Device for rotating a label fed into a labelling machine

Abstract: Device for rotating a label fed into a labelling machine, wherein the label (11) is fed to a support element (23) placed on a wheel (20) which rotates between a position where the label (11) is picked up from a conveyor or feed belt (16) and a position where the label (11) is placed on a product (13), said support element has at least a label holding element (30) during the rotation of the wheel (20) in a fixed structure (19), wherein the label (11) holding element (30) is positioned on a shaft (31) which can be rotated by means of control elements (37, 38, 39) driven by a cam group (26, 43, 42) operationally connected to the wheel (20) and to the fixed structure (19). In particular, the holding element is a sucker means (30) which allows the rotation of the label as required.

Description: The present invention refers to a device for rotating a label fed into a labelling machine. It is well known to those skilled in the art that the position of a label on a product has to be in compliance with the postal regulations in force in the various Countries and that the various Countries have different postal regulations. Therefore, it is not always easy to meet the required positioning because of the difficulties in handling the label. In fact, labelling machines which pick up each single label one by one and then put said labels on the product to be packaged or on the product which only needs the address are known. In particular, the working phases of a known labelling machine can be summarised as follows. The labels are placed on a continuous sheet, as for instance a printout provided with opposed perforated lateral edges suitable to drive the printout, which initially is folded several times one sheet over the other or in a zigzag pattern. A series of printed portions are present on the printout and said printed portions will constitute the various labels. A drive system is provided with wheels having pins which engage with the printout lateral edges, which are provided with holes and therefore the printout advances on a horizontal plane, such that the printings on the various label portions face downward. The printout is cut and divided by longitudinal and transverse cutters to obtain rows formed by a certain number of labels. The label rows are picked up by a perforated conveyor belt, with sucking means, which carries said labels to a wheel which picks up and then releases the labels on the product where said labels have to be positioned. The labels are then picked up, one by one, from the wheel and said labels are put in contact with a glue buffer. Then said labels are released on the product which passes through the plane of the packing machine or of the address labelling machine. In this way the labels are positioned perpendicularly to the head title, i.e. they are not in compliance with some specific postal regulations which require a mutually parallel positioning between the head title and the address. In order to overcome this disadvantage, the label has to be rotated by a 90° angle before putting said label on the product. Until today it has been very difficult to comply with said rules; in fact, technical reasons, as inserts feeding within the base product, the easiness of packaging products advancing longitudinally to the drive direction, and other problems had two types of solutions. A first solution was to ask to depart from the postal regulations and a second solution was to label the packaged product after having rotated said product by a 90° angle, by means of a specific rotation apparatus associated to the labelling machine (this solution, as said before, strongly jeopardises the efficiency of the labelling machine or of the capacity to apply the address labels and causes additional costs due to the presence of a second apparatus). US-A-4 787 953 describes an apparatus for label trasnfer having a holding element of label rotates about a horizontal axis in a reciprocal motion. WO 96 39331 A discloses a labeller produce according to the preamble of claim 1. The main purpose of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned technical problems. A further purpose is to manufacture a labelling machine which allows different positionings of the label, in function of the needs of the local postal service, without having a particularly complex device, which is difficult to use, expensive and needs frequent adjustments. According to the present invention, these purposes are achieved by manufacturing a device for rotating a label fed into a labelling machine according to claim 1. Advantageously, said holding element is a sucker means. The features and the advantages of a rotation device of a label fed into a labelling machine according to the present invention will be better understood from the following description of a non limiting example, said description referring to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view which shows how the labels are fed in such a way that they are parallel to the head title of the product, Figure 2 shows an elevational view, with some details in perspective view, of a rotation device according to the present invention for a series of labels which are fed, one after another, into the labelling machine, Figure 3 shows an enlarged top cross section of a portion of the labelling machine carrying the device of the present invention, with the view of some portions, Figure 4 shows an enlarged front cross section of the device portion shown in Figure 3. Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, it is schematically shown how the labels 11 are fed in such a way that they are parallel to the head title 12 of a product 13, which for instance is passing through a packaging machine or a label positioning machine, not shown. In the example, the labels 11 are placed on a continuous sheet 14, as for instance a printout provided with opposed perforated lateral edges 15 suitable to drive the printout, which initially is folded several times one sheet over the other or in a zigzag pattern. As known, the labels 11 are formed by a series of printed portions on the continuous sheet 14. As shown in Figure 2, a conveyor or feed belt 16, of the sucker type and provided with holes, is provided, said belt receiving the single labels 11 which have been separated by the cutting system, not shown, and carries said labels towards a labelling machine, indicated by numeral 17 for the shown portion. A rubber roll 18 is placed above the feed or conveyor belt 16, in its final portion, said roll, besides feeding the labels 11 one after another towards the labelling machine, also allows to hold the label which follows the one fed into the labelling machine, therefore assuring the detachment of said label in case said detachment was not previously achieved. The labelling machine 17 substantially comprises a structure 19 on which a wheel 20 is positioned. Said wheel being capable of receiving the single label 11 which comes from the feed or conveyor belt 16 and of positioning said label on the product 13 in the proper positioning. In particular, it is noted that a rotating buffer 21 faces the final end of the conveyor or feed belt 16, said buffer receiving the label 11. Said buffer 21, rotatably driven by a gear 22, carries the label 11 and positions it, using a cooperating guide 10, on a support element 23 ("pad") integral with the above mentioned wheel 20. According to the present invention, the device for rotating a label 11 to be fed is provided within the wheel 20 and the support element 23. In fact, it should be noted that, first of all, the wheel 20 is caused to rotate by a shaft 24, which is supported by the bearings 25 on the structure 19 of the labelling machine. A cam 26 is integral with the structure 19, the shaft 24 passing through a central hole 27 of said cam. The support element 23 is placed on the side cylindrical portion of the wheel 20 and is positioned at the outward facing portion of a large shaped housing 28 which contains the driving unit of the device according to the present invention. The support element 23 comprises a plate , , fixed to the wheel 20, provided with an opening 29 wherein a sucker element 30 can be placed. This sucker element 30 is placed at the end of a shaped shaft 31, provided with a central hole 32, said shaft can be connected at its other end to an air suction channel 33. At this lower end, the shaft 31 is provided with specific O rings to receive the sucked air without any leaks. Further, a fixed valve 34 is placed by said channel 33 obtained in the wheel 20, said valve distributing, according to a certain timing, the air sucked in by the sucker element 30. The sucker element 30 is the holding element of the label 11 as the wheel 30 rotates. For instance, the fixed valve 34 is supported by a arm 35 which can be fixed in an adjustable way to the structure 19, through a specific adjustment device schematically shown by 36. Further, the shaped shaft 31 has a first gear 37, for instance of the helicoidal type, which engages with a gear sector 38, helicoidal as well, pivoted to the body of the wheel 20 by a shaft 39. The shaft 39, supported by bearings 40, carries, at one of its ends extending outside the wheel 20 on the wheel surface which faces the cam 26, the end 41, fixed as well, of a lever 42. The lever 42 can therefore oscillate and has, at the other free end, an idle wheel 43 suitable to stay engaged with the outer surface of the cam 26. Said engagement is guaranteed by the presence of a spring 44 fixed to said wheel at one end in 45 and to an intermediate area of the lever 42 at the other end in 46. Further, the structure 19 has a tank 47 which contains glue, which is fed from a replaceable container 48. A buffer wheel 49, partially immersed in the tank, picks up and applies the glue to the rear portion of the label 11. The glue application is performed since the label 11, held on the support element 23, is put in contact with the buffer wheel 49 so as to receive the glue. Further, an additional shaft 50 is positioned on the wheel 20, said shaft being provided with a control knob 51 at one end and can be moved along an axis parallel to the one of the shaft 24 which carries the wheel. This additional shaft 50 is the blocking element of the oscillation of the lever 42, when it is pushed towards the cam 26 and it is brought below the lever 42 so as to steadily block said lever in the maximum lifting position. Then, the device according to the present invention allows a label, which is fed to a support element 23 positioned on a wheel 20, to be rotated. This is advantageously achieved, without any additional apparatus, when the wheel 20 is rotated between a first pick up position of the label 11 by means of a conveyor or feed belt 16 and a second position where the label 11 is placed on a product 13. This operation is performed because the sucker 30 or the holding element of the label 11 is positioned on the shaft 31 which can be rotated by the control elements, previously indicated by 37, 38, 39, which can be driven by means of a cam group, indicated by 26 (cam), 43, 42 (lever and bearing), which is operationally connected to the wheel 20 and to the fixed structure 19. When the device according to the present invention is applied to a labelling machine, said device works as follows. Each single label 11, once cut by the cutter means from the continuous sheet 14, is then carried towards the wheel 20 of the labelling machine 17 supported by the sucking conveyor or feed belt 16 and then said label is positioned on the rotating buffer 21. During the pick up phase of the label 11, the rubber roll 18 holds the following label on the sucking belt 16 so as to guarantee the separation of the labels 11 cut only in part. Then, the rotating buffer 21, in cooperation with the guide 10, carries the label 11 to the support element or pad 23. In particular, the label 11 starts advancing again as soon as it leaves the buffer 21 and as it is sent by the guide 10 to the support element 23 where it is held thanks to the sucker means 30, activated by the valve 34 in the air suction channel. Since the sucker means 30 is positioned on the rotating shaft 31, it performs several functions. First of all, the sucker means 30 holds the label 11 during the counter clockwise rotation of the wheel 20 carrying the support element 23 thanks to the sucked air, introduced into the central hole 32 of the shaft 31 and in the specific channels and adjusted by the specific valve 34. Further, the sucker means 30 rotates the label 11 by a 90° angle (to the left or to the right, according to the type of the helicoidal orthogonal gears 37, 38 which have been mounted) simultaneously to the counter clockwise rotation of the wheel 20 carrying the support element 23. Further, the sucker means 30 still holds the label 11 during the glue spreading phase on the rear portion of the label. Said operation, as shown, is performed by the buffer wheel 49 (Figure 2) which absorbs glue from the tank 47 below and then spreads, through contact, said glue on the rear surface of the label 11. Finally, the sucker means 30 releases the label 11 on the product 13 passing through the machine plane as soon as the sucking phase, which is disconnected and controlled by the valve 34. The label 11 is positioned as shown in Figure 2, i.e. with the address parallel to the head title. The two positions shown by a dash and dot line in the same figure can be provided as well. The rotation of the gear sector 38 is caused by the wheel 43 which, when the wheel 20 rotates, follows the fixed cam 26 and causes the lever 42 to oscillate. When the gear sector 38 rotates, it causes the gear 37 to rotate together with the shaft 31 which carries the sucker means 30. As said, it is possible to rotate the sucker means 30 in one direction or in the other so as to perform a 90° rotation as required. Further, if said rotation is not needed, it is possible to exclude the rotation of the sucker means 30, by driving the additional shaft 50 and by blocking the lever 42 in the fixed lifted position without any interaction with the cam 26 during the rotation of the wheel 20. This will cause the labels to perform or not to perform a 90° rotation, according to the requirements and, as said before, having mounted a right-hand or a left-hand helicoidal gear, the rotation of the label will go in one direction rather than in the other. Therefore, all the problems linked to the rotation of the label in a labelling machine have been solved successfully by applying directly to said label a device for rotating a label fed into a labelling machine. All in all without a significant additional cost and with a part arrangement extremely simple and functional. Advantageously, it has even been manufactured a device which allows to provide various positioning of the label, according to the requirements of the local postal service, by using a simple blocking element.

Claims: Device for rotating a label fed into a labelling machine, wherein said label (11) is fed to a support element (23) placed on a wheel (20) which rotates about a horizontal axis (24) between a position where the label (11) is picked up from a feed or conveyor belt (16) and a position where the label (11) is placed on a product (13), said support element being associated to at least a label holding element (30) during the rotation of the wheel (20) in a fixed structure (19), characterised in that said holding element (30) of the label (11) is positioned on a shaft (31) which can be rotated about a further axis perpendicular to said axis (24) by means of control elements (37, 38, 39) driven by a cam group (26, 43, 42) operationally connected to said wheel (20) and to said fixed structure (19), said wheel (20) being rotated in a continuous motion. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said holding element is a sucker element (30). Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said holding element (30) is positioned at the end of a shaft (31) which can be rotated by means of a couple of gears (37, 38), wherein one of said gears is operationally connected to a lever (42) which can oscillate, said lever having one end engaged with a cam (26) fixed to said structure (19). Device as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said lever (42) is pivotally engaged at one of its ends with a shaft (39) which can rotate around said wheel (20) while its other end has an idle roller (43). Device as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said couple of gears comprises a gear sector (38) which can oscillate around said wheel (20) and a gear (37) integral with said shaft (39). Device as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that an elastic element (44) is associated to said lever (42) in order to hold said end of said lever (42) engaged with said cam (26). Device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said holding element comprises a plate (23) provided with a central opening (29) inside which said holding element (30) of the label (11) is placed. Device as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that an air sucking channel (32, 33) is associated to said sucker means (30), said air sucking channel being associated to a valve (34) which distributes, according to a certain timing, said sucked air. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said shaft (31) can be disengaged from rotation by means of a blocking element (50, 51). Device as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that a blocking element (50, 51) is provided, said element blocking said lever (42) so as to prevent said cam (26) from cooperating with said lever (42).

Inventors: BALLESTRAZZI ARIS, TASSI LAMBERTO, BALLESTRAZZI, ARIS, TASSI, LAMBERTO
Applicants: SITMA SPA, SITMA S.P.A.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65C9
IPC codes: B65C9