Patent GB-769097-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to labelling machines
Inventor: SCOTT THOMAS VINCENT
IPC: B65C3/20
Filed: 1954-03-11
Abstract: 769,097. Labelling machines. MORGAN FAIREST, Ltd. Feb. 25, 1955 [May 11, 1954], No. 7058/54. Class 73. [Also in Group XVI] In a top-strapping labelling machine, a plurality of top-strapping heads 1, Fig. 4, each with suction openings in its face for holding a label thereto, are carried by a support 2 rotating continuously with and above supports 52, Figs..4, 5, for the bottles 6 which are fed by a conveyer 50 and star-wheel 51 to the supports 52 and, after labelling, are removed by starwheel 53 and conveyer 54. According to the invention each head 1 carries its own label stack 14, Figs. 1, 5, in fixed relation thereto and a suction picker 18 carried by swinging links 24, 25 from the head 1 and the head-stack-picker assembly is provided with various follower rollers engaging stationary cams during rotation of the support 2 to effect the following sequence of operations : (a) At A, Fig. 5, the picker 18 is moved vertically towards and away from the stack 14 to extract a label. (b) At B-C the picker 18 with a label is moved laterally under the suction face of the head 1. (c) At C-D the picker is moved vertically and pressed to the head 1 which retains the label. (d) At D-E the picker is moved back laterally under the label stack 14. During part F-G of the operation at D-E the head 1 moves over a gum roller 55, Fig. 1. Each head 1 with its gummed label then moves into position over a bottle 6 on its support 52 which is raised to engage the label with the top of the bottle. The head 1, which may be of the form described in Specification 754,851, carries the stack 14 from a bracket 15, Fig. 1, and the picker 18 is formed by one end of a lever 19 pivoted at 20 and normally resting on a stop 21 on a bracket 22 pivoted at 20, 23 to the ends of two pairs of parallel links 24, 25 pivoted at 26, 27 to the bracket 15. A stationary cam 28 is engaged by a roller 29 on the outer end of the picker lever 19 to raise and lower the picker end of the lever and effect operation (a). A cam 33 then engages a roller 34 on the bracket 22 and rocks the parallel linkage 24, 25 about pivots 26, 27 to push the lever 19 towards the head 1 and effect operation (b) as shown in Fig. 2. A cam 37 on the underside of the lever 19 then engages a fixed roller 38 to press the picker end and label to the head 1 (or a roller at 37 engages a cam at 38) to effect operation (c) and finally a roller 40 on an extension 41 of the link 25 engages a cam 39 which aided by a tension spring 42 withdraws the lever 19 to bring the picker end back under the stack 14 and effect operation (d). A detector switch 57, Fig. 6 (not shown) disposed alongside the conveyer 50 is closed by each bottle 6 and energizes a solenoid 58 controlling a valve in turn controlling the suction applied to the picker 18. In the absence of a bottle the switch 57 is not closed and no suction is applied to the picker which cannot therefore extract a label : at the same time, in an arrangement similar to that described in Specification 744,329 absence of a label on the head 1 reduces the suction applied to a diaphragm 82, Fig. 6 (not shown) which controls a switch 80 operating a solenoid 79 which is then ineffective and allows a spring 86 to rock the gumming roller 55 clear of the head 1 so that gumming is prevented in the absence of a label on the head.