Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1C~87137
This invention relates to apparatus for the high
speed application of labels to cylindrical containers, and
is an improvement upon my U.S. Patents Nos. 3,765,991;
3,834,963; and 4,108,710.
In the aforesaid patents there are described
machines for applying labels to containers having general
features as follows: A container feed such as a turret
having pockets for holding the containers is employed and
serves to carry each container, in turn, past a glue
application station which applies a line of glue to the
container and then passes each container, in turn, tangent-
ially to a vacuum drum which bears labels, each having its
trailing end provided with a line of glue. The containers
are gripped during this period to avoid rotation about their
individual axes, whereby as each container is presented to
the tangent point of contact with the drum, the leading end
of each label is applied to the container at the glue line
; previously applied to the container. The container is then
transported away from the vacuum drum and is caused to rotate
about its axis, which results in wrapping the label around
the container.
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1 The vacuum arum is ordinarily equipped with lands on
21 whic:h the trailing edge of each label is applied, the label being
3 helcl on the drum by vacuum. A glue applicator applies glue to the
41 trailing end of the label overlying the land. Immediately to
51 the rear of and adjacent to each land is a trough or sroove
which serves the function of holding any e~cess glue. The
71 labels themselves are supplied as a continuous label stock and
81 are cut by a shearing action of a rotary blade and a stationary
91 blade. The stationary blade, however, is oscillated into an
outer contact with the rotating blade so as not to impede
11 access of the label material to the cutting instrumentalities.
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13 The particular mechanisms just described, although
141 preferably employed in accordance with the present invention
as shown in the drawing, need not be exactly as described but
16 may vary, inasmuch as the invention pertains to certain --
17 improvements which will be described shortly.
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19 While machinery of this type has served well in the
20¦ high-speed application of labels to a wide variety of containers,
21¦ difficulties at higher speeds have at times been encountered
22 in accomplishing an adequate wrapping of a label around each
231 container. Also, such machinery has usually required clamping
2~1 or gripping of the containers during contact with the vacuum
drum, a requirement which for some applications has been unduly
27 Iburdensome.
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1~87137
The problems of the prior art are overcome by
the present invention which broadly provides a label apply-
:ing machine comprising:
(a) a rotary cylindrical drum rotatable about its
cylinder axis and adapted to pick up labels at a label pick
up station in succession on the cylindrical surface of the
rotating drum, to hold each label on such surface until the
leading edge of the label reaches a label applying station
: and to release the label at such station,
(b) a container feed for supplying cylindrical
containers to the label applying station in sequence and with
their axes parallel to the rotary axis of the drum, the con-
tainer feed acting to introduce each container to the label.
applying station in a path which is substantially tangent to
the surface of the drum at such station,
(c) a container guide spaced from the cylindrical
surface of the drum and having a leading end which receives
each container from said container feed and provides a smooth
continuation of the tangent path, the container guide having
also a downstream portion which is concentric to the rotary
axis of the drum,
(d) the drum having a resilient cylindrical sur--
face and the container guide also having a resil:ient surface
facing and spaced from the drum at the label applying station
a distance less than the diameter of the containers whereby
containers passing between the drum and the container guide
act to compress the resilient surfaces and are thereby caused
to rotate about their axes as labels are applied to and are
: ~ wrapped around the containers,
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(e) the downstream concentric portion of the
container guide having a length which is sufficient to
continue rotation of each container about its axis after
il: is released from the container feed and to accomplish
the desired wrapping of labels about the container.
Certain embodiments of the invention are shown by
way of example in the accompanying drawing showing a plan
view of a labeling apparatus in accordance with the invent-
ion, with a star wheel feed means for feeding containers be-
tween a resilient roll-on pad and a label-containing vacuum
drum having a resilient outer portion.
Referring now in more detail to the drawing, the
labeling apparatus is generally designated by the reference
numeral 10 and comprises a vacuum drum 11 on a shaft lla,
the drum having an outer resilient portion 12 and axial
groove 13, as in the aforementioned patents, to receive
any excess glue that may be present. A continuous strip
of label stock 15 is fed by feed roller 17 on shaft 18
through guide means 19 where it is severed into individual
labels 21 by a cutting mechanism including rotary cutter 22
having knife 23 bolted, as shown, to a support, and a station-
ary, albeit oscillating, knife 25 in a holder 26. Knife 25
is pivoted out of the way dur:Lng part of each cycle to allow
passage of label stock 15, but is held stationary at the
time of cutting.
Knife holder 26 is pivoted to and from the position
shown by suitable means, for example that shown at 1~7, 148
in Figure 9 of my ~.S. Patent ~I,108,710, or by a hydraulic
` cylinder and rod. Stops can be provided to lim-it movement
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of the knife 25, and a spring can be used to return such
knife to a cutting position.
Rollers 27 and 28 rotatable on shafts 29 and 31,
respectively, grip label stock 15 just before an individual
label 21 is cut therefrom and retain this grip until the
leading end of the severed label is in contact with the
vacuum drum 11 and is held by vacuum thereon. Roller 27 is
driven and roller 28 is an idler roller. Roller 28 can be
biased against roller 27 by suitable biasing means.
Glue applicator 33 is disposed in tangential re-
lationship with vacuum drum 11 and has applicator holes 35
through which glue can be applied from t~e applicator over
the exposed surface of the severed labels 21. Lands (not
shown) can be provided on the vacuum drum below either or
both ends of the
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severed strips 21 to allow application of glue only to the end
21 port:ions of each strip; alternatively, in a ~referred methodr glue
3 can be applied in a pattern of beads over the exposed surface of
4 each strip in accordance wi.th properly positioned applicator
5 Iholes 35.
71 Feed roller 17, rotary cutter 32, vacuum drum 11, and
8 glue applicator 35, as well as driven roller 27 and the -¦
¦ oscillating means for oscillating knife 25, are all operated in
'I suitable synchronism by means well known in the art and requiring
ll no description herein.
12
13 Container feed mechanism 37 comprises star wheel 39
14 rotatable on shaft 41, the star wheel having pockets 42
conforming to the round side of the containers to be labeled,
16¦ and conveyer 43 for moving containers in a side-by-side uprisht _. .
17 position at high speed in the direction of arrows past vacuu~
181 drum 11 with the sides of the containers in tangential contact
Ig with the working surface of drum 11. Container stop 44 pivots
in synchronism with the rotation of star wheel 39 to allow each
21 container to be advanced into an open pocket 42 of the star
22 wheel 39.
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24 Roll-on pad 47, having upper curving portion 48 at its
25¦ container-receiving end, is disposed on arm 49 opposite the
26¦ working surface of vacuum drum 11 at a distance therefrom of
271 sliyhtly less than the diameter of each container 45. The
28 roll-on pad 47 is formed of a resilient material, such as foam
2gl rubber, such that containcrs will be pressed firmly against
30~ vacuum drum 11 as they are fed by the star wheel 39 in the
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direction shown by the arrows. Also, as containers contact the
2, stationary roll-on pad 47 on one side of the container und the
3 1I rotating vacuum drum on the other side thereof, the containars are
4¦!caused to roll in a counterclockwise direction such that the
5l¦glue-containing labe1 21 will be rolled off the vacuum drum 11
6 11 onto the side of the container 45 ar.d firmly bonded thereto, all
7 in d smooth, continuous operation.
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9 Roll-on pad 47 can be adjusted laterally and to
10 lincrease or decrea~e pressure on the container. Screws 53 are
11 disposed in slots 5~ of arm 49 to allow the roll-on pad 47 to be
¦moved toward or away from the containers, to thereby decrease or
13 increase pressure thereon. Screws 56 in slots 57 of bracket 58
14 permit lateral adjustment of roll-on pad 47. Accordingly, roll-on
pad 47 can be properly positioned for containers of varying sizes
16 and for labels containing varying patterns of glue.
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18 Operation of the machine will be evident from the
19 foregoing description. Among the advantages thereor are the
fact that the container feed mechanism maintains control of the
21 containers throuyhout the labeling operation, as the containers
22 are conveyed from le~t to right in the direction of the arrows.
231 Separate clamping nle~ns or the like to hold the containers
24 I motionless for the l~bel application procedu~e are not required.
25 I In short, the container feed apparatus of this invention provides
26 a smooth and continuous high-speed apparatus for applying labels
28 to cylindrical containers.
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