Patent ID: 8066044
Filing Date: 2011-11-29
Classification: B65C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A system for high speed labeling of produce comprising: one or more continuously servo-driven and controlled rotating turrets having label dispensers and labeling applicators disposed above a corresponding number of conveyor lanes driven by one or more shafts; a conveyor shaft rotary encoder or encoders which transmits electrical pulses representative of conveyor speed and an indexing signal identifying an absolute radial position of the shaft to a turret controller; a turret controller receiving the electrical pulses and indexing signal for common control of servo motors for each rotating turret so that the linear speed at the labeling applicators is equal to the conveyor speed; a conveyor offset signal transmitted to the turret controller for each lane representative of a difference in a conveyor cup position relative to the absolute radial position of the conveyor shaft, so that the tangential relationship between labeling applicators and individual cups can be adjusted for each turret; and a servo tach output from the turret controller comprising a unique printer offset control for each lane that determines when a label is dispensed relative to the corresponding labeling applicator, so that the relationship between the timing of the dispenser's label ejection and the applicators' positions can be adjusted for each turret; wherein the conveyor offset signal in combination with the printer offset control allows the turret controller to selectively control the radial orientation of each servo motor and the label dispensing timing to independently synchronize the high-speed labeling operation at each lane.