GB1394907A - Feeder mechanism for labelling machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1394907 Label feeding JOHANN WEISS MASCHINENFABRIK UND APPARATEBAU GmbH 23 June 1972 [20 July 1971] 29523/72 Heading B8F A label feeder machanism, which transfers labels 16 from a container 3 to a gumming drum 6, includes a feeder 4 having arms the ends of which describe an epicycloidic path, whereby a label 16a is picked up at one outer reversal point 17a of the path, transferred first to a rotating drum 5 midway between point 17a and the next outer reversal point 17b, and then to the gumming drum 6. The feeder 4 is fixed to a planet gear 23 which meshes with a fixed ring gear 22, and the shaft 21 of the planet gear is rotably mounted on the crank arm of a shaft 20 which is coaxial with the ring gear. Rotation of shaft 20 causes the ends 19 of the feeder 4 to move in an epicycloidic path with outer reversal points every 72 degrees and with a transmission ratio between the ring gear and the planetary gear of 1À25 : 1. The feeder 4 has suction apertures 18 in the ends 19 of its arms and the vacuum supply to these is controlled by a fixed valve plate 26 having a series of apertures 57 of varying sizes connected to a vacuum source, and a bronze rotary valve plate 25, having apertures 39, which is rotated with the shaft 20. The arrangement of the apertures is such that maximum suction occurs at apertures 18 at the instant of transfer of a label to the feeder and that the vacuum is shut off at the point of transfer to the drum 5 which also has suction apertures. A spring 29 holds the valve plates 25, 26 against the feeder 4. The outer reversal points of the epicycloidic path are loop shaped giving a small circumferential movement component at the moment of transfer to assist removal of a label 16 from the container 3. These loops are obtained by arranging that the ends 19 of the feeder arms are offset radially inwards of the pitch circle of the ring gear 22. After transfer to the gumming drum, supplied with gum by unit 7, the label is transferred by a stripper 13 to a suction belt 2, and then applied to bottles 8 rolling between the belt 2 and a sponge rubber surface 11. Prior to labelling the bottles are equally spaced on a conveyor 10 by a worm 9. Instead of the label-applying belt 2, a labelling cylinder may be employed. The labels may be front and/or back dated by devices adjacent the gumming drum 6 and the belt drum 1 respectively.