Improvements in Labelling Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Labelling Machines.
We, DAVID DANIEL WEISELL, Dentist, of No. 311, West Jefferson Street, Fort
Wayne, Allen County, Indiana, United States of America, and ALEXANDER SAMUEL
LAUFERTY, Merchant, 75, West Berry Street, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
:
Our invention relates to improvements in labeling machines and its objects are to
provide an improved machine that shall be automatic in its operation, shall coat the
surface to be labelled with a coating of mucilage the size and shape of the label :
deliver labels singly upon the coated surface and press the label down upon such
surface firmly be easily operated and uniform in its operation. And the invention
consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described,
pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in
which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device: Figure 2 is an end view of
Figure 1: Figure 3 is a detail view of the labelling devices showing the position
of the bottles beneath them: Figures 4 and 5 are detail views showing the construction
of the apertures in the bottom of the mucilage holder: Figure 6 is a view of a bottle
with the central part of the label adhering to it as delivered by the label holder;
Figure 7 is a perspective of the mucilage case; Figure 8 is a view of a bottle with
two labels pressed down firmly in place by the label presser ; Figure 9 is a detail of
the operating lever with its double reversible ratchets in one position; Figure 10 is
a detail view of the same detail as Figure 9 with the double ratchets in a reversed
position; Figure 11 is a detail of the jaws on the carrier; Figure 12 is a side
view of the label holder and its connecting spring ratchet device, and also showing
a side view of the automatic label supporter; Figure 13 is a front view of Figure 12;
Figures 14, 15 and 16 are details of the connecting spring ratchet device for securing
the label holder adjustably to the plunger. Similar numerals of reference refer to
similar parts throughout the several views.
The main feature of our invention consists of an endless carrier adapted to support
the articles to be labelled and provided with means to hold such articles in place
while the carrier conveys them to, under and beyond the labelling devices. Means
to operate the carrier and give it automatically an intermittent motion, so that the
article to be labelled is held stationary at the moment of being operated upon by
the labelling devices, one a mucilage case adapted to deliver a coating of mucilage of
a given form and size upon the article to be labeled the second a label holder
adapted to deliver a single separate label upon said mucilage surface: and third a
label presser adapted to press the entire surface of the label firmly in place upon the
article to be labelled and means to operate the labeling devices automatically upon
the articles to be labeled as they are severally brought in place underneath them
by the carrier.
:
Describing the machine as illustrated for a bottle labeler, but not confining myself
to such use, the preferable construction is as follows: The carrier 17 is an endless
belt, preferably of firm rubber of suitable width to properly support a series of

page_text: bottles 18, placed transversely upon it. Cross bars 19, provided with slots through
which the belting passes, are placed at suitable distances apart and secured to the
belting. These distances are determined by the space required for the bottle. These
cross bars 19, extend beyond the carrier 17, on both sides, the extension being
preferably rounded forming journals 20 at their ends. These journals 20 are held at
fixed distances apart by flat metal links 21, provided with eyes 22 (Figs. 9 and 10)
at each end through which the journals pass, thereby making an endless link chain
on each side of the carrier belt. Beyond these links the projecting journals or
extension of the cross bars rest in bearings in the ends of lug 23 attached to the rims
of the wheel 24, from which the lugs 23 project radially. Using two wheels on one
axle for the carrier, would give it a rotary motion.
But prefer to construct
two sets of wheels 24 and mount them respectively on two axles 25 which revolve
in bearings in the frame 26, whereby the axles 25 are separated from each other at
sufficient distances apart to permit the carrier 17 to assume a horizontal plane under
the labeling devices.
We provide means to hold the bottles or articles to be labeled, upon the carrier
thus mounted, which holders consist preferably of spring jaws 27, attached firmly to
the cross bars 19, at both ends and between the links 21 and the carrier 17. These
jaws 27 are in series and adapted in shape to grasp and hold a bottle 18 firmly on one
side at the neck and at the other side to hold the bottle near its base.
The bottle 18 is grasped firmly when on the horizontal plane of the carrier. As
the carrier 17 passes around up and over the front wheel the spring jaws 27, being
rigidly attached to the cross bars 19, open from each other radially so as to receive
the bottle, and they close as they pass the wheels on to the horizontal plane, and they
open again as they pass over the wheel at the other end of the machine and thereby
discharge the bottle. These spring jaws 27 are preferably inade of wire. One end
of the wire is wrapped around the cross bar 19 firmly and then wrapped with a
looser coil to form a spring to the clamping portion, which is conformed to the shape
of the bottle in cross sections as shown. The alternate tops of these jaws 27 are
connected by a link 28 so as to form them in series, of two each, as shown. The
bottoms of each series are also connected by the same wire, forming the jaws,
extended continuously from one cross bar to the other one, in each series respectively,
forming a bottom connection 29, which assists in bracing the holder and is shown in
Fig. 11. Thus constructed the jaws 27 can be adjusted on the cross bar 19 laterally
by moving them inward or outward, on the rounded extensions 19, to accommodate
them to bottles of different length. The preferable means to operate the carrier 17,
where its revolution is not rotary, is as follows: The power is applied to lugs 30, by
means of a lever 31 engaging them alternately. The ends 42 of the cross bars 19
above described may be used for such lugs vide Fig. 1, but for the purpose of
providing means for using a bifurcated bar, we prefer to use independent rods, placed
and secured to the carrier 17, so that a projected end 30 passes through orifices in
each alternate link 21, centrally between the cross bars 19, forming such lugs 30.
A lever of the 3rd class is used for this operation and is shown in Figures 1, 9 and 10.
To operate the lever 31, we construct a crank shaft 33, see Figure 10, which is
journaled in bearings 34, in the sides of the frame 26, centrally between the axles 25,
of the wheels 24, see Figure 1, and to which the lever 31 is pivoted at one end. The
end of the lever is preferably bifurcated to engage the lugs 30 and operate the.
carrier 17, in either direction, see Figures 9 and 10. The shaft 33 of the crank is
provided with means to operate it, preferably a band wheel 35, with a handle 36 so it
may be rotated manually or by power as desired.
In the drawings, 37 is the shaft, 38 is the web and 39 is the wrist forming the
crank shaft 33. Upon the wrist 39 is mounted the lever 31 above described. The
lower end of the lever 31 is pivoted to a bolt or slide 40 which has a vertical movement
in, and is confined to a vertical slot 40¹ in the frame whereby a movable fulcrum is
provided, which permits the entire lever 31 to be raised and lowered vertically by the
revolution of the crank shaft 33. The upper end of the lever 31 is described above.
The mode of the operation is as follows > As a crank shaft 33 is rotated it carries

page_text: the lever 31 with it upward, forward, downward and backward. The lower part being
held in a vertical plane by the guide slot 401, the forward motion is communicated by
the upper bifurcated part to the lugs 30, when engaged, while the upward and
downward motions respectively raise the bifurcated end of the lever 31 into
engagement and out of engagement as shown, whereby the carrier 17 is moved
intermittently forward. The length of the actuating throw of the lever is adjusted
to equal two spaces between the cross bars to accommodate the distances between
the labeling devices. There is a double curved pawl 41, see Figures 9 and 10,
attached to the frame 26 and adjusted to engage the lugs 42 (formed by projecting
the ends of the cross bars beyond their journals) at each end of the throw of the
lever, one at one end and the other at the other end. These pawls 41 are actuated
by springs 43 so that they are held in engagement until they are lifted up by the
ends of the bifurcated lever.
The purpose of the two pawls 41, so adjusted, is to lock the carrier 17 in place
against both forward and backward movements, and also permit a reversible movement
of the carrier. By this locking construction the carrier 17 is held rigidly in place
while the labeling devices hereinafter described are being operated upon the bottles.
And the whole construction provides an automatic intermittent motion permitting
such locking and stoppage of the carrier.
The mucilage case 44 is a hollow receptacle or box constructed preferably of
flexible rubber, as follows: The bottom 45 is made to conform to the surface of the
article upon which the label is to be applied, in the present instance to the rounded
surface of the bottle 18, as shown in Figure 3 and is made of the size and shape of
the label to be used. The surface of the bottom: 45 is provided with numerous small
orifices 46, distributed uniformly over its entire surface extending about two-thirds of
the way through its thickness. The rubber over these orifices is slitted through,
preferably by two short slits 47 crossing each other centrally at right angles forining
an entrance, when they are opened or separated, to the interior of the mucilage case
or box 44. A cross section view of four of such orifices 46 and slits 47 is shown in
Figure 4 and a top view of the same is shown in Figure 5. By this construction
when the bottom 45 of the mucilage case is pressed on the bottle 18 it is raised so
that the slits 47 separate or open, letting the mucilage discharge through thein into
the orifices 46 and the mouths of the orifices 46 are spread out by the pressure dis-
tributing the matter over the surface of the part impinged against. For the purpose
of securing a still more uniform and perfect distribution, we may also cover the
perforated bottom with a thin canvas, not shown, through which the mucilage may
pass in finer distribution on the bottle 18. By this construction I provide for a thin
coating of mucilage delivered upon the bottle 18 of the exact size and shape of the
label to he attached, which will not spread beyond its limits.
The label holder consists of a case 49 open at both ends and of such shape and size
in cross sections as to correspond with and conform to the label to be used. The
labels 50 are retained there by retaining supports 51, which also permit them to be
drawn out singly from the bottom as hereinafter described. In the drawings such
retaining supports 51 are shown as narrow retaining plates, extending entirely across
the bottom on opposite sides of the case and preferably inclined downwardly and
inwardly and upon which the ends of the labels rest. The labels 50 are further
supported centrally between their ends on both sides of the case 49 by an automatic
label supporter shown in Figures 12 and 13. The construction of this device is as
follows: A supporting rod 52 is held in place on the case 49 at each end and by
attachinent to bosses 53 on the case. A stiff wire is passed through a roller 54 and
its ends are turned upwards and coiled around the supporting rod 52 form the roller
arm 55 and then turned downwards at an acute angle to the roller arın 55 forming the
hook arms 56 and the extreme ends are then turned inwards forming hooks 57, which
pass under and support the labels 50. The stiffness of the wire is such as that the
motion laterally of the roller 54 moves the hook 57 by a lever, the fulcrum of which
is the eye formed by the coiled wire on the supporting rod 52 the power being
applied in the roller arms 55 in moving the hooks in and out of engagement with

page_text: the labels by their arms 56. The weight of the roller 54 tends to keep the hooks 57
in normal position supporting the labels 50. But to aid them and make the action
more positive we provide springs 58 to actuate the arms, preferably the roller arins.
The preferable form is a spiral spring wire 58 wound around the supporting rod 53
with an upper looped end 59 resting against the case 49 and its lower ends attached
to the roller arms 55.
A plunger 60 is fitted and has a limited movement within the case 49. Referring
to Figure 12 the vertically dotted lines 61 show its front and rear sides, the angular
dotted lines 62 show its chamforred bottom and the curved dotted lines 63 the
impinging surface of the bottom which extend entirely across the case 49 as shown
in Figure 13. We prefer to recess the bottom of the plunger as shown by the dotted
lines 64 and in such recess place a piece of soft rubber 65 adapted to form a cushioned
surface, which for bottles is curved to conform to the rounded sides.
On the upper
four corners of the plunger are projections or posts 66 for the attachınent of the
spring pawls 67. A stem 68 is attached centrally to the plunger 60 by which it is
supported and operated as hereinafter described.
The label case 49 is attached to the plunger 60 by a connecting spring ratchet
device shown in Figures 12, 13, 14 and 16. Its construction is as follows: A slot 69
is cut through the case 49 and a flat ratchet bar 70 whose front is shown in
Figure 15 and its ends in Figure 16, placed therein. At the lower end of the
slot 69 a portion is swedged outwardly to form a recess 71 to hold and permit a vertical
movement of the lower straight end 72 of the ratchet bar 70. The upper hooked
end 73 of this bar is passed inside of the case and moved up until the hook can be
passed down over the top of the wall of the case as shown in Figure 13, and the lower
end 72 into the slotted swedged recess 71. Thus placed the ratchet bar 70 is held in
position at its ends by the wall of the case 49 and the walls of the plunger 60 with a
limited motion vertically. The upper corrugated tooth 74 of the ratchet preventing
it from being lifted out of position and limits its upward movement. Its downward
movement is checked by engagement of the hook end 73, with the wall of the case 49.
A spring click or pawl 57 is attached to the projection or post 66 on the upper
corners of the plunger 60 engaging the interdental spaces of the ratchets 70 by a
projecting curved end 75.
In operation the case 49 hangs on the plunger 60 by means of its attached spring
pawls 67, engaging with the ratchets 70 and confined to its guides in the case. As
the plunger 60 is moved downward all the parts move with it until the rollers 54
impinge against the bottles. As the device moves further downwards, the weight of
the case operates the rollers 54 causing them to move outwards until the bottom
of the case impinges against the bottles, thereby disengaging the hooks from under
the labels. At this point the case remains stationary while the plunger moves on
down, the ratchets moving with it in their guides, until its downward limit is
reached, and the labels are firmly pressed upon the bottle centrally by the curved
surface 63 of the bottom. As the labels are used out of the case the relation of the
bottom of the plunger to them is preserved by the pawl traveling over the interdental
spaces of the ratchet and engaging a lower corrugation so that when the plunger is
raised, the release of pressure is measured by the limit of travel of the ratchet in its
guides. The labels assume the position of the ratchet label 76 at points of greatest
pressure of the plunger. As the plunger rises, the case remains stationary, until the
limited movement of the ratchet has been reached, relieving the unattached labels
from pressure to the extent of such limit. And as they are released from pressure
they resume by resilience their horizontal position, but the attached label is held on
the bottle by adhesion, whereby a space is created between them for the entrance of
the central supporting hooks, these positions being shown in Figure 12. When the
ratchets have reached their limited movement, they engage the case which then
commences to rise with the plunger, releasing the pressure on the rollers, which,
when the case has been raised a short distance, resume their normal position by
means of their weight and the action of their actuating spring 58, thereby causing

page_text: the hooks 57 to engage the unattached labels 50 as shown in Figures 12 and 13. As
the case rises the attached labels remain upon the bottle.
The label presser consists of a presser sheet 77 of flexible material preferably
rubber, of size and shape to conform to the label. This sheet 77 is held between
two rods 78 to which its ends are attached and these rods 78 are suspended from
a holder frame 79 by strong plate or wires 80 adapted to hold the two rods apart
almost the full length of the pressure sheet 77 and to spring laterally. The plates
or springs 80 are of sufficient stiffness to force down the rods 78 and cause the
pressure sheet 77 to press firmly upon the attached labels, and the resilience of the
springs 80 is such that such action causes the pressure sheet 77 to closely and firmly
press the attached label 76 at all points upon the bottle 18. Such construction gives
better results than a rigid or cushioned sheet.
Our preferred method of operating the labeling devices is to operate them
simultaneously in series of three as shown in Figure 1. The preferred construction
is as follows: Two upright pieces adapted to form guides 81 are attached to and
projected above one side of the frame parallel to each other. On these guides 81 is
mounted a sliding frame 82 to the lower end of which is pivoted a connecting rod 83
the other end of which is mounted on the wrist 39 of the crank shaft 33 whereby
a vertical motion is imparted. Extension brackets having upper arms 84 and lower
arms 85 are attached to this sliding frame 82 extending out over the carrier 17 (see
Figure 2) and cross bars 86 are attached firmly and adjustably to the upper and lower
arms of these brackets.
The labeling devices are all provided with stems 68
suspension and operation. These stems 68 are rectangular at their lower ends 87
which pass through and are guided by rectangular slots in the lower cross bars 86.
They are made rectangular so as to hold the holder frames 88 of the labeling devices
in a fixed position relative to the article to be labeled. The stems 68 are reduced in
size just above the rectangular portion, so as to form shoulders 89 and above the
shoulders they are preferably made circular in cross sections. The circular part 90
of these stems 68 pass through and are guided by orifices in the upper cross bars 86,
and are also provided with a series of small holes 91 in which keys 92 are placed to
adjust the distances of the labeling devices from their points of suspension. Coiled
springs 93 are placed over the circular part of these stems 68 their lower ends resting
against the said shoulders 89 and the upper ends against the under side of the upper
cross bar 86. It will be seen by this construction, that as the labeling devices are moved
down upon the article to be labeled, by the action of the sliding frame 82, that the
force is plied upon the coiled springs 93, which impart it to the stems 68 by reason
of their impingement against said shoulders 89 and that the resiliency of the springs
is to a limited extent adjustable by changing the keys 92 in the small holes 91 in the_
stens above the cross bar 86. In the case of the label plunger 60 such adjustment may
be utilized to accommodate the plunger 60 to the number of labels in the case 49 in
addition to the mechanism above described.
The foregoing description of the different devices which are combined in our
improved machine, give or suggest the mode of operation of each device. Referring
to the complete machine as shown in Figure 1 the general mode of operation is as
follows: The revolution of the band wheel 35, either by a belt connected with
power or manually by its handle 36, operates the carrier 17 as described, and all of
the sliding frame 82 as described, the two being adjusted to operate synchronously,
so that when the carrier 17 remains stationary the sliding frame 82 is operated as
described. The bottles 18 are delivered to the carrier 17 at the front end of the
machine, from a table 94 as shown, one into each of the jaws 27 as they pass the
end of the table. As the bottles 18 pass forward from the table 94 and reach the upper
horizontal plane of the carrier 17 the jaws 27 change from a radial to a vertical
position which causes them to close upon the bottles 18 and hold them in a firm
position until they are released one by one at the farther end of the machine, as the
jaws 27 resume a radial position which opens them. The carrier 17 travels a distance
equal to two spaces between its cross hars, because the distance apart of the labeling
devices require that space, and then becomes stationary by the disengagement of the

page_text: operating lever 31 as described and is locked in place by the pawls 41 while thus
held stationary, and as the band wheel 35 continues to revolve the labeling devices
are brought down by means of their connection with the sliding frame 82, and caused
to operate upon the bottles 18 underneath, as described. The mucilage case 44
giving a coating of mucilage to one bottle, the label holder 49 depositing a label
upon a second bottle, and the label pressure sheet 77 pressing a label firmly on the
the third bottle as shown in Figure 3. As the band wheel 35 continues to revolve,
these labeling devices are raised and the carrier 17 is moved forward as described,
and the operation becomes continuous.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In a labeling machine a carrier for the bottles or articles to be labeled mounted
on a frame and adapted to receive, hold and carry them to, under and beyond the
labeling devices; means to operate said carrier automatically with an intermittent
motion, so that the articles to be labeled are held stationary when under the
labeling devices, at the moment of being labeled; and mucilage case adapted to
deliver a coating of mucilage of given forin and size from its bottom upon the article
to be labeled; a label holder adapted to deliver a label singly from its bottom when
pressed upon said mucilage coated surface; a label presser adapted to press the
entire surface of the label firmly upon the article to be labeled; and means to move
said mucilage case, label holder and label presser respectively into contact with the
articles to be labeled while they are held stationary.
2. In labeling machines having an endless carrier for the article to be labeled ;
means to operate the same with an intermittent motion, consisting of a crank shaft
mounted in bearings in the frame; lugs attached to said carrier; a lever mounted
centrally on the wrist of said crank shaft, its upper end adapted to engage said lugs
when the wrist carries the lever over its axle of revolution, and to impart a given
distance of travel, its lower end serving as a movable fulcrum ; and a frame with a
guide slot for said movable fulcrum.
3. In labeling machines the combination of a carrier consisting of an endless belt
with cross bars attached at such distances apart as to admit of a single article to be
labeled to be placed between them; extensions to said cross bars; metal links provided
with eyes at each end through which the said extensions pass and project, holding
the cross bars apart and forming endless link chains on both sides of said belt; and a
lever adapted at its upper end to engage said extensions of the cross bars and operate
the carrier.
4. In a labeling machine having a carrier for the articles to be labeled, a crank
shaft mounted in bearings in the frame; lugs attached to said carrier ; two pawls
attached to the frame adapted to engage lugs attached to the carrier at their opposite
ends respectively; a lever mounted centrally on said crank shaft, its upper end
adapted to operate the carrier and engage and raise said pawls out of engagement
while so operating the carrier, and its lower end pivoted to a movable fulcrum ; and
a frame provided with a guide slot for the movable fulcrum.
5. In a labeling machine, a mucilage case holding the mucilage provided with a
flexible slitted or perforated bottom adapted to retain the mucilage when free from
upward pressure, and to permit the flow of mucilage from the case through it so as
to impart a thin coating upon the article to be labeled, when pressed upwards by
impingement thereon.
6. In a labeling machine, a mucilage case constructed of flexible rubber, the
bottom of which is of the shape of the article to which the label is to be applied, and
is provided with numerous small passages for the mucilage, and adapted to deliver a
coating of mucilage of the exact form of the label to be used upon the article to be
labeled.
7. In a labeling machine, a mucilage case provided with a rubber bottom whose
surface is provided with numerous small orifices, uniformly distributed and extending

page_text: about two-thirds through its thickness, and the other third being slitted entirely
through to the interior of said case adapted to be opened by pressure upon the
article to be labeled so as to form passages for the mucilage, and to close and retain
the mucilage when the pressure is removed, the whole adapted to deliver a coating
of mucilage of the form and size of the label to be used.
8. In a labeling machine, a label case provided with means to retain labels and to
permit them to be delivered singly from its bottom; a plunger moving within the
case provided with extensions; means to operate the plunger within the case so as to
press the labels upon the articles to be labeled with a given force; ratchet bars
secured to said cases so as to have a limited movement; spring pawls attached to
said extensions engaging said ratchet bars, and adapted to travel over the ratchet
teeth a limited distance when the case is held stationary by impingement upon the
article to be labeled.
9. In a labeling machine a label case provided with narrow retaining plates sup-
porting the ends of the labels ; central automatic supports for the labels on each side,
consisting of a supporting rod attached to the case, a lever fulcrumed on said rod
provided. with double arms, two of the arms, one on each side, terminating in hooks
adapted to engage the labels, and the other two arms connected to each other by a
cross bar with an intervening roller for operating the same.
10. In a labeling machine, labeling devices adapted to operate by their impinge-
ment upon the articles to be labeled; a sliding frame mounted in guides on the main
frame and provided with arms adapted to hold in place the stem supporting the label-
ing devices; vertical stems for the labeling devices; springs arranged between the
arms and stems adapted to provide a yielding or cushioned pressure upon the labeling
devices; and means to operate the sliding frame.
11. In a
labeling machine, an endless carrier adapted to support and carry the articles
to be labeled provided with mechanisin for engagement with the carrier of a locking
device; and a locking device adapted to engage said mechanism on said carrier and
lock the carrier in place while the labeling devices are in impingement upon the
articles to be labeled, and means for releasing said locking devices at predetermined
intervals, and for moving said carrier.
1 11.
1
1000
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
Chartered Patent Agents, 321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.