Improvements in Apparatus for Applying Labels to Bottles and other Articles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 5th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Applying Labels to Bottles and
other Articles.
I, EDWARD JACOB BOYD, residing at No. 18 Jones Street in the City and
State of New York, United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In this machine the labels are supported in a pile and there is a follower that is
brought up against the pile of labels, and the follower is hollow and provided with
holes in the surface that comes against the labels so that a suction is availed of to
take off one of the labels as the follower is moved away, and the label is held upon
the follower while a roller, upon the surface of which paste or other adhesive
material is applied, is rolled over the label, and there is a lifter and fingers that
prevent the label adhering to and rolling upon the paste roller as such paste roller
is drawn back.
The follower is upon a hollow slide bar and the air is exhausted by a suitable
pump, and as the slide bar of the follower is raised the follower and label are
pressed against the bottle, and simultaneously atmosphere is admitted to break the
suction action and allow the label to adhere to the bottle.
The surface of the follower is advantageously of elastic material, such as india
rubber, and the power that presses the follower against the bottle acts through a
spring that yields to inequalities of the battle, so that the bottle is not injured.
The labels as they stand in a vertical pile aro supported by claws near their
edges, and there are lifters with arms that lift the labels in the pile, except a few
at the bottom, so that the pressure against the claws is relieved to allow the
bottom label to be drawn away freely from the pile by the suction action of the
follower. The bottles are allowed to pass down an incline to a horizontal carrier
or bed which is reciprocated, and there is an escapement that separates the end
bottle in the row of bottles and allows such end bottle to be taken by the carrier
and moved along to the position for receiving the label, and then after the follower
is drawn down leaving the label on the bottle, the carrier moves the bottle along
out of the way and returns to take another bottle; and there are fingers that
work up through the carrier bed and act upon the bottle to properly place the
same, and such fingers are drawn down out of the way of the bottle as delivered,
and also for the purpose of allowing another bottle to pass into position and be
carried along by the fingers that are then raised for that purpose.
In the machine there is a driving shaft, cams, levers and gearing for giving
motion to the follower, the carrier bed, the escapement, the fingers, the paste roller
and other moving parts, and a stationary spring is provided against which the neck
of the bottle is moved as the bottle is carried along to position for receiving the
label, and this spring insures the proper position of the bottle with the lower cad
of the bottle against a guide or fence.
Dated this 15th day of October 1805

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Applying Labels to Bottles and
other Articles.
1, EDWARD JACOB BOYD, residing at No. 18 Jones Street, in the City nud
State of New York, United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In this machine the labels are supported in a pilu and there is a follower that is
brought up against the pile of labels, and the follower is hollow and provided with
holes in the surface that comes against the labels so that a suction is availed of to
take off one of the labels as the follower is moved away, and the label is held upon
the follower while a roller, upon the surface of which paste or other adhesive
material is applied, is rolled over the label, and there is a lifter and fingers that
prevent the label adhering to and rolling upon the paste roller as such paste roller
is drawn back.
The follower is upon a hollow slide lar and the air is exhausted by a suitable
pump, and as the slide bar of the follower is raised the follower and label are
pressed against the bottle, and simultaneously atmosphere is admitted to break the
nction action and allow the label to adhere to the bottle.
The surface of the follower is advantageously of elastic material, such as india
rubber, and the power that presses the follower against the bottle acts through a
spring that yields to inequalities of the bottle, so that the bottle is not injured.
The labels as they stand in a vertical pile are supported by claws near their
edges, and there are lifters with arms that lift the labels in the pile, except a few
at the bottom, so that the pressure against the claws is relieved to allow the bottom
label to be drawn away freely from the pile by the suction action of the follower.
The bottles are allowed to pass down an incline to a horizontal carrier or bed which
is reciprocated, and there is an escapement that separates the end bottle in the row
of bottles and allows such end bottle to be taken by the carrier and moved along
to the position for receiving the label, and then after the follower is drawn down
leaving the label on the bottle, the carrier moves the bottle along out of the way
and returns to take another bottle; and there are fingers that work up through the
carrier bed and net upon the bottle to properly place the same, and such fingers are
drawn down out of the way of the bottle as delivered, and also for the purpose of
allowing another bottle to pass into position and be carried along by the fingers
that are then raised for that purpose.
In the machine there is n driving shaft, cams, levers and genring for giving
motion to the follower, the carrier bed, the escapement, the fingers, the paste roller
and other moving parts, and a stationary spring is provided against which the neck
of the bottle is moved as the bottle is carried along to position for receiving the
label, and this spring ensures the proper position of the bottle with the lower end
of the bottle against a guide or fence.
In the drawing,
Fig. is a vertical section through the follower and its standard.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the slide way of the bed in section at the line 2, 2,
of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a detached sectional view representing the follower and the paste roller.
Fig. 4 shows the paste roller and the fingers that are used with the same.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bed with a bottle in position for receiving a label, the
head which carries the pile of labels being removed.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the head carrying the labels detached, and
Fig. 7 is a plan view of the surface of the follower.
Fig. 8 is an elevation of one pair of dogs or fingers and their connecting bar, and
Fig. 9 is a partial section of the bed showing the fingers and their cam.

page_text: The machine is provided with a suitable frame, portions of which are shown at A,
and there is a driving shaft B supported by the frame and driven by a pinion C
and gear wheel D, the pinion receiving its rotation from a belt to a pulley E, and
it is advisable to provide a loose pulley and belt shifter for stopping the machine;
and I remark that it is advantageous to drive the machine by a comparatively slack
belt in order that the belt may slip in case a bottle that is imperfect or too large
passes into the machine, so that the pressure applied by the follower to the label
may not cause the bottle to break, and the slipping of the belt allows the machine
to be stopped and such imperfect bottle removed.
Upon the driving shaft B are the cams for giving motion to various parts of the
machine, among which is cam F which gives motion to a lever F that is connected
by the link F with the vertical rack-bar G that gears with a pinion G¹ upon a
shaft that also carries a gear wheel H that engages a longitudinal rack I' upon the
moving carrier or bed I that is supported in slide ways I that are connected with
the frame of the machine, and rising above the frame is a standard A' upon which
is supported a head K that can be raised or lowered to adapt the machine to
different sizes of bottles or similar articles, and a screw 4 provided for holding
the head in any position where the same may be placed.
This head Khas an opening through it slightly larger than the labels that are to
be applied, so that the labels can form a pile and be guided by the studs or bars 5
that project upwardly from the head, and there is a weight 6 to keep the labels
downwardly with the desired force, and there are inwardly projecting claws or
small plates 7 upon which the edges of the labels rest and these are sufficiently
numerous to support the pile of labels Land the weight 6, but the claws are
sufficiently small to allow the bottom label to be drawn away from the pile of
labels by the action of the follower N as hereafter described.
If the weight of the pile of labels and of the weight 6 rested upon the claws 7
when an attempt was made to withdraw the bottom label in the pile there might be
difficulty in so doing; in order therefore to relieve the bottom label of the principal
portion of the weight of the pile of labels and of the weight 6, I make use of
fifters in the form of fingers projecting from the rock shafts 8, there being one
shaft at each side of the pile of labels and preferably two or three fingers projecting
from each rock shaft, their ends being closely adjacent to the top surface of the
head Kand of the outer edges of the labels in the pile of labels, and these rock
shafts & are given a motion at the desired time by arms 9 that are connected
together and to a link 10 which link is acted upon by a cam 11 upon the carrier
or bed I, which cam comes into contact with the link and causes the lifters O of the
rock shafts to press against the edges of the labels and slightly lift the whole pile
of labels and the weight 6, thereby relieving the labels that are below the ends of
the lifters from the superincumbent weight and allowing the bottom label in the
pile of labels to be easily taken away by the follower. A spring on the link 10
returns the parts to their normal positions.
The bottles M or other articles to which labels are to be affixed, are laid upon a
suitable incline advantageously formed of sheet metal as at P, and which incline
may be extended to any desired extent so that there may be a row or range of
bottles constantly passing down into the machine as they are fed automatically,
and in order to arrest the end bottle in the row of bottles, I make use of an
escapement Q upon a shaft 12, and there is a spring 13 that tends to hold the
tooth of the escapement at the side of the bottle which is next to the head K, and
the length of the escapement between one tooth and the next is to correspond or
nearly so to the width of the bottle, so that when one end of the escapement is
lifted for the passage of the bottle the other end of the escapement will pass down
between that bottle and the next bottle in the row and hold the row of bottles until
the escapement receives a reverse movement.
I find it advantageous to make use of two escapement bars upon the one shaft 12
so that they act near the upper and lower ends of the bottle, and in order to move
the escapement at the proper time, there is a crank arm 14 upon the shaft 12 and

page_text: a link to the lever 15 and a cam 16 upon the carrier bed gives motion to the lever
and to the escapement at the proper time for rocking such escapement to allow one
bottle to be taken off by the carrier bed and hold the row of bottles at that time,
and then the escapement is rocked the other way to allow the next bottle to pass
under and be stopped by the escapement in position to be taken away by the next
movement of the carrier bed.
Where the shape of the bottle or similar article is such that it will act against
the end of the escapement that is next to the head K and lift that part of the
escapement by running under it so as to throw the end that is distant from the
head against the side af the next bottle, then the lever 15 and cam 16 can be
minde to act in the same direction as the spring 13 to throw the point of the
escapement that is next to the head downwardly to ensure it catching the bottle
that next passes under the escapement, but if desired the cam and lever can be
made to net in the opposite direction to lift the end of the escapement that is next.
to the head K against the action of the spring and allow the spring to return such
end of the escapement to position immediately after the cain has passed from
contact with the lever.
The carrier bed I is made with an opening near the middle of it sufliciently large
for the follower N to pass up through the same freely in applying the label, and
this carrier bed also is provided with vertically acting dogs or fingers 17 and 18
that are fitted in slides N to move vertically through openings in the bed, and it is
advantageous to provide springs 19 and 20 that serve to raise up these fingers and
the fingers are upon cross bars, the ends of which come into contact with the
cams Rand S which are advantageously made in the form of wedges that are
pivoted at opposite sides and facing each other upon the inner surfaces of the slide
way upon which the carrier bed I is reciprocated as aforesaid, and these cams R
and S are placed and shaped so as to act in the following manner.
As the bed is moved towards the left in Fig. 1, so as to pass under the lower
bottle in the line of bottles, the cams I draw down the fingers 17, see Fig. 9, so
that their upper ends are below the surface of the carrier bed, and the movement
of the bed carries the cross bar of the fingers 17 beyond the back ends of the
pivoted cams R, and these cams R drop and come below the ends of the cross bar
carrying the fingers 17, and the springs 19 throw up the fingers between one bottle
and the next, and it will be noticed that the upper ends of these fingers 17 are
wedge shaped so as to enter easily between the bottles and the cross bar of the
fingers 17 overruns the cams R, hence the fiugers are kept up and carry the bottle
along throughout the entire movement of the bed I towards the right in Fig. 1,
and during the time that the bottle is being carried from the position of rest to the
place shown in Fig. 1, where the label is applied to the bottle, the fingers 18 are
projected up through the bed and hold the bottle properly in position between the
fingers 17 and 18 while the label is being applied.
As soon as the label has been applied, which is done during the time that the
carrier bed is quiescent, the bed is again moved to the right, Fig. 1, by the
action of the cam F upon the rack G, pinion G', gear wheel fl and rack 11, and
the ends of the cross bar carrying the fingers 18 under-run the cams S and hence
these fingers 18 are pulled down and they allow the bottle to slide along upon the
bed to whatever extent may be due to the momentum given to the bottle as the
same is delivered from the machine, and as the bed I is inoved back again to take
another bottle, the fingers 18 are allowed to be raised by the springs 20 as the
ends of the cross bar upon such fingers 18 clear the cams S, and the parts are in
position to operate as aforesaid in taking another bottle.
I remark that the length of the carrier bed is such that when a bottle is being
received from the row of bottles as aforesaid, the entire bed is to the left of the
follower N so that this follower N can come up and take a label from the pile of
labels and go down again before the carrier bed 1 commences its return movement
to bring another bottle into position for applying the label.
Upon reference to Figs. 1 and 5, it will be observed that there is a stationary

page_text: plate T supported by the bed of the machine and upon which the bottles are
delivered after being labeled, and as it is important that the surface of this plate T
should coincide with the surface of the carrier bed I so that the bottles may slide
freely, the bed I is grooved for the reception of the tongues T¹ that project from
the stationary plate T over the space that would otherwise be open and into which
the bottle might partially descend by the momentum as the bottle is delivered,
but these tongues T' underrun the bottle and allow the same to slide freely upon
the tongues, and these are additionally advantageous as they present but a small-
contact surface with the label, and hence there is but little tendency to displace
the label as the bottles run over the tongues and upon the stationary plate.
I will next describe the peculiarities of the follower N, and the manner in which
the labels are taken by it from the pile of labels and the paste applied to the upper
surface of each label.
This follower N is mounted upon a hollow slide bar N¹ which is preferably
circular, and guided by a screw 21 entering a groove in the slide bar N₁, and it is
advantageons to apply a helical spring 22 in the tubular lower end of the slide-
bar N against which the end of the lever U acts, such lever advantageously
passing into a slot in the lower end of the slide bar and having a plug and cross
pin immediately under the helical spring 22, and the cam U on the driving
shaft i is shaped in such a manner that during one rotation of the driving shaft B
the follower N is raised up to take a label from the pile of labels, and then the
follower is drawn down sufficiently low to receive the paste from a roller_as
hereafter described, and then the follower is lifted to apply the label to the under
side of the bottle. The cam U is shown with two projections, one longer than the
other and of a shape adapted to effect the objects before mentioned. The spring 22:
yields as the follower presses the label to the bottle.
The tubular upper part of the slide bar N¹ opens into the hollow follower N.
and it is advantageous to make the top surface of the follower of a properly
moulded plate of rubber having holes 23 through it, and connected with the
follower is a flexible air pipe 24 that is connected with any suitable exhausting.
apparatus, such for instance as a rotary blower or pump for effecting a minus
atmospheric pressure within the follower N so that when the follower is raised up.
and its rubber plate brought into contact with the lower label in the pile of labels,.
the suction action through the holes 23 will seize the label and draw the same
away from the pile of labels, especially when the weight of the pile of labels is
relieved as aforesaid, so that the follower brings the bottom label down with it as.
such follower descends to its lowest position, and at this time the paste is applied
to the top surface of the label, and then the follower and label are brought up to
apply the label to the under side of the bottle, which bottle has by this time-
arrived in the proper position for the follower, and at this moment it is necessary
to momentarily relieve the atmospheric suction upon the label, I therefore provide
a hole 25 in the slide bar N' coinciding with a hole 26 in the standard AⓇ through
which the slide bar N' passes so that the follower can be drawn down and leave
the label upon the bottle without any atmospheric action tending to detach the
label from the bottle.
It will be observed that when the follower is being drawn down to bring the
label from the pile of labels into a position for receiving the paste, these holes 25
and 26 coincide but only momentarily, and hence the action of the exhaust is
restored to hold the label in position while the paste is being applied.
In order to.
apply the paste to the surface of the label I provide a paste trough V receiving a.
suitable adhesive material, and in this is a drum W that is continuously rotated by
suitable pulleys and a belt 27, and a scraper removes the surplus paste at the rising
side of the revolving drum, and there is a carriage X set in the slide ways 28 and
acted upon by a lever X', link A' and cam A' upon the driving shaft B, and this
carriage X has upon it a paste roller 29 set in vertically slotted slide ways as seen
in Fig. 3, so that the roller may rest by its weight upon the paste drum and be
revolved by it and receive upon its surface the paste or adhesive material during

page_text: the time that the paste roller is moved so as to be in contact with such dram W.
and when the lever gives motion to the carringe X and moves the paste
roller 29 away from the drum W, such paste roller is carried along and over the
label as it is field upon the top surface of the follower N thereby applying to such
label the paste or other adhesive material during the time that the follower is in its
lowest position, and then the paste roller is drawn back and away from the inbel
before the follower is lifted as aforesaid to apply such label.
The contact of the paste roller with the end of the label might tend to lift up
that end of the label and roll the label around the paste roller to prevent this a
lifter 30 is provided upon the standard A, Fig. 3, the upper end of which lifter is
slightly higher than the end of the label as it lays upon the follower, hence the
paste roller in passing over this lifter is raised sufficiently to drop upon the label
at a little distance from the extreme end of the label and hence the label will not
be lifted and rolled up.
At the other end of the Inbel a similar tendency to lift the extreme end of the
label by the paste roller exists, and to prevent such end of the label being lifted
I provide the fingers 31 which are in the form of thin wires or strips passing down
from the carriage which holds the paste roller and along under such paste roller
and into grooves that are turned in the paste roller, thereby these fingers being in
close proximity to the surface of the label prevent the end of the label being lifted
up by the roller, and while it is true that the grooves in the paste roller into which
these fingers 31 pass prevent the paste roller applying adhesive material with
perfect uniformity to the surface of the label, the narrow lines where the paste
is not applied do not interfere with the proper adhesion of the label to the bottle
or other article.
It is important that the bottles or other articles are free to be moved along into
the position for receiving the labels, but such bottles should be properly positioned
end wise for the reception of the labels, and with this object in view a fence Y is
applied for the bottoms of the bottles to run against and a stationary spring is
opposite the corks or necks of the bottles, such spring being curved and inclined
ns shown in Fig. 5, so that it does not come into contact with the neck or cork of
the bottle until such bottle arrives, or nearly so, at the position where the label is
applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
First. The Lollow perforated follower having a substantially flat surface and a
suction device neting to hold the label by atmospheric pressure to the follower, in
combination with automatic mechanism for feeling the bottles, a paste roller aud
means for moving the same over the label while held by suction upon the follower
and automatic means for admitting air into the hollow follower as the label is
pressed to the bottle, substantially as specified.
Second. The combination in a machine for applying labels, of a head and claws
for holding the labels, and guides for retaining the pile of labels in position, a
weight for pressing down the pile of labels, and lifters and mechanism for moving
the same and for raising the pile of labels sufficiently to relieve the lower labels
from the weight at the time the bottom label is being removed from the pile, a
carrier bed for the bottles or other articles, and means for reciprocating the same,
and a follower having a hollow bed with openings and meaus for partially
exhausting the air, and mechanism for supporting and moving the follower,
substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination in a machine for applying labels, of a carrier bed and
menus for moving the same to bring the bottle or other article into position for
receiving the label, a hollow follower and means for partially exhausting the air,
a tubular slide bar for the follower, and a support for the same there being holes
through the support and tubular follower which coincide at the time the label

page_text: is being applied so as to relieve the atmospheric suction, substantially as set
forth.
Fourth. The combination with the incline down which the bottles are fed, of a
reciprocating bed, fingers passing up through such bed and mechanism for moving
the same, and an escapement to hold back the line of bottles as the lower one is
removed and means for supplying and pasting each label and for applying it to the
bottle during a pause in the movement of the bed, substantially as specified.
Fifth. The combination with a hollow follower and a suction device therewith
connected for holding the label to the follower by atmospheric pressure, of a paste
trough and roller for applying paste to the label, and means for pressing the
follower and label to the bottle or other article, substantially as specified.
Sixth. The combination in a machine for applying labels, of a reciprocating
carrier bed, fingers passing up through the bed, springs for raising the fingers, and
cams for acting upon the ends of the bars carrying the fingers for drawing down
one set of fingers when they pass below the stationary bottle and for drawing down
the other set of fingers as the bottle is delivered from the reciprocating carrier
bed, substantially as set forth.
Seventh. The combination in a machine for applying labels, of a reciprocating
bed for presenting the bottles or other articles, a follower and means for raising
and lowering the same, a suction device for holding the label to the follower by
atmospheric pressure, a paste trough and drum, a paste roller and a carriage and
means for moving the same for rolling the paste roller over the label while held
upon the follower, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The combination in a machine for applying labels, of a reciprocating
bed for presenting the bottle or other articles, a follower and means for raising
and lowering the same, a suction device for holding the labels to the follower by
atmospheric pressure, a paste trough and drum, a paste roller and a carriage and
means for moving the same for rolling the paste roller over the label while held
upon the follower, a lifter over which the paste roller passes before coming into
contact with the label, substantially as specified.
Ninth. The combination in a machine for applying labels, of a reciprocating
bed for presenting the bottles or other articles, a follower and menus for raising
and lowering the same, a suction device for holding the label to the follower by
atmospheric pressure, a paste trough and drum, a paste roller and a carriage and
means for moving the same for rolling the paste roller over the label while held
upon the follower, the paste roller being grooved, and fingers in the grooves for
preventing the paste roller lifting and rolling up the label in its movement,
substantially as set forth.
Tenth. The combination in a machine for applying labels to bottles and other
articles, of a reciprocating carrier bed having an opening in the same, a follower
and means for moving the same and passing the follower through the opening in
the bed, means for holding a pile of labels in position for the follower to take a
label and withdraw the saine, means for applying the paste to the label while held
upon the follower so that such label is applied to the bottle or other article upon
the opposite side to the pile of labels, substantially as set forth.
Eleventh. The combination in a machine for applying labels, of a reciprocating
carrier bed, means for supplying the bottles or other articles, a follower for
receiving and applying the labels, a pasting mechanism, and a stationary plate
with tongues passing into grooves in the carrier bed and upon which the bottle
with the label attached is delivered, substantially as set forth.
3333
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.