Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CD7789~
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
3 This application is related to the
application which matured into United States Patent No.
5 4,024,011 entitled LABEL APPLICATOR WITH REPETITIVE SEQUEN-
6 TIAL FIRING ORDER AND METHOD.
8 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Label applicators apply labels to articles as the
11 articles are conveyed past the label applicator. Typically,
12 the labels are releasably adhered, in a single column, to an
13 elongated backing strip. The label applicator removes one
14 of the labels from the backing strip and releasably retains
it at a labeling station. As the article to be labeled nears
16 the removed label, it is applied to the article. Label ap-
lq plicators of this type are shown, for example, in U.S. Patent
18 Nos. 3,093,528 and 3,729,362.
19 Label applicators of this type, while satisfactory
20 for many applications, can introduce delay into an assembly
21 or packaging operation in which labeling must be carried out.
22 For example, label indexing or advance; i.e., the removal of
23 a label from the backing strip and applying it to a suitable
24 retaining means, is relatively slow while ~he transfer of a
25 retained label to the article can be rapidly carried out.
26 Label indexing can be sufficiently slow so that the labeling
27 function is caused to be the slowes-t operation on the pro-
28 duction line.
; 29 Other work operations also involve the repetitive
30 supply of elements to a work station so that such elements
31
`32
;6 -1-
. .
~77i~
1 can be affixed, assernbled, Larnina-ted, etc., to ar-ticles
2 being conveyed through the work s-ta-tion. In some of the
3 work operations, the repeti-tlve supply of the element is
the slowest step in -the process, and accordingly, this li-
mits the speed with which the articles can be conveye~
6 through the work station. Thus, other work opera-tions in-
7 volve problems similar to the label application problem
8 described above.
g In the case of label application, it is known
to use a wide backing strip and to provide two side-by-
11 side columns of labels on the backing strip. In this event,
12 two labels are simultaneously removed and releasably retain-
13 ed at the labeling station and the two labels are simultane-
la ously transferred from the retaining means to either the
same or different articles. However, in order that this
16 prior art arrangement can be used to appl~ labels to differ-
17 en-t articles, it is necessary -that article spacing bear a
18 predetermined relationship to label spacing on the retain-
19 ing means so that the articles and the labels are properly
relatively positioned. This problem is so significant that
21 this arrangement is basically unsuited for most label appli-
22 cation jobs.
23
2~ SUMMP.RY OF THE INVENTION
26 This invention materially speeds up operations
27 which involve associating elements with articles. The in-
28 vention is particularly applicable to -those operations in
2~ which the repetitive supply oE elernent~ to a work station
is the slowest portion of the operation.
31
32
~L~778~
1 This invention is applicable to an operation i~
2 which elements are repeti-tively supplied to a plurality of
3 positions with the positions defininy a row at a work station
4 and with the axis of the row extending generally in a first
direction. Retaining means releasably re-tains first and sec-
~ ond of the elements at the first and second positions, respecti~
7 The articles are moved through the work station in
8 the first direc-tion with a first of the articles preceding a
; 9 second of the articles. The first element is downstream, in
the direction of article movement, of the second element.
11 Transferring means is controlled by control means so that it
12 transfers the first and second elements from the retaining
13 means to the first and second articles, respectively, as the
14 first and second-articles are moved through the work sta-tion.
In the pre~erred transferring order or firing order, the con-
1~ trol means causes the transferring means to initiate the trans-
17 fer of the first element to the first article before initiating
18 the transfer of the second element to the second article. In
19 other words, the elements are transferred sequentially, in a
reverse firing order, with the most downstream element being
21 the ~ext element to be transferred. In a broader sense, how-
22 ever, the control means enables the transfer of the most down-
23 stream element and the actual trans~er se~uence is dependent
24 upon various other fac-tors, such as article spacing and the
; 26 spacing between the positions of the elements.
26 The elements can be any member which is to be as-
27 sociated with an ar-ticle. For example, the elemen-t may be
28 any member which it is des:Lred -to affix to, deposit on or
29 within, assemble with, laminate to, etc., the article. By
~ way of example, -the elernent may be a label or sheet which is
31 to be adhered to the art:icLe; however, the invention is not
32 limited to the use of sheet-like elements nor to ad~esive
~ ~g7q~g~
1 a-ttachment between the element and the article, R~ther, the
2 invention is primarily applicable to those work ope,rations
3 in which the repetitive supply of elements to the work sta-
tion is carried out slower than is desired or is the slowest
part of the work opera-tion per~ormed a~c the work sta-tion.
6 The present invention is applicable wherever the transfer
7 sequence o~ this invention is useful to increase speed of the
8 operation being performed.
g The supplying means which supplies the elements
can be any device which is capable of intermittently supply-
11 ing the elements to the positions at the work stations. The
12 supplying means may supply a group of the elements simultane-
13 ously to the work station or it may supply the elements non-
14 sequentially in accordance with any desired program~
For example, in the field of label application,
16 the labels can be sheet fed or roll fed to the retaining
17 means. If the labels are roll fed, they may be provided
18 in two or more side-by-side columns on an elongated backing
19 strip. This increases the number of labels per roll with
~o the result that downtime of the label applicator for the
21 purpose of chanying reels occurs much less frequently than
22 with the above-described prior art label applicator.
23 If desired, the elements may be supplied in groups
24 to the retaini~g means. This means that only one element
supplying operation per N elements (where N is the number
26 f elements supplied) is required, whereas in the prior ar-t
27 f label application, one label supplying opera-tion per label
28 was required. This time shares the relatively slow label
29 supplyiny func-tion with two or more label transEers w:ith the
~o result that t'he label appli,cation operation is materially
3l speeded up.
32
1(~77894 "
1 The control means causes the elements to be trans- -
2 ferred sequentially, rather than simultaneously, from the -
3 retaining means to the articles. For this reason, the
4 spacing, if any, of the elements on the retaining means can
5 be totally independent of article size and article spacing.
6 For label application, this means that the narrowest pos-
7 sible backing strip capable of carrying the columns of la- -
8 bels in side-by-side relationship can be used. The paper
g used for the backing strip on a per label basis can be re-
10 duced because the labels in adjacent columns can be very
11 close together; i.e., have only a very small area or margin
12 Of backing strip in between, whereas in a conventional single
13 column of labels, the backing strip has margins extending
14 on both sides of the single column of labels.
15 By always using the most downstream element as the
16 next element to be applied, the articles have the greatest
17 distance to travel during the time that elements are being
18 supplied to the retaining means. Accordingly, even though
19 the articles may be traveling at a high rate of speed, the
20 relatively great distance which they must travel in order to
21 be in position for the next firing sequence provides ample
22 time for the relatively slow element supplying operation.
23 The element transfer operation can be controlled
24 in various different ways, including the use of one or more
25 article sensors. The elements may be retained and transfer-
26 red in various different ways. For example, vacuum reten-
27 tion can be used to releasably retain the elements, and air
~8 pressure, mechanical means, etc., can be used to transfer
29 the elements to the articles.
31
32
~77339~L I
1 The invention can best be unclerstood by rererence
2 to the following descripti,on taken in connection with the
3 accompanyiny illustrative drawings.
RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
~ Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one way in
8 which the present inventi,on can be applied to a label appli-
9 cator.
Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing by way of ex-
11 ample how the labels can bê retained in a row and then trans-
12 ferred to articles.
13 Figs. 3-3b are partially schematic plan views show-
14 ing how the firing sequence can be implemented.
Fig. 4 is a somewhat schematic elevational view
16 in section showing how the present invention can be applied
17 to a laminating apparatus.
18 Fig. 5 is a view taken generally along line 5-5
19 Of Fig- 4~
Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of one of the ar-
21 ticles after adhesive has been applied to it.
22 Fig. 7 is an electronic control schematic for the
23 laminating apparatus.
24
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED E~BODIMENT
26
27 Fig. 1 shows a label applicator 11 which includes
28 a supporting structure 13 in the form o~ a housing, a supply
29 reel 15 suitably rotatably rnounted on the supporting struc-
ture, and a -takeup reeL 17 also rotatab:Ly mountecl on the
31
32
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~778g~ 1 I
1 supportlng struc~ure. A rela-tively wide backi~y strip 19
2 ~ release paper or other suitable ma-terial is wound on the
3 supply reel 15. Elements in the form of labels 21a, 21b,
and 21c are arranged in three elonga-ted side-by-side columns,
respectively, on the backing s-trip 19. The labe]s 21a, 21b
6 and 21c are adhesively secured to the backing s-trip 19.
7 The backing strip 19 extends over a guide roller
8 23, a peeling bar 25, a guide roller 27, and hetween a drive
g roller 29 and a cooperating pinch roller 31 to the take-up
reel 17. The peeling bar 25 and the various rollers are all
11 suitably mounted on the supportinc3 structure 13. In the em-
12 bodimen-t illustrated, the drive roller 29 is driven inter-
~3 mittently to move or index the backing strip 19 from the
14 supply reel 15 across the peeling bar 25 to the take~up reel
17. The motor and controls ~or providing this intermittent
~6 movement of the backing strip 19 are not illustrated or
17 ~urther described herein inasmuch as they are well known -to
18 those skilled in the art.
19 As the backing strip 19 moves across the peeling
bar 25, three of the labels 21a, 21b, and 21c are removed
21 from the backing strip and applied to an air pervious wall
22 33 at a work station, which in this embodiment, is a label-
ing station, with the adhesive side of the labels facing
2~ outwardly. The air pervious wall 33 ~orms one wall of a
vacuum box 35 which is suitably mounted on the supporting
26 structure 13. The interior of the vacuum box 35 is main-
tained at a pressure less than atmospheric in any suitable
28 manner, such as by a vacuur~l pump 37 (Fig. 2) so the suct:ion
29 provided by the vacuum box 35 re:leasa~)ly retains the re-
moved labels 21a, 21b, and 21c agairls-t the outer surface oE
31
32
lOq789~
1 the air pervious wall 33. The air pervious wall 33 may be
2 of many different constructions so long as it is capable of
3 applying suction to the removed labels, and in the embodi-
~ ment illustrated, it includes a series of apertures 39 (Fig.
2).
6 The removed labels 21a, 21b, and 21c are arranged
7 in a row on the air pervious wall 33. A conveyor 41 moves
8 a plurality of articles, including the articles 43a, 43b, and
9 43e, in a first direction through the labeling station. The
axis of the row of removed labels is parallel to the direc-
11 tion of movement of the artieles, and the eonveyor 41 moves
12 the artieles relatively elose to the exposed adhesive side
13 of the removed labels.
14 Sensors 45a, 45b, and 45c are responsive to the lo-
eation of the artieles 43a, 43b, and 43e, respectively, to
16 provide eontrol signals which bring about the transfer of
17 the removed labels from the air pervious wall 33 to the as-
18 soeiated articles. Although the label transfer function can
19 be brought about in many different ways, in the embodiment
20 illustrated, it is aecomplished utilizing an air blast as
21 shown in Fig. 2.
22 Three separate air manifolds 47a, 47b, and 47c are
23 suitably mounted within the vacuum box 35~ The air manifolds
2~ 47a, 47b, and 47e are supplied with compressed air from a
suitable source, such as a storage tank 49 via a condult 51
26 and solenoid valves 53a, 53b, and 53c. A series of flexible
27 tubes 55a, 55b, and 55e eonvey eompressed air from the air
2c~ manifolds 47a, 47b, and 47c, respective:ly, to the apertures
~g 39 in the pervious wall 33. For examplc, the flex:ible tubes
55a, 55b, and 55c may be arranged as shown in co~non Assignee' 5
31
32
--8--
7~
1 U.S. Patent No. 3,385,705. As shown in Fiy. 2, ~ome of the
2 apertures 39 do not receive any of the flexible tubes and
~ are, therefore, available to transmit suction ~o retain the
4 removed labels 21a, 21b, and 21c against the outer sur~ace
of the air pervious wall 33. This suction force can be over-
6 come by an air blast from any one of the air manifolds 47a,
7 47b, and 47c to transfer the associated label from the air
8 pervious wall 33. Accordingly, the label transferring sequence
g can be controlled by controlling the opening and closin~ of
the solenoid valves 53a, 53b, and 53c.
11 The present~invention provides for a transferring
12 sequence in which the label which is farthest downstream in
13 the direction of movement of the articles is the next label
1~ to be applied. This can be brought about in many different
ways utilizing one or more sensors and various controls, and
16 the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 is purely illustrative. Si-
17 milarly, the means for supplying labels to the labeling sta-
18 tion, as well as the means for retaining the labels at the
19 labeling station, are purely illustrative as these functions
can be carried out by many different s-tructures.
21 The reverse firing sequence is illustrated diagram-
22 matically in Figs. 3-3b. With the removed labels 21a, 21b,
23 and 21c arranged in a row as shown in Fig. 1, they are ready
24 for application to the associated articles. As the conveyor
2~ 41 moves the articles 43a, 43b, and 43c in the direction of
26 the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3-3b, the sensor 45a detects the
27 presence of the article 43a and brings about, as described
28 more fully hereinbelow, the opening oE the valve 53a to pro-
2g vide an air blast from the a:ir manifold 47a. ~'he air blast
from the air manifold 47a :is sufficien-t -to transfer the most
31
32
_g _
~7~8~1 "
3 downstream label; i.e., the la~el 21a, -to the associated
2 article ~3a as shown in Fig. 3. As the conveyor 41 con-
3 tinues to move the artlcles, the sensor ~5b detects the
presence of -the article 43b and brings about the opening
~ of the solenoid valve 53b to transfer the most downstream
6 label on the pervious wall 33; i.e., the label 21b to the
7 article 43b as shown in Fiy. 3a. Similarly, the sensor
~5c brings about the transfer of the label 21c to the arti-
~ cle 43c as shown in Fig. 3b.
With all of the removed labels transferred ~o as-
11 sociated articles, the backing strip 19 is again indexed to
12 supply three other removed labels to the air pervious wall
13 33- It is important to note that an article 43d which is
~4 the next article to be labeled must travel from the position
shown in Fig. 3b across nearly the full length of the air
16 pervious wall 33 to the right end of the air pervious wall.
17 During this relatively long travel time, the next group of
18 labels is being removed from the backing strlp 19 and fed to
g the air pervious wall 33. In the embodiment illustrated,
the article 43d must travel several times farther auring the
21 indexing operation than it would travel in a conventional
2~ label applicating operation. This additional distance pro-
23 vides increased time for removing the second group of labels
24 from the backing strip 19 and feeding the removed labels to
the air pervious wall 33.
26 Fig. 2 shows one way o~ controlling the solenoid
~7 valves 53a, 53b, and 53c, it being understood that these
2~ valves ma~ be controlled in many different wa~.s. 'rhe controls
29 include, in addition to -the sensors ~Sa, ~5b, and ~5c, delay
devices 57a, 57b, 57c, 5~ and 59.
~1
~2
~10-
771~
1 Each of the sensors 45a, ~5b, and 45c may be any
2 device, such ~s a microswi-tch or photocell, which is capable
3 of detecting the presence of one of the articles. In the em-
bodiment shown in Fig. 2, each of these sensors comprises a
photocell, the light beam to which is broken by -the presence
6 of an article in front of -the sensor.
7 Each of the delay devices 57a, 57b, and 57c is iden-
~ tical and may comprise an integra-ted circui-t. Each of the de-
g lay devices 57a, 57b, and 57c has two input signals; i.e., an
enable signal and a firing signal and one output signal with
11 the output signal controlling the associated one of the sole-
12 noid valves 53a, 53b, and 53c.
For example, the delay device 57a receives input
14 signals from the sensor 45a and from the delay device 57c
with the latter signal being provided through the delay de-
16 vice 58 to enable the delay device 57a. Assuming that the de~
17 lay device 57a is enabled, the firing signal provided by the
18 sensor 45a, when the article 43a passes in front of this
19 sensor to interrupt the light beam, will cause the delay de-
vice 57a to provide an output signal, which may occur after
21 a predetermined short delay time, to the solenoid valve 53a
22 to temporarily open the same to transfer the label 21a.
he delay time is selected so that the label 21a will be ap-
2~ plied to the desired location on the article 43a.
Immediately after the delay device 57a receives
26 both its enable signal and its firing signal, it provides
27 an enable signal to the dela~ device 57b -to enable that de-
28 lay device. AlthoucJh the delay lev:ice 57b :ic ena~lea, i~
2g will respond only to a firing sLynal which is received after
i-t is enclbled and which i5 the result oE the lead:ing edge of
3L
32
~L~7~7~39~
1 the article ~3b passing in front of the sensor ~5b. In
2 other words, iE the signal provided by the sensor ~5b is
3 high when a space between articles confronts that sensor
and low when an ar-ticle con~ronts that sensor, the delay
device 57b will respond only to a siynal change from high
6 to low which occurs after the delay device 57b is enabled.
7 For this reason, the delay device 57b is not actuated even
8 if the article 43a is in front of the sensor 45b when the
g delay device 57b receives its enable siynal. Accoraingly,
when the sensor 45b senses the presence of the article 43b,
11 the delay device 57b provides an output signal, after a
12 predetermined short delay to the solenoid valve 53b to
13 temporarily open the same and transfer the label 21b.
1~ The delay device 57c is similarly enabled by an
enable signal from the delay device 57b which is provided
16 immediately after the delay device 57b receives both its
17 enable signal from the delay devlce 57a and its firing sig-
18 nal from -the sensor 45b. Accordingly, a signal from the
~ 19 sensor 45c resulting from the presence of the article 43c
20 causes the latter to be labeled.
21 The delay device 57a is enabled by an enable sig-
22 nal from the delay device 57c which is provided immediately
23 after the delay dev:ice receives both its enable signal from
2~ the delay device 57b and its firing signal from -the sensor
45c. However, the enable signal to the delay device 57a is
26 delayed by a suitable delay device 58. The delay interposed
27 by the delay device 58 is oE sufficient length to allow the
28 article 43c to t~rave:L ~ast -the sensor 45a. q'his prevenl~;
29 the sensor ~5a from .sensing the artlcles ~3b and 43c ancl
~o causing a second label to be applied to them.
31
32
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~771~
1 The clelay devices may be eikher analog or digital
2 and may be provided by those skilled in the art. For exam-
3 ple, each of these delay devices may include a type D flip
flop coupled to receive the enable signal to enable the de-
5 lay device. An appropriate ga-te or gates, such as a ~AND
6 gate, may be coupled to receive the output of the flip flop
7 and the firing signal to provide A signal which can be used
8 as the enab:Le signal for the next delay device and which is
g suitably delayed, as by two one-shot yenerators to provide
~o the output signal which is used to provide the air blast for
11 label trans~er purposes.
12 The output signal from the delay device 57c is also
13 ~ed to the delay device 59 which provides, after a short de-
14 lay period, an indexing signal to advance the backing strip
19 to provide a new group of labels on the air pervious wall
16 33. The delay provided by the delay device 59 is of sufficient~
17 length to assure tha-t the label 21c has been transferred from
1~ the air pervious wall 33 before a new group of labels is sup-
19 plied to the air pervious wall.
igs. 4-7 show by way of example how the concepts
21 f this invention can be applied to a laminating apparatus
22 111. The laminating apparatus includes a plurality of iden-
23 tical laminating devices 113a, 113b, and 113c suitably mount-
2a ed in any suitable manner, such as between mounting members
114 at a work station. Portions of the laminating devices
26 113b and 113c corresponding to portions of the laminating
27 device 113a are designated by corresponding xeference nu-
2~ merals with the lettcrs b and c respectively sub.;kituted for
2g the letter a. Two or more o:~ the larninat:incJ dev:ices 113a-
3~ 113c may be p.rovided, and the three ~ lustrated are purely
3~ illustrative.
32
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~77~394L
1 ~ conveyor 115 conveys ar-ticles 117a, 117b, and
2 117c -through the work station. An adhesive ap~licator 119
3 of conventional construction is located upstream from -the
work station and applies an adhesive 121 (Fig. 6) in a tu-
bular, rectangular pattern to each of the ar-ticles 117a-117c
G as such articles are brought beneath the adhesive applicator
7 by the conveyor 115. For example, the applicator 119 may
8 include nozzles (not shown) which shoot the adhesive onto
9 the articles. The application of adhesive by the adhesive
applicator 119 can be controlled in any suitable manner,
11 such as by an article sensor 123 of conventional construc-
12 tion which provides a signal to the adhesive a~plicator 119
13 indicating the presence of one of the ar-ticles irnmediately
14 below the applicator 119 in a position -to receive the ad-
hesive 121.
16 The laminating devices 113a-1]3c repetitively sup-
17 ply elements in the form of sheets or windows 125a, 125b,
18 and 125c of a flexible transparent or translucent material
19 to positions at the work station. These positions define
a row at the work station, and the axis of the row extends
21 in the direction of movement of the articles 117a-117c through
22 the work station. The sheets 125a-125c are lamina-ted to the
23 articles 117a-117c in -the same sequence as described above
24 with reference to the embodiment o~ Figs. 1-3, i.e., with
the most downstream sheet always being the next sheet to be
26 transferred.
27 In the embodiment of Fiys. 4-7, each o~ the arti-
2~ cles 117a-117c has a CUtOI1~ 126 (F:i~. 6) around wh:ich the
29 adhesive 121 is provided. For exarnple, e~ch of the ar-tic:Les
~ may be a container or par-t of a conta:iner for a product with
31
32
~77~94 , 1
1 -the window provlded by the sheets 125a~125c permitt:ing visual
2 inspection of the contents. Alternatively, -the articles 117a
3 117c and the sheets 125a-125c may be any two members which it
is desired to laminate toge-ther.
The sheet 125a can be supplied to the work station
6 and laminated to the article 117a in a varie-ty o~ different
7 ways, and the mechanism shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is purely il-
8 lustrative. The device 113a includes a reel 127a on which
g a strip or web 129a of flexible transparent film material is
stored. The web 129a passes over a drive roller 131a, a pinch
11 roller 133a, and a back-up roller 137a, all o~ which are
12 drivingly coupled by gears 138a. The drive roller 133a is
13 driven by a drive motor 134 through a web advance clutch and
1~ brake 135a. The web 129a ne~t passes over a knife roller
139a which has a longitudinally extending blade 141a. The
16 knife roller 139a is driven intermittently by the motor 134
17 and a one revolution clutch 143a, and each time the knife
i 18 roller 139a is rotated, it cuts a length from the strip 129a
19 in a known manner to form one of the sheets 125a. Feeding
~o and cutting mechanisms of this type are known, and for -this
21 reason, the details thereof are not described in greater
~` 22 depth herein.
23 The device 113a also includes a rotatable drum
2~ 145a continuously dxiven by the motor 134 (Fig. 5). The
drum 145a has a hollow interior and a peripheral wall 149a
26 containing a large number of openings 151a. The interior
27 of the drum 145a is partially evacuated in any conventional
28 manner, such as by a vacuum pump 153a to create a suc-tion
29 at each of the openings 151a. Accordingly, when -the sheet
125a is fed onto the peripheral wal~ 1~9a o~ the rota-table
~1
32
-15-
~ 78~
1 drum 145a, the suction retains the shee-t against the periph-
2 eral wall.
3 The rotation of the drum 145a carries the sheet
4 125a to a position immediately above the article 117a. The
drum also releasably retains the sheet 125a, Accordingly, the
6 dr~n 145a forms a part of -the supplying means and it consti-
tutes the means for releasably retaining the sheet at a po-
8 sition immediately above the conveyor 115.
9 The trans~er of the sheet 125a to the article 117a
~ is accomplished by the drum 145a and a nip roller 155a which
11 underlies the conveyor and which is normally not in contact
12 therewith. However, in order to accomplish the transfer and
13 the resulting lamination, the nip roller 155a is suitably
1~ mounted for vertical movement by linear actuators 157a so
that it can be moved vertically toward and away from the drum
16 145a. By movin~ the nip roller 155a upwardly, the conveyor
17 115, the article 117a, and the sheet 125a are squeezed be-
18 tween the nip roller 155a and the drum 145a to thereby ad-
19 hesively attach the sheet to the article.
The devices 113b and 113c are identical in construc-
21 tion and operation to the laminating device 113a. The devices
22 113a-113c may be controlled in much the same manner described
23 above in the embodiment of Figs. 1-3, except that the control
2~ of the knife rollers 139a-139c must be provided for. Also,
it is desirable in this embodiment of the invention ~or the
26 sheets 125a-125c to be supplied seguentially to their respec-
~7 tive positions immediately above the conve~or 115 rather than
28 simultaneously as was done wi-th the labels 21a-21c.
2~ The control functions for the laminating devices
~ 113a-113c can be implemented in various di~ferent ways and
~1
32
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7~
1 one such way is shown in Fig. 7 which shows diyital electronic
2 controls for the laminating appara-tus 111. The motor (not
3 shown) which drives the conveyor 115 also drives a conveyor
4 encoder 171 which may be an op-tlcal encoder or any other kind
of device which provides a digital output signal comprisiny
6 a plurality of pulses with the number of ~ulses representin~
7 conveyor displacement. The output signal from the encoder 171
8 constitutes one input to each of three identical control chan-
g nels 173a, 173b, and 173c. One o~ the control channels is
~o provided for each of the laminatiny devices 113a-113c. A
11 second input to each o~ the control channels 173a-173c is
12 provided by a single article detector 175 which may be a
13 photocell or any other proximity device which provides the
14 signal in response to one of the articles 117a-117c arriving
at a predetermined position relative to the lamina-ting de-
16 vices 113a-113c. For example, the article detector 175 may
17 be located between the device 113c and the applicator 119 as
18 shown in Fig. ~.
19 The signal from thé ar-ticle detector 175 is -trans-
20 mitted -to control logic 177. The control logic 177 is an
21 electronic switch which is either enabled (closed) or not
22 enabled (open). Assuming that the control logic 177 is en-
23 abled in the manner described below by an enable signal from
2a the control channel 173c, it transmits -the signal from the
article detector 175 to the start input of an article posi-
26 tion counter 179. The signal from the control logic 177 is
27 also transmitted to the enable input o~ the control channel
28 173b to enable tha-t channel so that it will be opera-tive Eor
29 the next article sensed by the article clctector :I75. The
~0 count input of the article position counter 179 is coupled
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1 to the encoder 171 so that -the pulses provided by the en-
2 coder can be counted a~ter the start signal is obtained.
3 ~he counter 17g counts the pulses from the encod-
er 171 and provides as its outpu-t a binary number indica-ting
the present value of such coun-t. ~ccordingly, the counter
6 output signal corresponds to a predetermined position of
7 the article 117a. Position select electronics 180 monitors
8 the output signal of the counter 179 and is responsive to
g the counter reaching a predetermined count ~or providing a
start signal to the web advance clutch 135a. The same signal
11 is also used to reset the counter 179. The s-tart signal causes
12 the clutch 135a to engage so that the web 129a is advanced.
13 The count to which the position select electronics 180 re-
14 sponds can be adjusted so that -the start signal to the web
advance clutch 135a can be provided at the desired position
16 of the article 117a. The position select electronics 180
17 may be any conventional circuitry which can read the binary
18 number output of the counter 179 and provide a signal in re-
lg sponse to a particular binary number input.
,~o The signal from the position select electronics 18
21 is also provided to the start input of a web length counter
22 181. The counter 181 then counts the pulses from the encoder
23 171 and provides as i-ts output a binary number reflecting
24 such count. Cut select electronics 182 responds to a first
binary number ~rom the counter 181 to provide a signal to the
26 one revolution clutch 143a, whereupon the clutch 143a rota-tes
27 the kni~e roller 139a throu~Jh one revolution to cut the sheet
28 125a ~rom the web 129a. I,encJth select electron:ic.s 1~33 is
29 responsive to a second higher count o~ the counter 181 to
~,o provide a stop signal -to -the clutch 135a, whereupon this
~1
32
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.,
~(~7789~ I
1 clutch disengages and the feeding of the web 129a ceases
2 immediately. A brake may be used in conjunction with the
3 clutch 135a to assure that the web advance terminates imme-
4 diately upon disengagement of the clutch.
The length select electronics 183 assures tha-t the
6 web advance will not terminate prior to the cutting opera-
7 tion. The signal from the length select electronics 183 is
8 also fed back to the counter 181 to xeset the counter and
g is fed to the start input of a laminate length counter 185.
This enables the laminate length counter 185 to count the
11 pulses from the encoder 171 and to provide as its output a
12 binary nurnber indicating the number of such pulses. Start
13 select electronics 186 is responsive to a first binary number
14 output from the counter 185 to provide an up signal to the
actuators 157a. This causes the actuators 157a to extend
16 to move the nip roller 155a up so as to s~ueeze the conveyor
17 115, the article 117a, and the sheet 125a between the drum
~8 145a and the nip roller 155a. The tangential velocity of
19 the drum 145a is preferably equal to the speed of the con-
veyor 115 so that the lamination can be smoothly accomplish-
21 ed. Stop select electronics 187 responds to a second higher
22 binary number output of the counter 185 to provide a signal
23 to the actuators 157a to move the nip roller 155a down to a
24 position in which it does not engage the conveyor 115. The
siynal from the stop select electronics 187 is also used to
26 reset the counter 185.
27 It should be noted that the control channel 173b
28 is enabled immediately following the receipt by the control
29 channel 173a of its signal from -the article detec-tor 175.
Accordingly, regardless of when the artlcle 117b may be
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1 conveyed to the work station, the control channel 173b will he
able to control -the laminating device 113b in the same manner
3 described above for the control channel 173a. Thus, the con-
4 trol system shown in Fig. 5 will control the laminating de-
5 vices 113a-113c even though spacing of the articles 117a-117c
6 on the conveyor 115 may be unequal and even though the conveyor
7 speed may not be completely constant. This is accomplished by
8 only a single article detector and by the conveyor encoder
g which is used, in effect, to track the position of each of the
10 articles 117a-117c through the work station.
11 As in the embodiment of Figs. 1-3, the articles
12 117a-117c are moved in a sequence or series through the work
13 station with the article 117b being intermediate, and next in
14 the series to, the articles 117a and 117c. Only one of the
15 elements 125a-125c is applied to each of the articles. In
16 other words, only one of the devices 113a-113c is selected by
17 the control means to apply an element to a selected article.
18 The same is also true of the embodiment of Figs. 1-3.
19 Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention
20 has been shown and described, many changes, modifications and
21 substitutions may be made by one having ordinary skill in the
2~ art without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope
23 Of this invention
26
27
28
29
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