GB1462426A - Labelling machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1462426 Labelling ATO Inc 29 March 1974 [29 March 1973] 14030/74 Heading B8F A container labelling machine has a rotary transfer device comprising label holding pads 15 mounted on a rotor 10 for movement between a normal extended position in which each pad travels in a path tangent to a label picker 12, adhesive applying means 14 and container supporting means (not shown), to a retracted position, means yieldably holding the pads extended, and means operating in the absence of a label on a pad to retract the pad as it passes the adhesive applying means. In Fig. 2, each label is picked off a magazine 205 by a rotary suction picker 207 which puts the loading edge of the label opposite an air nozzle 209 which blows the label into a nip between driven roll 208 and the adjacent pad 15, to which the label is then held by vacuum. The label passes driven gumming rolls 294, and then to an applying station where containers are fed by a turn screw conveyer (not shown). At this station, vacuum is cut off and pressure supplied to the pad. Each pad is mounted on a member 54 pivotable about shafts 58, see also Fig. 7, on twin spiders 36, and is normally held extended by spring 68. The spiders are rotated on shaft 22 by worm gears 200, 202 through differential gearing 192, 194, 196 enabling the relative positions of the rotor and picker mechanism 207, 208 to be varied manually. Valve plates 150, 152 control the admission of vacuum and air pressure to each pad as it rotates. Each member 54 contains a sleeve 52, shown in Fig. 7 but not mounted on the rotor, in which a piston 186 is slidable. When vacuum is applied to the pad and a label is in place, the vacuum above the piston raises it as shown. In the absence of a label, the piston falls, whereby follower 188 contacts a fixed arcuate cam 180 on base-plate 18, which pivots the member and pad inwardly as the pad passes the gluing rolls 294, and closes a valve mechanism 128, 106 to cut off the vacuum. The supply of vacuum to the picker is controlled by a switch operated synchronously with the rotor drive, and by a photoelectric device responsive to the presence of a container so that no label is picked if a container is absent. A stripper is provided to remove any glued labels that remain on the pads after the label applying station. The rotor is adjustably tiltable to apply labels to containers with non-vertical walls.