Patent ID: 8322395

Claim:
An improved apparatus for removing labels from the outside surface of a container, said apparatus comprising: a frame; a rotary platform movably associated with said frame wherein said platform is configured for receiving a first end of a cylindrically shaped container; a rotary idler movably associated with said frame wherein said rotary idler is adjacent to and in alignment with said rotary platform, said rotary idler configured to receive and rotatably clamp an opposing second end of said cylindrically shaped container between said rotary idler and said rotary platform thereby defining a container void between said rotary platform and said rotary idler; a rotary movement generator mechanically associated with said housing and said rotary platform, said rotary movement generator configured to generate and transfer a rotating force to said rotary platform; a plurality of peeler assemblies wherein each peeler assembly comprises a peeler and wherein each peeler assembly is movably associated with said frame so that each peeler assembly is outside of said container void when not actuated and moves toward said container void when actuated; and a peeler assembly actuator configured for moving at least one peeler assembly a predefined distance toward said container void wherein said predefined distance is adjustable and selected so that the peeler of the at least one actuated peeler assembly comes into contact with a label associated with an outside surface of said cylindrically shaped container to spirally strip said label from said container; and wherein said plurality of peeler assemblies are in alignment along a predefined peeler-axis and wherein said apparatus further comprises a peeler guide defining a guide width, wherein said peeler guide extends along said peeler-axis from a first peeler assembly to a last peeler assembly and wherein said peeler guide further defines a peeler-assembly-bay at each peeler assembly location, wherein each peeler assembly is configured to retract within its respective peeler-assembly-bay when not engaging in a label removing process thereby providing at least one of a cleaning function and a safety function.