GB1415051A - Labelling machine - Google Patents

Abstract

1415051 Labelling machines NJM Inc 23 Jan 1973 [24 Jan 1972] 3473/73 Heading B8F In a labelling machine having label applicators 16 mounted on one or two intermittently rotatable turrets 57, 58 for movement from an associated label pick-up station 60 to a label applying station 17, every label 61 picked-up by the label applicators 16 which dwell at the associated pick-up station 60, is registered and held by suction on the supporting surfaces 86 of the applicators 16 in a predetermined position. In one embodiment, Figs. 2, 3, labels 61 are fed one at a time under the control of a sensor 92 and are completely separated from a backing strip 67 by a stripper plate 69. Each stripped label 61 is propelled over the surface 78 of a back-up plate 79 until it abuts stops 81 mounted on the holder 79. The movement of the label is also controlled by suction applied through apertures in the holder surface 78. During the dwell periods of each turret, an applicator 16 is positioned in turn in an opening 85, formed in the back-up plate 79, with their label supporting surfaces 86 flush with the surface 78. Upon rotation of each turret 57, 58, a label is removed from each back-up plate 79. In a further embodiment, Fig. 6 (not shown) labels are stripped one at a time from a horizontally fed backing strip and are each registered in turn on a backup plate (79) under the control of a sensor (93) which is responsive to successive labels on the backing strip, so that the label is held in its registered position by the backing strip to which a trailing portion of the label remains attached and suction applied over the back-up plate surface 78. The label is removed from the holder (82) and completely detached from the backing strip (67) by advancing an applicator (16) from within an opening through the holder (82). In another embodiment, Fig. 5 (not shown) label strip is fed downwardly under the control of a sensor (93) as in the embodiment of Fig. 6. In still further embodiments (Figs. 12 and 15), the labels are fed downwardly or horizontally and registered by stops on the applicators. During rotation of each turret the label supporting surfaces 86 of the applicators 16 mounted on the turret, are turned, see Fig. 2, so that they lie in substantially the same planes as the direction of feed of the labels and articles to be labelled when indexed at the label pick-up and label applying stations respectively. The applicator when at the labelling station 17, is moved towards and away from the article to be labelled. The applicator may rock backwardly and forwardly or be mounted for forward and rearward sliding movement. The pneumatic system for the applicators 16 on each turret includes a stationary valve plate 138 which co-operates with a valve plate 135 mounted for rotation with a vertical drive shaft 95 of the turret. The label may be blown on to the article. The label strip is fed through a printer 191, and electrically coupled sensors 92 and 194 which are responsive to the passing labels and control the feed of the label strip, are located downstream and upstream of the printer 191 so that the strip is moved through the printer 191 only one label length at a time even when a label is missing from a section of the strip. The articles to be labelled are fed to the labelling station 17 on a conveyer 11 via a feed screw 14 and a device 15 for repositioning the articles. The labelled articles are passed between opposed pressing belts 160, 161.