Sealing foil liners to containers

1. An apparatus for sealing a foil liner to a sealing surface of a container that surrounds a mouth of the container, comprising:

a seal head to apply heat to said foil liner to heat said foil liner and said container sealing surface, said seal head including:

a body having a first end, a second end opposite said first end, and an axis extending through said first and second ends, said body further comprising an axially-facing sealing surface at said second end thereof facing away from said first end of said body; and

one or more fluid paths in said seal head for passing fluid through and out of said seal head and onto at least a portion of said foil liner extending across the mouth of the container.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein said seal head further includes:

a recess in said body at said second end thereof disposed radially inward of said axially-facing sealing surface; and

an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway both extending through said body and in fluid communication with said recess, said inlet passageway, outlet passageway, and recess defining said one or more fluid paths in said seal head.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:

a facing carried by the body of the seal head and disposed adjacent to said axially-facing sealing surface of said body of said seal head.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 3 , wherein said facing extends both radially across and axially into said recess.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 , wherein said facing has a central portion and said facing is coupled to said seal head body at said central portion thereof.

6. The apparatus set forth in claim 3 , wherein said facing has a peripheral edge and said facing is coupled to said axially-facing sealing surface at said peripheral edge.

7. The apparatus set forth in claim 3 , wherein said facing is affixed to said axially-facing surface by a mounting ring and one or more mechanical fasteners, wherein said peripheral edge of said facing is disposed between said axially-facing sealing surface and said mounting ring.

8. The apparatus set forth in claim 3 , wherein said facing comprises a first and a second aperture therein that, when said facing is coupled to said seal head body, correspond to said inlet and outlet passageways extending through said seal head body to allow fluid to flow from said inlet passageway into said recess and onto said foil liner, and from said recess into said outlet passageway, respectively.

9. The apparatus set forth in claim 3 , further comprising an insulating disc carried at said first end of said seal head body.

10. The apparatus set forth in claim 9 , wherein said insulating disc includes a first and a second channel extending therethrough that, when said insulating disc is coupled to said seal head body, correspond to said inlet and outlet passageways of said seal head body.

11. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein said seal head further includes an inlet passageway, one or more outlet passageways, and one or more fluid pathways in fluid communication with said inlet passageway and said outlet passageway(s), said inlet passageway, outlet passageway(s), and fluid pathway(s) defining said one or more fluid paths in said seal head.

12. An apparatus for sealing a foil liner to a sealing surface of a container that surrounds a mouth of the container, comprising:

a seal head to apply heat to said foil liner to heat said foil liner and said container sealing surface, said seal head including:

a body having a first end, a second end opposite said first end, and an axis extending through said first and second ends, said body further comprising an axially-facing sealing surface at said second end thereof facing away from said first end of said body;

an inlet passageway, one or more at least partially axially-extending outlet passageways, and one or more fluid pathways in fluid communication with said inlet passageway and said one or more outlet passageways, said inlet passageway, one or more outlet passageways, and one or more fluid pathways defining a fluid path in said seal head for passing fluid through and out of the seal head and onto at least a portion of said foil liner extending across the mouth of the container.

13. The apparatus set forth in claim 12 , wherein said one or more outlet passageways are disposed radially inward of an outer periphery of said seal head body and are configured to pass fluid out of said seal head and onto said foil liner in an at least partially axial direction.

14. The apparatus set forth in claim 12 , wherein said seal head includes a plate carried by said body of said seal head and disposed adjacent to said axially-facing sealing surface of said seal head body, wherein said one or more fluid pathways and said one or more outlet passageways are disposed within said plate.

15. The apparatus set forth in claim 14 , wherein said plate has a central portion and at least one of said one or more outlet passageways is disposed in said central portion.

16. The apparatus set forth in claim 14 , further comprising a facing carried by said body of said seal head and disposed adjacent to said plate.

17. The apparatus set forth in claim 16 , wherein said facing comprises an aperture therein that, when said facing is coupled to said seal head body, corresponds to one of said one or more outlet passageways in said plate.

18. The apparatus set forth in claim 16 , wherein said body of said seal head comprises a first piece and a second piece that are configured to be coupled together, and further wherein said plate and said facing are disposed between said first and second pieces of said seal head body when said first and second pieces are coupled together.