Patent Publication Number: US-2003230380-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for applying pressure sensitive adhesive labels to a series of objects

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to apparatus for applying labels to goods of any type, but having particular application to the application of labels to fruit and vegetables.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art  
       [0004] Most manufactured or harvested items on their journey during the manufacturing process or the post-harvest processing are subjected to travel at some point in time on a conveyer means, either for inspection, grading, or labeling, prior to their final packaging station. Applicant&#39;s invention has application to any situation where an item of manufacture requires the application of a label, but Applicant&#39;s apparatus has a special application to the application of labels on to fruit and vegetables.  
       [0005] The fruit and vegetables harvested from the field once cleaned and separated are normally fed onto a conveyer system in which the individual pieces of fruit and vegetables can be inspected, sorted, sized, graded and weighed. The elaborate conveyer system utilized for this sorting, sizing, grading or weighing of fruits and vegetables automatically transfers similarly graded fruits or vegetables to their own conveyer means, each piece of fruit or vegetable may be required to have a label affixed thereto. Since the effort has been undertaken to examine the fruit and vegetables and to sort it into the various grades, it is undesirable at this stage to damage the fruit or vegetable in the labeling process. Current state of the art machines will often times wound or mar the individual piece of fruit or vegetable in the labeling process.  
       [0006] The fruit and vegetables moving along a conveyer line do not always remain stationary, but sometimes rather, roll, spin and tumble as they are transported. Current state of the art label applicators will often times completely miss individual pieces of fruit and vegetables because of their motion. Still further, current state of the art label applicators cannot respond to random product sizes, shapes or weights, and this often times contributes to the wounding or marring of the surface of the fruit or vegetable or completely missing the labeling application.  
       [0007] As a result of these shortcomings in the prior art, the fruit and vegetable packers must employ additional people along the product line to watch for evidence of wounded fruit or vegetables or missed labels. They must also watch the labeling machines which are subject to jamming. They must also watch the conveyer means to insure that the labeling machines are applying the label to each and every piece of fruit and vegetable that requires labeling which is passing through the labeling station.  
       [0008] Applicant&#39;s label applicator eliminates the wounding, bruising, crushing, peeling of scuffing of the fruit or vegetable, in that the machine does not come in contact with the individual piece of fruit and vegetable, but rather transfers the label by a vacuum jet process. Further, Applicant&#39;s label applicator requires no adjustment for random product sizes, shapes or weights, and insures that a label is applied regardless of whether the produce is rolling, spinning, tumbling or the like.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009] An object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for applying labels to items of manufacture or harvest.  
       [0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for application of labels to items of manufacture or harvest which does not require the apparatus to come in contact with the item of manufacture or harvest.  
       [0011] A further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for applying labels to fruits or vegetables which eliminates the bruising, crushing, peeling or scuffing of the fruit or vegetable.  
       [0012] A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for the application of labels to fruit or vegetables which requires no adjustments for random product sizes, shapes or weights.  
       [0013] A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for application of labels to fruits or vegetables which provides for application of the label regardless of whether the fruit or vegetable is rolling, spinning or tumbling.  
       [0014] A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for the application of labels to fruits or vegetables which greatly reduces or eliminates the need for personnel to have to attend to the labeling process.  
       [0015] A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus for the application of labels to fruit or vegetables which increases productivity and decreases down time on the conveyer system.  
       [0016] A still further object of the present invention is to provide for an apparatus for the application of labels to fruits or vegetables which can run at higher speeds than that of the prior art.  
       [0017] A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus that does not require any label set up adjustment.  
       [0018] A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus that permits flexibility in label web tension, thus minimizing the possibility of the web breaking or tearing during the labeling process.  
       [0019] A still further object of the present invention is to provide for absolute minimal maintenance and service.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020] A method and apparatus for transferring a discrete pressure sensitive label from a continuous web of discrete pressure sensitive labels to a continuous series of discrete objects wherein the web and labels are brought into contact tangentially with a perforated rotating transfer machine mounted on a hub, the web and labels in contact with the perforated rotating transfer means for a portion of its arc of circumference, the label being subjected to a vacuum during rotation while simultaneously redirecting the web away from the perforated rotating transfer means, the label maintaining contact with the rotating transfer means until registration with a pressure port at which point the label is subjected to a pressurized gas flow and is blown from the rotating ring to the object to be labeled when that object is in registration and alignment with the pressure port.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0021] These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent particularly when in light of the following illustrations wherein:  
     [0022]FIG. 1 is a front view of the label applicator apparatus;  
     [0023]FIG. 2 is a close up front view of the label transfer means;  
     [0024]FIG. 3 is a side view of the surface of the label transfer means;  
     [0025]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the rotary labeling ring associated with the label transfer means;  
     [0026]FIG. 5 is a partial underside view of the hub of label transfer means; and  
     [0027]FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the web and roller illustrating the pin and perforation guide and drive mechanism. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0028]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the label applicator apparatus  10  of the present invention illustrating its use with the application of labels to round items. In the illustration of FIG. 1, label applicator apparatus  10  is oriented in a vertical position, but it should be pointed out that the label applicator  10  can be oriented angularly if the labeling process requires it. In FIG. 1 there is a vertically oriented support member  12  on which is mounted a web cradle  14  having an adjustable axle  16  for the rotatable support of a continuous web  18  having pressure sensitive adhesive labels affixed thereon. A series of rollers  20 ,  22 , and  24  transport guide the web and the associated labels into circumferential contact with that portion of the label applicator apparatus identified as the label transfer means  26 .  
     [0029] At the label transfer means, the label on the web  18  is removed from the web  18  mechanically and temporarily affixed to a rotary or faceted ring  28  on the label transfer means  26  by means of a vacuum and may be assisted by a pressurized gas assist jet  23 . The label remains on the rotating ring  28  until it comes in registration with a pressure port  30  (See FIG. 5) at which time the label is vac-jetted onto the item or product, in this case a round item. The web  18  once the label has been removed is guided by means of a variety of drive and guide rollers  32 ,  34 , and  36  to a web collection means which could be a disposal container, shredder or the like  37 . The web cradle  14  and the various drive and guide rollers are capable of being computer adjusted automatically in order to provide for the proper tension on the web during the labeling process. In addition, the web  18  may have perforations  39  along its longitudinal edges  19  cooperative with upstanding pins  33  on the various rollers to assist in guidance and transport (See FIG. 6).  
     [0030]FIG. 2 is a close up view of the label transfer means  26  portion of the label applicator. The label transfer means  26  consists of a stationary hub  40  about which there rotates a perforated ring  42  which serves as the outer surface of the label transfer means and is best viewed with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4. The perforations  43  are arranged in a pattern  45  with each pattern sized to hold a label  29  under vacuum.  
     [0031] In the illustration, the web  18  first engages the label transfer means  26  at the uppermost tangent of the rotating ring  42  and the web travels in a counter-clockwise direction. It should be noted the web enters the label transfer means  26  with the label  29  face facing downwardly and the adhesive portion of the label juxtaposed the web.  
     [0032] In the illustration, the web travels counter-clockwise on ring  42  to position  50  where the web  18  is subjected to an approximate  90  degree turn about peel edge  52  of peel plate  54 . At that point of  90  degree turning of the web, the ring member  42  having a plurality of perforations  43  about its surface and perforation patterns  45  is subjected to a vacuum means from a vacuum source, the conduit means for providing vacuum being positioned within the hub member  40 . Ring  42  is subjected to a vacuum continuously from position  50  to the point at which the label is to be applied to the particular goods. Thus the label  29  is now rotating on ring  42  with adhesive surface facing outwardly. For purposes of discussion in the instant matter, we will assume that the label will be positioned on the goods when ring  42  and the associated label have rotated to the bottom dead center position  58 . Therefore ring  42  would be under constant vacuum from position  50  until approximate bottom dead center position  58 . At that point, the ring  42  would be subjected to a positive pressure through the perforations  43  in the ring  42  and to the label side of the label  29  when the label and perforation are in registration with a pressure port  60 , thus blowing or vac-jetting the label off of the ring  42  and onto the goods  11 , adhesive side first.  
     [0033] It should be noted that dependent upon the pressure required, it is possible to fix a label to a goods  11  with the apparatus and method of the present invention when the gap between the surface of the goods  11  and the ring  42  could be several inches.  
     [0034] Ring  42  would continue to rotate about hub  40  after passing bottom dead center, but would not be subjected to any vacuum during this portion of the rotation. When the ring rotated back to position  50 , where it then would be subjected to a vacuum means from within hub  40 . The fact that the labels are affixed to the web, adhesive side down, and the labels are fed into the label transport means  26  such that the label is in contact with the perforations  43  on ring  42  and the adhesive layer faces outwardly greatly reduces machine down time from the build up of adhesive on the moving parts of the labeling assembly.  
     [0035]FIG. 5 is a partial underside view of the hub  40  of the present invention with the rotating ring  42  removed. The ring would rotate about hub portion  45 . It can be seen that for a portion of the arc of hub member  40  there is a recess slot  62  in communication with a conduit  64  which is in communication with a vacuum source or means (not shown). In operation this slot  62  extends from point  50  on ring  42  proximate the peel plate  54  and peel edge  52  to a point on the circumference of the hub immediately adjacent the pressure port  60  which for purposes of this illustration is located at the bottom dead center position  58 . The pressure port  60  is in communication with a source of pressurized gas to vac-jet the label from ring  42  onto the goods to be labeled. When the label applicator apparatus  10  is operating, there is a constant vacuum drawn to slot  62 . The pressurized gas directed to pressure port  60  may be continuous or may be intermittent and computer timed to the speed of rotation of ring  42  and speed of the goods  11 . Similarly, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that the internal piping of hub  40  and valving of such piping in order to provide the vacuum and pressurized gas may vary without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
     [0036] For the illustration just discussed, we have assumed that the label will be affixed to the goods at the bottom dead center position  58  of the rotation of ring  42 . It will be recognized that depending upon certain peculiarities with respect to labeling projects, the expiration point for the label  42  from the ring could be at a point other than bottom dead center position  58 . The prerequisite is that the label be picked up by the vacuum means in association with ring  42  and held from the pick up point to the expiration point under vacuum. Still further, the feed of the web to the label transfer means could be clockwise and could also be vertical feed from above or below depending upon the configuration of the objects or goods transport configuration. The vacuum slot and pressure port would be oriented accordingly for such configuration. Still further, all of the drive rollers would be driven by a motor which could be mounted on the reverse side of support  12 .  
     [0037] While the present invention has been described with respect to the exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications or changes can be achieved without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore it is manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of the claims and the equivalence thereof.