Patent GB-805074-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to labelling machines
IPC: B65C9/12
Filed: 1956-09-06
Abstract: 805,074. Labelling machines. MEYER MANUFACTURING CO., G. J. Sept. 6, 1956 [Dec. 5, 1955], No. 27322/56. Class 73 '[Also in Group XXX] Relates to a labelling machine in which bottles, supplied to the machine by a conveyer S Fig. 4, are moved continuously through the machine by an endless conveyer C through a gumming and initial label applying station G and a station L at which the labels are firmly pressed on to the bottles which are then discharged by a conveyer R, the labels being applied to two or as shown, three bottles at the same time. According to the invention, at the entrance E of the machine, the bottles supplied by the conveyer S are engaged by a feed screw 153 Figs. 4, 10 arranged to provide successive groups each of two or, as shown, three bottles which are fed appropriately spaced at the speed of the conveyer C and the conveyer C has a variable speed drive designed to move it at a predetermined minimum speed even though no bottles are delivered thereto, spaced feeler arms 162, 163 Fig. 10 being arranged to operate switches 160, 161 such that when the bottles are packed in a solid column and predetermined number between the feeler arms, the latter are both moved out of the path of the conveyer C by the bottles and the conveyer is automatically driven at full speed and at the other times when one or other of the arms 162, 163 extends into the path of the conveyer, the conveyer is driven at low speed. At the same time the speed of operation 'of the labelling mechanism varies concomitantly with the change in speed of the conveyer C. The feed screw 153 has at its receiving end a portion of constant pitch equal to the diameter of the bottle and has at its delivery end a portion of constant pitch equal to the desired spacing of the bottles on the conveyer. Labl applying mechanism. The labelling mechanism comprises three magazines, three pickers for removing labels therefrom and three suction grip fingers for transferring the labels from the pickers to the bottles, and as shown, this mechanism is provided on both sides of the conveyer for attaching labels on opposite sides of the bottles. The pickers p', p<SP>2</SP>, p<SP>3</SP>, Fig. 15 each comprise two blades 174. 174a, the right hand bladesof the pickers being mounted on one sleeve and the left hand blades on another sleeve mountd for relative axial movement on a shaft 175, Fig. 14, both sleeves being constrained to turn with the shaft 175 for the purpose of moving the pickers upwardly to the label magazines and then. downwardly for transfer of the labels to the grip fingers. Gum is transferred from a gum roller 195 to the pickers p<SP>1</SP>, p<SP>2</SP>, p<SP>3</SP> by a transfer roll 197, Figs. 14, 15 journalled on rock arms 198 each mounted to turn on a stub shaft 199 fixed to the machine frame. As the pickers travel up towards the magazines the roll 197 which has previously received a coating of grum and which has moved up to its uppermost position, moves down and deposits a coat of gum on the faces of the pickers. The transfer roll 197 continues on down to receive a fresh supply of gum while the pickers continue to move upwardly to take labels from the magazine. In Fig. 15, the picker blades are shown in edge-to-edge contact, but in Fig. 16 the blades of each picker have separated to allow the suction grip fingers 205, 205a, 205b to pass between the blades to transfer the labels L<SP>1</SP>, L<SP>2</SP>, L<SP>3</SP> from the pickers to the bottles. Since the bottles are moving continuously the grip fingers must not only oscillate to apply the labels to the bottles but must also move lengthwise of the conveyer. For this purpose the grip fingers 205, 205a, 205b, Fig. 16, are secured to a shaft 207 which by an arrangement of cams is made to rock and also to reciprocate endwise in bearings 208, 209. The grip fingers merely provide an initial application of the labels to the bottles which then pass to the station L where pressers firmly apply the labels while the bottles are continuously moving. Arrangement of fluid-pressure operated pressers. On each side of the conveyer the first three pressers 345, Fig. 52, are preliminary pressers of the resilient cushion type while the last three pressers 344 have spring-pressed arcuate arms carrying a flexible pad adapted to embrace a substantial arc of the periphery of the bottle. Each group of three bottles is acted upon by both sets of pressers in turn. The pressers are carried by piston rods 342 of fluid pressure cylinders 340, 339 supported by a housing 338 carried on parallel crank arms 334, 335 of rotatable shafts 326, 327; the crankpins 336, 337 being journalled in bearings in the housing 338. The housing and pressers are thus givena rotary motion in a horizontal plane but not at a uniform angular velocity since there would be only one point in the cycle at which the pressers and bottles would be moving at the same speed. Thus the angular velocity of the crank arms 334, 335 are made to vary during' each cycle to provide prolonged contact between pressers and bottles. Movement of the piston rods 342 within the cylinders is small, approximately half of the compression being taken up by the resiliency of the prsssers and the remainder by the air in the cylinders. In the case of non-circular bottles means associated with the grip fingers are provided for orientating the bottles in their appropriate label receiving positions immediately preceding the application of the labels by the grip fingers. During their operation, the orientation means move witt the bottles along the conveyer path together with the grip fingers. Feeler arms 171, 172, 173, Fig. 10 are provided in association with the feed screw 153 and control switches 168, 169, 170 arranged in series so that unless all three arms are fully displaced by bottles as shown in Fig. 10, a circuit is broken. Thus if a bottle is missing from the series the arrangement is scch that the pickers are inoperative to take labels from the magazines and in these circumstances a horn blows to warn the operator to watch for unlabelled bottles at the discharge end of the machine. If the free discharge of bottles from the delivery end of the machine is interfered with a switch 250, Fig. 4, responds to the pressure of bottles entering an accumulating table 251 and breaks the circuit to stop the machine. Emergency switches are also provided to stop the machine when a bottle tips or continues to enter the conveyer path out ofe tim with the feed screw 153 and when a bottle abnormally tall, e.g. one with its cap not fully screwed in, enters the conveyer path. An ndless belt D, Fig. 59, runs parallel to and above the conveyer C and holds the bottles 8 in their cpright and spaced positions, the outer portion H‹, Fig. 30a of this belt being of soft rubber formed with spaced slits while the inner portion H<SP>1</SP> is of canvas or rubberized fabric having drive teeth moulded on its inner surface. A rigid horizontal guide shoe 150 Fig. 59 is provided for the lower run of the belt D and has clearance spaces 151 adapted to relieve the pressure on the tops of the bottles sufficiently to permit them to be orientated when necessary. A roll 259 on one end of a bell crank lever 258 is adapted to engage abnormally tall bottles and move the lever to operate a switch for stopping the machine.