Patent ID: 8156987
Filing Date: 2012-04-17
Classification: B65C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A container labeling machine comprises a single horizontal conveyor, a label applying apparatus, a star wheel, a wrapper and at least one indexing mechanism, said single horizontal conveyor linearly supplying upright containers to said star wheel and taking away said upright containers linearly upon release from said star wheel, said star wheel comprising a pair of parallel spaced apart plates affixed to a central axle, said spaced apart plates fitted with a plurality of rollers journaled only in said spaced apart plates, said rollers disposed at the apices of points of said star wheel, said apices of points of said star wheel defining pockets therebetween, said star wheel receiving said upright containers between said rollers of adjacent apices, said indexing mechanism comprising a plurality of stop pins alternately engaged by independently operating fingers thus directly controlling a start and stop action of said star wheel and directly aligning said star wheel to present said upright container into a perpendicular relation with said label applying apparatus and retaining said upright container in said perpendicular relation against a wrapping belt of said wrapper wherein said indexing mechanism has said plurality of stop pins disposed circumferentially about said central axle and on an underside of one said parallel plate of said star wheel, said plurality of said pockets greater in number than said stop pins by a factor of two, said wrapping belt perpendicular to said conveyor and moving in the same direction as said conveyor, said label applying apparatus adapted to apply at least one label to said upright container in a bight between said upright container and said wrapper, said wrapper rotating said upright container only within said star wheel to adhere said label to said upright container, said indexing mechanism releasing said star wheel allowing said upright container carrying said label to move along said conveyor.