US1675397A - Can-labeling-machine pick-up cement heater - Google Patents

Description

July, 3, 1928. 1,675,397

C. H. WILD CAN LABELING MACHINE PICK-UP CEMENT HEATER Filed July 18, 1924 5 sheets sheet l July 3, 1928. J 1,675,397

c. H. WILD cm LABELING momma non-u? 0mm HEAT-ER Filed July 18, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 3, 1928.

c; H. WILD CAN LABELING MACHINE PICK-UP CEMENT HEATER Filed July 18, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I gumm @Q ,mmuq

Patented July 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. WILD, 0F BALTIMORE, MAnYLAivn, assxenon T0 BURT MACHINE Conn rm, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

OAN-LABELING-MACHINE PICK-UP CEMENT HEATER.

Application filed July 18,

In the operation of labeling cans, which in every cannery of any considerable capacity is performed by special automatic machines known as labeling machines through which the cans are rolled on ways, picking up the labels as they go, the cans are first spotted with cement orglue and then passed over the label pack, the spot of cement or glue on each can causing it to pick ups. label as it passes, each label being thus rolled about the corresponding can and finally secured by pasting the lap end.

The glue or cement, known in thetrade as pick-up glue, by means of which the cans are spotted to enable them to pick up the labels, is at normal temperatures solid or semi-solid, and is kept hot in a suitable receptacle in the machine during the entire OpOIEll/lOILOf the machine, each machine being provided with heating means for this purpose.

The cement or glue which is used in this way comes in large cans holding several gallons which when cold is a solider semisolid hard or sticky inassof the consistency of resin or pitch, and must be dug or broken from the cans. This results in waste from failure to empty the cans. If an operator :forgets to fillthe glue pot in connection with his machine, and the glue or cement is permitted to run out, it is necessary to discontinue the operation of the machine until a new supply can be heated in the glue pot, the heating capacity of which is not ordinarily suflicient to perform this operation quickly, the heating apparatus in the glue pot being rather intended to maintain the glue in liquid condition than to melt hard cement, so that a delay results.

Theobject of the present invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which the cans of pick-up glue may be heated and emptied without loss, the apparatus in cluding a chamber in which thecans are heated and means for heating them dlrectly and a receptacle at'thebottom of the heated chamber which holds and maintains continually a supply of liquid glue or cement, and has means for heating the liquid glue to keep it in liquid condition, the apparatus including a drain cock Or tapwith a valve mainly 1924. Serial No. 726,889.

vicinity of a heating unit, which at the time of starting, i. e., when the first can of glue is heated, is supplied with heat sufiicient to l quefy the material. The heating chamber is completely closed as to the bottom portion,

which serves as a receptacle for the liquid cement, and 1s also provided with a heating unit at the bottom, which is submerged in the liquefied material, keeping it heated to the point ofliquefaction.

While it is deemed necessary to apply heat directly, by means of a heat unit in the immediate vicinity of the can, to the first can which is placed in. the-heater at the beginning of operations, the heat radiated from the liquid material] which is maintained at a temperature above the temperature of liquefaction by the submerged heating units, is sufiicient to melt the contents of the cans, subsequently inserted, except when the material in the heater or oven becomes wholly or almost wholly exhausted, as in instances of negligence and oversight on the part of the attendant. I 7

By means of this apparatus I remove the glue or cement from the cans and provide a continuous supply of liquid cement always ready to replace that in the cement or glue pots on the machines, thus overcoming the difficulties previously encountered.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated a can label pick-up glue heater in accordance with my invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus in the preferredform.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the line 2, 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section parallel to the plane of Figure 1 and on the line 3, 3 of Figure 2.

a Figure 4! is a horizontal section on the line 4, t of Figure 1. i

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a slightly it b different form of apparatus having two heating units instead of one in the innnediate vicinity of the can being treated.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section on the line (3, 6 of Figure 2 looking to the left in said Figure.

Figure 7 is a plan of the electrical circuit employed in heating the apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive.

Figure 8 is a plan of the electric heating circuit employed in the apparatus, Figures 5 and 6, both said terms of the invention being electrically heated.

Figure 9 is an elevation of the upper portion of the apparatus showing a steam heating coil in place of the electric heating element which heats the cans containing the cement, i. e., the upper heater.

Figure 10 is a horizontal section showing the lower heating element where steam heating is employed.

Figure 11 is a section on the line 11, 11, Figure 9, showing the upper heating element in the steam heated device in plan.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, each of which is used to indicate the same or similar parts in the ditl'erent figures, the apparatus, asshown, consists of an upright structure in the nature of a cabinet 1 comprising a chamber or oven 2 consisting of outer walls 3 of wood, terminating below in legs or supports 41, so that the casing or chamber is placed a foot or more above the floor, and inner walls 4 of sheet metal preferably spaced inwardly from the outer walls to provide an interwall air or vacuum space 5, the interwall members being supported on suitable struts 6..

The chamber or oven 2, as shown, is of elongated rectamgular shape about twice as high as it is wide and having a door opening '7 in the upper half, closed by a door 8. Below the door the chamber is completely closed at the sides torming a container for the melted or liquid cement, as hereinafter low the level of the door opening 7, transverse horizontal suppports in the nature of straps 9 spaced apart less than the width of the cement cans to be treated. These extend from one side to the other of the cha1nher and are turned at right angles as to the ends 10, which ends 10 are secured to the walls byrivets or bolts 11 passing through these ends, and the sheet material 4 forming the inner walls.

I have also shown a transverse support 13 at the rear in thenature of an angle having an upwardly projecting flange l l serving as positioning means for the cans.

At the bottom of the receptacle I have shown a drip cock or spigot 16 in any suitable torm, the same being controlled by a valve which may be a plug valve or gate valve having a stem 17 and handwheel or other suitable control. The drip cock, as shown, includes an elbow 18 connected to the T valve casing 19, the other end of the valve casing being open at 20, and the valve packing box 21 extending outward through the metal walls l and having one nut 22 on the inside of the wall, and a second nut 23 on the outside of the wall whereby the valve chamber or casing is held in position by tightening the nuts. The elbow 18 is connected to a short section of pipe 9A which extends downward through the bottom of the oven or cabinet and may be suitably held by means of nuts 25 and 26. In this connection it is important to note that the drip cock and valve, except for the projecting end 24, are entirely within the heated receptacle and are thus kept free for the flow ot the melted cement or glue, the constant temperature above the melting point of the material thus maintained preventing hardening of the glue in the passage, and consequent obstruction of the passage.

The cans of cement or glue being first opened at the top, are inverted and placed in the oven or heater in inverted position with the open top edges of the can resting on the supports 9, 13, see Figure 3, and when the contents of the cans is heated by means of the can heating unit 28, shown in the form of a heating member which is semicircular in plan, and which in the form shown in Figure 3 is heated by means of an electric coil illustrated diagrannnatically in Figure 7 and to be hereinafter described.

It is at present regarded as necessary to energize the heating unit 28 only when the temperature of the heater or oven 2 is down on account of the apparatus having been out of operation or the supply ot glue hav ing been exhausted, an immediate supply is necessary, and, further, on account of the absence of a supply of melt ed glue, the apparatus has comparatively little stored heat or heat units to be imparted to the glue in the cam which is being placed in the chamber to be melted as aforesaid.

In Figure 5 I have shown an apparatus similar to that illustrated in Figure 3 eX- cept that it supplied with two scmi-circular can heating units 29 and 31, one over the other, and substantially parallel and intended to be in close heat-imparting relation with the can to be heated during the operation of the heater. This gives a variable heating capacity to this portion of the apparatus, the coils contained in the said heating units being capable of separate operation as illustrated in the diagram, Figure 8. V

In Figures 2, 3 and 6 I have shown in addition to the can heating units 28, or 29, and 31, intended to be in direct contact with the can, other heating units 3?; and 3-2;,

These pipes enclose the heating units 33,

345, each comprising in this instance an electric coil illustrated diagrammatically 1n Figures 7 and 8, and tote later described,

extend at their rear ends into the immediate vicinity of the drain cook or plug valve 16, and at their opposite ends 37 they are open and protrude from the casing or cabinet- 1. In the opcration'ot the oven or cement heating apparatus, these heating units are continuously or almost continuously energized, serving to maintain'the liquefied cement at a temperature above the point of liquefaction and to keepthe drip cock at a corresponding temperature so that the liquid cement may be easily and conveniently drawn oif as required into a small receptacle as indicated by reference character 38 in Figure 1, to be transported to and placed in the glue or cement pot of the labeling machine or machinesi ln-Figures 9, 10 and 11 I have shown steam heating coils 42 audit}, the coil 42 being substituted for the lower heating units 83, 341, and the coil 43 for the can.

heating unit 28 or the can heating units 29 and 31. These may be arranged in any suitable manner. The 001142 as-shown is U-shapcd having two parallel horizontal legs connected together by the ,crossarmof the U and one OfSitlCl legs being connected main 45 by a pipe 52 and having therein a valve 53. The coil is drainedby a trap 54 connected to the-lower leg of the coil 51.

In Figure 7 I have shown a circuitplan of theelectric heating apparatus in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, and in Figure 8 I have shown a circuit planet the heating apparatus in Figure The diagram Figure 7 includes positive and negative mains 56 and 55, the heating units 33 and 84- for the liquid cementor glue receptacle shown in' Figure 3 sub merged in the liquid nearthe bottom, containing electric coils 58 and 59 connectedin series acrossthe mains and 56 by way of a switch 60ofany preferred type. The diagram also includes a heating unit 28 corresponding to the semicircular can heating member 28 of Figure 4 containing a heating coil 61 connected across the mains 55 and 56, and having in one said connection a switch 62 for throwing'gthe coil into and out of circuit independently ofthe coils 58 and 59. i i

The diagram of Figure 8 which applies particularly to the form of apparatus illustrated in Figure 5, shows two heating units 33, 34 corresponding exactly to those described in l igurefi, under the same reference numerals, except as to the manner of connecting the electrical circuit and containing coils 58 and 59. These coils are connected in series across the plus and minus mains 65 and 66. Thisiconnection comprises a conductor 67 connecting the corresponding terminals of the two coils 58 andv59, the conductor 68 and '68 connecting thelother terminal of the coil 59 to the plus main 65 and a conductor 69 connecting theother terminal of the coil 58 to the minus main 66. The circuit includes a two-point switch 70, the swinging arm or blade of which, 71, is connected to the main .65, by conductor 68, one of the switch contacts 72 being connetted to the coil 59 by the conductor 68 and the otherswitch contact 73 being in the connection 67. By placing theswitch arm or blade 71 in contact with the terminal 73,

the coil 59 is cut out of circuit,:and by placing it in contact with the terminal 72, the coils 58 and 59 are connected in series.

The conductor 69 which connects the coil 58 to the main 66 contains athree-point switch 75 having the swinging arm 76 thereof connected by one portion of the conductor 69 to the coil 58. One terminal] of this switch marked High is connected by the other portion of theconductor 69 to the minus main 66, and the three contactpoints of the switch marked High, Medium and Low are connected together by a resistance 77,78.

In the operation of thisportion of the circuit it is apparent that the coil 59, which it will be understood is in the heating unit 34, which is one of the units 33, 34 at the bottom of the liquid glueor cement receptacle, may be cut out at will by throwing i the switch arm 71 in contact with the terminal 7 3. These coils are out in and out depending upon the amount of heat desired at the bottom of the liquid cement receptacle.

The heat in these coils may be further varied or entirely out out by means of the switch 75. When the switch arm 76 is in contact with the high terminal, and both of the coils 58, 59 are in circuit, the switch arm 71 being on the contact point 72, the maxi mum heating effect is obtained, and thisheating effect is reduced without cutting out the extra coil 59 by moving the switch arm 7 6 into contact with the medium point or the low point as may be found lit! units desirable, and three other heating effects are obtained by use of these three points, High, Medium and Low, with the single coil 58, the coil 59 being cut out as already described.

The diagram, Figure 8,-corresponding to Figure 5, also includes the two heating units 29 and 31 containing coils SO and 81, which as shown are connected together in parallel across the mains and 66 by conductors 81 and S2, and conductors 83 and 84 which con- 7 nect the respective ends ofthe coils together. The conductor 81 contains a three-point switch 85 having High, Low and Medium terminals so marked and an oft-termi nal also marked with the word Off, the high, low and medium terminals being connected by a resistance 86 and 87. The swinging arm 88 of the switch is connected to one portion of the conductor 81 and the high terminal is connected to the other portion of this conductor. By moving the switch arm 88 from one terminal to the other, cutting the resistance in or out, a high, low or medium heating effect is obtained with the two coils in circuit. The

conductor 84 which connects two correspond mg ends of the coils 80 and 81 contains a single point switch 89 between the junction of the conductors 82 and 84, and the end of the coil 80 whereby the coil 80 may be cut out, so that with the switch 81 and switch 85, three more heating effects are obtained,

The operation of the device has been quite fully discussed in the preamble and in connection with the description of the apparatus.

In accordance with the operation of the present device the cement cans are opened at the top and placed in the heater in in verted position on the rack 9, 13. The operation of the apparatus is intended to be continuous with the operation of the corresponding labeling machines, of which one such heater will serve one, two or several machines.

1n starting when the machine and glue are cold, the upper heating units 28 or 29, 31 or 50, 51, in accordance with the construct-ion of the particular machine, are then placed in full operation, and as soon as the cement begins to flow, the lower heating 3?, 34 are also energized, so as to maintain the cement which accumulates in the bottom of the heating chamber, as shown at 93 in Figure 3, in a liquid or fluid condition. IVhen the can of cement is emptied into a receptacle, the upper heating units are shut ofl" and the can may be removed. lVhen the liquid in the bottom of the receptacle is drawn down below a certain pre determined point a new can is inserted, similarly opened at the top and inverted and the operation continued When the apparatus is fully heated and contains a considerable amount of heated cement at the bottom, the can-heating units at the top of the chamber are generally found unnecessary, sufficient heat to melt the cement being obtained from the lower heating units and the heated liquid, but in starting after a shut-down, as in the morning, and when the cement is nearly exhausted from the bottom of the chamber, the can heating units are deemed necessary and are placed in operation to heat the cement in the cans.

\Vhenever the cement or glue pot on one of the labeling machines is nearly exhausted or emptied of liquid cement, a conveniently portable receptable 38, see Figure 1, is placed beneath the drip cock or the outlet 24 thereof, and the valve 16 is opened to release a quantity of liquid cement which is then carried in the receptacle to the machine and poured into the glue pot of such machine.

In' this way all the difficulties previously incident and regarded as essential to maintaining a supply of glue or cement in the pick-up or spotting apparatus of the machines, are overcome and avoided.

It is apparent from the diagrams Figures 7 and 8, and from the illustration of the steam apparatus, that the can heating units and the liquid heating units may be varied as to the degree of heat transmitted thereby, to suit the exact convenience of the operator, and that in all instances the coils may be in dependently operated, so that either the upper or lower units or portions thereof may be separately heated to varying degrees of intensity, giving exactly the desired heating effect and avoiding burning of the cement and waste of heat. i

'I have thus described specifically and in detail an apparatus embodying my invention in various 'forms in order that the nature and operation of the same may be clearly understood however, the specific terms herein are used descriptively rather than in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for heating pick-up cement for can-labeling machines. a heating chamber having means for holding the eement cans in inverted position. heating means adjacent the cans as thus held. and heating means near the bottom of the chamher, the receptacle having an opening to ad mit the cans, and a closed portion below said opening to hold liquid cement from the cans, and means for separately controlling the heating effect in said respective heating means.

2. In an apparatus for heating pick-up &

cans in inverted position, heating means adjacent the cans as thus held, and heating means near the bottom of the chamber, the chamber having an opening at the side to admit the cans, and a closed portion below said opening to hold liquid cement from the cans, and means for separately controlling the heating eifect in said respective heating means, and varying the heating effect as ap plied to the cans and to the liquid cement 1 separately and independently.

Signed by me at Baltimore, Maryland this 16th day of Jul 1924.

G ARLES H. VILD.

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