Patent ID: 9604745
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: B65C

Claim:
1. A food labeling apparatus for simultaneously labeling different types of food objects having different physical characteristics, comprising: a platform configured to simultaneously advance a plurality of different types of food objects positioned in random locations across and along the platform, said plurality of different types of food objects having different physical characteristics; at least one sensing device directed toward the plurality of different types of food objects to sense the type of food object and the physical characteristics of the sensed type of food object and the locations of the food objects on the platform; a multiple label supply, comprising a plurality of labels corresponding to the different types of food objects and the different physical characteristics of the different types of food objects to be labeled; at least one robot structurally separate from the multiple label supply and configured to pick up labels from said multiple label supply and apply the labels to the plurality of randomly positioned different types of food objects as the plurality of food objects are advanced, said at least one robot having a motor, a wrist portion, and a plurality of linking arms, each said linking arm coupled between the motor and the wrist portion, a hand portion coupled to the wrist portion, the wrist portion functioning to enable the hand portion to fully articulate relative to the linking arms, the hand portion movable relative to the at least one label supply, including in directions along the path of travel of the plurality of food objects and transversely to the direction of the path of travel of the plurality of food objects; and a controller configured to operate said at least one robot based upon said at least one sensing device, wherein the controller is configured to cooperate with the at least one sensing device to determine a position on the platform for each food object, said controller being configured to operate said at least one robot to select a specific label applicable to the type and physical characteristics of the food objects to be labeled from the plurality of labels of the label supply and apply the selected label to the food objects using the fully articulable hand portion.