GB2311507A - Conveying containers through a labelling machine - Google Patents

Description

A LABELLING MACHINE This invention relates to a labelling machine, and in particular (but not exclusively) to a labelling machine adapted for the labelling of relatively lightweight containers, when still empty.

Labelling machines are well known and understood in the packaging art. A typical labelling machine adapted to apply self-adhesive labels to products being advanced by a conveyor includes a labelling head which is arranged to project a label into or adjacent the path of advancement of the next article to be labelled, so that the leading face of said next article picks up the projecting label, or so that the label may be applied to a side face of that article. Very frequently, a wiping arrangement is provided, so that the entire area of the label is pressed into engagement with and firmly grips the article being labelled.

Labelling machines of the kind described above are used widely in the dairy industry, for the labelling of blow-moulded plastics material containers for milk, which containers are hereinafter referred to as "milk containers". Conventionally, the labelling of milk containers is performed following filling of the containers and the fitting of a closure to the neck of the container. Unfortunately, several problems are associated with this practice: at least some spillage of milk is bound to occur during operation of the machine, leading to requirements for cleaning and in turn this requires much of the labelling machine to be made waterproof. Also, many of the milk containers to be labelled may have external surfaces which are at least damp, and this can lead to imperfect adhesion of the labels.

Though it is recognised in the industry that it would be desirable to label milk containers before filling, so far no labelling machine has been able successfully to accomplish this. Modern blow-moulded plastics material milk containers have very thin walls and weigh typically under 5g - so-called "ultra-light" milk containers. The conveying of ultra-light milk containers through a labelling machine, with the containers at regularly spaced intervals to permit the application of labels thereto, has proved to be very difficult and jams frequently occur if a conventional bottom-support product conveyor is employed.

One possible solution is for each container to be drawn through the labelling machine by means of a top hold conveyor operating in association with a conventional bottom support conveyor, which top hold conveyor engages and drives the top of the milk container, in synchronism with the driving of the support conveyor. Unfortunately, this solution has not been accepted by the dairy industry on account of the likelihood of foreign matter falling from the top hold conveyor into a conveyed milk container and so contaminating the milk, when the milk container is subsequently filled.

This invention aims at addressing the above described problems associated with the labelling of ultra-light milk containers prior to the filling thereof, but the labelling machine may equally be used in circumstances other than the labelling of milk containers aforesaid.

According to the present invention, there is provided a labelling machine adapted to apply labels one at a time to a succession of articles being advanced along a path, comprising means defining the path along which the articles are advanced, the path extending through a labelling station, a labelling head located at the labelling station and adapted to project towards or into the path of the advancing articles a succession of labels in a timed relationship with respect to the advancement of the articles, and drive means for the articles which drive means comprises a pair or endless belts each arranged to have a drive run extending generally parallel to and above the path, said drive runs of the two belts being opposed to one another, whereby opposed sides of the articles to be labelled are gripped between the two drive runs and are advanced thereby along the path and through the labelling station.

Though the invention may be used with products other than ultra-light moulded plastics material milk containers, that is an important intended use for the labelling machine of this invention. Consequently, the invention will hereinafter further be described expressly with reference to the labelling of such milk containers, though it is to be understood that the invention is not to be regarded as being limited thereto.

The labelling machine permits the labelling of ultra-light milk containers before the filling of the same, by controlling the movement of the milk containers along said path, utilising a pair of endless belts each having a drive run extending along the path and between which the sides of a milk container are gripped. Such an arrangement allows the movement of the milk containers to be accurately controlled with a greatly reduced risk of the containers falling over or otherwise fouling the labelling machine. No top hold conveyor is required, and so the likelihood of the uncapped containers becoming contaminated is greatly reduced.

One preferred form of labelling machine of this invention is intended for use with milk containers having a pair of inclined surfaces disposed one to each side of a neck, at the top of the container. In this labelling machine, said drive runs are adapted to engage opposed upper surfaces of the containers to each side of the container neck, the drive runs imparting both lateral gripping and downward force components on the container. Each drive belt may lie substantially wholly in a respective single plane, the two planes being disposed symmetrically with respect to the centre line of the path of advancement of the container.

In an alternative arrangement, the labelling machine further comprises a second pair of endless belts, the drive runs of the belts of the second pair being arranged above and parallel to the respective drive runs of the two belts of the first pair. In this case, both endless belts of each pair may be arranged in a common plane for that pair, the two planes being disposed in a parallel manner above the path of advancement of the containers. Thus, each container will be gripped between the two belts of each pair, at spaced positions on opposed sides of the container.

It is preferred for there to be means to permit adjustment of the spacing between the drive runs of the two belts of each pair. In addition, means may be provided to permit adjustment of the separation between the drive runs of the two belts on the same side of the path. Further means may be provided to permit adjustment of the distance between the drive runs of the two belts of each pair.

The adjustment means referred to above give the labelling machine great versatility, allowing it to be adapted to suit any particular container to be labelled. In particular, the machine may be adjusted with great ease to suit milk containers for different marketing organisations, so permitting the economic labelling of relatively short production runs.

It would be possible for the milk containers to be advanced along a skid plate, particularly in the case where the machine has two pairs of endless belts arranged to engage the sides of the container, at spaced locations. Alternatively, the means defining the path may comprise a conventional product conveyor.

In this case, there may be a power drive arrangement for the conveyor and each endless belt whereby the linear speed of the conveyor and of each belt drive run operate substantially in synchronism.

The labelling head may be essentially conventional and typically comprises means for drawing self-adhesive labels one at a time from a rolled web and for projecting those labels towards or into the path of advancement of the milk containers, by pulling the web around a beak disposed adjacent said path. The labelling head should operate in synchronism with the advancement of the containers along the path in order to ensure that each container is correctly labelled with the label disposed appropriately on the container.

By way of example only, two specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic isometric view of a first embodiment of labelling machine of this invention; Figure 2 is an isometric view of the first embodiment, but with certain parts cut away for clarity; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic vertical section through the machine of Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic isometric view of a second embodiment of labelling machine of this invention.

Referring initially to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a product conveyor 10 arranged to transport ultra-light milk containers 11 in the direction of arrow A, through a labelling station 12. The containers 11 are shown diagrammatically as having two pairs of side walls 13 and 14, and an upper surface provided with an open topped neck 15.

The containers 11 are transported through the labelling station 12 by means of two pairs of endless belts 16,17 and 18,19, each running round respective pulleys 16A,16B; 17A,17B; 18A,18B; and 19A,19B. The pulleys are rotatably mounted at the two ends of respective mounting frames 16C, 17C, 18C, and 19C, arranged to each side of the conveyor 10, with frames 16C and 17C disposed below frames 18C and 19C respectively. Electric motors 16D, 17D, 18D and 19D are arranged below the respective pulleys, to effect driving of the respective belts 16, 17, 18 and 19.

Each frame is carried by an associated mounting mechanism (not shown) which allows the frame to be moved both vertically and laterally. In this way, the spacing between the drive runs of the belts of each pair may be increased or decreased (arrows 20 on Figure 3), and also the vertical spacing between the drive runs of the corresponding belts of each pair may be increased or decreased (arrows 21). Moreover, the mounting mechanisms may be coupled together, in order to allow the spacing between the belts of both pairs to be varied simultaneously, and also to allow vertical movement of all four belts, in unison (arrows 22).

The mounting mechanisms described above permit the endless belts to be adjusted such that a wide variety of differently shaped and sized containers may be accommodated by the labelling machine, with each container being lightly gripped for advancement by the drive runs 16E, 17E, 18E and 19E of the respective belts 16 to 19, thereby to move the containers through the labelling station 12. Such a container being gripped on its opposed side surfaces 13 is shown at 23.

The labelling machine includes a labelling head 25, comprising a support plate 26 on which is rotatably mounted a carrier for a roll 27 of labels to be applied to the containers. The roll 27 comprises a web of a release sheet, along which the self-adhesive labels are mounted in a linearly spaced manner. The head 25 also includes a beak 28 around which the web of labels passes, the web being drawn by roller nips (not shown) driven in a timed relationship to advancement of the containers, a take-up spool 29 also being driven to re-wind the web. As the web is pulled around the beak, the next label 30 to be applied is projected forwardly from the beak, into the path of the next container 20 to be labelled, as shown in Figure 2, or ready to be wiped on to the side of a container.

An optical sensor 31 is provided to detect one of the leading edge or the trailing edge of the next container to be labelled, the driving of the take-up spool 29 being controlled by an output from the sensor 31, in order to cause the next label on the web to be projected from the beak just before the leading face of the container 20 reaches the label.

Though not shown in Figures 1 and 2, the labelling station 12 also includes a wiping arrangement, to ensure that a label 30 is pressed into engagement with the container 20 so as to adhere thereto.

In the case where the containers 20 are still empty and the mouth at the top of the neck 15 has not been closed, the mouths of the advancing containers may be protected against debris and foreign matter falling into the containers by means of a top plate (not shown) extending along the path of advancement of the containers, just above the tops of the necks.

Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of labelling machine, configured for the labelling of containers 35 having a pair of inclined surfaces 36 and 37 adjacent the neck 38 of the container. In this embodiment, only two endless belts 39 and 40 are provided, extending around respective pulleys which are rotatably mounted at the two ends of respective mounting frames 39C,40C. These two frames are disposed above the conveyor 41, with the planes of the belts inclined to the horizontal.

The two frames 39C,40C are carried by associated mounting mechanisms (not shown) which allow the frames to be moved both vertically and laterally. The frames are adjusted so that the drive runs of the respective belts engage the two inclined surfaces 37 of the container 35. In this way, components of force both horizontally and vertically are imparted to each container 35 by the drive belts, so securely holding the container whilst it passes through the labelling station 12.

In all other respects, the labelling machine of Figure 4 corresponds to that of Figures 1 to 3 and like parts are given like reference characters; those parts will not be described again here.

Claims (15)

1. A labelling machine adapted to apply labels one at a time to a succession of articles being advanced along a path, comprising: - means defining the path along which the articles are advanced, the path extending through a labelling station; - a labelling head located at the labelling station and adapted to project towards or into the path of the advancing articles a succession of labels in a timed relationship with respect to the advancement of the articles; and - drive means for the articles, which drive means comprises a pair of endless belts each arranged to have a drive run extending generally parallel to and above the path, said drive runs of the two belts being opposed to one another, whereby opposed sides of the articles are gripped between the two drive runs and are advanced thereby along the path and through the labelling station.

2. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 1 and adapted for use with necked containers, wherein said drive runs are adapted to engage opposed upper surfaces of the containers to each side of the container neck, the drive runs imparting both lateral gripping and downward force components on the container.

3. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein each drive belt lies substantially wholly in a respective single plane, the two planes being disposed symmetrically with respect to the centre-line of the path.

4. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 2 or in claim 3, wherein means are provided to permit adjustment of the spacing between the drive runs of the two belts, and to permit adjustment of the distance above the path of the drive runs.

5. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a second pair of endless belts, the drive runs of the belts of the second pair being arranged above and parallel to the respective drive runs of the two belts of the first pair.

6. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein means are provided to permit adjustment of the spacing between the drive runs of the two belts of each pair.

7. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein means are provided to permit adjustment of the separation between the drive runs of the two belts on the same side of the path.

8. A labelling machine as claimed in any of claims 5 to 7, wherein means are provided to permit adjustment of the distance between the drive runs of the two belts of each pair.

9. A labelling machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the means defining the path comprises a conveyor upon which the articles to be labelled are carried.

10. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein there is a power drive arrangement for the conveyor and each endless belt whereby the linear speed of the conveyor and of each belt drive run operate substantially in synchronism.

11. A labelling machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein there is provided a top plate disposed immediately above the tops of articles being advanced along the path, to protect those articles from contamination.

12. A labelling machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the labelling head is adapted to apply self-adhesive labels to the articles, which labels are carried on a backing web of release material.

13. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the labelling head includes a beak disposed adjacent the path and around which the web is constrained to pass, and drive means for the web to draw the web around the beak and thereby feed the carried labels, one at a time, into the path of the advancing articles.

14. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein there is a sensor for articles being advanced along the path, and the operation of the web drive means is controlled by an output from the sensor.

15. A labelling machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.