EP1911678A1

EP1911678A1 - Container supporting pan in a carousel-type labeling machine

Info

Publication number: EP1911678A1
Application number: EP07016787A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mario Ballarotti
Original assignee: PE Labellers SpA
Current assignee: PE Labellers SpA
Priority date: 2006-10-13
Filing date: 2007-08-28
Publication date: 2008-04-16
Also published as: ITMN20060061A1

Abstract

A container supporting pan (2) in a carousel-type labeling machine, the pan being provided with a centering device which comprises a pin (7) which is associated with a rotor (5) which is arranged within a fixed structure (9) of the pan (2) and is pushed by elastic means (8) against the bottom of the container so as to drag the container (3) rotationally as a consequence of insertion in a notch provided in the bottom, characterized in that it comprises a ring (10) which is adapted to support the container and rotates with respect to the fixed structure (9) of the pan with the interposition of friction reduction means (12,13).

Description

The invention relates to a container supporting pan in a carousel-type labeling machine.
The structure of machines for labeling containers of all kinds that comprises a rotating carousel provided with pans, each designed to support a container which is conveyed to the pan by an input star conveyor and is kept in position by an overlying pusher, is known; during the rotation of the carousel, the container comes into contact with one or more assemblies which apply labels, and is finally evacuated by means of an output star conveyor.
Some types of containers have a surface which is contoured so as to require the application of one or more labels in a very specific position, and accordingly each container must be arranged, at the beginning of the labeling operation, so that it rests on the corresponding pan with a very specific orientation; the operation which moves a container from the random orientation that it has on the pan when it is introduced thereon by the input star conveyor to the very specific orientation required for correct labeling is known as centering.
A centering device disclosed in a patent in the name of the Applicant comprises a pin which is associated with a rotor which is arranged within the fixed structure of the pan and is pushed by elastic means against the bottom of the container, so as to drag such container rotationally as a consequence of insertion in a reference notch provided in such bottom.
The device has proved to have excellent characteristics, but continuing study has allowed to provide a pan which has a centering device of the described type which is particularly functional, and it is indeed the aim of the present invention to protect such pan.
This aim is achieved by a container supporting pan in a carousel-type labeling machine, according to the invention, said pan being provided with a centering device which comprises a pin which is associated with a rotor which is arranged within a fixed structure of the pan and is pushed by elastic means against the bottom of the container so as to drag said container rotationally as a consequence of insertion in a reference notch provided in said bottom, characterized in that it comprises a ring which is adapted to support the container and rotates with respect to the fixed structure of the pan with the interposition of friction reduction means.
Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the upper portion of the pan according to the invention, taken along a diametrical plane;
Figure 2 is a view of a portion of the carousel of a labeling machine which comprises the pan according to the invention.

With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 designates a plane of a carousel of a labeling machine, and the reference numeral 2 generally designates a pan of said carousel, which is adapted to support a container 3, which is kept in position by a pusher 4.
The pan 2 is provided with a centering device, which comprises a rotor 5, which is turned by an electric motor 6 by means of a toothed belt 6a, which acts on a wheel 5a, which is keyed to the rotor, and is provided with a pin 7, which is pushed by a spring 8 against the bottom of the container 3; from the moment when the pin 7 enters a reference notch provided in the bottom of the container, such container is turned until the selected position is reached.
The pan 2 comprises a fixed structure 9, which is completed in an upward region by a fixed ring 10, and the reference numeral 11 further designates a ring which is adapted to support the container 3, which rotates with respect to the fixed ring 10 with the interposition of friction reduction means such as rolling bearings 12 and 13, which are supported by said ring with the cooperation of a cover 10a which is fixed thereto.
In this manner, the rotary motion of the container 3 induced by the pin 7 inserted in the reference notch that is present in the bottom of the container is facilitated to the maximum possible extent.
The described invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims: thus, for example, the plurality of rolling bearings interposed between the rotating ring and the fixed structure of the pan can be replaced with a sliding bearing.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MN2006A000061 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A container supporting pan (2) in a carousel-type labeling machine, said pan being provided with a centering device which comprises a pin (7) which is associated with a rotor (5) which is arranged within a fixed structure (9) of the pan (2) and is pushed by elastic means (8) against the bottom of the container (3) so as to drag said container rotationally as a consequence of insertion in a reference notch provided in said bottom, characterized in that it comprises a ring (10) which is adapted to support the container (3) and rotates with respect to the fixed structure (9) of the pan (2) with the interposition of friction reduction means (12,13).
The pan according to claim 1, characterized in that the ring (10) adapted to support the container (3) rotates with respect to the fixed structure (9) of the pan (2) with the interposition of a plurality of rolling bearings (12,13).
The pan according to claim 1, characterized in that the ring (10) adapted to support the container (3) rotates with respect to the fixed structure (9) of the pan with the interposition of a sliding bearing.