Patent ID: 6047755
Filing Date: 2000-04-11
Classification: B65C,Y10T

Abstract:
A labeler comprising:a housing;a bellows wheel having individual bellows spaced therearound;a bellows drive gear and a cassette drive sprocket spaced apart and each rotatably supported in said housing;a stepper motor mounted in said housing and having an output shaft;a first drive gear affixed to said shaft and engaging said bellows drive gear;a second drive gear affixed to said shaft;a drive train interposed between and engaging said second gear and said cassette drive sprocket; andsaid stepper motor is positioned between said bellows drive gear and said cassette drive sproket whereby the footprint of the labeler is minimized,a marker for each of the individual bellows;a position sensor for detecting each of said markers;a first sensor for detecting a fruit, wherein said stepper motor is responsive to said fruit sensor to advance the bellows wheel in response to detection of a fruit.