GB2168318A - Dual purpose labelling machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A container labelling machine for selective handling of labels (3) of normal length, e.g. body labels or of extra long all-round labels (2), comprises a rotary table (7) with controllable rotary plates (8, 9). At its circumference is a first labelling station (12) for the body labels with a rotating labelling cylinder (38) and a second labelling station (13) for the all-round labels with a stationary label container (45) tangential to the circular path of the containers (1). To control the rotary plates, two independent mechanisms are provided, one comprising a closed cam (24) braced by followers on each plate, applicable in the region of the first station, and the other comprising a pinion (33) engagable in a toothed belt (30) for the continuous individual rotation of the rotary plates in the region of the second station. The rotary plates can be connected selectively to either mechanism. The handling sections of the two labelling stations may overlap. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Labelling machine The invention relates to a labelling machine for containers for handling labels of a first, shorter length, in particular labels of normal length, for example body labels, and labels of a longer length, in particular extra-long labels, for example all-round labels.

A labelling machine is already known having a rotary table on which there are mounted a number of controllably rotatable plates on which the containers stand, there being one labelling station for labels of normal length, with a gripper cylinder which presses the separated and glued labels onto the containers as they travel past, and another labelling station for extra-long labels, with a gluing member which acts on the containers travelling past and a stationary stack of labels tangential to the circular path of the containers on said table from which the labels are taken up by the glued containers.

In this machine the positioning or rotation of the rotatable plates during their circulation with the rotary table is controlled by a single mechanism. The containers circulating with the rotary plates first pass the all-round labelling station and its following brushing-on station, during which they execute a continuous individual rotation, and then pass the normal labelling station with its following brushingon station, during which they remain substantially still in relation to the rotary table and pivot through 90 between the gripper cylinder and the brushingon station.

With this known arrangement, it is possible to provide the containers either with labels of normal length or with extra long labels without much readjustment work and without any loss of output.

As a result of the separate series disposition of the individual labelling stations and their brushing-on stations, however, a considerably longer handling section is necessary altogether than in a labelling machine of the same capacity which handles only labels of normal length or only all-round labels.

Therefore, a considerably larger rotary table or a considerably larger basic machine must be used than would normally be necessaryforthe output required. To this must be added the fact that an adaptation of the single mechanism, which is formed for example by a roller-star transmission, to another diameter of container, is extremely difficult.

Such an adaptation is absolutely essential during the all-round labelling of containers with different diameters, because during all-round labelling the labels are taken directly from the stationary label container by the previously glued containers, for which purpose a precise matching of speeds is necessary.

According to the present invention, there is provided a labelling machine for handling labels of different lengths, comprising a plurality of controllably rotatable supportsforthe individual containers mounted on a common rotary structure, at least one labelling station for labels of the first length having means for pressing separated and glued labels onto the containers travelling past on said supports, and at least one labelling station for labels of the second length comprising a gluing member for acting on the containers travelling on said supports and means for holding a stationary stack of labels tangential to the circular path of the containers on said structure, a first mechanism being provided controls the position and/or pivoting of the containers on said supports in the region of the labelling station for labels of the first length, and a second mechanism being provided which controls the individual rotation of the containers on the supports in the region of the labelling station for labels of the second length, the ranges of action of the two mechanisms being independent of one another and overlapping at least partially, and the rotary supports being able to be connected to the first mechanism or to the second mechanism selectively.

In a labelling machine according to the invention, the handling sections of the normal labelling station and its brushing-on station as well as of the all-round labelling station and its brushing-on station can be fitted into one another as desired because each mechanism can be adapted without compromise to the rotary support movement necessary for the particular labelling operation. As a result, a considerable shortening of the handling section as a whole can be achieved. In addition, the mechanism used particularly for all-round labelling can be designed in a simple manner for easy readjustment to adapt to various diameters of container, which is not necessary for the mechanism for the normal length labels.

The mechanism which is suited in the best possible manner can therefore be selected for each type of labelling.

It is not necessary for the ranges of action of the two mechanisms to overlap completely with respect to the circular path of the rotary supports. In general it is sufficient if the first mechanism for the normal length labels is effective over the whole circular path of the rotary plates while the second mechanism for the all-round labelling only extends over a portion of the circular path. By this means, particularly favourable production costs result without any disadvantageous effects on the labelling because, for the all-round labelling, the rotational movement of the rotary plates generally has to be effective over a considerably smaller portion of the circular path of the rotary supports than the precise positioning and/or pivoting of the supports during the application of normal labels.In a particularly appropriate arrangement the first mechanism is formed by a cam and the second mechanism is formed by a rolling motion transmission with a stationary toothed element.

There are various possibilities for the selective connection of the rotary supports to one of the two mechanisms. Thus the supports may comprise adjustable coupling elements by means of which they can be connected selectively to the first mechanism or to the second mechanism and a positive clutch may be provided for each support. In this case, no exchange of parts is necessary.

According to another, particularly advantageous feature, the rotary supports may comprise plates which are interchangeably disposed on the common rotary structure and which are provided with coupling elements or transmission elements by means of which they can be connected either to the first mechanism or to the second mechanism. It is true that with such a construction, on changing over from all-round labelling to normal labelling and vice versa, an exchange of the rotary plates with their associated coupling or transmission elements is necessary in each case, but this is no disadvantage in practice because special rotary plates with depressions precisely adapted to the containers are used forthe all-round labelling in any case.Moreover, an exchange of the rotary plates can be arranged to result automatically in coupling up to the correct mechanism: special additional clutches or the like are not necessary.

In one preferred form of machine according to the invention, the rotary supports comprise rotatable plate carriers which act on the stationary cam through roller levers and interchangeably disposed on each said carrier is a plate which is either connected to the carrier for rotation therewith but not in relation thereto by means of inter-engaging coupling elements or is mounted for free rotation in relation to the carrier and is connected to a gearwheel which engages in the stationary toothed element. The arrangement may be such that the plate carriers and plates to be connected to the first mechanism comprise inter-engaging projections or recesses and the plates to be connected to the second mechanism comprise teeth at their periphery and a bearing housing providing a concentric axis of rotation and are detachably secured to the plate carrier.

In order to utilise the advantage of the two separate mechanisms with an overlapping range of action logically, it is advisable for the two labelling stations to have a common brushing-on station with interchangeable and/or reversible brushing-on elements which is covered by the range of action of the two mechanisms. In this case, the handling section only has to be slightly longer than in a labelling machine with the same capacity which is suitable onlyforall-round labelling or only for normal labelling.

There are several possibiiities for the method of arranging the various labelling stations on the rotary table. It is a particular advantage if the normal labelling station is disposed in front of the all-round labelling station. In this case, during normal labelling, the handling path of the labelling station for extra long labels can be completely integrated in the handling section for labels of normal length which is normally somewhat longer than the handling section necessary for all-round labelling. The all-round labelling station can then easily be followed directly again by a further normal labelling station, for example for back labels. Also, no difficulties are involved in handling foil blanks for covering the necks of the bottles, besides body labels, with the first normal labelling station, for which purpose a multiple pivotal movement of the rotary plates is necessary.

In the case of a changeover from all-round labell ingto normal labelling and vice versa, apartfrom a changeover of the rotary plates and coupling to the particular mechanism necessary, it is only necessary for that labelling station which is not needed to be put out of operation with the containers. This may be effected,for example, by increasing the distance from the rotary table or by moving away the elements such as gluing rollers and gripper cylinders, which come into contact with the containers.

Thus the changeover can be carried out extremely quickly and easily. The labelling station for extra long labels is scarcely restricted in the length of labels. Even labels, the length of which amounts to a multiple of the circumference of the container, can be handled for example.

One embodiment of the invention will be described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the plan view of a labelling machine, the upper part of the rotary table being omitted, Figure 2 shows the plan view of the fixed mechanism elements of the two mechanisms for the control of the rotary plates in the labelling machine shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 shows a vertical section through the rotary table of the labelling machine of Figures 1 and 2 in the region of the labelling station for extra long labels, Figure 4 shows a vertical section through the rotary table of the labelling machine of Figures 1 and 2 in the region of the labelling station for labels of normal length.

The labelling machine shown in Figures 1 to 4 is adapted for the selective application to cylindrical bottles 1 of extra long all-round labels 2 or of body labels 3 of normal length. The bottles 1 are supplied by a conveyor belt 4, spaced apart by a feed worm 5 and then guided by a feed star 6 onto a rotary table 7 rotating continuously in the direction of the arrow.

The bottles 1 are located by centering bells 10 on rotary plates 8,9 mounted on the rotary table, the bells being mounted in the co-rotating upper portion 11 of the rotary table 7 and being raised and lowered in a controlled manner. The bottles thereby participate in the particular individual rotations of the rotary plates 8,9 in relation to the rotary table 7 as they are carried round on the table.

The bottles 1 on the rotary plates 8, 9 travel in succession past a first labelling station 12 for body labels 3, a following second labelling station 13 for all-round labels 2 and a brushing-on station 14 which, in the method of operation shown in Figure 1, is adapted for applying all-round labels 2 and is fully subordinate to the second labelling station 13.

According to the setting of the labelling machine, the bottles 1 are each provided with a normal length body label 3 or an all-round label 2. After the centering bells 10 have been raised, the fully labelled bottles are taken over by a delivery star 15 and again deposited on the conveyor belt 4 which is now travelling away from the machine. In the region of the feed star 6 and of the delivery star 15, the bottles 1 stand on sliding plates (not shown) and are precisely guided by a guide plate 16.

The rotary table 7 has the shape of a spoked wheel with a rim which is U-shaped in cross-section and open downwards, and is secured to a vertical shaft 17. This shaft 17 is mounted for rotation in a flange 19 secured to the machine housing 18 and can be driven at various speeds by a motor disposed in the machine housing 18, in synchronism with the feed worm 5, the feed star 6 and the delivery star 15. A plurality of vertical shafts 20, distributed uniformly around the circumference of the table, are mounted for rotation in its rim and rotary plate carriers 21, in the form of circular discs, are provided at their upper end. Secured to the lower end of each shaft 20 is a lever 22 carrying a roller 23 which engages in a stationary cam groove 24.The cam groove 24 is closed on itself, that is to say it covers the whole range of rotation of the rotary plates 8, 9, and is machined in a cam ring 25. The cam ring is mounted in the interior of the rim of the rotary table 7 and is secured to the flange 19 by means of a plurality of supporting arms 26. Together with the levers 22 and rollers 23, the cam groove 24 forms a first mechanism for the control of the rotary plate-movement and is effective over the whole range of rotation of the rotary table 7.

According to the construction of the cam groove 24, the most varied relative positions and relative movements for the bottles 1 can be caused, such as are usual and necessary during the handling of labels of normal length, for example body or belly labels, back labels, breast labels, neck ring labels and foil blank for covering the bottle necks. On the other hand, a continuous individual rotation of the bottles 1 through more than 360 is not possible with the first mechanism 22, 23, 24 even if a transmission gear is interposed between the shafts 20 and the levers 22. In the simplest case, the cam groove 24 comprises, following on the first labelling station 12, a first transition region I in which bottles 1 are turned through 90 in such a manner that the labels face forwards.In this position, the bottles travel through the brushing-on station. The rotary plates are then turned back again through 90 by a second transition region II of the cam groove, between the feed star 6 and the delivery star 15. This simplest shape of a cam groove 24 is illustrated in Figure 2. All types of front label of normal length can be handled with it.

If, during the handling of labels of normal length, the bottles 1 have to travel through the positions and pivoting preset by the cam groove 24, then a first rotary plate 9 (Figure 4) in the form of a circular disc, is detachably secured to each rotary plate carrier 21 by means of a screw. Each plate 9 is provided, at its underside, with nose-shaped projections 27 which engage in corresponding holes 28 in the carrier 21.

As a result, an absqlutely non-rotatable connection is obtained between the carriers 21 and their rotary plates 9. Furthermore, a cylindrical centering extension 29, which engages in a corresponding centering bore in the rotary plate 9, is formed at the top of each carrier, concentrically with its axis of rotation.

If the bottles 1 are to execute a continuous individual rotation during the handling of the allround labels 2, then instead of the first rotary plate 9, another, second rotary plate 8 (Figure 3) is detachably secured to each rotary-plate carrier 21 by means of a screw. Every such second rotary plate 8, at the underside thereof, comprises a bearing housing 34 which is mounted by means of a rolling bearing for rotation concentrically to the prescribed axis of rotation of the circular disc-form rotary plate 8. The bearing housing 34 is secured to the rotary-plate carrier 21 by means of the screw. Thus the actual rotary plate 8 can rotate freely at any time in relation to the rotary-plate carrier 21 and therefore does not participate in the pivotal movement of the rotaryplate carrier 21 caused by the groove cam 24.A gearwheel 33 is provided at the circumference of the rotary plate 8, and outside of the circular path of the bottles 1 or of the rotary table 7, a toothed belt 30 with teeth facing towards the rotary table 7 to engage the gearwheels 33 is stretched between two columns 31 secured to the machine housing 18, with the interposition of a tension spring 32.

Together with the gearwheels 33, the toothed belt 30 forms a second mechanism for the rotary plates which only has to be effective in the region of the second labelling station 13 and the following brushing-on station 14. Thus the range of action of the second mechanism 30 to 33 is completely overlapped by the range of action of the first mechanism 22, 23, 24. While passing the second labelling station 13 and the following brushing-on station 14, the bottles 1 can be set in a repeated continuous individual rotation by the second mechanism 30 to 33, as is usual and necessary with direct extraction of the labels by the previously glued bottles.The speed of rotation of the bottles is regulated by the diameter of the gearwheels 33 and is adapted in such a manner that the resultant velocity of the outermost region of each bottle 1 is equal to zero so that this can roll precisely on a stationary stack of labels.

The pitch circle of the gearwheels 33 coincides precisely with the outside diameter of the bottles 1 to be handled. When the rotary plates 8 travel past the toothed belt 30 with the rotary table 7, they are set in continuous individual rotation by this over its whole length. Because of the rotary connection between the rotary plate 8 and the rotary-plate carrier 21, this individual rotation is in no way influenced by the profile of the stationary groove cam 24. The centering extension 29 engages in a centering bore in the bearing housing 34.

The first labelling station 12 for the body labels 3 comprises removal members 35 which rotate on a circular path and are driven in oscillation and which roll on a glue roller 36, a stack of labels in a stationary label container 37 and a gripper cylinder 38. In the course of this, the body labels 3 are removed from the label container 37 by adhesion to the glue, transferred firstly to the continuously rotating gripper cylinder 38 and then laterally to the bottles 1 travelling past without individual rotation.

The transfer takes place while the plates 9 stop rotating shortly before the descending region I of the cam groove 24. The bottles are then turned through 90" in the region I so that they face forwards with their labelled fronts. In this position, each bottle travels through the brushing-on station 14.

The first labelling station 12 can be adjusted radially in relation to the rotary table 7 by means of a handwheel 39. Furthermore, it can be disconnected from the main drive of the labelling machine by means of a clutch 40 which can be controlled manually. In addition, the gripper cylinder 38 can be withdrawn from its drive shaft.

The second labelling stations 13 for the all-round labels 2 comprises a gluing device 41 with a glue roller 42 which is tangential to the circular path of the bottles 1 and by means of which the bottles rotating past are provided with a vertical strip of hot glue.

The gluing device 41 has its own drive motor which can be controlled manually by a switch 43. Furthermore, the gluing device 41 is adjustable radially in relation to the rotary table 7 by means of a handwheel 44 and in addition it can be pivoted and located in its circumferential direction. The second labelling station 13 further comprises a stationary label container 45 which is likewise adjustable radially in relation to the rotary table 7 by means of a handwheel 46. The label container 45 is carried by a bracket 47 which is adjustably clamped to the flange 19. It is arranged in such a manner that the stack of all-round labels 2 present in it is tangential to the circular path of the bottles 1 with the foremost label but only with the front edge of the label first coming into contact with the bottles.The rear edge of the label, which is removed last, is somewhat spaced from the circular path of the bottles 1. Disposed in this region is a further gluing device 48 with which the rear edge of the label is provided with a vertical strip of glue. The bottles 1 standing on the rotary plates 8 roll precisely on the all-round labels 2 in the label container 45. In the course of this, the labels are removed by means of glue adhesion, pulled completely out of the label container 45 and wound on the bottles until the edge of the label removed last sticks to the edge of the label removed first, as a result of the application of glue. Then the labels are pressed on tightly and smoothed at the brushing-on station 14 with further individual rotation of the bottles.A pluraity of bottles 1 can act simultaneously on the stack of labels in the label container 45 without the removal of labels being disrupted as a result. The spacing of the bottles can therefore be as close as during the handling of body labels 3.

With the mode of operation shown in Figures 1,2 and 3, the labelling machine is adjusted for the handling of all-round labels 2. In this case, the gluing device 41 is adjusted so that the glue roller 42 is tangent to the circular path of the bottles at the appropriate point. The label container 45 is correspondingly adjusted in such a manner that the foremost all-round label touches the circular path of the bottles 1 at the correct point. The second rotary plates 8 suitable for the bottle diameter are mounted on the rotary-plate carriers 21; the toothed belt 30 is fixed to the columns 31. The brushing-on station 14 is provided with a suitably curved brush strip at the inside of the circular path of the bottles 1. The first labelling station 12 is stopped by means of the clutch 40 and its gripper cylinder 38 is removed.Alternatively, it may also be moved away from the bottle table 7 by means of the handwheel 39. The two gluing devices 41 and 48 are switched on.

For the changeover to the all-round labelling of bottles with another diameter, apart from the usual adjustment of the gluing devices 41 and 48 and of the label container 45, only the second rotary plates 8 have to be exchanged for other second rotary plates 8, wherein the pitch circle diameter of the gearwheels 33 again corresponds to the outside diameter of the bottles. As a result of the tension spring 32, the toothed belt 30 is automatically adapted to the new pitch circle, while it is deformed polygonally by the gearwheels 33 in each case (not illustrated in Figure 2).

For a changeover to handling the body labels 3, the following work is necessary. The first labelling station 12 is connected up by means of the clutch 40 and the gripper cylinder 38 is placed on its drive shaft or the whole labelling station 12 is driven suitably up to the bottle table 7 by means of the handwheel 39. The gluing device 41 and 48 are switched off. The gluing device 41 is driven away from the bottle table by means of the handwheel 44 and/or the glue roller 42 is withdrawn from its drive shaft. The label container 45 is removed from the bottle table 7 by means of the handwheel 46 or it is withdrawn as a whole from its holding means. The brushing-on station 14 is supplemented by a further brush strip at the outside of the circular path of the bottles.The second rotary plates 8 are removed from the rotary-plate carriers 21 and replaced by first rotary plates 9 so that the bottles 1 travel through the movements and positions prescribed by the cam groove 24. The toothed belt cam 30 can remain in the machine; in order to prevent unnecessary wear, however, it may also be removed from its holding means.

In order to avoid an exchange of the rotary plates 8 for different diameters of bottles, the plates 8 may also comprise a plurality of different diameter gearwheels 33 at different levels. In this case, the toothed belt 30 merely has to be adjusted in height. It is also possible to fit a further labelling station, similar to the first labelling station 2, for back labels, on the bottle table 7 behind the second labelling station 13 for the all-round labels 2, as indicated in chain lines in Figure 1. A prerequisite for this is an adequate diameter on the rotary table. If the glue roller 42 is withdrawn and the label container 45 removed for the handling of body labels, then the brushing-on station 14 can extend beyond the second labelling station 13 as far as the gripper cylinder 38 of the first labelling station 12 so that even more complicated labelling, such as tin-foiling of the bottle neck, becomes possible.

Claims (11)

1. A labelling machine for containers for handling labels of a first, shorter length, for example body labels, and labels of a second, longer length, for example all-round labels, comprising a plurality of controllably rotatable supports for the individual containers mounted on a common rotary structure, at least one labelling station for labels of the first length having means for pressing separated and glued labels onto the containers travelling past on said supports, and at least one labelling station for labels of the second length comprising a gluing member for acting on the containers travelling on said supports and means for holding a stationary stack of labels tangential to the circular path of the containers on said structure, a first mechanism being provided which controls the position and/or pivoting of the containers on said supports in the region of the labelling station for labels of the first length, and a second mechanism being provided which controls the individual rotation of the containers on the supports in the region of the labelling station for labels of the second length, the ranges of action of the two mechanisms being independent of one another and overlapping at least partially, and the rotary supports being able to be connected to the first mechanism or to the second mechanism selectively.

2. A labelling machine as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the first mechanism for use with with labels of the first length is effective over the whole circular path of the rotary supports while the second mechanism for use with labels of the second length extends over only a portion of the circular path of the rotary supports.

3. A labelling machine as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the first mechanism is formed by a cam mechanism with a closed profile stationary cam and the second mechanism is formed by a rolling motion transmission with a stationary toothed element.

4. A labelling machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the rotary supports comprise plates which are interchangeably disposed on the common rotary structure and which are provided with coupling elements or transmission elements by means of which they can be connected either to the first mechanism or to the second mechanism.

5. A labelling machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the rotary supports comprise adjustable coupling elements by means of which they can be connected selectively to the first mechanism or to the second mechanism.

6. A labelling machine as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the rotary supports comprise rotatable plate carriers which act on the stationary cam through roller levers and interchangeably disposed on each said carrier is a plate which is either connected to the carrier for rotation therewith but not in relation thereto by means of inter-engaging coupling elements or is mounted for free rotation in relation to the carrier and is connected to a gearwheel which engages in the stationary toothed element.

7. A labelling machine as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the plate carriers and plates to be connected to the first mechanism comprise inter-engaging projections or recesses and the plates to be connected to the second mechanism comprise teeth at their periphery and a bearing housing providing a concentric axis of rotation and are detachably secured to the plate carrier.

8. A labelling machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the labelling stations for said different length labels comprise a common brushing-on station with interchangeable and/or reversible brushing-on elements which is covered by the range of action of the two mechanisms.

9. A labelling machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the labelling station for labels of shorter length is disposed in front of the labelling station for labels of longer length in the direction of rotation of the common rotary structure.

10. A labelling machine for containers handling labels of a first, shorter length, for example body labels, and labels of a second, longer length, for example all-round labels, comprising a rotary structure carrying a plurality of angularly spaced supports for individual containers, at least one labelling station for applying labels of the shorter length comprising a transfer member for pressing separated and glued labels onto the containers travelling past the station on said structure, and at least one labelling station for labels of the greater length comprising means for gluing the containers and for locating labels to be taken up by the glued containers, there being respective mechanisms provided for controlling the movements of said supports on the structure, said mechanisms being able to be brought into operation selectively according to which of said labelling stations is to be put into use, the respective labelling operations of the mechanisms occupying regions of the path of movement of the supports that are independent of each other and that overlap each other at least partially.

11. A labelling machine constructed and arranged for use and operation substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.