EP2658782B1

EP2658782B1 - Labelling group

Info

Publication number: EP2658782B1
Application number: EP10812818.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: James Carmichael
Original assignee: Sidel SpA
Current assignee: Sidel SpA
Priority date: 2010-12-30
Filing date: 2010-12-30
Publication date: 2014-12-17
Anticipated expiration: 2030-12-30
Also published as: WO2012090233A8; EP2658782A1; WO2012090233A1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a labelling group according to the preamble of claim 1.

BACKGROUND ART

Labelling machines are known which substantially comprise a carousel for conveying articles to be labelled, e.g. containers filled with a pourable food product, and at least one labelling group for applying labels to relative containers advanced by the conveyor.
The above-indicated labelling machines are generally known as roll-fed labelling machines.
In detail, each labelling group substantially comprises:

a shaft for rotatably supporting a reel off which a strip of labels is unwound and fed along a feed path;
a plurality of unwinding rollers for unwinding the backing web along a rectilinear feed path;
a cutter for cutting a sequence of single labels from the strip;
a transfer drum for advancing each label which has been previously cut; and
a gluing drum for applying glue onto the each previously cut label.

In particular, cut labels are retained on the transfer drum by means of vacuum applied thereon.
Finally, labels which have been cut and covered with glue are transferred to and applied onto the relative containers.
Furthermore, the labelling group comprises:

a first support structure for supporting the cutter and/or the unwinding rollers; and
a second support structure for supporting the gluing drum.

First and second support structure are firmly connected to one another and extend along the same direction.
In this way, the labelling group substantially extend along an unique direction.
The above-identified known solution of labelling group is also known as "linear" labelling group.
Even though "linear" labelling groups are successfully used, they leave room for improvement.
In particular, a need is felt to reduce the room occupied by the labelling group especially at the outer circumference of the carousel.
Furthermore, a need is felt to render the gluing drum and the cutter as accessible as possible in order to render as easy as possible their cleaning and maintenance.
This need is especially felt in respect of the area of the labelling group which are closer to the outer circumference of the carousel.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

DE-U-202005002793 discloses a labelling group, according to the preamble of claim 1.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a labeling group which meets the above-identified requirement.
The aforementioned object is achieved by the present invention as it relates to a labelling group as claimed in claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRPITION OF THE DRAWINGS

One preferred embodiment is hereinafter disclosed for a better understanding of the present invention, by way of non-limitative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a labelling machine which comprises a plurality of labelling groups according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a top view of one of the labelling group of Figure 1 in a first configuration;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of labelling group of Figure 2, with parts removed for clarity;
Figure 4 is a top view of the labelling group of Figures 2 and 3 in a second configuration, with parts removed for clarity; and
Figure 5 is a section of the labelling group of Figures 2 along line V-V.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Number 1 in Figure 1 indicates as a whole a labelling machine for applying labels 2 to respective articles, containers for pourable food product in the embodiment shown.
More precisely, labelling machine 1 substantially comprises:

a carousel 4 which rotates about an axis A, vertical in the embodiment shown;
a plurality of labelling groups 5, three in the embodiment shown, which apply, in use, a relative label 2 onto containers conveyed by carousel 4 at respective affixing stations 6.

In detail, carousel 4 receives containers to be labelled at an inlet station 7, conveys containers 3 along an arc-shaped path P having centre on axis A, and outputs labelled containers at an output station 8.
Carousel 4 comprises, at its outer periphery, a circumferential rail 9.
Labelling groups 5 are angularly spaced relative to axis A.
Being understood that all labelling groups 5 are identical, only one labelling group 5 will be described hereinafter.
Labelling group 5 comprises (Figures 1 to 5):

a shaft for rotatably supporting a reel 10a off which a backing strip 10b bearing labels 2 is unwound and fed along a feed path Q towards relative affixing station 6;
a plurality of unwinding rollers 10c for unwinding backing strip 10b along rectilinear feed path Q;
a cutting device 11 interposed along path Q downstream from unwinding rollers 10c and adapted to separate such a cut label 2 from strip 10b (Figures 2 to 4); and
a gluing roll 12 which is covered of glue, is arranged downstream from cutting device 11 along path Q, and applies glue onto each cut label 2.

Furthermore, labelling group 5 comprises a transfer mechanism 13 rotating about an axis B for advancing, one after the other, each cut label 2 from cutting device 11 towards gluing roll 12 (Figures 2 to 4).
In detail, transfer mechanism 13 comprises a drum 14 (shown only in Figure 2), which retains cut label 2 by means of vacuum applied onto such a cut label 2.
Axis B is parallel to axis A and vertical in the embodiment shown.
Labelling group 5 also comprises:

a support structure 15 for rotatably supporting the shaft (Figure 1) and roll 10a;
a support structure 16 for supporting unwinding rollers 10c and cutting device 11, and which extends along a direction F which is orthogonal to axis B; and
a support structure 17 for supporting gluing roll 12 and which extends along a direction G orthogonal to axis B.

According to the present invention, labelling group 5 may be selectively arranged between:

a first configuration in which support structure 16 is fixed to support structure 17; or in
a second configuration in which at least one of said support structure 16, 17 may rotate relative to the other one of support structures 16, 17.

More precisely, with reference to the second configuration of labelling group 5, support structures 16, 17 are articulated relative to each other about axis B.
Furthermore, when labelling group 5 is in the second configuration, both directions F, G of support structures 16, 17 may be arranged in a position in which they define a non-zero angle with a direction H which is orthogonal to and incident to axes A, B.
In particular, when labelling group 5 is in the second configuration, angle α between directions F, G of support structures 16, 17 may be varied from 0 (as shown in Figure 2 and 3) to 90 degrees.
Preferably, angle α between support structures 16, 17 may be varied from 0 (as shown in Figure 2 and 3) to 80 degrees.
In detail, support structure 16 comprises:

a main body 19 to which cutting device 11 and unwinding rollers 10c are fitted; and
a pair of end arms 20a, 20b parallel to one another and protruding from body 19 towards drum 14.

Support structure 17 comprises:

a main body 21 to which gluing roll 12 is rotatably fitted; and
a pair of end arms 22a, 22b parallel to one another and protruding from body 21 towards drum 14.

Arms 20a, 22a and 20b, 22b are articulated to each other about axis B.
In greater detail, as shown in Figure 5, transfer mechanism 13 comprises a motor 25 for driving in rotation drum 14 about axis B.
More precisely, motor 25 comprises:

a housing 26 stationary about axis B;
a tubular body 27 which is driven in rotation about axis B; and
a shaft 28 which is driven in rotation by body 27 about axis B and drives in rotation drum 14 about axis B.

In detail, shaft 28 has a top end 29 to which drum 14 is fitted to and a bottom end 30 which is connected, through a collar 31, to body 27.
Housing 26 comprises:

an annular hollow body 32 which houses body 27 and a bottom portion 33 of shaft 28;
a tubular element 35 which houses a top portion 34 of shaft 28;
a flange 36 which surrounds a bottom portion of tubular element 35 and is connected to a top end of body 32;
a flange 37 which surrounds a top portion of tubular element 35 and is arranged above flange 36;
a collar 39a arranged above tubular element 35 and connected to tubular element 35; and
a ring 39b from which end 29 axially protrudes and which is fixed to a top end of flange 37.

Motor 25 also comprises:

a pair of bearings 38a radially interposed between a radially outer surface of tubular body 27 and a shoulder defined by a radially inner surface of body 32; and
a bearing 38b radially interposed between top portion 34 of shaft 28 and radial inner surfaces of collar 39a and of a shoulder defined by top end of tubular element 35.

Tubular element 35 substantially comprises:

a main body 40, the radially outer surface of which cooperates with the radially inner surface of flanges 36, 37;
an axial bottom end 41 having a smaller diameter than body 40 and screwed to a nut 42; and
an axial top end 43 radially larger than body 40 and abutting against a shoulder 44 of flange 37.

Flange 36 comprises:

a top cylindrical body 60 fitted to tubular element 35, and defining a top end 61 of flange 36 and a shoulder 62, axially opposite to end 61, which axially cooperates with nut 42;
a radially enlarged bottom portion 65 downwardly protruding from body 60 and which defines a a shoulder 66 and a bottom end 67 of flange 36 axially opposite to one another.

In detail, portion 65 is radially detached from tubular element 35.
Shoulder 62 is axially interposed between shoulder 66 and end 67.
Flange 37 comprises:

a top body 51 which defines shoulder 44 and a top end 52 of flange 37; and
a radially enlarged bottom portion 55 which defines a bottom end 56, axially opposite to end 52, of flange 37.

End 56 of flange 37 axially faces end 61 of flange 36.
Flange 36 and 37 are axially disconnected to one another.
Portion 55 also defines a shoulder 53 which is axially interposed between shoulder 44 and end 56.
Arms 20a, 22a comprise, on the opposite side respectively of cutting device 11 and gluing roll 12, relative ends which surround flange 37.
In detail, arm 22a is axially interposed between shoulder 53 of flange 37 and arm 20a.
Preferably, a first ring of anti-wear material is axially interposed between shoulder 53 and arm 22a, and a second ring of anti-wear material is axially interposed between arms 22a, 20a.
Arms 20b, 22b comprise, on the opposite side respectively of cutting device 11 and gluing roll 12, relative ends which surround flange 36.
In detail, arm 22b is axially interposed between shoulder 66 of flange 36 and arm 20b.
Preferably, a third ring of anti-wear material is axially interposed between shoulder 66 and arm 22b and a fourth ring is axially interposed between arms 20b, 22b.
By more or less screwing nut 42 onto end 41 of tubular element 35, flange 36 is respectively more or less axially thrust towards flange 37.
When nut 42 is completely screwed onto end 41, labelling group 5 is in the first configuration.
As a matter of fact, flanges 36, 37 are clamped to each other with a first value of axial force between nut 42 and top end 43 of tubular element 35.
Accordingly, arms 20b, 22b are pressed with the first value of axial force between shoulder 66 and flange 36, so that they are prevented from rotating about axis B relative to each other.
As a result, support structures 16, 17 are prevented from rotating about axis B relative to each other.
When nut 42 is partially unscrewed from end 41, labelling group 5 is in the second configuration.
As a matter of fact, flanges 36, 37 are clamped with a second value, less than the first value, of axial force between nut 42 and top end 43 of tubular element 35.
Accordingly, arm 20b is axially detached by flange 37 and may rotate about axis B relative to arm 22b and over second ring of anti-wear material. Furthermore, arm 20b rotates about axis B integrally with arm 20a and support structure 16.
In the same way, arm 22b is no longer axially pressed against arm 20b and may rotate about axis B relative to flange 36 and over first ring of anti-wear material.
Furthermore, arm 22b rotates about axis B integrally with arm 22 and support structure 17.
In use, carousel 4 is fed with containers to be labelled at inlet station 7 and rotates about axis A so as to convey containers to be labelled along path P.
In the same time, labelling groups 5 are arranged in relative first configuration.
In the following of the present description, reference is made to only one labelling group 5.
In detail, support structures 16, 17 are arranged in a fixed position relative to each other. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, directions F, G of support structures 16, 17 form a desired non-zero angle α as labelling group 5 is operated.
More precisely, nut 42 is screwed onto end 41 of tubular element 35, so that flange 36 is axially clamped between nut 42 and flange 37 with the first value of axial force.
As a result, arms 20b, 22b are pressed with the first value of axial force between shoulder 66 and flange 37.
Accordingly, arms 20b, 22b of respective support structures 16, 17 are prevented from rotating relative to one another about axis B.
During the operation of labelling group 5, strip 10b is unwound off reel 10a and fed along path Q by unwinding rollers 10c.
Afterwards, cutting device 11 cuts label 2 to the desired length.
Transfer drum 14 rotates about axis B so as to transfer, one after the other, cut label 2 from cutting device 11 to gluing roll 12.
Downstream from gluing roll 12, glued label 2 is transferred to the affixing station 6 where it is applied to a relative container 3.
As each label 2 is separated from strip 10b, covered with glue and transferred towards affixing station 6.
Finally, carousel 4 outputs labelled containers at output station 8.
In case that angle α between support structures 16, 17 needs to be varied either to reduce the overall space occupied by labelling groups radial to axis A or to render gluing roll 12 and/or cutting element 11 and/or unwinding rollers 10c as accessible as possible for cleaning and/or maintenance reasons, labelling group 5 is moved into a second configuration.
In detail, nut 42 is partially unscrewed from end 41.
In this way, flange 36 is pressed clamped between nut 42 and flange 37 with the second value of axial force, which is lower than the first value.
Arm 20b is therefore axially detached by flange 37 and may be rotated together with support structure 16 about axis B relative to flange 36. More precisely, arm 20b rotates about axis B over the second ring of anti-wear material.
As a result, also arm 20a and the whole support structure 16 rotate about axis B relative to support structure 17.
In a completely analogous way, arm 22b is no longer axially pressed against arm 20b and may be rotated about axis B relative to flange 36 together with support structure 17. More precisely, arm 22b rotates about axis B over the first ring of anti-wear material.
As a result, also arm 22a and the whole support structure 17 rotate about axis B relative to support structure 16.
Accordingly, when labelling group 5 is in the second configuration, support structures 16, 17 may be rotated relative to each other about axis B and may rotate each about flange 36.
Once that angle α between support structures 16, 17 has reached a desired value, nut 42 is screwed onto end 41, so that flange 36 is again clamped between nut 42 and flange 37 with the first value of axial force.
In this condition, support structures 16, 17 are fixed again relative to each another and prevented from rotating relative to one another about axis B. As a consequence, labelling group 5 is again in the first configuration and can be operated.
From an analysis of the features of labelling group 5 according to the present invention, the advantages it allows to obtain are apparent.
In particular, labelling group 5 may be easily arranged in a second configuration, in which support structure 16, 17 may rotate relative to each other and about axis B.
As a result, by rotating support structure 16, 17 about axis B, direction F, G may be slanted relative to direction H, as shown in Figure 1.
Accordingly, the radial room occupied by labelling group 5 may be dramatically reduced, when compared to the so-called "linear" labelling group which have been disclosed in the introductory part of the present description.
In particular, by rotating support structure 17 about axis B, gluing roll 12 may be arranged very close to rail 9.
Finally, by rotating support structure 16 or 17, it is possible to render respectively cutting element 11 or gluing roll 12 (and unwinding rollers 10c) very accessible for cleaning and maintenance.
In particular, labelling group 5 may be arranged in the first or in the second configuration, by simply varying the degree of screwing of nut 42 onto tubular element 35.
As a matter of fact by unscrewing nut 42, labelling group 5 is set into the second configuration in which support structures 16, 17 are free to rotate about axis B.
Once that desired angle α between directions F, G has been reached, labelling group 5 may be set in the first configuration by simply screwing nut 42 onto tubular element 35.
Finally, it is apparent that modifications and variants not departing from the scope of protection of the claims may be made to labelling group 5.
In particular, support structure 16 could support either only unwinding rollers 10c or only cutting device 11.
For example, support structure 16 could support only unwinding rollers 10c and cutting device 11 could be supported by transfer mechanism 13.
Furthermore, motor 25 could be replaced by a mechanical element, which is driven in rotation by a motor arranged outside transfer mechanism 13.

Claims

A labelling group (5) for applying labels (2) to relative articles, comprising:
- a first support structure (16); and

- a second support structure (17);
said first support structure (16) supporting:
- either an unwinding element (10c) for unwinding, in use, a strip (10b) of said labels (2) along an advancing path (Q); or

- a cutter (11) which may be fed with a strip (10b) of said labels (2) advancing along an advancing path (Q), and is adapted, in use, to cut a single label (2) from said strip (10b);
said labelling group (5) further comprising a gluing element (12), which is supported by said second support structure (17) and applies, in use, glue onto said cut label (2);
said labelling group (5) being selectively arranged between:
- a first configuration in which said first support structure (16) is fixed to said second support structure (17); or in

- a second configuration in which at least one of said first and second support structure (16, 17) may rotate relative to the other one of said first and second support structure (17);
characterized by comprising a transfer rotating mechanism (13) which is interposed between said gluing element (12) and either said cutter (11) or said unwinding element (10c) along said advancing path (Q) of said label (2), and may rotate about a first axis (B) to transfer each said cut label (2) from said cutter (11) to said gluing element (12);
said first and second support structure (16, 17) being rotatable relative to each other about said first axis (B), when said labelling group (5) is in said second configuration.
The labelling group of claim 1, characterized in that said transfer rotating mechanism (13) comprises:
- a housing (26) which comprises a first and a second flange (36, 37) stationary relative to said first axis (B) ;

- a shaft (28) housed within said housing (26) and which is rotatable about said first axis (B); and

- clamping means (43, 42) for clamping, in use, said first and second flange (36, 37) along said first axis (B) towards each other with a greater axial force, when said labelling group (5) is set in said first configuration, and with a lower axial force when said labelling group (5) is set in said second configuration;
said first support structure (16) comprising at least one first arm (20b), and second support structure (17) comprising at least one second arm (22b);
said second arm (22b) being axially interposed between said first flange (36) and said first arm (20b);
said first arm (20b) being axially interposed between said second arm (22b) and said second flange (37);
said first arm (20b) being fixed relative to said second arm (22b) and to said first flange (36), when said labelling group (5) is set in said first configuration;
said first arm (20b) being free to rotate about said first axis (B) relative to said first flange (36), when said labelling group (5) is set in said second configuration;
said second arm (22b) being free to rotate about said first axis (B) relative to said first flange (36), when said labelling group (5) is set in said second configuration.
The labelling group of claim 2, characterized in that said first support structure (16) comprises a third arm (20a) which surrounds said second flange (37), and in that said second support structure (17) comprises a fourth arm (22a) which surrounds said second flange (37);
said fourth arm (22a) being axially interposed between said third arm (20a) and a first shoulder (53) defined by said second flange (37).
The labelling group of claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said clamping means (35, 42) comprises:
- a tubular element (35) which defines a second shoulder (43) axially cooperating with one (37) of said first and second flange (36, 37); and

- a nut (42) which cooperates with the other one (36) of said first and second flange (36, 37), is screwed to said tubular element (35), and may be selectively adjusted to vary the axial clamping force acting between said first and second flange (36, 37).
The labelling group of any one of claim 3 or 4, comprising:
- a first ring which is made in anti-wear material and is axially interposed between said first flange (36) and said second arm (22b);

- a second ring which is made in anti-wear material and is axially interposed between said first and second arm (20b, 22b);

- a third ring which is made in anti-wear material and is axially interposed between said second flange (37) and said fourth arm (22a); and

- a fourth ring which is made in anti-wear material axially interposed between said fourth arm (22a) and said third arm (20a).
The labelling group of any one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that said first and second support structure (16, 17) extend respectively along a first and a second direction (F, G); an angle (α) between said first and second direction (F, G) selectively ranging from 0 to 90 degrees, when said labelling group (5) is in said second configuration.
The labelling group of any one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that said first support structure (16) supports both said unwinding element (10c) and said cutter (11).
Labelling machine (1) comprising:
- a conveyor (4) which conveys, in use, a plurality of articles to be labelled; and

- at least one labelling group (5) according to any one of previous claims.
Labelling machine according to claim 8, characterized in that said conveyor (4) is rotatable about a second axis (A);
said first and second direction (F, G) being selectively settable to a non-zero angle relative to at third direction (H) which is radial to and incident said first and second axis (A, B).