A band of foil is continuously pulled off a roll of the band and fed at a constant rate downwardly toward a station. The band is periodically deflected laterally from its path between the roll and the station so that the free end of the band in the station periodically stops completely. At the same time a succession of bottles is displaced transversely through the station, with one bottle being in the station each time the free end of the band stops. The free end of the band is pressed against the bottle in the station and is severed from the rest of the band each time the band stops in the station. Spots of adhesive are printed on the band on one face thereof upstream of the station and the deflector and advance rollers that engage this face downstream of the printing location only engage this face between the adhesive spots.