Abstract:
A labelling machine for applying labels to containers has a base, and a label assembly holder carried by the base for holding a labelling assembly which has an elongated flexible carrier strip to which labels are sequentially releasably adhered. A support is carried by the base at a labelling station, and a label assembly feeder carried by the base feeds the label assembly to a location adjacent the labelling station such that the carrier strip reaches the location with the labels on a lower face thereof. The label assembly feeder has a strip reverser which causes the carrier strip to turn through a substantial angle away from the labels at the location to cause a label at the location to become detached from the carrier strip in an upside down configuration, and a label feeder feeds a detached label in the upside down configuration to an upper surface of the support. A container can be moved downwardly into contact with an upside down label at the labelling station to cause the label to adhere to the container.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to labelling machines.  
         BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0002]    U.S. Pat. Nos.  5 , 819 , 968 ;  5 , 934 , 492 ;  5 , 927 , 528  and  5 , 967 , 350  (Jones) relate to medication containers which are senior friendly and child resistant. In preferred embodiments described in these patents, the medication container has a cap with a central aperture and a cap liner which has a central button portion in the aperture in the cap. The cap rotates relative to the cap liner when the container is opened or closed, with such relative movement becoming apparent to a user because of relative movement between the top of the cap and the central button of the liner. By providing relevant information on the cap and/or liner, dosage information which indicates when the next dose has to be taken or when the previous dose was taken can be provided.  
           [0003]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a labelling machine which is especially useful for applying a label to the cap and/or the central button of a medication container such as referred to above.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0004]    According to one aspect of the invention, a labelling machine for applying labels to containers includes a base, a label assembly holder carried by the base for holding a labelling assembly comprising and elongated flexible carrier strip to which labels are sequentially releasably adhered, a support carried by the base at the labelling station, a label assembly feeder carried by the base for feeding the label assembly to a location adjacent the labelling station such that the carrier strip reaches the location with the labels on a lower face thereof, said label assembly feeder including a strip reverser which causes the carrier strip to turn through a substantial angle away from the labels at said location to cause a label at such location to become detached from the carrier strip in an upside down configuration, and a label feeder for feeding a detached label in the upside down configuration to an upper surface of said support, whereby a container can be moved downwardly into contact with an upside down label at the labelling station to cause the label to adhere to the container.  
           [0005]    The labelling machine may also include a container guide adjacent to the support and engageable by the container, said container guide being movable against spring action from an upper position to a lower position, whereby the downward movement of the container causes the container to engage the container guide and move the container guide downwardly against the spring action from the upper position towards the lower position and to cause the container to contact an upside down label at the labelling station to cause the label to adhere to the container.  
           [0006]    The container guide may be shaped to receive and guide containers with different lateral dimensions. The container guide may at least partially surround the support and be internally stepped to receive and guide containers of different lateral dimensions.  
           [0007]    The label feed assembly may comprise a pair of drive rollers engaged in opposite sides of the carrier strip down stream of the strip reverser, and a manually operable handle operable to rotate the drive rollers to feed the label assembly through the machine.  
           [0008]    The label feeder may have at least one tooth which feeds a detached label in the upside down configuration to an upper surface of said support, the label feeder being actuated by the manually operable handle.  
           [0009]    According to another aspect of the invention, a method of labelling a container includes providing a label assembly comprising an elongated flexible carrier strip to which labels are sequentially releasably adhered, feeding the carrier strip with the labels attached thereto to a location adjacent a labelling station such that the carrier strip reaches the location with the labels on a lower face thereof, causing the carrier strip to turn through a substantial angle away from the labels at the location to cause a label at said location to become detached from the carrier strip in an upside down configuration, feeding a detached label in the upside down configuration to an upper face of a support at the labelling station, and moving a container downwardly into contact with an upside down label at the labelling area to cause the label to adhere to the container.  
           [0010]    A container guide may be provided adjacent to this support, with the container guide being movable against spring action from an upper position to a lower position, with the step of moving a container downwardly also including engaging the container with the container guide and moving the container downwardly with a force sufficient to cause movement of the container guide downwardly against the spring action from the upper position towards the lower position and movement of the container into contact with an upside down label at the labelling station to cause the label to adhere to the container.  
           [0011]    The container may include a container body and a cap secured thereto, the cap having a central aperture with a button portion of a cap liner in said aperture, each label comprising an annular portion which adheres to the cap so as to surround the aperture.  
           [0012]    The container may include a container body and a cap with a central aperture and a button portion of a cap liner in the aperture, each label comprising a disk portion which is adhered to the button portion of the cap liner.  
           [0013]    The container may include a container body and a cap with a central aperture and a button portion of a cap liner in the aperture, each label comprising an annular portion which adheres to the cap so as to surround the aperture and a disk portion which adheres to the button portion of the cap liner. When releasably adhered to the carrier strip, each label may also comprise and intermediate annular portion releasably connected to the disk portion and to the annular portion. Also, when releasably adhered to the carrier strip, each label may be releasably connected to an adjacent label by a bridge portion.  
           [0014]    According to yet another aspect of the invention, a labelling assembly includes an elongated flexible carrier strip and labels sequentially and releasably adhered to the carrier strip, each label having an annular portion and a disk portion within the annular portion and releasably connected thereto. Each label may also have an intermediate annual portion between the annular portion and the disk portion and releasably connected to the annular portion and to the disk portion. Each label may also have a bridge portion releasably connected thereto and extending to an adjacent label and releasably connected thereto.  
           [0015]    According to a still further aspect of the invention, a labelling assembly includes an elongated flexible carrier strip and labels sequentially and releasably adhered to the carrier strip, each label having a bridge portion releasably connected thereto and extending to an adjacent label and releasably connected thereto. Each label may have an annular portion with the associated bridge portion being releasably connected thereto. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    One embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above of a labelling machine in accordance with one embodiment of the invention and showing the feed handle in the rear position;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a side view of the labelling machine;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a side view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the feed handle moved to forward position;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a side view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the feed handle returned to the rear position,  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a side view of the front portion of the machine showing an upside down medication container in position at the labelling area;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 is a side view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the medication container being pushed downwardly towards the label in the labelling area;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 is a side view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the medication container in the fully down position with a label adhered to the cap and button portion thereof;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8 is a side view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the medication container with the attached label being moved upwardly;  
         [0025]    FIGS.  9 ( a ) ( b ) and ( c ) are perspective views of a container showing the removal of the intermediate annular portion of a label after the label has been adhered to the container cap and central button portion; and  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 10 is a planned view of a portion of the label assembly. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0027]    Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a labelling machine for applying labels to a medication container has a housing  10  formed by a pair of laterally-spaced side walls  10 ,  12  mounted on a front base portion  16  and a rear base portion  18 . The side walls  12 ,  14  each have a downwardly extending slot  20  in their upper edges over the rear base portion  18 , and an axil  22  extends between the side walls  12 ,  14  with its opposite end portions sitting in the lower ends of the slots  20 . A label assembly  24 , which will be described in more detail later, is supported by the axil  20 .  
         [0028]    The front portion of the labelling machine provides a labelling station  26  and has a mounting plate  28  which extends between the side walls  12 ,  14  just above the forward base portion  16 . The mounting plate  28  is inclined forwardly and downwardly and is secured to side walls  12 ,  14  by screws  30 . A support column  32  is mounted on the mounting plate  28  and has an annular recess  34  at its upper end, with a disc-like resilient pad  36  being located in the centre thereof.  
         [0029]    A movable cylindrical guide  38  surrounds the support column  32  and has a pair of diametrically opposite laterally outwardly projecting pins  40  which slide in slots  42 , in the side walls,  12 ,  14 . A coil spring  44  surrounding the support column  32  acts between the mounting plate  28  and the bottom of the cylindrical guide  38  to urge the guide  38  to its upper position, i.e. when the pins  40  are at the upper ends of slots  42 .  
         [0030]    The upper rear portion of the support column  34  has an opening  46  which extends approximately half way down the height thereof, and the inside of the remaining upper portion of the cylindrical guide  38  is stepped to provide annular ledges  48 ,  50 , with ledge  50  being lower than end of smaller diameter than ledge  48 .  
         [0031]    A label feed block  52  is mounted between the side walls  12 ,  14  and secured thereto by screws  54  immediately to the rear of the opening  46  in the cylindrical guide  38 . The top of the label feed block  52  has a longitudinally extending label feed groove  56 . A label pusher  58  is slidably mounted in a grove  60  in the bottom of feed block  52 , and is held in place by a holding plate  61  which extends laterally across the grooves  60  at the rear thereof and is secured to the bottom of the feeder block  52  by screws  62 . The forward end of the label pusher  58  has a pair of laterally spaced teeth  64  which project upwardly into the upper groove  56  through slots  66  in the bottom of the feeder block  52 . In a forward position, the teeth  64  extend into the recess  46  in the cylindrical guide  38 . The teeth  64  are urged to the forward position by a tension spring  63  connected between the screws  62  and the rear of the label pusher  58 . A label strip reverser  66  is mounted at the rear end of the feed groove  56  and is based slightly above the bottom thereof.  
         [0032]    A label assembly feeder  70  is mounted in the upper middle portion of the housing and has two inter-engaging horizontal feed rollers  72 ,  74  having axil  76 ,  78  each rotatably mounted at opposite ends in respective side walls  12 ,  14 . A U-shaped handle  80  has the free ends of its leg portions  82 ,  84  mounted in transverse passages (not shown) in opposite ends of axil  76  of feed roller  72 . A U-shaped feed tooth actuator  90  has the free ends of its leg portions  92 ,  94  rotatably mounted on the outer ends of axil  76  laterally inwardly of the leg portions  82 ,  84  of the feed handle  80 . Each leg portion  92 ,  94  of actuator  90  is connected by cords  96  to the rear end of label feeder  58 , with medial portions of cords  96  passing around the end portions of axil  78  of feed roller  74 . Each leg portion  92 ,  94  of actuator  90  has a wing portion  98  which is engageable by a respective leg portion  82 ,  84  of the feed handle  80 .  
         [0033]    The label assembly  24  includes an elongated flexible carrier strip  100  made of suitable paper and rolled on a tubular core  102  through which the axil  22  passes with the core  102  resting thereon.  
         [0034]    Referring now to FIG. 10, labels  110  are sequentially and releasably adhered to the carrier strip  100  in a manner which will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art. Each label  110  has a central disc portion  112  surrounded by an intermediate annular portion  114 , which in turn is surrounded by a main annular portion  116 . The disc portion  112  is releasably connected to the intermediate annular portion  114  which in turn is releasably connected to the main annular portion  116 . Each label  110  has a bridge portion  118  releasably connected to the main annular portion  116  thereof and extending to the main annular portion  116  of the adj acent label  110  to which it is also releasably connected, as well as being releasably adhered to the carrier strip  100 . The carrier strip  100  is rolled on the tubular core  102  such that the labels  110  are outermost.  
         [0035]    To load a label assembly  24  onto the labelling machine, the axil  22  is removed from the slots  20  in the side walls  12 ,  14  and is passed through the tubular core  102  of the label assembly  24 . The axil  22  with the label assembly  24  carried thereby is then replaced in the slots  22 . The free end of the carrier strip  100  is then pulled from the underside of the label assembly  24  and passed between the bottom of the strip reverser  66  and the label feed block  52  in a rear to front direction. The carrier strip  100  is then reversibly bent at the leading end  67  of the strip reverser  66  so that the carrier strip  100  then travels rearwardly to pass between the feed roller  72 ,  74 . The labels  110  leave the carrier strip  100  where the reverse bend occurs at the leading end  67  of the strip reverser  66 . After passing between feed roller  72 ,  74 , the carrier strip  100  passes over a strip guide  75  extending between side walls  12 ,  14  and secured by adhesive thereto. Portions of the carrier strip  100  which have passed over the guide  75  can be torn off and discarded.  
         [0036]    The labelling machine is used to apply labels  110  to a medication container  120  shown in FIG. 9 and described in more detail in previously mentioned U.S. Pat. No.  5 , 934 , 492 .  
         [0037]    The medication container  120  has a container body  122  with a senior friendly child resistant cap  124 . The cap  124  contains a cap liner (not completely shown) which has a central button portion  126  projecting through a central aperture  128  in the cap  124 .  
         [0038]    When the container  20  is opened by removing the cap  124  from the container body  122  by anti-clockwise rotation of the cap  124  relative to the container body  120 , the cap  124  moves relatively to the central button portion  126  to indicate when the container  120  is opened, again as more fully described in U.S. Pat. No.  5 , 934 , 492 .  
         [0039]    The labelling machine is used by first swinging the handle  80  in an anti-clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 3 to cause rotation of the feed roller  72 ,  74  and subsequent pulling of the carrier strip  100  through the machine. At the same time, because of engagement of the handle  80  with the wings  98  of the actuator  90 , the anti-clockwise rotation of the handle  80  also causes similar movement of the actuator  90 , thereby pulling cords  96  to pull the label pusher  58  to a rear position against the action of spring  63 . During this rearward motion, the teeth  64  on the label pusher  58  become positioned behind the rear of the label  110  which is lying in an upside down configuration in the groove  56  in the label feed block  52  after having become detached from the carrier strip  100  at the leading end  67  of the strip reverser  66 .  
         [0040]    The handle  80  is then returned to its original position as shown in FIG. 4. No movement of the feed roller  72 ,  74  occurs because feed roller  72  contains a clutch  73  of known kind which enables handle  60  to move rearwardly without rotating the feed roller  72 . Spring  63  is then able to return actuator  90  to its original position with consequent forward movement of the label pusher  58 . During this movement, teeth  64  push the detached label  100  to the labelling station  26 , so that the disc portion  112  of the label  110  rests on the resilient pad  36  and the main annular portion  116  of the label  110  rests on the outer annular portion  35  at the top of the support column  32 .  
         [0041]    As shown in FIG. 5, an inverted mid-size container  120  is moved into the upper portion of the cylindrical guide  38 , the diameter of the container cap  124  being such that it is just less than the diameter of the annular ledge  48  in the cylindrical guide  38 . For this size container, the upper portion of the cylindrical guide  38  is provided with an L-shaped latch  130  pivotally mounted on a pin  32  in a slot  134  in the upper part of the cylindrical guide  38  directly opposite the opening  46 . The latch  130  extends inwardly to the inner diameter of annular ledge  50 . FIG. 6 shows the container  120  when it has been pushed down into engagement with the annular ledge  48 . The downward movement of the cap  124  causes the latch  130  to tilt such that an upper hook-shaped portion  136  of the latch  130  engages the upper end of the container cap  124 .  
         [0042]    Further downward movement of the container  120 , as shown in FIG. 7, causes the container  120  to push the cylindrical guide  38  downwardly against the action of the spring  44  until the cap  124  engages the outer annular portion  35  of the support column  32  (with the main annular portion  116  of the label  110  there between) and the central button portion  126  engages the resilient pad  36  (with the disc ortion  112  of the label  110  there between). The main annular portion  116  of the label  110  thereby becomes adhered to the container cap  124 , and the disc portion  112  of the label  110  thereby becomes adhered to the central button portion  126 . The container  120  with the label  110  attached thereto is then removed by upward movement as shown in FIG. 8. During the upward movement, the cap  124  returns the latch  130  to its original position.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 9( a ) shows a container  120  just after removal from the labelling machine, with the intermediate annular portion  114  of the label  110  still adhered to the central disc portion  112 . The intermediate annular portion  114  is simply removed by hand, as indicated in FIG. 9( b ). The associated bridge portion  118  is also removed from the main annular portion  116  of a label  110  if it is still attached thereto. The labelled container is shown in FIG. 9( c ).  
         [0044]    If the container  120  is the larger size, then the outer annular portion of the cap  124  engages the upper annular ledge  48  of the cylindrical guide  38 . If the container  120  is the smaller size, then the outer annular portion of the cap  124  engages the annular upper surface  35  of the support column  32 . The cylindrical guide  38  is not depressed and the latch  130  is not actuated when the smaller container is used. Different label assemblies  24 , i.e. with different labels  110 , are used for different dosage information.  
         [0045]    Other embodiments of the invention will now be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art from the above description of a preferred embodiment, the scope of the invention being defined in the appended claims.