Patent GB-1191861-A (GB)
Title: Labelling Machine
Inventor: VERGOBBI ROBERT WILLIAM
IPC: B65C9/02
Filed: 1967-05-17
Abstract: 1,191,861. Labelling containers; conveyers; feeding sheets. PNEUMATIC SCALE CORP. 17 May, 1967, No. 22839/67. Headings B8A, B8F and B8R. Feeding and locating containers to be labelled.- Containers to be fed in continuously moving groups to be labelled simultaneously in a labelling machine are released from a queue on an endless conveyer 19 (Fig. 5) by means which always releases the number of containers forming a full group. In the form illustrated square bottles are released by a pin wheel 23 which can be stopped, when the supply of bottles is running short, but which will stop only after an integral number of groups of three has been fed. The pin wheel co-operates with a barrel-shaped portion at the end of a screw 24 which spaces the bottles for reception by the conveyer of the labelling machine. The pin wheel is stopped when air jets 244 are allowed, by the absence of bottles, to strike a vane 245a, and is started again when the queue of bottles extends to a similar air-jet detecting device further upstream. Alternatively a single detecting device may operate in conjunction with a delay circuit. The drive to the pin wheel slips if bottles jam. The bottles are carried through the labelling machine by an endless conveyer 20 (Fig. 2) and are steadied by resilient presses 128 driven by an upper endless chain 21 and pressed resiliently down on to the bottle caps. Jaws 450, 452, shown in plan in Fig. 13, are reciprocated to move at the same speed as the conveyer on the forward stroke, during which time they locate a bottle more precisely: during this action the presser members 128 (Fig. 2) holding the bottle down are released by a fixed cam surface. The jaws 450, 452 are swung into engagement with the bottle when a lateral movement of a member 402 carrying the jaws brings a button 458 into engagement with the side of the bottle. An abutment 400 on the opposite side of the bottle conveyer undergoes a similar motion. At the end of the labelling machine the bottles are deflected laterally by a guide (1054) (Fig. 41, not shown) on to a delivery chain conveyer (1060). Feeding and applying labels; applying adhesive.-Labels to be applied simultaneously to the three bottles in a group are withdrawn from magazines 545 (Fig. 20) by suction heads 25 rotated anticlockwise in steps of 120 degrees about a horizontal shaft 548. The suction heads are moved outwardly to receive the labels from the magazines and again to apply the labels to the bottles 547. A catch 776, carried by the suction head and operated by a cam holds the label on the suction head while a glueapplying roller 772 is moved across its face. The labels are held in the magazine by rods 660 (Fig. 25) and are fed by weights 664. During removal of a label the upper labels are held by clamps 666, 668 and separation is , assisted by air jets 686. The labels are subsequently firmed on to the bottles by a presser bar (985) (Fig. 34, not shown) moved in a closed path to travel with the conveyer on part of its stroke. Labels may be applied simultaneously from opposite sides of the bottles. When lack of suction on the suction label carriers indicates that no label is present operation of the glueapplying mechanism is prevented. Adjustments. Labelling containers of special shape.-The feed screw 24 (Fig. 1) for spacing the bottles in groups may be replaced by a different screw. The conveyer 21 engaging the tops of the bottles may be raised or lowered. The platens carrying the label applying apparatus may be inclined inwardly toward the conveyer to permit labels to be applied to bottles with sloping walls.