Patent GB-261094-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for labelling articles
IPC: B65C9/14
Filed: 1925-08-13
Abstract: 261,094. Armanni, L. Aug. 13, 1925. Labelling; affixing by air blasts or pressure.- Means for affixing labels to bottles, packets, cartons, &c. comprises a hollow carrier with a perforated face to carry the label, which is attracted by air suction from a stack of labels, past an adhesive-applying device into a position facing the article to be labelled when pressure air is automatically substituted for vacuum in the carrier to blow the label on to the article. In the form shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, the label is picked up by a swing arm 4 and carried over adhesiveapplying rollers 26 to the bottle 37 which is to be labelled. A stationary valve body 2, is vertically divided into chambers V, P which are connected by conduits v, p to vacuum and pressure sources respectively. A rotary valve sleeve 3 carried on the arm 4 is adapted to control ports 5, 6 in the valve body 2 and to establish conmunication between the chambers V, P and a slide valve carried on the free end of the arm 4. The slide valve comprises a body 9 and a shutter 10 with ports 11, 12 adapted to connect one of the pipes 7, 8 leading from the ports 5, 6, with a chamber 13 which communicates with holes in the face of the carrier. The face of the carrier is formed with perforations along its edge, and central perforations which are covered by a flexible flap so that they are available only for suction. Adjustable stops 22, 23 limit the swing of the arm 4 and are adapted to throw over the shutter 10 into the positions to establish communication between the carrier and the vacuum or air pressure as required. When the machine is at rest, the arm 4 is left in an intermediate position with the ports 6, 11 closed. To start operations, the arm 4 is swung against the stop 22 which actuates the shutter 10 to close the pressure port 12 and open the suction port 11 so that a label is attracted. The arm 4 is then swung towards the article to be labelled, and, during its travel, the pipe 8 is put into oommunication with the pressure chamber P through the opening of the port 6. When the arm 4 strikes the stop 23, the shutter 10 is thrown over to close the suction port 11 and open the pressure port 12 and blow the label on to the bottle. In the return movement of the arm 4, the port 6 is closed and the pressure supply shut off, a collar 33 on a trip finger 32 depressing a platform 28 carrying the adhesive-applying roller 26 so that the roller 26 is held clear of the carrier face. In the form shown in Figs. 13, 14 and 15 two similar labelling machines are symmetrically arranged and coupled to affix two labels simultaneously to opposite sides of the article to be labelled. Horizontal hollow spindles 39<l>, 39<r> carry worm wheels 401, 40<r> which are driven from a common worm 41 formed on a vertical shaft 42. Each wheel 401, 40<r> has rigidly secured td it a driving clutch member 461, 46<r> adapted to be intermittently engaged with a driven clutch member 471, 47<r> formed integral with a cap 481, 48<r> rotatably fitted in the spindle 391, 39<r> and having a hollow arm 491, 49<r> communicating with the interior of the spindle 39<1>, 39r. The rear ends of the spindles 391, 39<r> are connected by pipes 551, 55<r> to a common two-way control valve which is adapted to establish connection between the heads of the label carriers 491, 49<r> and sources of vacuum and air pressure alternately. The control is actuated in synchronism with the clutch members by a striker rod 53, mounted on a common shaft 54 with the clutch forks 51<1>. 51<r>, upon the introduction of the bottle into the guide ways 52, so as to open the vacuum, and by the joint action of the label carriers 491, 49<r> upon lever arms 57<1>, 57<r> to close the vacuum and open to pressure at the moment of arrival and arrest of the label carriers opposite the bottle. As shown in Fig. 30, the clutch members 471, 47<r> carry spring-supported pawls 79 with offset noses 80, 81. Axial pins 82 arranged concentrically about the axis of the clutch member are adapted to abut against the nose 81 of the pawl 79, the prongs of the clutch fork 511 ending in axially offset abutment noses S3, 84 adapted to co-operate with the nose 80. In the normal rest position, the nose 80 of the pawl 79 lies against the abutment nose 83 of the clutch fork, the nose 81 being thereby thrown clear of the path of the rotating pins 82. In this position of the clutch members, all ports of the valve are closed. When a bottle is introduced into the guide ways 52 and pushed back to actuate the striker rod and clutch fork 511, the nose 83 is thrown out of the path of the nose 80 of the pawl 79, which is thereby released and, under spring control, moves the nose 81 into the path of the pins 82 so that the clutch member 471 is rotated. The striker rod 53 also actuates a lever arm 91 which engages a collar loosely fitted on a rod 94 attached to the slide 86 to open the hollow spindle 391 and label carrier 491 to suction. When the clutch fork 511 has been thrown in, the nose 84 projects into the path of the nose 80 of the pawl 79, the nose 80 being stopped thereby after three-quarters of a revolution and the pawl 79 swung so that the nose 81 moves out of the path of the pins 82. The head of the label carrier, positioned opposite the bottle meets the nose of the lever 571 and swings it to actuate a push rod which depresses a spring detent to release the slide valve 86 which then moves under spring control to open the label carrier to pressure. When the bottle is removed, the normal rest position is restored by spring control. Instead of a slide valve for controlling the pressure air and vacuum supply, a rotary valve, as shown in Fig. 32, may be employed, the valve comprising an outer cylindrical casing 105 and a hollow valve body 106 closed at the top, and having a lower flange fixed in the casing to form an annular chamber C<1>. The valve body 106 is divided into chambers V<1>, P<1>, supplied with vacuum and pressure air respectively, each having three outlet ports v<2>, p<2> and one exhaust port v<3>, p<3>, the ports v<3>, p<3> being aligned with ,similar ports in the casing 105. A rotatable valve sleeve 111 fits over the body 106 and has a flange to form the top of the chamber C<1>. Uniformly spaced slots 113 in the sleeve 111 cooperate with the ports v<2>, p<2> in the body 106, and radial bores in the flange establish alternately communication between the exhaust ports v<3>, p<3> and the exhaust ports in the casing 106 respectively. The chamber C<1> is connected to the two label carriers. fig. 41 shows a modified form of label carrier in which a flat resilient diaphragm adapted to be pressed out by rods 155 to label a circular or oval object, is carried on the face 156 of the carrier. The rods 155 carry pistons 152 fitting in cylinders 147, the pistons being adapted to be acted on, against spring control, by the pressure air to press out the diaphragm 144 as shown. The label is picked up by suction acting through holes in the base of a piston 148 and a partition 150, the suction first lifting the piston 148. A modified head 130 for the label carrier is shown in Fig. 36 and comprises a cylinder containing a cup-shaped piston 131 controlled by a spring 133. A valve piston 139 fits loosely in the piston 131 and is capable of reciprocation limited by the stop ring 140. The heads of the pistons 131, 139 have non-registering perforations 141, 142 respectively. Rollers 135, mounted on resilent rods 137 are carried by the piston 131 as shown, and are normally held in slots 138 in the face plate 136a of the carrier. When the control valve is opened to suction, the piston 139 is lifted, and suction is communicated through the holes 141, 142 to the label. When pressure air is admitted, the pistons are driven forward and the rollers 135 emerge from the recesses to spread the label on the bottle.