EP0156403A1 - A label grasping and transferring device in a labelling machine for bottles and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

The bottle labelling machine has a rotary assy., with two curved plates (6, 7), rotating in bearings (9) on a counterweighted, eccentric crank (11). The assembly is placed between an adhesive supply roller (2) a label magazine (1) and an applicator wheel (3). Lobed cam (15) moves with the crank and engages with a series of pulley (14), fixed to the rotary assembly. The number of cam lobes exceeds the number of pulleys by 50% and both numbers related to the number of plates. Anticlockwise rotation of a drive (10) will cause clockwise rotation of the plates at half the drive speed.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for picking up and transferring labels from a magazine to an applicator drum in labeling machines having a fixed label magazine, intended for labeling bottles and the like.

In traditional labeling machines, the label magazine was made to oscillate synchronously with the rotation of an applicator drum, so as to transfer to it, one at a time, the labels contained in the magazine. However, the fact that the label store, which has a considerable mass, had to oscillate, prevented high labeling speeds from being achieved. To improve this situation, devices have been proposed for transferring the labels, one at a time, from the (stationary) magazine to the applicator drum, by means of a number of pallets mounted peripherally on a turntable and controlled by means of cams. to perform a complex movement of licking a gluing roller, affixing it against the first label of the magazine and, successively, transferring the latter to the applicator drum. However, even with known devices of this type there are limitations on the operating speed, because of the inertial forces due to the complexity of the movement of the pallets, and also because of the fact that the pallets are mounted peripherally on the turntable and, consequently, they follow a trajectory of large radius and are subjected to a high centrifugal force which, from a certain speed, causes the transported labels to come off. Even within the achievable speed limits, these devices give rise to vibrations and noises and they have a reduced useful life due to the overloads applied to the components.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device intended to be incorporated in a labeling machine for taking away One at a time the labels of a fixed store, covering them with glue, and to transfer them to a rotating applicator drum, in LequeL The moving elements perform relatively simple movements, without strong accelerations and along trajectories having a reduced radius, so as to minimize the inertial forces and the centrifugal force, as well as vibration and noise, and, therefore, to allow higher operating speeds.

This object is achieved, according to the invention, by the fact that the device comprises a single transfer member, formed by at least two curved plates, integral with one another and uniformly spaced, having their generatrices parallel to the frontal plane. the label magazine, said transfer member being located in a place between the stationary magazine, the rotating applicator drum and a rotating gluing roller; that said transfer member is mounted freely rotating on a crank support rotating about an axis parallel to said generatrices, and it is integral in rotation with a ring of rollers which engage a fixed cam with concave lobes, the number of lobes of which is greater than the number of said rollers, the maximum radius of said cam being equal to the outside radius of the ring of rollers plus the eccentricity of said crank; and that the distances between the cited elements, the rotational speeds of the latter and the profile of the cam are predisposed in such a way that each plate of the transfer member, in a first phase of its movement, moves substantially without sliding in contact with the gluing roller, covering itself with glue; afterwards, in a second phase, it is applied by one end against the first label of the magazine and then it rolls on this label, substantially without slipping, by adhering to it and taking it from the magazine; and finally, in a third phase, it is applied by one end against the applicator drum and then it rolls on the latter, substantially without slipping, yielding to it the transported label.

During the rotation of the crank support, the ring of rollers integral in rotation with the transfer member engages the lobes of the fixed cam, the number of which is greater than the number of rollers; consequently, the transfer member turns on itself in the direction opposite to the rotation of its support, with a periodically variable angular speed which depends on the profile of the concave lobes of the cam. The composition of the rotation of the transfer member and that, opposite, of its crank support, allows to obtain instants of steady state of the generators of the curved plates of the transfer member, when they are in contact with the label to be extracted, and instants of identification between the tangential speed of these generators and that of the applicator drum and the gluing roller, respectively, when the generators of the plates are in contact with said members. This allows correct operation of the device to be obtained with very limited deviations from the uniformity in the rotation of the transfer member, and therefore with very reduced accelerations. On the other hand, the distance between the curved plates forming the transfer member can be chosen very small, and, therefore, also the centrifugal force which tends to detach the label of the transfer member is very limited; all of these conditions make it possible to achieve high operating speeds, without overloading the components or producing vibrations and noises.

Preferably, in a device provided with a transfer member having a number p of curved plates and a crown of n rollers, the concave lobes of the fixed cam are established in a number N such that N = n (1 + 1 / p). Thus, for each complete turn of the crank support The transfer member performs, in the opposite direction, a fraction of a turn corresponding to the number of plates which form the transfer member, and then it returns to a position identical to the position initial, but with its plates exchanged between them. This simplifies the transmission relationships between the various rotating components of the machine.

Preferably, said curved plates of the transfer member are two in number, they are opposite to each other, and said cam with concave lobes has a number of lobes equal to 1.5 times the number of rollers of the ring of rollers. This gives particular constructive simplicity and minimization of the dimensions of the device.

• La figure 1 montre, à une échelle réduite, une section faite à travers Le dispositif de transfert des étiquettes lelong d'un plan passant par Les axes de rotation de L'organe de transfert ed de son support à manivelle;
• La figure 2 montre un schéma du dispositif vu selon La direction desdits axes;
• les figures 3 et 4 montrent à une échelle encore plus réduite le schéma des moyens de transmission du mouvement entre Les différents éléments du dispositif;
• La figure 5 montre le profit de La came fixe à lobes concaves;
• la figure 6 montre L'organe de transfert avec sa couronne de rouleaux destinés à engager la came selon La figure 5;
• les figures 7 à 10 montrent à une échelle encore plus réduite La configuration du dispositif en quatre phases successives de son fonctionnement.

These characteristics and others, and the advantages of the object of the invention, will emerge more clearly from the following description of an embodiment, given by way of nonlimiting example, represented in the drawings, in LesqueLs:

• Figure 1 shows, on a reduced scale, a section made through the label transfer device along a plane passing through the axes of rotation of the transfer member ed from its crank support;
• Figure 2 shows a diagram of the device seen along the direction of said axes;
• Figures 3 and 4 show on an even smaller scale the diagram of the means for transmitting movement between the different elements of the device;
• FIG. 5 shows the advantage of the fixed cam with concave lobes;
• FIG. 6 shows the transfer member with its ring of rollers intended to engage the cam according to FIG. 5;
• Figures 7 to 10 show on an even smaller scale The configuration of the device in four successive phases of its operation.

Referring to FIG. 2, of the labeling machine for which the label transfer device is intended, only the magazine 1 for the labels has been indicated, fixed to the structure of the machine, an adhesive roller 2 and an applicator drum 3 peripherally. provided with buffers 4 and clamps 5 for retaining labels and for applying them to bottles B which are advanced, for example, on a rotating conveyor. These elements of the labeling machine are not shown or described in more detail, because they are well known. and that they do not need to be modified for the application of the invention. The transfer device according to the invention is arranged in the place situated between the magazine 1, the gluing roller 2 and the applicator drum 3.

The transfer device comprises, in the embodiment shown, two plates 6, 7, integral with one another by means of a bridge 8 and mounted on a shaft 9. The plates 6 and 7 are opposite the the other, they are curved with their convexity facing outwards, and their generatrices, as well as the axis of the shaft 9, are parallel to the front plane of the label magazine. In practice, in most applications, said front plane of the store (to which plane corresponds the first label contained in the store) is vertical, said generatrices and said axis are also vertical.

The shaft 9 is eccentrically supported, with a crank, by a support shaft 10. Constructively, as illustrated in FIG. 2, The shaft 10 can carry a circular plate 11, in an eccentric bearing 12 from which is supported, freely rotating , the shaft 9 which carries the plates 6 and 7. The lower end of the shaft 9 carries a disc 13 on which are mounted in the form of a ring idler rollers 14, which in this case are eight in number. The relative arrangement of these elements is particularly apparent from FIG. 6. The rollers 14 engage the concave lobes of a cam 15 fixedly mounted on the structure S of the labeling machine, in which structure is pivoted the support shaft 10. The configuration of the cam 15 with concave lobes is particularly apparent from FIG. 5. For correct cooperation of the cam 15 with the ring of rollers 14, this cam unwinds in a substantially concentric manner with respect to the shaft 10 and its radius outside is equal to the sum of the outside radius of the ring of rollers 14 and the eccentricity of the shaft 9 relative to the support shaft 10. The number of concave lobes of the cam 15 must be greater than the number of rollers 14 forming a crown; In the embodiment shown, Cam 15 has twelve lobes.

The support shaft 10 is connected to the actuation mechanisms of the labeling machine. In particular, in a possible embodiment, illustrated by FIGS. 3 and 4, a toothed wheel wedged on the shaft 10 is connected, by means of toothed wheels 17 and 18, to a toothed ring 19 secured to the rotating conveyor which carries The bottles 8 to be labeled; in addition, another toothed wheel 20 wedged on the shaft 10 is connected, by a toothed wheel 21, to a toothed wheel 22 secured to the color roller 2, and it is also connected, by a toothed wheel 23, to a toothed wheel 24 integral with the applicator drum 3. Of course, the choice of appropriate ratios between the various toothed wheels mentioned makes it possible to produce the most appropriate ratios between the angular speeds of the various components.

Advantageously, the circular plate 11 and the ancillary elements are arranged so as to balance the eccentric assembly of the transfer member, thus ensuring regular rotation. In addition, the plate 11 is advantageously arranged so as to be able to receive additional counterweight elements, such as Element 25, for the development of balancing. All of the elements described are disposed between the structure S of the machine and the circular plate 11, and a perimeter wall 26 encloses and protects this assembly.

The device operates in the following manner. As a result of the rotation of the crank support shaft 10, the ring of rollers 14 is made to orbit around the axis of the shaft 10, while the rollers 14 are engaged in the concave lobes of the cam 15. Since the number of these lobes is greater than the number of rollers, it follows that the crown of rollers 14, and with it the shaft 9, receive a retrograde rotation relative to the rotation of the shaft 10. More precisely, the crown of rollers performs, for each complete revolution of the shaft 10, a fraction of retrograde revolution equal to (Nn) / n, if n is the number of rollers of the crown and N is the number of the lobes of the cam. In particular, with the arrangements illustrated, the ring of rollers makes a half turn back for each turn in before the shaft 10. This means that at each complete revolution of the shaft 10 The device again takes up the initial configuration, but with the two plates 6 and 7 exchanged between them. More generally, if the transfer member is constituted by p plates, the same condition can be obtained provided that the number N of the lobes of the cam 15 is N = n (1 + i / p), i being a whole number and preferably equal to 1. It is advantageous that the mentioned condition is met, because it makes it possible to adopt simple transmission ratios between the moving components of the machine.

The retrograde rotation of the shaft 9 does not take place with an exactly uniform angular speed; this speed is determined by the profile of the concave lobes of the cam 15 and it can be chosen by a different value for the different parts of the displacement of the shaft 9, in order to obtain the most favorable operating conditions, as will explain it further. However, the deviations of the angular speed of the shaft 9 from a uniform value are still very small.

Starting, for example, from the position illustrated in FIG. 2, in which the curved plate 7 is in contact with the applicator drum 3, and by applying to the shaft 10 a rotation in a direction opposite to that of the needles d 'a watch, the shaft 9 orbits in said direction, while pivoting on itself in the direction of clockwise. Consequently, the curved plate 7 moves in contact with the applicator drum 3 for its entire extension, and then it leaves the latter while being said towards the glue roller 2, which it licks while covering itself with glue. The centered position of the plate 7 relative to the gluing roller 2 is shown in Figure 7, and it turns out after a rotation of about 2/3 of a turn of the shaft 10 from the position shown in the figure 2. The successive position, in which the plate 7 is leaving the gluing roller 2, is shown in Figure 8, and it is achieved by a rotation of about 1/6 of a turn from the position 7 illustrated in FIG. 7. Next, the curved plate goes towards the store 1 and is applied by its own front end against an edge of the first label contained in the store; this position is represented in FIG. 9 and it is obtained by a rotation of approximately 1/3 of a turn from the position illustrated in FIG. 8. Successively, the curved plate 7 rolls against the front face of the magazine 1; The centered position of the plate 7 relative to the magazine is shown in Figure 10 and it turns out after a rotation of about 1/6 of a turn from the position shown in Figure 9. Since the surface of the plate 7 is covered with glue, the first label 0 of the store adheres to the plate 7 and, when leaving the store, it follows the plate 7 which moves away therefrom. The successive positions assumed by the plate 7 can be observed in Figures 7 and 8, in which they are shown for the other plate 6; indeed, the device now assumes the same previous configurations, but with its two plates exchanged between them. Consequently, the plate 7 moves from the magazine 1 to the applicator drum 3 (position 7 ′ in FIG. 7: approximately 1/3 of a turn beyond the position illustrated in FIG. 10) and it comes into contact with the applicator drum (position 7 'in Figure 8; approximately 1/6 of a turn beyond the position illustrated in Figure 7). At this time, in a known manner, the clamp 5 of the applicator drum 3 closes, by gripping the label 0 transported by the curved plate, and, by defeating the adhesion of the glue, it detaches the label from The curved plate and carries it with you to a bottle B to which the label will be applied after the opening of the clamp 5, in a known manner. By a subsequent rotation of about 1/6 of a turn beyond the position 7 'illustrated in FIG. 8, the device thus resumed the configuration shown in FIG. 2, after two complete turns of the support shaft 10 We therefore see that each plate 6, 7 carries a label every two turns of the shaft 10, that is to say that, since the plates 6 and 7 are in number of two, we have the transport of a label for each turn of the tree 10.

For optimal operation, the rolling of the curved plates 6, 7 against the first label contained in the magazine 1 and against the rotating surfaces of the gluing roller 2 and the applicator drum 3 must take place at least approximately without slipping; this condition can be obtained, or approached within the desired limits, by appropriately choosing the distances between the different components, the curvature of the plates 6, 7, the transmission ratios and the profile of the lobes of the cam 15. In in addition, by the appropriate design of the cam, it is also possible to have always at least two rollers 14 in contact with the cam 15, and therefore that the angular position of the transfer member is defined kinematically substantially without any play. The operation then becomes desmodromic. Finally, a correct design of the cam makes it possible to avoid any sudden acceleration or variation of acceleration of the transfer member, thus ensuring operation without overloads, vibrations and noises, even at very high speeds.

Since the two (or more) plates of the transfer member are integral with each other and that they do not interfere reciprocally, the distance between said plates can be chosen to be quite small, thereby obtaining a very compact transfer member . This implies, on the one hand, that the centrifugal forces are reduced to a minimum value and, on the other hand, that a general reduction is made in the dimensions of the labeling machine.

The maximum of constructive simplicity can be obtained by adopting for the transfer member only two plates, as in the example shown, however, as already stated previously, it is also possible to use three or more plates, thus allowing a slower rotation of the crank support shaft, for an equal number of labels transported in the unit of time.

Claims (8)

1. Device for picking up and transferring labels from a magazine (1) to an applicator drum (3), in a labeling machine with magazine (1) for fixed labels, for bottles (B) and the like, characterized in that that the device comprises a single transfer member (6-8), formed by at least two curved plates (6,7), integral with one another and uniformly spaced, having their generatrices parallel to the front plane of the store ( 1) labels, said transfer member (6-8) being located in a location between the stationary magazine (1), the rotating applicator drum (3) and a rotating color roller (2); that said transfer member (6-8) is mounted freely rotating on a crank support (9) rotating about an axis (10) parallel to said generatrices, and it is integral in rotation with a ring of rollers (14) which engage a fixed cam (15) with concave lobes, the number of lobes of which is greater than the number of said rollers (14), the maximum radius of said cam (15) being equal to the outside radius of the ring of rollers (14) plus L 'eccentricity of said crank (9); and that the distances between the cited elements (6,7; 1,2,3), the rotational speeds of the latter and the profile oe the cam (15) are predisposed so that click plate (6,7) the transfer member (6-8), in a first phase of its movement, moves substantially without sliding in contact with the gluing roller (2), covering itself with glue; afterwards, in a second phase, it is applied by one end against the first label of the magazine (1) and then it rolls on this label, substantially without slipping, by adhering to it and by carrying it from the magazine (1); and finally, in, a third phase, it is applied by one end against the applicator drum (3) and then it rolls on the latter, substantially without slipping, yielding to it The label (0) transported. 2. Device according to claim 1, having a transfer member (6-8) provided with a number p of curved plates (6,7) and a crown of n rollers (14), characterized in that the concave lobes of the fixed cam (15) are established in a number N satisfying the condition N = n (1 + i / p), i being an integer. 3. Device according to claim 1, having a transfer member (6-8) provided with a number p of curved plates (6,7) and a crown of n rollers (14), characterized in that the concave lobes of the fixed cam (15) are established in a number N satisfying the condition N = n (1 + 1 / p). 4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said curved plates (6,7) of the transfer member (6-8) are in number of two, opposite one another. 5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said curved plates (6,7) of the transfer member (6-8) are in number of two, opposite one another, and said cam (15) with concave lobes has a number of lobes equal to 1.5 times the number of rollers (14) of the roller crown. 6. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said crank support is formed by a shaft (10) pivoted in the structure (S) of the labeling machine and carrying a substantially circular plate (11) having an eccentric bearing (12) in which the shaft (9) of the transfer member (6-8) is pivoted. 7. Device according to Claim 6, characterized in that the said plate (11) of the crank support and / or of the elements connected to this plate are arranged to balance the whole of the transfer member (6-8) and its shaft (9). 8. Device according to Claim 7, characterized in that the said plate (11) of the crank support is arranged to receive additional counterweight elements (25) for adjusting the balance.

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