitudinally along a predetermined path which is fixed in relation to the body and the distal part of which is external to the body and such as to present the strip for mounting on the flange as the body is moved along and in predetermined relation with the flange.

According to the invention, there is also provided a robot arrangement for mounting a longitudinal flexible sealing strip on a mounting flange around a closable opening on a motor vehicle body, the strip including a channel-shaped gripping part for embracingly gripping the flange, comprising: a robot hand including path defining means defining a predetermined path for the sealing strip, the final part of the path being external to the robot hand and being curved, the robot hand including motor-driven strip drive means for receiving an initial end of the sealing strip and driving the sealing strip along the path so that the mouth of the channel faces outwardly of the curvature of the final part of the path; and a robot arm supporting the robot hand and moving it towards the flange so that the mouth of the channel of the strip in the final part of the path embracingly grips the mounting flange, and including motor-driven arm drive means for thereafter moving the robot arm so that it carries the robot hand along and in predetermined relationship to the mounting flange so as to feed the strip into embracingly gripping relation with the flange.

According to the invention, there is also provided a method of mounting an elongate resilient channel-shaped strip on to a mounting flange or the like, comprising the steps of feeding the strip longitudinally towards the flange in a direction transverse to the length of the flange, constraining the initial end of the strip to follow a curved path so that the part of the strip immediately following the initial end presents the mouth of the channel to but spaced from the flange, moving the strip bodily towards the flange so that the said immediately following part of the strip embraces the flange and continuing to move the strip longitudinally and at the same time pressing it towards the flange so that the remainder of the strip embraces the flange.

Apparatus embodying the invention, and methods according to the invention, for fitting a sealing strip onto a motor vehicle door opening, will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the door opening showing the apparatus in diagrammatic form; Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the sealing strip with its end sectioned; Figure 3 is a cross-section of the sealing strip fitted onto a flange surrounding the opening; Figure 4 is a perspective enlarged view of a robot hand forming part of the apparatus; Figure 5 is a side view of the robot hand in the operational state, immediately before the strip is placed on to the flange; Figure 6 corresponds to Figure 5 but shows a later operational state; Figure 7 corresponds to Figure 6 but shows a still later operational state;; Figure 8 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow VIII of Figure 4; Figure 9 is a partially dismantled view of the robot hand; Figure 10 corresponds to Figure 4 but shows a modified form of the robot hand; Figure 11 is a side view of the robot hand of Figure 10 as it receives a sealing strip; Figures 12 to 14 correspond to Figures 5 to 7 but show the robot hand of Figure 10; Figure 15 corresponds to Figure 10 but shows a further modified version of the robot hand; Figure 16 is a perspective view of part of a sealing strip applied to a door opening; Figures 17 and 18 show the robot hand of Figure 15 applying the end of the sealing strip of Figure 16 onto the flange; Figure 19 corresponds to Figure 10 but shows another modified form of the robot hand; Figure 20 is a side view of part of the robot hand of Figure 19;; Figure 21 is a perspective view of part of the robot hand of Figure 19 at a position near to the completion of the fitting of the sealing strip; Figure 22 is a diagrammatic view of a guide pusher of the robot hand of Figure 21 at a stage in the fitting of the sealing strip immediately following that shown in Figure 21; and Figures 23 to 25 show stages immediately following that shown in Figure 22.

Figure 1 shows a door opening 5 of a motor vehicle body.

The door opening is defined by a flange 6 which is formed where the inner and outer skins of the body are welded together. In order to provide a seal for the door opening 5, the manufacture of the car body involves the fitting of a door seal (see Figure 2) onto the flange 6. As shown in Figure 2, the door seal comprises a channel-shaped gripping section 8 which, in use, embracingly grips the flange 6, and supports a soft tubular sealing section 10, so that the seal runs around the door opening, with the sealing section on the outside of the opening. As shown in Figure 3, when the door, part of which is shown diagramatically at 11, closes onto the opening, it partially compresses the tubular sealing section 10 so as to form a weather-proof seal.The apparatus and method now to be described are concerned with the automatic fitting of the door seal 7 onto the flange 6.

The apparatus comprises two parts: a robot hand 12 as shown in Figure 1, and a robot arm (not shown), the robot arm supporting the hand 12 by being attached to a fixture 15. The fixture 15 is best shown in Figure 4.

In a manner to be described, a free end of a length of the seal 7 (whose length is sized to fit the periphery of the door opening) is fed into the hand as shown at A in Figure 1 and the hand automatically grips it and presents the open mouth of the channel of the gripping section 8 towards the flange 6 as shown at B. The robot arm is programmed to move the hand 12 (under control of robot drive means not shown) towards the flange so that the gripping section grippingly embraces the flange 6 as shown at C. Thereafter, the robot arm moves the robot hand 12 around the periphery of the door opening and at an appropriate distance from the flange 6. During this movement, the hand automatically and continuously feeds the length of door seal onto the flange 6 until the hand has travelled around the complete periphery of the door opening.At the completion of this travel, the distal end of the door seal will be placed in position on the flange immediately adjacent to the initial end. As the robot arm drives the robot hand 12 around the periphery, it automatically adjusts the angular position of the hand to take account of the corners and bends in the periphery and so that the angle of approach of the seal 7 is appropriate at all positions.

As shown more clearly in Figure 3, the gripping section 8 is made of plastics or rubber material 16 which is extruded over a channel-shaped metal carrier 18. The extruded material 16 is extruded to form gripping and sealing lips 20 on the inside facing walls of the channel, and these make gripping and sealing contact with the side surfaces of the flange 6. The metal carrier may take any suitable form. For example, it may comprise a series of U-shaped metal elements arranged adjacent to each other to define a channel and either connected together by flexible connecting links or completely disconnected from each other. Instead, however, it may comprise wire looped to and fro and extending along the length of the channel.

However, other forms of carrier can be used instead. The gripping section may incorporate a substantially inextensible tape or thread 22.

As shown in Figure 4, the robot hand 12 comprises a seal drive section 24 containing three pairs of rollers (to be described below) which grip the sides of the seal and are driven so as to feed the seal longitudinally through the hand. These rollers are driven by a main motor 26 via a reduction gearbox 28. The drive shaft from the latter passes through a lid 30 to a belt driving section 32 which distributes the drive from the gearbox output shaft via a drive belt, to the three pairs of rollers in the seal drive section 24. The drive shafts from the belt driving section 32 to the pairs of drive rollers in the seal drive section 24 are supported in bearings in a bearing section 34.

A tachogenerator 36 monitors the speed of the motor 26.

In a manner to be explained, the seal enters the seal drive section 24 at A and emerges at the opposite end of the section. At the exit point, guide finger 40 is positioned. Guide finger 40 is pivotally mounted on an arm 42 extending from the body of the seal drive section 24. The locus of the guide finger 40 is shown by the dotted line D. As shown in Figure 4, the guide finger 40 carries a spigot 43 which is sized to be a reletively tight fit in the end of the channel section of the seal 7. Initially, the guide finger 40 is positioned so that it is adjacent to the point where the seal emerges. As the seal emerges, its channel-section 8 becomes locked on the spigot 43. As the seal continues to be driven, it swivels the guide finger 40 with it as shown in Figure 5.

Because its gripping section is locked to the spigot, the seal follows the substantially circular path D and comes into contact with a rotatable guide roller 44.

The robot arm now moves the robot hand 12 closer towards the flange 6 and the guide roller 44 presses the gripping section 8 onto the flange as shown in Figure 6. The guide finger is thereafter accelerated out of locking engagement with the seal end, this being carried out by means of a motor 46, a gearbox 48 and a belt 50, as shown in Figure 7.

The robot arm then commences to drive hand 12 around the periphery of the door opening. During this process, the seal driving section 24 drives the seal through the hand at an appropriate rate, and the gripping section is thus laid firmly onto the flange by being guided and pressed on to the flange by the roller 44. When the robot hand 12 has been driven completely around the door opening, the distal end of the seal will pass through the seal drive section 24 and will be laid onto the flange 6 adjacent to the initial end.

The motor 46 (Figure 4) is then energised so as to return the guide finger 40 to its initial position ready to receive a length of seal for the next door opening.

Figure 8 shows a view of the underside of the robot hand 12, looking in the direction of the arrow VIII in Figure 4, and with a base 51 removed. This Figure shows the three pairs of rollers 52, 54 and 56 between which the seal 7 is gripped and driven longitudinally through the unit 12 as the rollers rotate. The base 51 is formed with raised guide portions 58 so as to guide the seal 7 successively from one pair of rollers to the next on initial pick-up.

Figure 9 shows a view of the robot hand 12 with the motor 26, the gearbox 28 and the lid 30 removed. As is clearly shown here, a main drive roller 60 is driven by the output shaft of the gearbox 28 and frictionally drives a continuous drive belt 62. Drive belt 62 passes successively around the drive rollers 64, 66, 68, 70 and 72. In addition, it passes around a spring-loaded belt tensioner 74. It will be apparent that, by means of suitable drive shafts passing through the bearing unit 34 (Figure 4), drive rollers 64 and 66 rotate the pair of seal drive rollers 52 in the seal drive section 24, drive rollers 68 and 72 respectively drive the seal drive rollers of the pair 54, and roller 70 drives one of the pair of seal drive rollers 56, the other one thereof being freely rotatable.

Advantageously, the speed of the se 1 drive rollers 50, 52 and 54 is such, in relation to the angular movement of the robot arm, that the seal 7 is slightly compressed, lengthwise, as it is laid on the flange 6. This helps to offset the stretching effect which might otherwise occur and which would have the undesirable effect of laying the door seal partially under tension. If it were laid under tension, it would gradually resile over a period of time and this would have the effect that the two ends of the seal would part, leaving an unsightly gap and with defective weather sealing. This is avoided by laying the seal slightly compressed. The nominal length of the seal is predetermined taking this compression into account, so that the ends of the seal are fitted in contact each other.

There may be less than three pairs of drive rollers.

The length of seal is supported in any suitable way, for example on the robot hand or the robot arm, during the fitting process.

The belt 50, and other moving parts of the robot hand would in practice be enclosed within protective coverings.

The robot hand 12 shown in Figure 10 is identical, except for a difference to be described below, to the robot hand shown in Figure 4 and will not be described in full detail. The sole difference consists in the fact that the robot hand 12 of Figure 10 has a right-angled guide finger 40A which replaces the guide finger 40 and the spigot 43 in the robot hand of Figure 4 and is pivotted (like the guide finger 40) on the arm 42.

The purpose of the right-angled finger 40A is to guide the initial end of the seal 7 in a curved path as it emerges from the robot hand. As shown in Figure 11, the emerging initial end 7A of the seal 7 contacts the finger 40A. As the seal continues to emerge, it is forced to follow a curved path defined by the locus of the guide finger 40A as it rotates about its pivot point on the arm 42. The seal is held in contact with the guide finge 40A by its own resilience. This process continues until the guide finger 40A reaches the position shown in Figure 12, the seal following a substantially circular path and in contact with the roller 44.

The robot arm now moves the robot hand 12 closer towards the flange 6 and the guide roller 44 presses the gripping section 8 on to the flange as shown in Figure 13. The guide finge 40A is thereafter accelerated away from the end of the seal, this being carried out by means of the motor 46, the gear box 48 and the belt 50, as shown in Figure 14.

The robot arm then drives the hand 12 around the periphery of the door opening, all in the manner described in the connection with Figures 1 to 9.

The motor 46 (Figure 10) is then energised so as to return the guide finger 40A to its initial position ready to receive a length of seal for the next door opening.

Figure 15 shows a modified form of the robot hand of Figure 10. The robot hand of Figure 15 is identical with that of Figure 10 except for the addition of a plunger 90 which is attached to a piston slidable within a pneumatically or hydraulically controlled cylinder assembly 92. The plunger 90 can be caused to extend away from the cylinder 92 or to retract towards it by means of pneumatic or hydraulic supply lines 94 and 96. The cylinder assembly 92 is fixed to the side of the drive section 24 by means not shown.

In operation, the plunger 90 is initially completely retracted into the cylinder 92. The seal 7 then emerges from the robot hand 12 and is guided round the roller 44 by the guide finger 40A, all as described above in Figures 11 to 14. During this process, the plunger 90 plays no part and, because it is fully retracted, is clear of the seal and the guide finger 40A. The robot hand then places the seal on the flange and travels around the flange in the manner already described, placing the seal on the flange.

Eventually, the hand will have travelled completely around the door opening and will have laid the final end 7B of the seal on the flange as shown in Figure 16. As shown in Figure 16 (which omits the robot hand), the final end 7B is of course laid adjacent to the initial end 7A.

However, the initial end 7A and the immediately adjacent part of the seal are clear of the flange - because of the manner in which the robot hand applies the seal to the flange (see Figures 13 and 14).

The robot hand 12 then approaches the initial end 7A again, and at the same time the guide finger 40A is partially rotated by its drive motor 46 to the position shown in Figure 17 so that the guide finger passes between the end 7A of the seal and the flange 6, with the roller 44 engaging the outside surface of the gripping section 8.

Thereafter, the robot hand moves slightly away from the flange 6 as shown in Figure 18, to pull the seal away from the flange, and plunger 90 is caused to extend from the cylinder 92 so that it engages the initial end 7A of the seal and presses it on to the flange immediately adjacent to the final end 7B. Plunger 46 is then retracted, the seal retaining itself on the flange by the gripping action of the gripping section. The robot hand is then moved a short distance in a direction perpendicular to the flange 6, in the direction of the arrow X (Figure 18) to bring the guide finger 40A completely clear of the seal. During this process, the robot hand can also move slightly in a direction parallel to the flange (in the direction of arrow Y) to bring the roller 44 clear of the gripping section. The guide finger 40A is then rotated by the motor 46 into the position shown in Figure 14.Finally, the robot hand is moved back into the position in which the roller 44 engages the gripping section 8 and then moves to and fro parallel to the flange so as to press the initial end 7A of the seal into complete engagement with the flange so that the two ends of the seal abut each other.

In order for this fitting process to be most effective, the sealing strip should advantageously be slightly compressible lengthwise and should have a length which is slightly greater than the peripheral length of the flange.

The robot hand shown in Figure 19 is similar to that shown in Figure 10 except for the addition of a guide pusher 100. The guide pusher 100 is of channel-shape in cross-section (see Figure 20 which shows a side view of part, only, of the robot hand), the width across the inside of the channel being slightly greater than the total width of the gripping section 8 and the sealing section 10 of the strip 7. Midway along the channel of the guide pusher 100 a baffle 102 is mounted. This baffle has a slit 104 in it which is sized to be a clearance fit over the flange 6, for a purpose to be described.

In operation, the robot hand of Figure 19 operates exactly in the manner of that of Figure 10 in fitting the majority of the sealing strip onto the flange. The guide pusher is inoperative during this process. The guide pusher comes into effect for fitting the final end 7B of the seal onto the flange.

Figure 21 shows in diagrammatic form the situation when the robot hand 12 has travelled completely around the door opening and has laid the final end 7B of the seal 7 onto the flange 6. When this has occurred, the robot lifts the hand 12 (parts, only, of which are shown in the Figure) clear of the seal. The Figure shows that the final end 7B is of course laid immediately adjacent to the initial end 7A. However, the initial end 7A and the immediately adjacent part of the seal are clear of the flange because of the manner in which the robot hand applies the seal to the flange (see Figures 11 to 14).

The robot hand now moves sideways relative to the flange, by a distance corresponding to the distance R in Figure 20, so that the guide pusher 100 is now positioned immediately over the initial end 7A of the seal.

The next stage in the proceedings is shown in Figure 22, in which the robot hand is omitted, except for the guide pusher 100, for ease of explanation. As shown, the robot hand has now lowered the guide pusher 100 onto the initial end 7A of the seal, so that the latter end is now embraced by the guide pusher and close to but slightly to one side of the baffle 102. The initial and final ends 7A,7B of the strip slightly overlap as shown at S. The robot hand now moves the guide pusher 100 in the direction of the arrow Z as shown in Figure 23. The baffle 102 now abuts the end 7A and pushes it to the right (as viewed in the Fi.gure). This has the effect of "buckling" the sealing strip adjacent to the initial end 7A, as shown at 7C. The initial end 7A no longer slightly overlaps the final end 7B.

As shown in Figure 24, the robot hand now moves the guide pusher downwardly so as to press the initial end 7A firmly onto the flange. The initial and final ends 7A and 7B are separated by the baffle 102 whose slot 104 embraces the flange itself.

The robot hand is now raised relative to the flange and lifts the guide pusher 100 clear of the sealing strip (the latter being held on the flange 6 by the gripping action of the gripping section 8). The robot hand then moves sideways again relative to the flange, but in the opposite direction to the previous direction, so that the roller 44 is once more positioned over the sealing strip on the flange. The robot hand is then lowered to bring the roller 44 into contact with the strip on the flange and the roller is moved to and fro over the sealing strip by the robot hand and in the region of the location of the meeting ends 7A and 7B and presses the initial end 7A of the seal, and the immediately adjacent part of the seal, into complete engagement with the flange so that the two ends of the seal abut each other. The parts of the robot hand 12 except for the roller 44 are omitted from Figure 25.

Again, the sealing strip should advantageously be slightly compressible lengthwise and should have a length which is slightly greater than the peripheral length of the flange.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in mounting an elongate flexible channel-shaped strip onto a mounting flange or the like, comprising a portable body, and strip drive means carried by the body and arranged to feed the strip longitudinally along a predetermined path which is fixed in relation to the body and the distal part of which is external to the body and such as to present the strip for mounting on the flange as the body is moved along and in predetermined relation with the flange.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including robot means supporting the body and arranged to move it along the mounting flange in the predetermined relation thereto.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, including control means for controlling the drive means in dependence upon the rate of movement of the body along the flange.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which the control means so controls the drive means in relation to the rate of movement of the body along the mounting flange that the strip is slightly compressed lengthwise on the mounting flange.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, including guide means mounted on the body for receiving the initial end of the strip and guiding it along the said distal part of the path.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, in which the guide means comprises a movable member movable between a first position in which it receives and mechanically engages with the said initial end of the strip, and a second position, the member, while moving between the first and second positions, moving along the said distal part of the path and guiding the said initial end of the strip therealong.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, in which the guide means comprises a guide finger pivotally mounted on the body and movable between first and second positions such that a guiding part thereof extending transversely to the distal part of the path while in the said first position is resiliently contacted by the initial end of the strip and thereafter moves immediately adjacent to the path with the strip and guides the initial end along the said distal part of the path until the guide finger reaches the said second position.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, including a rotatable roller mounted adjacent to the said part of the path external to the body for guiding the strip along the distal part of the path.

9. Apparatus according to claim 6 or 8, including second drive means operative to move the movable member beyond the said second position and thereby to release it from the said initial end of the strip.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, including second drive means operative to move the guide finger beyond the said second position and thereby to release it from the said initial end of the strip.

11. Apparatus according to claim 7 or 10, including movable pusher means mounted on the body adjacent to the guide finger and controllably operable, while the guide finger is temporarily held at a position intermediate the first and second positions and contacting the strip adjacent to its initial end so as to hold it temporarily clear of the flange, to engage and push the initial end of the strip away from the body and on to the flange.

12. Apparatus according to claim 2 and to claim 9 or 10, including control means for controlling the second drive means in correspondence with movement of the said robot means, whereby the second drive means moves the guide member beyond the second position while the robot means commences to move the body in relation to the flange.

13. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, including strip support means for supporting a predetermined length of the strip adjacent to the body so as to be fed therefrom and into and through the body, the predetermined length matching the length of at least a predetermined part of the mounting flange.

14. Apparatus according to any prt edging claim, in which the strip drive means comprises a plurality of pairs of rollers with their bights spaced apart along the said path, and guide means for guiding the initial end of the strip successively between the bights.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, in which the drive means includes an electric motor and an endless belt for distributing the drive to at least some of the rollers.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the drive means leaves the initial end of the strip proud of the flange, and including pusher means mounted on the body for engaging the proud initial end and applying a force thereto in the direction of extension of the flange and away from the final end of the strip when the latter has been fitted on the flange, whereby to permit the initial end of the strip to be pressed onto the flange adjacent to but spaced from the final end.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, in which the pusher means comprises means defining a channel for loosely embracing the strip and a baffle situated within this channel for abutting the proud initial end of the strip.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, in which the baffle defines a slot for loosely embracing the flange as the pusher means moves towards the flange and the channel of the pusher means pushes the initial end of the strip onto the flange.

19. A robot arrangement for mounting a longitudinal flexible sealing strip on a mounting flange around a closable opening on a motor vehicle body, the strip including a channel-shaped gripping part for embracingly gripping the flange, comprising: a robot hand including path defining means defining a predetermined path for the sealing strip, the final part of the path being external to the robot hand and being curved, the robot hand including motor-driven strip drive means for receiving an initial end of the sealing strip and driving the sealing strip along the path so that the mouth of the channel faces outwardly of the curvature of the final part of the path; and a robot arm supporting the robot hand and moving it towards the flange so that the mouth of the channel of the strip in the final part of the path embracingly grips the mounting flange, and including motor-driven arm drive means for thereafter moving the robot arm so that it carries the robot hand along and in predetermined relationship to the mounting flange so as to feed the strip into embracingly gripping relation with the flange.

20. An arrangement according to claim 19, in which the robot hand has a body having an entrance for the sealing strip and an exit therefor and, mounted therebetween and defining part of the said path, a plurality of pairs of rollers with their bights spaced apart between the entrance and the exit, in which the path defining means comprises a guide finger supported adjacent to the exit and externally of the said body, and means constraining the guide finger to move in a locus corresponding to the said final part of the path and guiding the sealing strip therealong.

21. An arrangement according to claim 20, in which the guide finger includes spigot means for locking within the channel at the initial end of the strip and pivotting in response to movement of the strip, the spigot means being constrained by the finger to travel along the said final part of the path and carrying the initial end of the strip with it.

22. An arrangement according to claim 20, in which the guide finger has a guiding part extending tranversely to the final part of the path and which is resiliently contacted by the initial end of the strip.

23. An arrangement according to claim 22, including movable pusher means mounted on the body adjacent to the guide finger and controllably operable, while the guide finger is temporarily held at a position intermediate the first and second positions and contacting the strip adjacent to its initial end so as to hold it temporarily clear of the flange, to engage and push the initial end of the strip away from the body and on to the flange.

24. An arrangement according to claim 22, in which the drive means leaves the initial end of the strip proud of the flange and including pusher means mounted on the body for engaging the proud initial end and applying a force thereto in the direction of extension of the flange and away from the final end of the strip whereby to permit the initial end of the strip to be pressed onto the flange adjacent to but spaced from the final end.

25. An arrangement according to claim 24, in which the pusher means comprises means defining a channel for loosely embracing the strip and a baffle situated within this channel for abutting the proud initial end of the strip.

26. An arrangement according to claim 25, in which the barrier defines a slot for loosely embracing the flange as the pusher means moves towards the flange and the channel of the pusher means pushes the initial end of the strip onto the flange.

27. An arrangement according to any one of claims 21 to 26, including a guide roller freely rotatably mounted externally of the said body and adjacent to the final part of the path and on the inside of the curvature thereof so as to receive and guide the strip.

28. An arrangement according to any one of claims 20 to 27, including motor-driven finger drive means for positively driving the finger away from the initial end of the sealing strip after the sealing strip has completed its movement along the final part of the path.

29. An arrangement according to claim 28, including control means for co-ordinating the strip drive means, the robot arm drive means and the finger drive means.

30. An arrangement according to claim 29, in which the control means includes means for controlling the strip drive means to drive the strip at such a linear rate in relation to the rate at which the robot arm drive means the robot hand along the flange that the strip is partially compressed lengthwise when mounted on the flange.

31. A method of mounting an elongate resilient channel-shaped strip on to a mounting flange or the like, comprising the steps of feeding the strip longitudinally towards the flange in a direction transverse to the length of the flange, constraining the initial end of the strip to follow a curved path so that the part of the strip immediately following the initial end presents the mouth of the channel to but spaced from the flange, moving the strip bodily towards the flange so that the said immediately following part of the strip embraces the flange, and continuing to move the strip longitudinally and at the same time . pressing it towards the flange so that the remainder of the strip embraces the flange.

32. A method according to claim 30, including tha step of mechanically lifting the said immediately following part of the strip, holding the initial end of the strip into embracing engagement with the flange and immediately adjacent to the final end of the strip on the flange, and then pressing on to the flange the mechanically lifted part of the strip.

33. A method according to claim 31, in which the step of moving the strip bodily towards the flange so that the said immediately following part of the strip embraces the flange is such that the initial end is proud of the flange, and including the steps of continuing to move the strip longitudinally and at the same time pressing it towards the flange so that the remainder of the strip embraces the flange, pushing the proud initial end of the strip in a direction substantially parallel to the flange and away from the final end of the strip whereby to buckle the strip adjacent the initial end and partially lift it from the flange, pressing the initial end of the strip into embracing engagement with the flange immediately adjacent to the final end of the strip on the flange, and then pressing onto the flange any part thereof in the region of the said ends which is not already on the flange.

34. A method according to claim 33, in which the strip is slightly greater in length than the length of the mounting flange and the strip is slightly compressible longitudinally.

35. Apparatus for mounting a sealing strip on a mounting flange, substantially as described with reference - to Figures 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

36. Apparatus for mounting a sealing strip on a mounting flange, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawings as modified by Figures 10 to 14.

37. Apparatus according to claim 36, as modified by Figures 15 to 18.

38. Apparatus for mounting a sealing strip on a mounting flange, substantially as described with reference to Figures I to 9 of the accompanying drawings as modified by Figures 19 to 25.

39. A method for mounting a sealing strip on a mounting flange, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

40. A method for mounting a sealing strip on a mounting flange, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawings as modified by Figures 10 to 14.

41. A method according to claim 40, as modified by Figures 15 to 18.

42. A method for mounting a sealing strip on a mounting flange, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawings as modified by Figures 19 to 25.