GB2125000A - Labelling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A labelling apparatus has one or more removal members for removing labels from a stack, arranged on a rotating support and mounted to rotate or swing, and a marking member 14 arranged on the support for marking labels on the removal members. The pick-up surface of each removal member is formed in the marking region by a movable part 16, which can be moved by a cam control arrangement 20 from a front position into a rear position, if there is no label on the pick-up surface to prevent the marking member 14 from being contaminated with glue. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Labelling apparatus The invention relates to a labelling station with at least one removal member arranged eccentrically on a rotating support and mounted to rotate or swing, which during the rotation of the support is moved past stations arranged around the support and namely a gluing station, in particular a gluing roller, a label removal station, in particular a label stack and a label transfer station, in particular a gripper cylinder and thus rolls on these stations with a pick-up surface and with a marking member mounted to rotate or swing on the support, against which the removal member rolls with the label located on its pick-up surface.

In a known labelling station of this type (German AS 2701 808), the part of the pick-up surface, against which the marking member rolls, is formed by a resilient pad seated in a recess in the removal member. The front side of this resilient pad is set back slightly with respect to the pick-up surface of the removal member. Therefore, when it rolls against the gluing roller, the pick-up surface is not glued in this region. The purpose of this unglued surface is that in the absence of a label, contamination of the marking member by glue at the time of rolling on the resilient pad is avoided. This advantage is accompanied by the drawbacks that in the region of the resilient pad, the label remains free of glue and that at the time of marking, the label is distorted in the region of the resilient support on account of the surface which is set back.

It is the object of the invention to provide a labelling station which on the one hand allows gluing of the label over its entire surface and on the other hand prevents the marking member from being contaminated with glue.

This object is achieved according to the invention due to the fact that the part of the pick-up surface of the removal member, against which the marking member rolls, can be moved from a front position into a rear position and that a control device is provided, which in the absence of a label on the pick-up surface, brings about the movement of the movable part of the pick-up surface into the rear position.

In the labelling station according to the invention, the movable part of the pick-up surface forms a closed rolling surface with the remaining pick-up surface of the removal member, provided that labels are removed. This means that gluing of the labels over their entire surface takes place and marking of the labels takes place without distortion or tearing of the labels. If a label is missing, then the control device causes the movable part to move back, so that the marking member no longer comes into contact with the glued, movable part of the pick-up surface of the removal member. Contamination of the marking member with glue is thus prevented.

Gluing over the entire surface has particular significance in the case of small labels, for example neck labels, in which the marking region takes up a large proportion of the surface. In the case of conventional labelling stations, in which the marking regions are not glued, the adhesion to the bottle would be correspondingly low on account of the small remaining glued area. The danger of the labels transferred to the bottle moving is therefore great.

There are various constructional possibilities for moving the movable part of the pick-up surface of the removal member out of the rolling region of the marking member. According to a preferred solution, the movable part is mounted to swing against the force of a spring. The spring mounting also serves to equalize tolerances between the removal member, the label and the marking member. A resilient rubber support face is therefore superfluous. The movement of the marking member can be realised in a simple manner due to the fact that the control device comprises a cam which is able to rotate or swing with the marking member, which cam can be moved from a first idle position into a second position in which the movable part is moved back from it.In this case, the cam is preferably mounted to move axially on the rotating or swinging shaft of the marking member, in which case a plunger which can be activated and is arranged on the support is provided for moving it into the second position. In order to move the cam back into its idle position, a stationary cam on the support may be associated with it.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cam which is able to move on the rotating and swinging shaft can be locked in its two positions by a locking device.

The invention is described in detail hereafter with reference to drawings illustrating one embodiment, in which: Figure 'shows a labelling station diagrammatically in plan view, Figure2 shows a removal member with associated marking member in plan view and Figure 3 shows the removal member with marking member according to figure 2 in axial section.

The labelling station illustrated in the drawings consists of a rotating support 1 with three removal members 2,3,4 arranged eccentrically thereon by their rotating or swinging shafts. The rotating or swinging shafts of the removal members 2 to 4 are located between the pick-up surfaces 5,6,7 curved in a circular cylindrical manner and their centre of curvature. When the support 1 rotates, the removal members 2 to 4 are rotated or swung at a nonuniform angular velocity so that they roll by their pick-up surfaces on the surfaces of three stations arranged around the support and namely a rotating gluing rollerS, a label stack 9 and a gripper cylinder 10.In this case, the removal members 2 to 4 remove a label with their glued pick-up surfaces 6 to 7 from the label stackS, which is picked up by the gripper cylinder 10 and transferred to the objects to be labelled.

Associated with each removal member 2 to 4 on the support lisa marking member 11,12,13 which is mounted to rotate or swing. The marking type 14 of each marking member 11 to 13 are arranged on a circular cylinder. With respect to the axis of the circular cylinder, the swinging axis of each marking member 11 to 13 is located opposite the marking type 14. On account of this geometry and on account of the discontinuous drive of the marking members, it is possible that the marking type 14 carry out a rolling movement on the pick-up surface 5 of the associated removal member 2.

Located in the lower region of the pick-up surface 5 of each removal member 2 is a window-like recess '! 5, in which a swinging part 16 is located. With the remaining pick-up surface 5, the front side of the swinging part 16 forms a virtually closed rolling surface, which is fully glued when rolling against the gluing roller 8, so that the labels removed from the label stack 9 are glued over their entire surface. The part 16 is mounted to swing in the removal member 2 by pins 17. A compression spring 18 holds the part 16 in its front position illustrated in figures 2 and 3.

On the lower edge, the part 16 comprises a projection 19, which cooperates with a cam 20. The cam 20 is seated so that it is able to move axially but not to rotate on the rotating and swinging shaft 21 of the marking member 11. It is held in two predetermined axial positions by means of a locking device 22. In the position illustrated in figure 3, the cam 20 cannot act on the projection 19. However, if it is moved into its other upper position, it lies in the path of movement of the projection 19, so that during the rolling process, the part 16 is swung back by the cam 20. In this retracted position, the marking type 14 cannot come into contact with the front side of the part 16.

In order to move the cam 20 on the shaft 21 axially, control members 23,24 are provided on the periphery of the support 1 before and after the stack of labels. The control members 23,24 each comprise a plunger 25,26, which is activated depending on whether a displacement of the cam 20 is desired.

Thus, the plunger 25 brings about a displacement of the cam 20 from the lower position shown in figure 2 of the drawings into the upper position, whereas the plunger 26 moves the cam 20 back into the idle position. Whereas the control member 23 must have a plunger 25 which can be activated in order to move the cam 20 into the operative position individually depending on a corresponding control command, the control member 24 manages without a movable plunger. In this case, at the time of each rotation, the cam 20 is moved back into the inoperative position.

However, this also means that at the time of each rotation, the control member 23 must again move the cam 20 into its operative position, as long as there is no label on the removal member.

The control device receives its control commands from monitoring members (not shown), which also send control commands to other parts of a labelling machine depending on the absence of bottles. These control commands are processed so that in the absence of a bottle, no label is transferred and also no marking takes place.

Claims (7)

1. Labelling apparatus comprising at least one removal member arranged eccentrically on a rotary support and mounted to rotate or pivot, which during rotation of the support is moved past stations located around the support, namely a glueing station, for example a glueing roller, a label removal station, for example a label stack, and a label transfer station, for example a gripper cylinder, and rolls against these stations with its pick-up surface and with a marking member mounted to rotate or swing on the support, against which the removal member rolls with the label located on its pick-up surface, wherein the part of the pick-up surface of the removal member, against which the marking member rolls, can be moved from a front position into a rear position and a control device is provided, which, in the absence of a label on the pick-up surface, brings about the movement of the movable part into the rear position.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable part is able to swing against the force of a spring.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device comprises a cam able to rotate or pivot with the marking member and movable from a first idling position into a second position, in which during the rolling movement, the movable part is moved back from the latter.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cam is seated so that it can move axially on the rotating or swinging shaft of the marking member and for its movement into the second position, a plunger which can be activated is provided in the region of the path of movement of the cam.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein for returning to the idling position, the cam comprises a plunger arranged in the path of movement of the cam.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the cam can be locked in its two axial positions by a locking device.

7. Labelling apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.