Label applicator for irregularly shaped articles

A label applicator which grips the article to be labeled on the opposite sides of the article to hold the article in a predetermined orientation. One or more labels are applied to the article while it is held in the predetermined orientation. The article is gripped between a movable resilient member and a guide which holds the article against the movable resilient member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In labeling some articles, it is necessary to grip the articles and 
accurately hold them in a predetermined orientation. This is necessary, 
for example, in labeling articles, such as bottles, of an irregular 
configuration with labels which must be accurately oriented on the 
article. 
One prior art way of accomplishing this labeling function is to guide the 
article into a lead screw with the lead screw rotating at a speed to 
advance the article at approximately the same rate as the article 
conveyor. With this arrangement, the article is retained between the 
threads of the lead screw by a guide. A top hold-down belt holds the 
article downwardly against the conveyor. 
A primary problem with this prior art construction is that a different 
setup is required for each different size article to be labeled. For 
example, the lead screw must be changed each time an article of a 
different length is to be labeled and the height of the hold-down belt 
must be adjusted each time articles of different height are to be labeled. 
These changes take time to accomplish and increase the downtime of the 
labeling line, as well as requiring additional capital outlay and storage 
space for the different sizes of screws that are necessary. 
This prior art construction has other disadvantages. For example, if the 
article is a bottle with a cap and the cap is inadvertently left off, the 
top hold-down belt cannot perform its article capturing function due to 
the reduced overall height of the article as a result of the absence of 
the cap. In addition, the loading of articles into the screw requires some 
special consideration, such as a special input device or a jam input. 
Finally, with the article held by the lead screw, it is sometimes 
difficult to provide sufficient room while the article is captured to 
carry out the labeling function. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention solves the problems noted above. For example, with the label 
applicator of this invention, articles of different sizes and 
configurations can be labeled with little or no change in the mechanism 
for holding the articles in a predetermined orientation. The input to the 
article capturing mechanism is simplified, and variations in height of the 
article do not affect the ability of the mechanism to capture and retain 
the articles in a predetermined orientation. 
This invention eliminates the lead screw of the prior art. In addition, the 
need for the hold-down belt is eliminated; however, the hold-down belt can 
be used if desired. 
With this invention, the article gripping means includes first means for 
engaging the article on at least one side thereof. The first means has a 
resilient, deformable surface and is mounted for movement. The article 
gripping means also includes means cooperating with the first means for 
engaging the articles on at least the other side thereof to urge the 
articles against the resilient deformable surface. This urges the articles 
against the resilient, deformable surface to deform the latter. 
Consequently, pockets are formed in the deformable surface which generally 
conform to the shape of the article and the cooperating means holds the 
articles in these pockets. This securely holds the articles in a 
predetermined orientation so that labeling means can apply labels to the 
articles while they are held in the predetermined orientation. This 
assures that the labels will be accurately placed on the articles. 
Because the resilient, deformable surface can effectively take the 
configuration of the article to be labeled, reasonable variations in this 
configuration do not require any setup change. Because the articles can be 
retained in a predetermined orientation by gripping them on the opposite 
sides, the hold-down belt of the prior art is not required. Consequently, 
variations in height of the articles do not require a change in setup. For 
major changes in width of the articles, the spacing between the first 
means and the cooperating means can be quickly and easily adjusted. 
Typically, the articles to be labeled are moved past the label applicator 
on a conveyor. With this invention, the article gripping means can take 
the articles off of the conveyor while they are held in the predetermined 
orientation or leave them on the conveyor while they are held in the 
predetermined orientation. One advantage of taking the articles off of the 
conveyor is that labeling the bottom of the articles is possible. In 
addition, more accuracy can be obtained with the articles off line. 
Although the first means may take different forms, in a preferred 
embodiment, it includes a rotatable wheel having a peripheral surface 
which is resiliently deformable and which is engageable with one side of 
the article. The resilience of the peripheral surface can be brought about 
in different ways, such as by constructing the wheel or a portion thereof 
of resilient material, by using an inflatable bladder for all or a portion 
of the wheel, etc. Alternatively, a soft belt or one which can be 
resiliently deformed inwardly can be used. In any event, the peripheral 
surface can deform to take on the configuration of the article pushed 
against it. 
The wheel is preferably mounted for rotation about a rotational axis which 
extends generally transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor 
adjacent the wheel. The wheel lies at least partially in the path of 
articles conveyed to the wheel by the conveyor. With the articles being 
moved horizontally past the label applicator, the rotational axis of the 
wheel is preferably generally vertical, although other orientations of 
this axis which would permit the peripheral surface of the wheel to grip a 
side of the article to be labeled can be employed. 
The cooperating means can be any means which urges the articles against the 
peripheral surface of the wheel. For example, the cooperating means may 
include a guide for directing the articles appropriately against the wheel 
and holding the articles against the wheel for a predetermined length of 
travel of the articles. For example, the guide may include one or more 
stationary rails, at least a portion of which has a shape complementary to 
the shape of the peripheral surface of the wheel. Both the peripheral 
surface of the wheel and the guide may be similarly curved. 
To take the articles off the conveyor utilizing the wheel, preferably the 
wheel is placed in the path of the articles on the conveyor with a portion 
of the peripheral surface being displaced horizontally from the conveyor. 
The guide is appropriately shaped to guide the articles on the conveyor 
against the peripheral surface and then forwardly in the direction of 
conveyor movement and laterally off of the conveyor generally following 
the contour of the peripheral surface. If desired, a platform can be 
provided adjacent the conveyor at the location where the articles are 
moved laterally off of the conveyor so that the articles can be moved over 
the platform. To permit bottom labeling, the platform should have aperture 
means so that the label applicator can apply the label to the bottom of 
the article through the aperture means. 
Although for some applications, it may be possible to rotate the wheel 
using power from the conveyor applied through the articles to be labeled, 
it is preferred to provide motor means for rotating the wheel because this 
enables removal of the articles from the conveyor. In addition, by driving 
the wheel, and hence the article to be labeled, at a known speed and 
sensing the article after it is captured, the label can be very accurately 
placed on the article. 
The invention, together with further features and advantages thereof, may 
best be understood by reference to the following description taken in 
connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a label applicator 11 for applying labels to articles 13 
(FIG. 2) which are moved along a horizontal path past the label applicator 
11 by any suitable means, such as a conveyor 15. The label applicator of 
this invention is particularly adapted for labeling articles of 
elliptical, tapered or other irregular configurations; however, it can 
also be used for labeling articles of more conventional configuration. 
Generally, the label applicator 11 includes labeling means 17 and article 
capturing means 19. 
The labeling means 17 may be of conventional construction and, for this 
reason, is not described in detail herein. Briefly, the labeling means 17 
includes a supporting structure 21 mounted on a suitable support, such as 
a vertical post 23 so that its height may be adjusted. The post 23 may, in 
turn, be mounted on a movable carriage (not shown) to permit the labeling 
means 17 to be moved horizontally. 
Although the labeling means 17 may use various different kinds of label 
feeds, in the embodiment illustrated, labels 25 are releasably adhered to 
an elongated backing strip or web 27 by a pressure sensitive adhesive. The 
web 27 is wound on a supply reel 29 and passes over a plurality of rollers 
31 (only one being shown in FIG. 2) to a peeling bar 33 and then over one 
or more additional rollers 35 to a take-up reel 37. In passing over the 
peeling bar 33, the web 27 is folded into a reverse bend, and the label 25 
is separated from the web. 
A label 25 removed from the web 27 is releasably retained at a labeling 
station. Although this function can be provided for in different ways, in 
the embodiment illustrated, the removed label is releasably retained in a 
well-known manner against an air pervious grid 39 by sub-atmospheric 
pressure within a vacuum box 41. In the embodiment illustrated, the grid 
39 lies in a vertical plane and has openings 42 (FIG. 5). The label 25 is 
retained on the grid until one of the articles 13 is properly positioned 
with respect thereto, and at this instant, the label is transferred from 
the grid 39 to such article with the adhesive on the label adhering it to 
the article. Although this transfer function can be accomplished in 
different ways, in the embodiment illustrated, a blast of air under 
pressure is supplied to the vacuum box 41 and through the openings 42 to 
blow the label 25 onto the article 13 adjacent the grid 39. 
The labeling means 17 can be controlled in a known manner. As shown in FIG. 
2, a product sensor 43 is carried by an arm 45 of the supporting structure 
21 and provides a signal each time the leading edge of one of the articles 
13 approaches the grid 39. Thereafter, the labeling means 17 is 
appropriately timed in a known manner to apply the label to the article 13 
when it reaches an appropriate position immediately adjacent the grid 39. 
The article capturing means 19 includes a wheel 47 having a cylindrical 
peripheral surface 49. Although the wheel 47 may be of different 
constructions, in the embodiment illustrated, it includes a resiliently 
deformable cylindrical disc 51 of foam plastic material sandwiched between 
a pair of a circular cover plates 53. The disc 51 is of larger diameter 
than the plates 53 and so an annular region of the disc projects radially 
outwardly beyond the plates 53. 
The wheel 47 is mounted for rotation about a vertical rotational axis by a 
shaft 55 which in turn is rotatably mounted on an arm 57. The arm 57 is in 
turn suitably mounted on a post 59 so that the elevation of the wheel 47 
can be adjusted. The post 59 can be mounted on a suitable carriage (not 
shown) to permit the horizontal position of the wheel 47 to be adjusted. A 
motor 61 rotates the shaft 55 and the wheel 47. 
To control movement of the articles 13 on the conveyor 15 near the wheel 
47, guides 63 and 65 are employed. The guide 63 is a lead-in guide and it 
extends along the surface of the conveyor 15 from the edge of the conveyor 
remote from the grid 39 generally toward the opposite edge of the conveyor 
at an appropriate incline so as to gradually guide the article 13 against 
the peripheral surface 49. The guide 63 may be fixedly mounted as by 
supports 67 mounted adjacent the conveyor 15 or on the usual fixed 
portions of the conveyor. 
The guide 65 includes a central section 69 which is curved to form a 
portion of a circle concentric with the cylindrical peripheral surface 49 
and opposite end sections 71 and 73 which are inclined away from the 
conveyor 15. Although the guide 65 may be of various different 
constructions, it preferably includes an upper rail 75 and a lower rail 77 
(FIGS. 5 and 6) which are spaced apart sufficiently to provide aperture 
means which permit the label on the grid 39 to be passed between such 
space in being transferred from the grid to the adjacent one of the 
articles 13. Each of the rails 75 and 77 is an elongated, flexible 
resilient strip. 
Both of the rails 75 and 77 are mounted on identical mounts 79, and the 
opposite end portions of the rails 75 and 77 are held away from the 
conveyor 15 by fixed vertical rods 83. Each of the mounts 79 includes an 
upper block 85 and a lower block 86 mounted on a pair of vertical rods 87. 
The block 86 can be suitably fixed at the lower ends of the rods 87, and 
the block 85 is mounted for vertical sliding movement on the rods 87. The 
position of the block 85 along the rods can be adjusted by a set screw 88. 
A screw 89 is threaded into and carried by the block 85, and the upper 
rail 75 is suitably mounted on the inner end of the screw by a bearing 84 
which permits the screw to turn relative to the upper rail. Accordingly, 
the screw 89 can be used to move the upper rail toward and away from the 
wheel 47 so that the guide 65 can be used for articles which have tapered 
side walls. The lower rail 77 is suitably affixed to the lower block 86. 
Of course, the specific construction of the guide 65, although preferred, 
is merely illustrative of one form of device which can be utilized for 
cooperating with the wheel 47 to hold the articles snugly against the 
peripheral surface 49. 
The wheel 47 and the guide 65 cooperate to move the articles 13 laterally 
off of the conveyor 15 to a labeling station closely adjacent the grid 39. 
A horizontal plate 91 is provided between the conveyor 15 and the grid 39 
at approximately the same elevation as the conveyor to support the 
articles 13 when they are removed from the conveyor. The plate 91 has an 
aperture 93 extending completely through it to permit labels to be applied 
to the bottoms of the articles 13 by another labeling means (not shown). 
The plate 91 can be supported in various different ways and, in the 
embodiment illustrated, it is mounted on the supporting structure 21. 
With the components of the label applicator 11 arranged as shown in the 
drawing, the curved central region 69 of the guide 65 is centered on the 
grid 39 and is closely adjacent the grid. In the embodiment illustrated, 
the wheel 47 is mounted so that a radial line through the wheel 47 can be 
drawn perpendicular to the plane of the grid 39. The conveyor 15 moves the 
articles 13 horizontally past the label applicator 11 from right to left 
as viewed in FIG. 2. The peeling bar 33 is located at the downstream edge 
of the grid 39. The wheel 47 is sized and positioned so that a portion of 
the peripheral surface 49 is horizontally displaced from the conveyor 15. 
In use, the guide 63 guides the articles 13 on the conveyor 15 against the 
peripheral surface 49 of the wheel 47 and against the central section 69 
of the guide 65. This urges the article 13 against the resiliently 
deformable peripheral surface 49 to deform the wheel 47 radially inwardly 
to define a pocket 95 in which a portion of one side of the article 13 is 
received. In this manner, the article is captured and held in a 
predetermined orientation between the wheel 47 and the guide 65. 
The wheel 47 rotates counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 2 to move the 
articles 13 in the same general direction as the direction of movement of 
the conveyor 15. The articles 13 are captured between the wheel 47 and the 
guide 65 and are moved along an arcuate path 97 generally conforming to 
the configuration of the central section 69 from an inlet 99 to an outlet 
101. This moves the articles 13 laterally off of the conveyor 15 and 
toward the grid 39. The approaching article 13 is sensed by the product 
sensor 43 which signals the labeling means 17 to dispense a label at the 
instant at which such article is directly confronting and centered on the 
grid 39. Because the article is captured, its orientation relative to the 
label on the grid is accurately known and controlled. Thereafter, the 
guide 65 and the wheel 47 cooperate to return the labeled article 13 to 
the conveyor 15. 
The motor 61 rotates the wheel 47 at a known velocity so that the timing of 
the labeling function by the labeling means 17 is easily and accurately 
carried out. The wheel 47 can be driven at any speed compatible with the 
labeling means 17. If the articles 13 are temporarily supplied by the 
conveyor 15 faster than they can be labeled, they merely stack up adjacent 
the inlet 99 to the path 97, and there is no need to shut down the 
conveyor. 
The labeling means 17 can label one side and the bottom of the articles 13. 
If it is desired to label the other side of the articles 13, another label 
applicator identical to the label applicator 11 is provided along the 
conveyor 15. The only difference is that this second label applicator 
would be located on the opposite side of the conveyor, i.e., it would be 
rotated 180 degrees, and the wheel 47 is appropriately positioned to allow 
labeling of the other side of the articles 13. 
Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been shown and 
described, many changes, modifications and substitutions may be made by 
one having ordinary skill in the art without necessarily departing from 
the spirit and scope of this invention.