Patent GB-936020-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to marking articles
Inventor: HEIN KURT
IPC: B65C1/02
Filed: 1961-10-31
Abstract: 936,020. Labelling apparatus. EUREKA SPECIALTY PRINTING CO. Oct. 31, 1961, No. 38902/61. Class 73. In apparatus for applying labels to articles such as envelopes or other postal packages, the articles are fed beneath a plate 40, Fig. 3, by driven rollers 55 mounted on a stage 50 resiliently and adjustably mounted on a base 161 for movement towards and away from the plate 40, and a label strip is fed over the plate 40 transversely to the direction of feed of the articles and underneath a reciprocating punch 35 operating through an aperture in the plate 40 to sever a label and apply it to an article. A driven presser roller 68, Fig. 4, which presses the article and label against the inclined face of the punch 35 during their passage underneath it, is mounted on a member 66 pivoted to the stage 50 on a shaft 54 of a pair of rollers 55 and detaining means 71, 73 are provided for preventing movement of the presser roller 68 with the stage 50 when the stage moves away from the plate 40 during passage of the articles. A spring-urged pad plate 87, Fig. 4, pivoted at 86 on the stage 50 is also arranged to press the article and label against the punch 35 during their passage underneath it. The detaining means comprises a cam plate 71, Figs. 4, 6, pivoted on the same shaft 54 as the U-shaped member 66 carrying the presser roller 68 and having a slot 75 arcuate about the shaft 54 and receiving a. pin 76 on the member 66. A spring 77 is connected between the plate 71 and member 66 and an adjustable screw 73 mounted on the base 161 bears against a cam edge 72 of the plate 71 and provides support therefor along an upright line which, as shown, extends through the axis of the shaft 67. As the stage 50 moves downwards owing to the thickness of the passing articles, the pivot shaft 54 of the member 66 and plate 71 also moves downwards but downward movement of the plate 71 as a whole is prevented by the stop-screw 73. The plate 71 thus rocks about the shaft 54 with its edge 72 sliding along the screw 73 and because of the spring 77, the member 66 also rocks whereby the roller 68 and its shaft 67 are held at the same level as before. When the article engages the roller 68, the roller is forced downwards relative to the plate 71 against the action of the spring 77 and presses the article and label against the punch 35. The above arrangement is embodied in labelling apparatus described in Specification 929,841 in which a stack of envelopes E, Fig. 1, between guide wings 11 are advanced singly by separator devices in a housing 12 and thence beneath the plate 40 for feeding by the rollers 55 underneath the punch housing 36 for attachment of labels fed as a column in a sheet S transversely across the plate 40. A label sensing switch LS is mounted for contact with the individual labels such that if no label is present the feeding of envelopes is prevented. In addition certain labels on the sheet S are provided with apertures 20, Fig. 10 (not shown), such apertured labels being those which are not required to be applied to envelopes. The switch LS enters these apertures and a circuit operates to prevent feed of the corresponding envelopes. When no envelope is on the stage 50, a switch normally opened by contact with an envelope is closed and a solenoid 92, Fig. 4, energized to retract the pad plate 87 downwardly below the level of the stage rollers 55. When an envelope is present the solenoid 92 is de-energized and a spring 88 raises the pad plate 87 for pressing the envelope and label against the punch 35. As the punch moves downwardly the pad plate 87 is pressed lower, rocking about its pivot 86 and finally the pressure causes the edge 87a of the pad plate to move away from the punch surface so that the pad plate adjacent its bevelled edge 87b exerts the major pressure of the plate and assures a tight engagement of the envelope with the lefthand edge of the label. As the punch 35 moves upwardly again, the roller 68 and pad plate 87 follow the movement and maintain pressure on the envelope for the period during which the label moves beneath the punch aperture. Also, as described in Specification 929,841, switches and circuits are provided for controlling a wetting device by which a label receiving area of the envelope is wetted and for operation of a counting device which is connected with the label sensing switch LS.