JPH0379251B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a rapid exchange fountain system for applying solvent to the surface of vertical gravure rolls.

When manufacturing bottles with thermoplastic sleeve labels that heat shrink around the side walls, shoulder and heel area of the bottle, the sleeve is formed from a label blank and wrapped over a cylindrical mandrel, with the rear end attached to the tip. It is customary to overlap the parts. The overlap is engaged with a heated sealing rod to form a heat-sealed seam extending the height of the sleeve. The sleeve is then fitted around the bottle, and the assembled sleeve and bottle are passed through a heat tunnel, and the bottle and sleeve are rotated to expose the entire circumference of the sleeve to heat to uniformly shrink the label. and match this to the external shape of the bottle. The sleeve can have its lower border positioned below the bottom of the bottle, in which case the sleeve contracts against the heel and support surface.
A method and apparatus of this type is disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,802,942, issued April 9, 1974.

Recent U.S. Patent Issued March 4, 1986
Publication No. 4574020 discloses a method and apparatus for applying heat-shrinkable thermoplastic wraparound labels to containers,
In this case a web of expanded polystyrene sheet material is provided, which is then cut to a label length equal to the outer circumference of the container and the overlap seam area. A web of material is supported on the surface of a rotating vacuum drum and the web is cut into label lengths as the drum rotates about its vertical axis. While the label is attached to the vacuum drum surface, the outer surface of the web is brought into contact with a rotating gravure roll having a gravure pattern containing a solvent for the material to apply the solvent to predetermined areas of the leading and trailing edges of the label. Rub. While applying the solvent to the label, the label is brought into rotating contact with the container so that the leading edge of the label adheres to the container and while the container is rotated along the surface of the label, the trailing edge overlaps and is brought into contact with the container by the action of the solvent. and seal it at the tip.

One of the most important features in the operation of the above method
The first is to accurately transfer the solvent from the gravure roll to the surface of the label. Without proper contact between the gravure roll surface and the label surface, insufficient solvent will be applied to the label to dissolve the label and cause it to adhere to and transfer to the bottle or container when it comes into contact with the label. Similarly, when the trailing edge of the label overlaps the leading edge, it is imperative that the trailing edge receives a sufficiently high solvent strip applied thereto to form a complete overlap seam. be. This seam must be perfect.
This is because later heat shrinking of the label around the bottle will tear the seam apart, resulting in a defective label, if the seam is not sealed over its entire height.

The vacuum drum that supports the label has a group of raised areas or pads around its periphery that are located below the leading and trailing edges of the label and that cause the rotary gravure roll to move around these areas during relative rotation between the drum and the roll. is set to engage the label at a critical position. The gravure roll is mounted on a platform that is movable about a vertical axis generally parallel to the axis of the roll. A gravure roll mounting system of this type is disclosed in a US patent application filed on the same date by the present applicant.

To ensure proper application of the solvent, the gravure roll must support a sufficient amount of solvent relative to its surface pattern. No. 4,574,020 issued.
This patent publication discloses a fountain that requires significant downtime to change the fountain. These fountains need to be replaced as they become worn or contaminated with foreign substances.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fountain device for solvent application that can be easily and quickly replaced with the one currently in use as needed, thereby minimizing interruptions in the operation of the label device.

The quick-change fountain device of the present invention can be mounted on a vertical plate and removed from its holder and replaced with another fountain mounted on a similar vertical plate without the need for tools to perform the installation. .

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

With particular reference to FIG. 1, the operation of the overall label apparatus will now be described generally. A generally rectangular shaped horizontal support table 10 serves to support the mechanism and is itself supported on the floor by a plurality of vertical legs (not shown). A conveyor, generally designated 11, is mounted above the table and extends over substantially the entire length of the table. The conveyor 11 has a horizontally moving upper surface 12 which is driven in the direction of the arrow shown. The containers or bottles B to be labeled are fed at the left-hand end of the conveyor 11 in an upright position onto the surface 12 of the conveyor. While moving the conveyor surface 12 in the direction of the arrow, the bottles are transported from the left side to the right side as seen in FIG. The bottles are guided by rails 13 extending along both sides of the conveyor surface 12. An overhead member 14 is shown having a guide slot 15 in its lower surface into which the finished part or neck of the bottle is guided. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the bottle moving from the left side has a pair of vertically spaced pocketed star wheels 16 and 1
7 and both star wheels are mounted on a vertical shaft 18 which rotates counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. The starwheel 16 is provided with twelve circumferentially spaced pockets around its outer circumference which engage the neck of the bottle being treated, while the starwheel 17 is provided with an equal number of pockets of slightly larger dimensions. to engage the side wall of the bottle being treated.

The arcuate guide 19 has a coaxial profile with respect to the axis 18 and serves to hold the neck of the bottle at a precise distance from the axis 18 of the starwheel 16. Further, a lower arcuate guide portion 20 is provided, and this is mounted at approximately the same height as the side wall portion or main body that engages with the star wheel 17, so that the bottle B can be moved by the star wheels 16 and 17. and keep its axis vertical. When the bottle reaches the position generally designated by reference numeral P, the sides of the bottle B reach the outer circumference of the vacuum drum 21 in a substantially tangential direction. The vacuum drum 21 is a substantially cylindrical member and has a height slightly greater than the height of the label to be applied to the bottle B. This drum 21 is provided with a plurality of vacuum passage openings through its surface to effectively grip the individual labels fed to it and transport them to position P. The label can be made from a web 22 of expanded film polystyrene, which may be preprinted, and is fed via a tension winder 23 from a right-hand feed (not shown). After passing through the tension compensator 23, the web 22
travels around driven feed rollers 24 and then to a label cutting processor, generally indicated by the reference numeral 25. The label cutting device 25 cuts the label at a predetermined point along its length and brings the leading end of the label into contact with the drum 21 on its outer periphery. The label adheres to the outer surface of the drum 21 and moves in the direction of the arrow on the drum 21 to pass the label to an adhesive or solvent application section 26 where a solvent transfer gravure roll 27 applies the solvent to a predetermined selection of the label. Apply to area. The gravure roll 27 is driven substantially counterclockwise in FIG. 1 by meshing gears, and is timed to supply solvent to the leading and trailing ends of the label conveyed by the vacuum drum 21. ing.

At position P, the tip of the label is in contact with the side wall of bottle B, and the tip of the label is adhered to the bottle. From this point on, the bottle is held against the surface of the drum by the first support pad 28, which is attached to the surface of the table 10 by the bracket 35. This support pad 28 may be formed of a resilient foam material, such as foam rubber, and effectively holds the bottle B against the surface of the drum and keeps the bottle B on the vacuum drum 21 as the drum continues to rotate. Effective rotation along the surface of a label supported on the surface.

As mentioned above, the label supported by the drum 21 has the full vertical height of the applied solvent at its trailing edge, and the trailing edge of the label overlaps and adheres to the leading edge. Form a seam.
The labeled container continues to be guided by the first support pad 28 until it reaches the second wrapping belt 29. The second wrapped belt 29 passes around a drive roll 30 that is driven in the direction of the arrow in the drawing. Furthermore, this belt 29 also passes around an inlet roll 31 of relatively small diameter. A fixed vertical support surface 32 positions belt 29 in a generally straight path between drive roll 30 and inlet roll 31. After bottle B has the label completely wrapped around it,
It moves until it engages with the second winding belt 29. The first support pad 28 holds the bottle on the vacuum drum 2 until the bottle abuts the second winding belt 29.
A region 33 that remains in contact with 1 is provided. This applies a positive driving force to the bottle so that it is rotated by the moving surface of the belt 29 as it moves to the second wrapping belt. This moving belt drives the rotating bottle so that the overlapping seam of the label comes into contact with the resilient pressure pad 34, which is mounted over the first pad 28 in the bracket 35, which is then mounted as described above. is mounted on the table 10.

The second support part is positioned at a bottle engaging position diametrically opposed to the second winding belt 29. Further, the pad 36 is formed of a resilient member such as foamed rubber and is attached to a plate 37, which is attached to the top of the table 10 by a bracket 38.

Further, the second winding belt 29 and its drive roll 30 and entrance roll 31 are both attached to a mounting plate 3 which is movable relative to the upper surface of the table 10.
It is pointed out that the mechanism can be mounted at 9 and thus adjusted toward and away from the centerline of the conveyor surface 12 to accommodate mechanisms for bottles of different sizes. Similarly, the second support pad 36
The supporting bracket 38 can also be moved towards and away from the centerline of the conveyor surface 12.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the bottle B, after passing between the second support pad and the second winding belt, is supported by a brush spacer, generally indicated by the reference numeral 40, and the bottle B is With the brush spacer 40 in face-to-face contact under the force generated by the moving belt 29, the leading bottle leaves the spacer 30 and is free to move into the heat shrink oven 41 at the speed of the conveyor surface 12. Pass up to the point. These bottles move away from the brush spacer at regular intervals depending on the speed at which the label wrapping device is operating. It should be understood that drum 21 and drive roll 30 are driven together.

A specific gravure roll mounting portion and fountain will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2-4. Solvent application section 26 is supported by a generally hollow shallow base structure 42 that rests on top of table 10. This base structure 42 includes a horizontal bottom plate 43, and a vertical peripheral wall portion 44 of the base structure 42 includes a horizontal bottom plate 43.
protrudes upward from. Wall 44 acts as an enclosure for the adjustment mechanism. A main support pedestal 47 is provided and fixed to the table 10. As seen in Figures 1 and 2, this frame 4
A support bracket 48 projects outwardly from 7 and is mounted on a vertical slide 49 which can be adjusted vertically relative to the cradle by means of an adjustment bolt 50. bracket 48
supports the upper end of the vertical shaft 51. This shaft 51 has a spur gear 52 attached to its upper end.
Equipped with The lower end of the shaft 51 passes through a lower support housing 53 attached to the bottom plate 43.
The shaft passes downwardly through an opening in the table and is driven by drive means (not shown).

A vertical sleeve 54 surrounds the shaft 51 and its suitable intermediate bearing rotates the sleeve about the axis of the shaft 51.
The lower end of the sleeve is secured to the horizontal platform 55. This platform 55 similarly moves in a horizontal plane about the axis of the shaft 51. Platform 55 is gravure roll 2
7 supports the bottom bearing 56. This bearing 56 is supported between an inner bottom closure member 57 and a vertical stub shaft 58. The stub shaft is centrally mounted in an annular fluid collection chamber 59 which is positioned on the platform in a generally surrounding relationship to the bottom of the gravure roll.
The outer surface of the gravure roll is supplied with solvent from a vertical fountain 60, and excess solvent can flow freely down the roll surface into a collection chamber 59 from where it can be circulated to the fountain.

The gravure roll 27 is rotated by a drive shaft 61 which passes through a surrounding support housing 62 vertically above the roll. The support housing 62 is supported in the position shown in FIG. 2 by an arm 63 which extends from the housing 62 to the upper region of the sleeve 54. The upper end of the shaft 61 passes through the support housing and includes a spur gear 64 fixed thereto. This gear 64 meshes with the gear 52 on the drive shaft 51. Therefore, rotation of the drive shaft 51 rotates the gravure roll 27. A shroud 65 is shown over both spur gears.

As mentioned above, the drum 21 that supports the label
rotates these labels into contact with gravure roll 27 and receives solvent from the gravure roll. In FIG. 3, gravure roll 27 is in contact with tip 66 of label 22. In FIG. The tip 66 is held in the raised area 67 of the drum 21.
The gravure roll 27 is biased towards the drum 21 by a horizontally positioned piston motor 68, the casing of which is mounted on the side of the pedestal 47 (see FIG. 1) and whose piston rod is fixed to the sleeve 54. radial arm.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, a platform 55 supporting the gravure roll 27
The drum 21 is centered around the axis of the sleeve 54.
biased in the direction of Adjustable stops are provided to precisely control the distance between the outer surface of the roll and the surface of the drum. Details of this adjustment mechanism are disclosed in co-pending US patent application Ser. No. 856,241 (filed April 28, 1986).

In prior art systems, this adjustment was accomplished by engaging threaded bolts in the sides of the platform 55 generally proximal to the axis of the mounting shaft 51.

As shown in FIG. 2, the gravure roll 27 is a cylindrical metal roll with a substantially smooth surface and has predetermined spaced apart areas 69 and 70 carved therein. Region 69 extends over the entire height of label 22 supported by drum 21 so that the entire height of solvent is applied to trailing edge 71 of the label. In Figure 3, the rear end of the label is
It is shown supported on a raised area 72 on the surface of drum 21. Engraving area 7 of gravure roll
0 forms a second region (not shown) narrower than region 69 and approximately the same size as region 70 on the surface of the roll 27 vertically below region 70 to about one third of the distance from the bottom of roll 27. Area 70 is the area of the gravure roll that is in contact with the tip 66 of the label. These areas 70 supply a small amount of solvent to the label in two vertically spaced areas which apply the label to the bottle at position "P" as the bottle moves past the label applicator. is sufficient.

Fountain 60 is formed from a very high molecular weight polymeric material that is machined so that its front surface 73 exactly matches the curvature of gravure roll 27. This front surface 73 is provided with a vertical channel 74. An inlet passage 75 passes through the fountain and opens at the bottom of this channel 74. An outlet passageway 76 extends from the upper end of the channel 74 to the back of the fountain. Connect hoses 77 and 78 to the inlet and outlet passages. On each side of channel 74, surface 73 has a pair of vertical grooves 79 cut therein, which grooves extend below the bottom of channel 74. A generally horizontal chamber 80 is cut into the face of the fountain and communicates with the lower end of groove 79.
Chamber 80 includes a bottom drain hole 80a through which excess solvent accumulated in groove 79 can be transferred to chamber 59. This solvent can be circulated from a reservoir (not shown) to the fountain inlet.

Grooves 79 are separated by ribs which act as doctor blades to effectively confine solvent on the gravure roll to engraved areas 69 and 70. The fountain head 60 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is held in contact with the roll 27 by a pair of generally horizontal vertically spaced push rods 81. The upper push rod is supported by a bolt 84 in a top clevis 82 held in a recess 83 in the fountain head 60. Similarly, the lower push rod is supported by a lower clevis 85 which is rotatably supported in a recess 86 in the head 60. Both push rods 81 pass through a linear bearing 87 and are supported thereby. These bearings may be Thomson type "TWN" fixed diameter double pillow block bearings manufactured by Thomson Industries, Inc. of Manhattan, New York. These bearings are mounted on the vertical surface of clamp plate 88.

The push rod 81 passes through the bearing 87, and
Fixed screw collar part 89 fixed to its extended end
Equipped with The compression spring 90 is brought into contact with the collar portion 89, and the other end is brought into contact with a spring screw 91 screwed onto a spring adjustment block 92. These blocks 92 are also mounted on the vertical surface of clamp plate 88. As can be readily seen, the force exerted by spring 90 that keeps fountain block 60 against the gravure roll can be selectively adjusted by rotating screw 91.

The clamp plate 88 has a
A pair of shoulder bolts 93 are provided. Similarly, a pair of shoulder bolts 94 also protrude from the lower end.
These shoulder bolts 93 and 94 engage vertical angular slots 95 formed in the tips of the upper and lower base holders 96. The base holder 96 is fixed at reference numeral 97 to a substantially vertical sub-base 98 in the form of a vertical plate whose top and bottom ends fit between the two base holders 96 . Furthermore, these base holders 96 are bolted to the base block 100 at locations 99. The base block 100, which is approximately the same height as the sub-base 98, has a vertical rib 1.
01 is formed. The rib 101 is connected to the support sleeve 5
The adapter bracket 103 is housed in a vertical slot 102 formed in the opposite surface of an adapter bracket 103 secured to the adapter 4. Bolt the base block 100 to the adapter bracket.

The clamp plate 88 and the fountain support structure attached thereto can be easily replaced by other fountain supports if rapid replacement of the fountain is desired, as described above. This quick change feature is provided by toggle clamp 104.
This clamp is located in Troy, Michigan.
It can be of the U-bolt pull type manufactured by STACO Division. This clamp consists of a U-bolt 105 and a clasp 10.
6 and can be pivoted and engaged. Clasp 106 is attached to the surface of subbase 98 and passes through opening 107 in clamp plate 88. The main body of the clamp 104 is the clamp plate 88
fixed to the surface. Thus, the clamp plate 88
It will be seen that operation of the toggle clamp 104 by pulling the handle 108 away from the clasp 106 moves the U-bolt to the left as viewed in FIG. 4 and releases the clasp 106. When the toggle clamp is released, the clamp plate 88 is free to move to the right as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4 and its shoulder bolt leaves the angular slot 95 in the base holder 96.

A replacement fountain can be introduced in the reverse manner, with the new fountain 60 against the roll 27, the shoulder bolt 93 inserted into the slot 95, and the U-bolt 105 inserted into the clasp 1.
06 and press the toggle clamp handle toward the clamp plate 88.

All of these operations can be performed without the need to use tools, such as screwdrivers or wrenches, as previously required.

The present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, but
It will be appreciated that many design changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a schematic plan view of an apparatus for wrapping shrink labels around bottles incorporating a quick-change fountain apparatus according to the invention for gravure rolls for applying solvents; FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial plan view of the fountain and mounting arrangement according to the present invention as seen in the direction of the arrows 3 of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial plan view of the fountain of FIG. and a side view of the installation, and FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a fountain according to the invention. 10...table, 11...conveyor, 12...
...Conveyor surface, 16,17...Star wheel, 60...Fountain.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A quick exchange fountain for applying a solvent to the surface of a vertical gravure roll, comprising a vertical member extending parallel to the axis of said gravure roll but horizontally displaced from said axis; , a mounting means projecting from the vertical member and comprising a pair of vertically spaced outwardly extending horizontal base holders;
a substantially rectangular clamp plate having a vertical length substantially equal to the vertical spacing between the base holders; two pairs of shoulder bolts protruding from both ends of the clamp plate; and two pairs of shoulder bolts extending through the upper and lower base holders, respectively. a pair of vertically spaced horizontal shafts for seating the shoulder bolt in the angular slot; a linear bearing for reciprocating support; a vertical fountain adapted to engage the surface of the roll; means for mounting the fountain on the end of the horizontal shaft; and means for biasing the shaft in one direction of the axis. A quick release device comprising spring means for engaging a fountain with said gravure roll and a toggle clamp secured to said clamp plate and including a U-bolt, a clasp and a handle for connecting said clamp plate to said attachment means. Replacement fountain device. 2 further comprising a solvent inlet tube connected to a lower end of the fountain, an outlet tube connected to an upper part of the fountain, and a first vertical slot located in a face of the fountain extending from the inlet to the outlet. An apparatus according to claim 1. 3 a plurality of second vertical slots in each of said first vertical slots, means for interconnecting the lower ends of said plurality of second vertical slots, and a bottom drainage hole in said fountain communicating with said interconnecting means; 3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises a pair of threaded spring adjustment blocks attached to said clamp plate and a threaded spring screw attached to each adjustment block. 5 further comprising a set of threaded collars mounted adjacent an end of each horizontal shaft, the spring extending between the collar and the threaded screw to adjust the tension in the spring; 4. The device according to claim 4. 6. The shoulder bolt is held at the front end of the angular slot by a toggle clamp, and when the toggle clamp is released, the clamp plate moves relative to the base holder to remove the shoulder bolt from the slot, thereby cleaning or replacing the fountain. 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to allow rapid access to the fountain for the purpose of accessing the fountain. 7. said fountain comprises an elongated block, said block being curved on one side to match the outer curvature of the gravure roll, and further comprising an elongated undercut slot in the face of said block;
2. The device of claim 1, further comprising threaded inlet and outlet connections at the back of said block communicating with the upper and lower ends of said elongated slot.