CA1251174A - Smoothing and pressing down device in labeling machines - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A device for smoothing and pressing down in labeling machines, intended for the point of a blank of foil wrapped around the neck and head of a bottle with the point projecting at the head, and having a pot-like housing that can be moved axially against the head of the bottle and accommodates an elastic sponge structure. To allow the device to handle the blank of foil gently, apply it uniform and smooth to the head of bottle even in the vicinity of depressed zones of the head, and to prolong its life, the face of the sponge structure toward the head of the bottle has a recess that in the pressing-down position embraces at least the head of the bottle on all sided subject to slight tension.

Description

r1hY 13 ~æs ~9:Zl SPRUNG HORN KRRI~lER ~ WOO~S P.Z
-~ . , .'.

~2~ L7~

2 BACKGROUND OF_TH~ INV~NTION
The presen~ invention relate~ to a device ~or 4 ¦ ~moothing and pre~sing do~n ~oil on bot~les in labeling 5 ¦ machines and i~ intended ~or the polnt of a blank of ~oll 6 I wrapped ar~und the nec~ and head of a bo~tle w~th the point 7 projectlng at the head, and h~s a po~lika housing that ~a~
8 be moved axially again~t ~he head o~ the bo~le and 9 a~commodateg an ela~tic sponge struc~ure. .
In applylng foll to bo~tle~ it is the ~moothing o 11 th~ projecting point of the blank o~ foil, that is wrapped lZ ~specially again~t th~ face of the bo~tla head, ~ha~ cau~es 13 the mo~t trouble becau~e o~ the difflculty of uniformly ~ distributing the r~ulting plle-up o~ material whlle lS completely cove~ing the head ~lid extensively protecklng the 16 sensitive ~oil. The d~fficulty increa~e6 ~lth ~he 17 increa~lng outp~t of the la~elin~ machine.
18 There has been no l~ck of att~mpts to solv~ the }9 problem. ~erman Patent 964 ~2~ fox exampl~ disclose~ a ~moo~hlng and pre~ing-down device th~ has a central ~1 compon~nt con~isting of a r~ en~ly supportod dle . acco~nodated in ~ gu~de ~nd an ann~lar outer component 23 con~sting o~ a spiral rin~ in an axially statlonaxy .
~ ret~iner tha~ sllows it ~o move only radi~lly. ~nce the 26 ¦ smoothing and pre~ing-down device drops onto th2 head o~
27 ¦ the bottle, the spiral ring roll~ alons th~ cir~umference of 28 I tha bottle towards its ~xi~ whil~ the die xetreat~. This 29 I presse~ the projecting a~d ~rapp~-d.point o~ the oll blank l agains~ ~he h~a~ o~ the bcttle and the side~ of the blank ¦ against the bot~le. Since the ~ross~seotion o~ the ~piral f 13 ! 3r~ r~ c8 ' ,P~IJNG H~JklY Kl~ 1ER g~ OODS P. 3 ~ 5L25~
. .' '1 1: .
2 rtng do~s not ~llow i~ to match the curve o~ ~he bottle

3 ~atisfactorilyr the bl~nk cannot be ~atis~actorily smoo~h~d, and wrinkleR in th~ vlclni~y o~ the bottle he~d, Furthermore, the foil i stressed to Ruch an extant b~ the 6 spiral ring a~ ~t t~vels a~ially over the bot~le that 7 damage to the oll must be tak~n in~o account.
8 AgBin r ~m~ri~an P~ten~ 2 297 72~ di~clo~es a 9 tulip-shAp~d smoothlng and pressing down device made out o~
a resllien~ material th~t appli~s ~he hlank in the vicinity ll of the head and n~ck o~ the bottle, When ~he xubber tulip 12 1~ not ~bjsct to stress~ its lnslde diameter i3 longer than 13 the diam~t~r o~ the head and neck of the bottle. When-the 14 head of the bottle enters the tulip ~tructure, the blank o foil is Rpplied ~o the head ~nd n~ck ~ the walls of the 16 structure ~tretch. The ~pplication of h~dxaulic pressure to 17 ~he ou~side of the tulip struct~xe is unavvidable in order 18 . to m~ke the radial force uni~orm enough to en~uxe 19 unexceptionable applisation of the blank to th~ bottle.
Att~pts to do wlthout it ~nd ko apply ~nd ~mooth the blank 21 through th~ expansion o~ the re~ilient ma~erial alone have 2~ not re~ulted in sa~isfactory ~pplication ~nd such ~ 801ut~ 0Il 24 has not turned out ~o be practical.
Again, smoothing ~nd pres~ing down ~he blank with 2~. a syq~em o~ bxu~hes entail~ the drawbacks that the bottle 26 ab~olutely mu~t be xota~ed, that smoothin~ and bru~hlng on 27 cannot be ~ontrolled, and that we~r i3 very hlgh.
28 SUM~RY OF THE INVENTION
29 _ ......... ~ ~. _ .
The object o~ ~he pre~ent invention i9 to p~ovlde a smoothing and pre~ing down device in labeling machlnes 25~

tha~ is intended for the point of a blank of foil wrapped around the neck and head of a bottle with the point projecting at the head, that will handle the blank of foil gently, that will apply it uniformly and smoothly to the head of bottle even in the vicinity of depressed zones of the head, and that will be distinguished for long life.
This object is attained in accordance with the invention in that the face of the sponge structure toward the head of the bottle has a recess that in the pressing-down position embraces at least the head of the bottle on all sides subject to slight tension.
The present invention provides in a device for a label-ing machine, for smoothing and pressing down a point of a blank of foil wrapped around neck and head portions of a bottle with a point projecting at the head portion, the device having a pot-like housing with a pressing down structure connected thereto and which housing is axially movable into a pressing down position wherein the pressing down structure acts on the bottle head portion, the improvement wherein the pressing down structure comprises a first axially compressible upper compon-ent and a second multi-layer elastic component disposed below the first component and separated from the first component, and further comprising means coactive with the second component to Eorm a recess in a face of the pressing-down structure toward the bottle that is configured to embrace at least the head portion of the bottle on all sides subject to slight ~25~:~L7~ `
tension on the head portion when the housing is in the pressing-down position wherein the multilayer elastic component consists of several separate flat pressing down disks.
The design in accordance with the invention results in an inexpensive smoothing and pressing-down device that will press down the blank of foil smoothly and uniformly in the vicini~y of the head and upper part of the neck, with the foil being handled ex~remely gently. It turns out that the blank will be applied satisfactorily and smoothly even in the depressed zones of the head and that the tension necessary to apply the blank smoothly will not displace it when the smooth-ing and pressing-down device is raised again.
The tension can of course be adjusted as desired to the particular size of the bottle and to the type of foil employed.
It has turned out to be practical for the recess to have a smooth surface and to be essentially cylindrical.
It is also practical for the inner edges of the depression that face the head of the bottle to be rounded off or beveled.

4a l~lRY i 3 ' ~5 ~ 4 SF'FJ~ 5 HORN KRf~11ER ~ OODS P . 5 I ~25~74 2 To make i~ pos~lble to adapt to giv~n oon~ition~
3 even more precisëly~ the recess ean ~e ~u~rounde~ by at

4 lea~t one inei~ion, preferably in the fo~m o~ ~n annula~
channel. The re~es~ and ~nnular ch~nnel ~ p~e~erably be 6 more or les~ equal in d~p~h, extendin~ into the ho~sing and 7 ~eyond it~ ~ace to about 1/3 of their dep~h and with ~bout 8 2/3 ex~ending outside o~ housing, 9 To prevent suctlon bet~een the ~eces~ and the head of the bottle when the smoothing and pre3qlng down device is ll raised, the x~e3s communicates with a relaxa~ion space lZ inside the ~ponge structure th~ough an air-e6~ape aperture.
13 In one embodim~nt of the ~nvention the sponge 14 ~tructure C0118i8tS of a~ l~a~ two horizon~ally sep~rate ~omponents t one an insert structure that rest~ again~t the 16 hou~ing and can be compre~sed axially ~nd the other a 17 multilayer pre~ ing-down structure tha~- contain~ the recess 18 embracin~ the head o:E the bo~tle. This embodiment pr~sse~
19 th~ poln~ o~ the blank down ~e~tex and re~ults in a ~0 longer-l~ved ~moothing and pres ing~down device~
2I ¦ T~le mul~ilaye~ pre~sing-dow~ struct~r~ consi~t~
22 ¦ pre~e~ably of ~everal ~ pressi~g-down disks, which can ~e 3 I statnp.e~ ou~ very economically.
24 ¦ . The pressing-down ~ s ~e in a practical way 25. ¦ mounted with axial an~ radial play in a retainer th~t ha~ ~n 2~ ¦ a~erture to admit the head of the bottle an~ ~n annular l pre3qure surface with ro~nded or beveled ~orward edges. Th~

29 ¦ diference be~ween the diamete~ of the pressure sur~ce and 30 I that of the head of t~e bottle i8 less than the thi~kne~s of l t e package of pressiog-down d sks. ~his makes i~ possib1e M~Y 1~ 5 09:Z4 sF'~Ul`lG HOF~N KR~i1ER ~ OODS ~5'~L~L7~q~ P 6 ¦ to prescrlbe the p~essure ~round the total head o~ the 3 ¦ bottle preclsely at a low pressur~ bulld-up and thuq ensure .
4 ¦ ~hat ~he blank or its poin~ will be pre~sed down

5 ¦ 3atisfact~rlly. The ~tacking o~ the.disk~ will in~rea~e the

6 ¦ area of pressure, esp~ci~lly ~oward the lower pa~ of the

7 ¦ bottl~ neok, without ~ lot o~ 8qu8ezing and ~ensi~rling in ~ ¦ the d~ks whlle allowin~ the ne~es~ary pre~re to be kept 9 I low.
This ~shavior can be impro~e~ aven more if the 11 re~ain~r ~nd a pressu~e plate that i~ part of an in~e~ in 12 the ln~ert stru~ture a~e made out Gf; or coated with a. .
~3 slippery ma~erial ~uch as polytetrAfluoroethylene.
14 Some pr~er~ed embodlments o~ the inven~ion wlll now be ~esori~ed with re~er~nce to the attached draw~ng~, whe~ein: .
1~ BRIEF DESC~IPTIC~N ~E TH~ YINGS
17 Figure 1 i~ a se~tional view of.~ne em~odiment of 18 a smoo~hing and pre~sing-down dev~ce in ~ccordance with the 19 inven~ion in ~he out-o~-actlon posi~i~n, .
Figure 2 i9 a ~ec~ional view of the device of Fig.
21 1 in the pres~ing-down po~ition, 2~ Figu~e 3 is a sectional view o~ another embodiment 23 in the out-o~-Action posl~ion, ànd 24 ~igure 4 is a sec~ional view of the devic~ of Fig.
~5. 3 ln the pres~ing-down position.
2fi DET~ILED D}~S~RIPTION OF THE PREFERRE~ EMBODI~ENTS
~? Smoot~hing and pressing-down device~ 1 of the type 2~ illustr~ted in FigUr~ 1 and 2 are po~itiorled ln the vicinity o~ ~he out-take ~tar, not illu~trated, of a labeling machine. ach ~rnoo~hin~ and pressing-~own device 1 1`1RY 1~ ' 85 0~: Z5 ~;PRUN~ HCJF~ KF~f~MER ~ ~`IOODS P . 7 i ~ 2S ~

2 ¦ can be moved up to a bot~le 3 th~t has been provided with a 3 ¦ blank 2 of ~oil in ordeY to 3mooth the bl~nk an~ a poin~
4 ¦ on the blank ~hat pro~ec~-s at the face o~ ~h~ bot~le head S ¦ and to press them down against the h~ad and upper part of .
6 ¦ the neck on all sides a wlll be explained later herein wi~h ¦ re~e~ence to Figure 2. .

8 ¦ Smoo~hing and pressing-down d~vice 1 ha~ a

9 ¦ pot-llke housing S that aacommodat.es a sponge structure ~.

10 ¦ Sponge stxucture ~ is ~asically ln the shape of a

11 ¦ . trunca~ed ~one and the face 7 toward the head of bottle 3

12 ¦ ha~ ~ central cyl~ndrical rece~s B. The edge~ 9 ~f .~he side

13 ¦ of reces3 8 towaxd ~ace 7 are ro.und~d or bevel~d. Sponge

14 I ~tructure 6 communicat:e~ in the vicinity or reces3 ~ wi~h a

15 ¦ relaxation space 12 throu~h an air-es~ape ape~ture 11.
1~ ¦ Re}axation spac~ 12 can be placed in communi~ation with ~n 17 ¦ air-es~ape ahannel, not illu~trated, in ho~sing 5. The ace 1~ ¦ 13 of ~ponge ~tructure ~ hat is remote from ~ace 7 haQ an 19 ¦ outside flange 14 tha~- engages a matching annula~ yroove lS
20 ¦ in hou~ing 5.
21 ¦ An annular channel 16 approxima~ely as deep ~g 2~ ¦ ~ece~s 8 iY posltioned $n ~pon~e ~tructure 6 in ~h~ vicin~ty 23 ~ of and a~ a ~e~ain distance ~rom the rec~. Both recess 8 24 ¦ a~d annular channel 1~ pen~tr~te in~o houslng 5 beyond its ~5. ¦ lower face 17 to about ~/3 of their depth, leaving ~bout 2/3 27 ¦ of their depth out~ide.
l The diameter of re~es~ 8 i5 long enough ~o 28 ¦ qenerate a alight tension wh~n smoothing and pre~sing-down I de~ic~ 1 c~ps a folled bot~le 3.

M~Y ;3 ;45 09:26 SPRU~iG HORN KRf~lEF~ ~ hlOODS P.8 I :L2~ 74 2 ¦ ~ The oper~tion of smoothlng and pressihg-down 3 ¦ device 1 wlll now be described.
4 ¦ When a bottle 3 enter~ the transfer tar of the 5 ¦ labeling machine with the point 4 o~ oil blank 2 s~nding ~ ¦ out upstrea~, ~moothing and pre~sin~ down devic~ 1 ~wings 7 ¦ ~orward to above the ~ottle~ with the. polnt belng wrapped 8 ¦ flat against ths face o the bottle i ne~essary by the 9 ¦ ~moo~hlng and prossing-do~n devic~ i~8el~. 5~oot~hing and .
10 ¦ p~es~ing-down device 1 con~inues movlng u~tll it~ axis 11 I coincides wl~h that of the bottle. With ~he ~ottl~ ~hus 12 I prepared, the dev~ce then drops down onto it. The Lecess 8 13 ¦ in ~pongs ~truc~ure 6 surround6 the head and uppe~ part of 1~ I the ne~k o~ ~he bottle while malntaining a certain amount of 15 ¦ ten~ion, pressing foil blank 2 along with it~ projec~ing

16 I point 4 uniformly and smoothly aqain6t the bottle as

17 ¦ illu~tr~ted in Figu~e 2. Th~ wa~l la hetween rece~s 8 ~nd

18 ¦ ~nnular channe} 16 adjust~ to ~he contour o~ the head a~d

19 ¦ upper.part of the neck. Sinc~ the inner sur ac~ o~ re~ess 8 .
2Q ¦ i5 very cmoothj it will not a fec~ or displac~ ~oil blank 2 21 ¦ as it mo~e~ up ~gain. This car~ul treat~ent of biank ~ and 22 ¦ of smoot~ing and pre~sin~-down device 1 i~&el result~ ln 24 ~ very long li~ for the latter.
. The spon~e ~tructur~ in the ~moothiny and 25. ¦ pr~ssing-down ~e~ice 20 illustrated in Figures 3 a~d 4 27 1 consi~ts of two horizol-tally separate component~; one an 2~ 1 ins~rt structure 23 that rest~ in an accommodation plece 22 ~gainst the houslng ~1 and the other, ~acing bottle 3, a ~ ¦ multil~yer pra~ing-down ~ructur~ 24 in the form o ~v~ral 30 1 . .
I flat pressing-down dislcs 25~ Accommodation piece 22, which ..
l . , .

~lhY 13 ~æs 0q Z7 SPRIJNG HORI`I KRRI~IER ~ OO~S P. ~
~25~4 . . ~ .

2 is fa~tened to a housing 21 by means o~ a screw 2~
3 conlcal and has at the end remo~e from housing 21 a r~tainar 4 27 that accept~ pre~sing-down d~sks 25 with axi~l and radlal S play. ~etainer 27 h~s an aperture 28 or the he~d o~ bottle 6 3 to pas3 thr~ugh and an annular pressure ~ux~a~ ~9 with rounded forward ed~es 31. Since the dl~ference hetween the 8 dlameter of the annular pr~s~Ure sur~ace 29 and that o~ the 9 head o~ ~he bottle i9 ~ than the thic~ne6s o~ ~he stack lC of presslng-down di6ks 25, à prescribed ~orce can, as will 11 . be described later here1n with reference to ~igure ~, be 12 exerted, qnsuxing ~p~imal ~pplication o~ point 4.
13 At the en~ of lnsert ~ru~ure Z3 tha~ face~
l~ presslng-down d~ks ~5 i8 aA insert 32 that has a pres~ure .
plate 33. ~etwee~ p~es~ure pla~e 33 and the preg~ing-down 16 disk ~5 that ~aces ~ t i~ a thin ~nd 41exible in-termediate .
17 shim 34 made out of a slippexy ~aterial ~uch a~
13 polytetra~luoroe~hylene. ~etainer ~7 and insert 32 wlth lts l~ pre sure plate 33 are also made out o~ a slippery m~erial ~0 ~uch.as pol~e~ra~luoroethylene. Accommodation pi~e 22 i~
~1 fl~xible enough to ensUre pressure. Accom~odatiun piece ~2 22 and housing 21 have air~e~cape ape~kur~-~ 35 and 36.
23 ¦ The operatiun of the smoothing and pres~in~down ~4 ¦ device illus~ra~ed in ~i~ures 3 and 4 will now be explained.
25. ¦ ~hen a bottl~ 3 ent~rs the t~ansfer ~ar o~ the ~6 ¦ labeIing m~chlne with the point 4 o~ foiL blank ~ standing l ou~ upstream, ~moothln~ and pre~sing-down devi~e 20 swings a~ ¦ forw~rd to above the bo~le, with ~he point b~in~ wr~pped 29 ~ t again~ the ~ace o~ the bottle i~ neces~ar~ by the ¦ smoothi~g and pre~lng-down device it~el~. Smoothing and , I

M~Y 13 '85 09: 2~ SF'RU~IG HORN KRl:i1ER ~ WOO~S z5,~7~ P. 10 I
. , ' ' .

2 ¦ pre~ing-~own ~evice 20 continues movin~ until it~ axls 3 ¦ colnaide~ with tha~ o~ the bottle. Wlth the bottle thu~
4 pr~pared, ~he device then drop~ down onto it. Spongy insert structure 23 is compressed and pre~sin~-down disks ~5 ~ brought into the posi~ion illustrated ln Figure 4, crea~in~
a rece~s or the he~d o~ the bo~-le and ensurin~
sa~isfactory applic~tlon o po~n~ ~ against it. Slnce ~he .
9 com~onents or surfaces that come into contac~ with pressing-down disks 25 are made ou~ of a slipp~ry materlal 11 suah as polytetra1u~roeth~1en~, f~iation and friction~l 12 heat will be very low a~d any heat will be carrled away 13 through alr~e~cape ape~ture~ 35 and 36~ The ~orce that 14 `re~tores pres~ing-down di~k~ 25 iB exerted though ins~rt 32 and pre~sure pIflte 33, with the empty ~xi~l and xadial qpa~e 16 between p~egg~ng-down disks 25 ~nd ~etainer 27 ensuring 17 satt~fa~torily rapid rel~xation of the dis~.
18 It is understood that the speci~ication and 19 exampl~s are illustrative but not limitati~e o~ the presen~
2n invention and that o~her embodimen~s within the spirit and .
21 scope o~ the :Lnven~ion.w~ll sugges~ th~mselve5 to ~hose 22 ~killed in th~ art. Thusi multilayer pressing-down .
2~ ~truc~re t~ does not have to con~is~ o~ individu~l flat 24 pres~ing-down dis~s 25 but can also ~ a composita wl~h a 25. thicker central spon~e plate and accordin~ly thicker cove~
26 disks of re~ilient and flexible plastic. Furthermore, 27 retainer 27 can of course be ~apidly ~eplaced to con~orm to 23 bo~tles of di~ferent dia~eters~
It will be ~pprecia~ed tha~ the instant speci~ica~ion and cl~ims~are set ~or~h by way vf . '..

MR'f i ~ ' 55 E~: 25 SPRUI`IG HORi`~ I<RRi1ER & IAIOODS P . 11 ~25~174 ' .'' '., , .

2 illu~tratlon and not li~nita~-ion, and ~hat various 3 modification~ and cAarlges may be. m~de witho~lt d~par~ing ~rom 5 ¦ t splrlt ard ~c~/pe o~ ¦he prese~t n~ention.

1~ ' 3 ~1 24 . ..

26 .

Claims (7)

Claims:

1. In a device for a labeling machine, for smoothing and pressing down a point of a blank of foil wrapped around neck and head portions of a bottle with a point projecting at the head portion, the device having a pot-like housing with a pressing down structure connected thereto and which housing is axially movable into a pressing down position wherein the pressing down structure acts on the bottle head portion, the improvement wherein the pressing down structure comprises a first axially compressible upper component and a second multi-layer elastic component disposed below the first component and separated from the first component, and further comprising means coactive with the second component to form a recess in a face of the pressing-down structure toward the bottle that is configured to embrace at least the head por-tion of the bottle on all sides subject to slight tension on the head portion when the housing is in the pressing-down position wherein the multilayer elastic component consists of several separate flat pressing down disks.

2. The device as in Claim 1, wherein the means forming the recess comprises means mounting the pressing-down disks with axial and radial play in a retainer that has an aperture to admit the head portion of the bottle and an annular pressure surface with one of rounded and beveled forward edges.

3. The device as in Claim 2 wherein the retainer is releasably fastened to the housing with a flexible piece.

4. The device as in Claim 3 wherein the first component comprises an insert with a pressure plate fastened to the first component and disposed between the first component and the pressing-down disks.

5. The device as in Claim 4, further comprising a thin and flexible intermediate shim made out of slippery material between the pressure plate on the insert and the pressing-down disk that faces the pressure plate.

6. The device as in Claim 5 r wherein the retainer and pressure plate are one of composed of and coated with a slippery material.

7. The device as in Claim 6, further comprising air-escape apertures in the housing.