GB954121A - Improvements in or relating to labelling machines - Google Patents

Abstract

954,121. Labelling machines. MORGAN FAIREST Ltd. Jan. 9, 1963 [Jan. 30, 1962], No. 3386/62. Heading B8F. A labelling machine for applying neck and/or body labels comprises a rectilinear means or, as shown, a turntable 5 carrying bottles 3 held in arms 6, a label stack 30, a pick-up turret 26, gumming means 29, a transfer arm 32 and wiper flaps 17, 18 in the path of the bottle. A transfer finger 35 on the transfer arm 32 carries a label from the pick-up turret 26 to the two pairs of wiper flaps 17, 18 and is so orientated as to keep the label parallel to the face from which it was taken. Label transfer and gumming means.-A reciprocating gum applying mechanism 29 applies gum to the side faces 27 of the pick-up turret 26, the faces 27 being separated by a gap 28. The turret (Fig. 1) is indexed 45 degrees and the gummed face receives a label from a reciprocating label stack 30. The turret is again indexed 45 degrees and the transfer finger 35, holding the label by suction, passes through the hole 28, taking the label. The label is maintained parallel to the plane in which it was when it was removed from the turret face which is also parallel to the flaps and the path of the finger takes it through the gap in a face perpendicular to the plane of the label so that the label passes through without contacting the sides of the gap 28. The finger then passes through the flaps 17, 18 and the ungummed faces of the labels are held thereon by suction as they are released from the finger 35. The turret can be indexed while the transfer finger is either inside or outside the turret. The wiper flaps are spring-loaded to return to their central position and the body flaps are hinged vertically while the neck flaps have vertical and horizontal hinges to enable the flap to follow the shape of the bottle neck. Conveyer means.-The bottles 3 are suitably spaced by a star wheel 3 and moved on to a table 5 on which they are gripped by presser heads 8, at the ends of arms 6. The heads are forced upwardly by springs 9 and are moved down into contact with the bottle as roller 10 engages a cam rail 11. The bottle is moved through the wiper flaps 17, 18 and through the brushes 14 before being removed by the starwheel 15. In modifications to the turret 26 the octagonal turret may have apertured faces alternating with open sides and by indexed through 45 degrees both while the transfer finger is inside and outside the turret. In another modification (Fig. 8) a square turret rotates about an axis perpendicular to that of the transfer arm and has two apertured sides opposite each other, the other two sides being open and having one open end through which the label leaves, the turret indexing through 180 degrees while the finger is outside the turret. The gumming mechanism 29A for this modification consists of rollers (Fig. 5). More than one transfer arm can be used.