Labeling machine

A machine for labeling containers which are oriented vertically and have a bottom surface provided with a transverse jam recess that is at least partially radial to the longitudinal axis of the container. The machine includes a labeler and a work table moveable relative to the labeler. A plurality of plates are each mounted on the table for rotation about vertical axis and each plate includes a container supporting surface. A holder is disposed above each plate for vertical movement relative thereto. A counter jam is mounted on each rotary plate for movement between a first position below the container supporting surface and a second position in which a portion of the counter jam extends above the container supporting surface for cooperating with the jam recess of a container positioned on the support surface. At least three rollers are mounted on each rotary plate to support the container for rotational movement about its longitudinal axis relative to the rotary plate. The rollers of each group are positioned with a part of their peripheral surface above the upper support surface and each being mounted before rotation about an axis which extends radially relative to the container longitudinal axis to support the container for rotational movement relative to the plate. A drive is coupled to the rollers for rotating the same about their respective rotational axis.

The invention pertains to a labeling machine to label upright containers 
especially bottles which have at their bottom surface a stop face which is 
transverse or vertical to this bottom surface and at least partially 
radial to the elevation axis of the bottle. This labeling machine has, 
relative to a labeling device, a movable worktable with controlable rotary 
plates on the worktable. Each of these plates form a standing surface for 
the containers. The labeling machine also has, over each rotary plate, a 
clamping device that can be raised and lowered. 
Labeling machines with a worktable, moving passed a labeling mechanism or 
labeling station, on which worktable the bottles to be labeled are clamped 
between rotary plates and clamping devices are known. At the labeling 
station, the labels that are covered with a glue film are then e.g. by 
means of a gripper cylinder pressed onto the bottles to be labeled. After 
this follows at subsequent stations the final pressing-on or smoothing 
down of the labels by means of available components. It is hereby 
necessary to bring the bottles that stand on the rotary plates in a 
certain position which is achieved by the rotation of the rotary plates 
around a vertical axis or the elevation axis of the bottles. 
It is frequently necessary to apply the labels with the greatest precision 
to a very exactly predetermined location at the exterior of the bottles. 
This applies e.g. to bottles with a special configuration or that have 
special configurations as regards their exterior surface, whereby a 
specific area of the bottle is reserved for label application so that this 
label constitutes an additional element in the design and configuration of 
the bottle itself, as is frequently the case today e.g. with liquor 
bottles. Even though the bottles are fed to the worktable in an upright 
position they are still in a purely random position. Since this is the 
case, it is necessary to bring the bottles, which stand on the rotary 
plates, in a proper position relative to the rotary plates before these 
bottles are fed past the labeling mechanism. This is achieved by rotating 
each bottle around its elevation axis relative to the appropriate rotary 
plate. 
It is the task of the invention to design a labeling machine with an 
uncomplicated constructural configuration which enables the aforementioned 
corrective positioning of the bottles and consequently a label application 
in the exact bottle area therefore provided with consistent dependability. 
To fulfill this task a labeling machine as initially described and relative 
to the invention is designed as follows. Each rotary plate has at least 
one counter stop face that adjoins the stop face; the counter stop face is 
movable from one position as it is under the standing surface of the 
appropriate rotary plate to a second position in that the counter jam face 
protrudes beyond this standing surface and means have been provided to 
bring about a movement of the container around its elevation axis relative 
to the counter jam face. 
In the case of the invention related labeling machine, the counter jam face 
is preferably under tension by means of a spring, so that the counter jam 
face lies against the bottom surface of the container under spring tension 
while this container is being brought into the proper position. And once 
the container has been positioned properly the counter jam face rests in a 
hollow in the bottom surface of the container. This hollow forms with a 
lateral surface the jam surface. In the case of the invention related 
labeling machine containers or bottles can be handled which have the 
necessary jam surface for proper positioning, namely in the form of a 
hollow at the bottom surface, which is especially advantageous since such 
a jam surface can not be damaged during transport in contrast with a 
positioning device that protrudes beyond the bottle circumference, which 
type of positioning device is frequently used as jam surface. 
Since the counter jam face in the case of the invention related labeling 
machine shows a first position in which this counter jam face does not 
protrude beyond the appropriate rotary plate, this counter jam face can be 
controlled so, that the rotary plate always has a level upper surface or 
standing surface, i.e. a surface without any protrusions and this while 
the bottles are being fed in or discharged. 
It has been shown that a flawless positioning or turning of the containers 
around their elevation axis can be achieved even without the bottles 
tending to fall sideways from the rotary plates in question when the 
standing surface for the bottles on each rotary plate is formed by three 
rollers, which in each case can be rotated around an axis radial to the 
vertical axis around which the rotary plates rotate. Instead of these 
rollers one can also use a turn table or plate which forms the standing 
surface of the rotary plate whereby this turn table or plate on the rotary 
plate is mounted so that it can rotate around the vertical axis. Since the 
containers or bottles have a hollow in the center of their bottom surface, 
which hollow is drawn towards the inside, these containers or bottles 
stand on the rollers, the turn table or plate with a ring shaped bottom 
surface which envelopes this hollow. 
When the appropriate container is being positioned, the rollers, turntable 
or plate are/is either being driven so that they/it rotate(s) or are/is 
freely rotatable, whereby in the latter case an element is provided for 
which acts directly upon the container in question and rotates this 
container around its elevation axis, e.g. a fixed guide bow with a wear 
strip. 
Further configurations of the the invention are subject of the secondary 
claims.

FIG. 1 represents a labeling machine in part, to which already filled and 
closed off bottles 1 are fed in the direction of arrow A from the left via 
a conveyor system, e.g. via a hinged conveyor chain 2 and arrive in an 
infeed star 3, which is driven by appropriate drive means driven around a 
vertical axis in the direction of arrow B and has the well known multiple 
radially open pockets to accept one bottle 1 at the time. These pockets 
are not depicted in greater detail. With the aid of the infeed star 3 as 
well as a fixed guide bow 4, the bottles standing with their bottom 5 
upright on a rotary table are conveyed so, that each and every bottle 1 
ends up standing with its bottom 5 on a rotary plate 7 on the table 6. 
FIG. 1 shows stat there are several rotary plates 7 at the upper side of 
the ring shaped part 6' of the rotary table 6 which is in the depicted 
configuration shown as spoked. In this case these rotary plates can be 
rotated or pivoted around the vertical axis by control components which 
will be described in greater detail at a later point and these rotary 
plates always have one and the same predetermined distance from each 
other. 
By means of drive components, not portrayed in greater detail, the rotary 
table 6 is driven around its vertical axis in synchrously with the infeed 
star 3, namely in the opposite direction of the infeed star 3, i.e. in the 
direction of arrow C as in FIG. 1. 
Since the labels 8 must be applied with the invention related labeling 
machine on a very specific predetermined spot on the circumference of the 
bottles 1 and the bottles are fed to the labeling machine so, that their 
elevation axis H is in vertical direction and since the bottles 1 have 
otherwise a random position, each bottle has at its bottom 5 an 
indentation or a hollow 9, which is in a predetermined area relative to 
that surface where the label will be applied later. The indentation 9 
serving for the positioning of each individual bottle 1 is in the 
portrayed configuration shaped in the form of a keyway and runs radially 
to the elevation axis H. The indentation 9 is at one end near the 
periphery of the bottle 1 open and flows at the other end into a further 
indentation 10, which is in themiddle area of the bottom 5 of the bottle 1 
and is formed arch or dome shaped and at the bottom section which reaches 
into the interior of the bottle 1. Between the indentation 10 and the 
outer edge, each bottle 1 has a ring shaped standing surface 5' at the 
bottom 5 in which standing surface 5' is also the indentation 9. 
As shown in FIG. 4, the indentation 9 has a somewhat rriangle shaped cross 
section, namely in that form that the one lateral limiting surface 9' runs 
somewhat vertical to the standing surface 5' and the other lateral 
limiting surface runs obliquely to the standing surface 5'. 
The bottles 1 which end up on the rotary plates 7 via the infeed star 3 are 
individually safeguarded against sliding off and falling over by a 
clamping device 11, whereby each clamping device 11 comes down upon the 
appropriate bottle 1 and envelopes this bottle at the upper end of the 
closed bottle neck with its bell shaped end 12 as soon as the bottle in 
question leaves the infeed star 3. The total of the clamping devices are 
attached to a machine part or rotor 13, which rotates with the rotary 
table 6. Only when the appropriate bottle 1 has arrived in a pocket 14 of 
the discharged star 15 and is held in this pocket and a guide 16 which 
partially surrounds the discharge star, the appropriate clamping device 
lifts off. The labeled bottles leave the labeling machine at the discharge 
side of the discharge star 15 via a conveyor belt 17 (e.g. a hinged 
conveyor chain) in the direction of arrow D. 
The bottles, standing upright of the rotary plates 7 of the rotary table 6 
are, amoung others, led past a labeling station or labeling mechanism 18, 
where each time one label 8 is applied to a bottle 1. Subsequently to this 
the bottles pass by not more closely detailed components (e.g. rollers, 
brushes and the like) with the help of which the final smoothing down of 
the labels 8 to the bottles 1 is achieved. To achieve an effective 
application of the labels 8 as well as an effective smoothing down of 
these labels onto the bottles 1, the rotary plates 7 and with them the 
bottles that stand upright on them are each time turned or pivoted around 
their elevation axis H into the required position. Besides this, the 
labels 8 must each time be applied exactly on a predetermined surface of 
the bottles and to this end the bottles 1 are, after leaving the infeed 
star 3 and before reaching the labeling mechanism 18 properly positioned 
by means of rotation (around the elevation axis H) relative to the rotary 
plate 7. To achieve this, each rotary plate 7 has a configuration as 
depicted for instance especially in the FIGS. 5 through 7. 
As the FIGS. 5 through 7 show, each rotary plate 7 consists of a disc 
shaped part 19, the center or symmetric axis S of which coincides somewhat 
with the elevation axis H of the bottle 1 which stands on the rotary plate 
7. To the bottom of the disc shaped part 19 a shell shaped body 20 is 
attached with its upper end facing upward, namely by means of screws 21, 
which screw into the tapped holes of the body 20 through the holes of part 
19. The axis of the shell shaped body 20 coincides with the symmetric axis 
S. The shell shaped body 20, which has at its periphery a cylindrical 
shape is mounted in a bearing bushing 22 of the rotary table 6 around the 
center axis S, i.e. around a vertical axis so that the shell shaped body 
20 can be rotated or pivoted. Instead of the slide bearing formed by the 
peripheral surface of the body 20 and the inner surface of the bearing 
bushing 22 one can of course, also use a ball or needle bearing. 
At the lower end the body 20 changes into a shell shaped extension 23, the 
axis of which lies again parallel to the axis S. At the peripheral surface 
of the extension 23 there are a total of four arms that stand radially 
away from the extension 23. 
For simplicity's sake only the two arms 24 and 25 are, relative to the axis 
S, off-set to each other by 180.degree. and lie longitudinally in the 
drawing plane of FIG. 5. Two other arms--not drawn--lie longitudinally 
vertical to the drawing plane of FIG. 5 and are thus also, relative to the 
axis S, off-set to each other by 180.degree.. These two arms--that are not 
drawn--stand also radially away from the extension 23 and form 90.degree. 
angles with the arms 24 and 25. In the area of the free end of each arm 
there is a roller 26 which can rotate, namely around an axis parallel to 
the axis S. The arrangement of the rollers 26 is made so, that the rollers 
26 on the arm 24 lie on a first common height level and the two rollers on 
the arm not drawn in FIG. 5 on a second common height level (relative to 
the axis S). The roller 26 of all the arms work in conjunction with the 
lateral limiting surfaces 27 and 28 of the two guide cam lying one above 
the other, which are on a fixed machine part of the labeling machine and 
envelope the vertical rotary axle of the rotary table 6. By means of a 
suitable configuration or shape of the control arms or an appropriate 
development of the limiting surfaces 27 and 28 it is achieved that, when 
the rotary table rotates, the rollers 26 which lie against the limiting 
surfaces 27 and 28, rotate or pivot the body 20 and with it the part 19 of 
each rotary plate 7 around the axle S into a position which is determined 
by the specific position of the limiting surfaces 27 and 28. The rollers 
26 on the four arms in conjunction with the two control cams constitute an 
exceptionally simple means of control of the total of the rotary plates 7, 
but by means of an appropriate configuration and arrangement of the 
control cams the rotary plates 7 can be rotated around the axle S from any 
possible position in one direction or the other and practically limitless 
as regards the angle in which it is to be rotated. 
A ring 30 which surrounds the body 20 is rotatably mounted via a bearing 
bushing 22 on the sleeve shaped body 20 by means of a needle bearing 29. 
This ring 30 is axially even with the axle S and shows at its upper part a 
bevel gear tooth system 31. Under this bevel gear tooth system 31 an 
auxiliary ring 32 is fixed in stationary position to the ring 30 namely by 
means of a radial pins33, which go through the holes of the auxiliary ring 
32 and the ring 30 
In the cut outs 34 of the disc shaped part 19 is each time a bevel gear 
rotatably mounted around an axle which runs radially to the axle S. A 
bearing bolt 37 serves as the shaft of each bevel gear 35, the teeth 36 of 
which mesh with the bevel gear tooth system 31. This bearing bolt 37 has a 
threaded end on one side and is with this end screwed into a threaded hole 
38 is the disc shaped part 19. At the other end of each bearing bolt 37 is 
a circular cylindrical shaped head 39. Adapted to the diameter of this 
head 39 part 19 has a hole 40 by means of which this head in incorporated 
in the part 19. 
Lateral to the tooth system 36 and opposite this tooth system relative to 
the axle S lying radially outward, each bevel gear 35 has a circular - 
cylindrical shaped section on which a flat ring 41, made of elastic 
material e.g. rubber, is held by a clamping seat. The outside diameter of 
this ring 41 has been chosen so, that this ring with a partial area of its 
peripheral surface protrudes slightly over the upper side 19' of the disc 
shaped part 19. 
The configuration portrayed in the figure shows around the axle S a total 
of four bevel gears 35 as described before on the disc shaped part 19 
which are each time off-set to each by 90.degree.. The tooth systems 36 of 
the bevel gears 35 are covered by a cover 42, the top 42' of which aligns 
with the top 19' of the part 19. 
In another cut-out 43 in the disc shaped part 19, a pawl 44, which forms 
the counter anvil, is mounted so that it can pivot, namely by means of a 
link pin 45, the axis of which runs perpendicular to the axle S and 
parallel to the upper part 19' of the disc shaped part 19. Furthermore, 
the axis of the link pin 45 or its extension intersects the circular 
shaped peripheral surface of the part 19 somewhat in the way of a secant. 
The pawl 44 is formed by a metal block, the width of which in the direction 
of the link pin 45 is in the depicted configuration greater than the width 
of the ring 41 in the direction of the bearing bolt 37. The socket 44 has 
at its upper side a nose like or triangular shaped protrusion 46, where 
two surfaces 47 and 48 which meet each other at an acute angle, form a 
corner or edge 49, which lies somewhat radial to the axle S. The pawl 44 
can pivot around the link pin 45 so that this socket including the section 
46 of the pawl 44 protrudes beyond the upper side 19' of the part 19. In 
this second position as portrayed in FIG. 6 the surface 47 lies at an 
angle in relationship to the upper side 19', while the surface 48 runs 
vertical or practically vertical to the surface 19'. 
The arrangement if furthermore so, that the pawl 44 is located between two 
neighboring bevel gears 35, whereby the section 46 has a distance from the 
axis S which corresponds with the distance between the rings 41 and the 
axle S. 
On the one end of the surface 48, which shows a distance from the link pin 
45 a leaf spring 50 is attached with one end and the other free end of the 
leaf spring lies beneath the underside of the part 19. The leaf spring 50 
is shaped so, that it all but touches the upper side of the rotary table 6 
when the pawl 45 is in the first position mentioned above. At the upper 
side of the rotary table 6 in the area of each rotary plate 7, a plate 51, 
that protrudes beyond the upper side of the rotary table 6, is attached 
so, that the lower free end of the leaf spring 50 in a certain rotation 
position of the rotary plate 7 or the disc shaped part of the part 19 
comes into a position against the plate 51 and thereby rotates the pawl 44 
into a second position whereby the section 46 protrudes beyond the upper 
side 19'. The rotary position, in which the leaf spring 50 lies against 
the plate 51 is thereby preferably that position which is shown by rotary 
plate 7 as it moves past the labeling mechanism 18. By means of the 
rotation of the individual rotary plates 7, achieved by the rollers 26 and 
the limiting surfaces 27 and 28, the pivoting of the pawl 44 from its 
first into its second position and visa versa is controlled as well. Of 
course, it is also possible to provide for other means to accomplish the 
pivoting of the pawl 44, e.g. control cylinders or push rods that adjoin a 
control cam etc. 
In the center of the disc shaped part 19 there is a through hole 52, which 
extends in the hole of the sleeve shaped body 20 as well as its extension 
23. In these holes there is a rod 53 which can slide in longitudinal 
direction. This rod 53 has at its upper end a cylindrical shaped head 54, 
which is located in a hole 55 in the cover 42. 
In the hole of the sleeve shaped body 20 there is a compression spring 56 
which surrounds the rod 53. The compression spring 56 rests with its lower 
end against a flange 57 on the rod 53 and with its upper end against a 
surface on the part 19 as in shown in FIG. 5. This compression spring 56 
tries to push the rod 53 in its lower position as portrayed in FIG. 5, 
whereby the head 54 lies completely in the hole 55. The lower end of the 
rod 53 works in conjunction with a fixed control cam, 58 which forces the 
rod 53 upward at least in the area of the peripheral path of travel of the 
rotary table 6. In this area the positioning of the bottle 1 relative to 
the rotary plate 7 is achieved as well, which will be described hereafter. 
When the rod 53 is forced in the upward position the head 54 extends into 
the recess 10 and brings about an additional securing effect i.e. the 
centering of the appropriate bottle 1. 
The modus operandi of each rotary plate 7 can be described as follows: 
As already mentioned above, the bottles 1 are via an infeed star 3 fed to 
the bottle table 6 or the rotary plates 7 in upright position, however in 
a random position. In the area between the infeed star 3 and the labeling 
mechanism 18, the bottles 1 must be positioned so, that they must show an 
exact, predetermined position at least upon reaching the labeling 
mechanism 18 as regards the surface to where the label 8 should be 
transferred, i.e. the bottle should stand radially outward relative to the 
rotary axis of the rotary table 6. This is achieved thereby that each 
bottle 1, after having left the infeed star 3 arrives at a rotary plate 7 
or the upper surface 19' of the part 19, whereby the pawl 44 lies 
completely in the cutout 43. The bottle 1 in question stands with its 
standing surface 5' on the rollers formed by the rings 41. The appropriate 
holding device 11 is lowered so far, that this holding device with its 
bell shaped section 12 comprises the closed off upper part of the bottle, 
however does not press heavily on the bottle. As soon as this condition 
exists, the rod 53 is forced upward via a control cam 58, so that the head 
54 lies in the depression 10 as this is indicated by phantom lines in FIG. 
5. By means of the rollers 26 and the limiting surfaces 27 and 28 of the 
control cam the part 19 is turned by a certain angle so, that the lower 
end of the leaf spring 50 comes to the position against the plate 51. The 
pawl 44 lies then with the section 46 like a spring against the standing 
surface 5' of the appropriate bottle. As soon as this situation is brought 
about, the auxiliary ring 32 comes in contact with a control cam 59 or 
with the wear surface 60 of this control cam as the rotary table 6 
rotates. This control cam 59 is fixed and has a circular shape which is 
concentric the rotary axie of the rotary table 6. The auxiliary ring which 
rolls off against this wear surface rotates via its bevel gear tooth 
system 31 the bevel gears 35 and with them the standing surfaces, formed 
by the flat rings 41, for the appropriate bottle 1, which is rotated 
around its longitudinal axis H until the section 46 of the pawl 44 rests 
in the depression 9 of the bottle 1, whereby the surface 48 of the pawl 44 
lies against the surface 9' of the bottle 1. As soon as this is brought 
about, the bottle 1 is positioned correctly relative to the rotary plate 
7. The pawl 44 also prevents a further rotating of the bottle 1 around its 
longitudinal axis H, when the auxiliary ring 32 is still in contact with 
the wear surface 60. The wear surface 60 and the control cam 59 terminate 
before the labeling mechanism 18. The properly positioned bottle, standing 
on the rotary plate 7 can be labeled on the proper surface at the labeling 
mechanism 18. 
After leaving the labeling mechanism 18, the rotary plate 7 and the bottle 
standing on it is then in the conventional method rotated or pivoted 
around the axis S or H to reach the other stations of labeling functions 
where the label 8 is pressed on or smoothed down. Just before reaching the 
labeling mechanism 18 and after the proper positioning of the bottle 1 as 
described above the holding device 11 is pressed against the bottle 1 so 
that, when the rotary plate 7 rotates and the leaf spring 50 does not come 
in contact with the plate 51, the appropriate bottle 1 stands on the 
rotary plate secured against further rotating, whereby the bevel gear 
tooth system 31 assures a sufficiently heavy action for the bevel gears 35 
to avoid undesirable turning of the bottle 1 relative to the rotary plate 
7. Furthermore the rings 41 made of elastic material warrants that the 
appropriate bottle 1 is pressed againstthe upper part 19' of the part 19 
when the holding device 11 is applied securely. Another improvement 
against undesirable rotation of the bottle 1 relative to the rotary plate 
7 can be achieved thereby, that the mounting of at least on bevel gear 35 
is made in some form of elasticity, that the bevel gear is somewhat 
pressed downward in the direction of arrow E as in FIG. 5 when the holding 
device 11 is pressed against the bottle so that the ring 41 of the bevel 
gear with a surface 61 comes against part 19 and thereby blocks all bevel 
gears 35 so that they can not rotate. 
As described above, a control cam 59 with wear surface 60 serves to rotate 
the auxiliary ring 32 or to position the bottles 1. Instead of this an 
endless belt 62 can be used (see FIG. 8). This belt is guided via a drive 
roller or drive pulley 63 via guide rollers or pulleys and lies with one 
length, against the auxiliary rings 32 of several rotary plates 7. These 
auxiliary rings are then preferably in the form of belt pulleys. The 
corresponding drive of the belt 62 in one or another direction or with 
different speeds when the rotary table 6 turns synchronously, can e.g. 
bring about a slow rotation of the bevel gears 35 when positioning the 
bottles 1 despite a high rotational speed of the rotary table 6. 
Consequently, the rotational speed of the bottles 1, turning around their 
longitudinal axis H when being positioned is also very low. This can be 
necessary to prevent damage of the bottles 1 when the pawl 44 rest in the 
depression 9. By means of the belt drive 62 in one or antoher direction it 
can be achieved that when the rotary table 6 rotates in one direction the 
bottles 1 can be rotated in one or another direction when being 
positioned. Thereby it is possible, that one and the same style bottle, 
i.e. bottles with one, specific depression 9 can be used on labeling 
machines with a rotary table 6 which turns clockwise or counter clockwise. 
If the bottles to be labeled have a cylindrical surface, the invention 
related labeling machine can be simplified even further. In this case it 
is namely possible to dispose of the ring 30 and the auxiliary ring 32 and 
to engineer the bevel gears 35 as simple rollers with an elastic surface 
formed by the ring 41. The turning of the bottles 1 when being positioned 
relative to the appropriate rotary plates 7 is then achieved thereby, that 
provisions are made for a fixed control cam or control guide 65 with a 
wear surface 66 lateral across the surface 19', which control guide forms 
in turn a surface concentric with the rotational axis of the rotary table 
6, with which surface the bottles 1 to be positioned come into contact 
with their peripheral surface after leaving the infeed star 3 as indicated 
by phantom lines in the FIGS. 1 through 5. 
The invention is further explained by means of configurational examples. 
Variations and deviations are of course possible, without leaving the 
fundamental thoughts behind the invention. Thus it is possible for 
instance to substitute for the bevel gears 35 and the rollers, formed by 
the rings 11 a ring mounted on part 19 concentric with axis S and 
rotatable around this axis, while the bottles in question stand with its 
standing surface 5' on the part 19. This ring is then e.g. via an 
auxiliary ring 32 and the ring 30 driven so that it can rotate while the 
bottles 1 are being positioned. Or this ring can freely rotate, when the 
control guide 65 with its wear surface 66 is used. 
It is furthermore possible in principle to substitute for the control guide 
59 with the wear surface 60 or the belt 62, a bent element that is in the 
form of a toothed rod or a chain, which contacts a gear or sprocket 
respectively forms the auxiliary ring 32. 
It is essential in all configurations of the invention related labeling 
machine that at infeed and discharge of each bottle to and from the rotary 
table 6 the rotary plate 7 has a completely level surface, i.e. neither 
the pawl 44 nor the head 54 protrude beyond the surface of the rotary 
plate 7. It is furthermore essential that there are jam surfaces 9' at the 
bottoms 5 of the bottles to be positioned, of such a nature that the jam 
surfaces are not damaged when the bottles are transported, i.e. rub or hit 
against each other. Consequently it is possible to reuse the bottles 1.