US2323691A - Labeling machine - Google Patents

Description

y 1943- G. w. VON HOFE 2,323,691

LABELING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 2, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 62-0265 14 vow/v orz BY H 1943- G. w. VON HOFE 2,323,691

LABELING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 2, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GEORGE I44 ro/v fi ofif BY ATTORNEY July 6, 1943. G. w. VON HOFE LABELING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 2, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. GEORGE W. V0/V//0F Patented July 6, 1943 LABELING MACHINE George W. von Hofe, Bound Brook, N. J assignor to New Jersey Machine Corporation, Hoboken, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Original application December 2, 1936, Serial No.

113,796. Divided and this application February 6, 1940, Serial No. 317,477

(Cl. ill-50) 2 Claims.

My invention relates to labeling machines and has for its object to provide machines of the indicated type with novel means whereby the application of adhesive to the labels may be effected and controlled in an efiicient and simple manner. Other more specific objects will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims. This application is a division of another application filed. by me in the United States Patent Oflice on December 2, 1936, Serial No. 113,796.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an example of the invention without defining its limits, Fig. l is a sectional elevation of a labeling machine with the novel features embodied therein; Fig. 1A is an elevation of the machine looking in the opposite direction from Fig. 1; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view of the labeling machine; Fig. 3 is a detail section illustrating the novel adhesive applying roll and associated take-oil" members forming part of the invention; Fig. 4 is a detail view of the mounting for the adhesive distributing roll, and Figs, 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views showing another novel feature of the invention.

The labeling machine includes a supporting frame II! on which a suitable hopper or container ll arranged to contain a supply stack of labels I2 is supported at what may be termed the label pick-up station of the machine. The bottom I3 of the container 1 I is vertically adjustable in any customary manner as by rack 14 and pinion 15 for periodically restoring the upper end of the stack of labels I2 to a predetermined level in operative relation to th associated elements of the machine. The elevating mechanism is controlled in the well-known way by means of a feeler l6 operated by means of a bell-crank lever 11 and a cam I8 carried by a rock-shaft 19.

A suitable support 20 for the articles A to be labeled, is movable in the specific form shown from an article receiving and removing position to-a labeling position at the label applyingstation of the machine by means of a cam 21 fixed upon a driving shaft 2| rotatably mounted in conventional bearings on the frame 10. The machine further includes means whereby individual labels I2 are successively removed from the supply stack at the pick-up station and transferred to the label applying station of the machine for application to the articles A. As shown the transfer means consists of a carriage 22 slidably mounted on a horizontal guide rail 23 and reciprocated thereon by suitable means exemplified by the arm 24 on the rock-shaft l9 and associated elements. A suction head 25 is mounted in the carriage 22 and is vertically recipr'ocable thereon in any conventional way and by means of any well-known mechanism; provision is made in any usual manner for developing and controlling suction in the head 25 in proper timing in an operative cycle of the machine.

The mechanism whereby the shaft 19 is rocked in a predetermined manner is illustrated in Fig. 1A and will be described more fully hereinafter.

In the instant machine the labels l2 picked up successively by the suction head from the supply tack are provided with a .coating of adhesive on one surface during the transfer of said labels from the pick-up station to the label applying station or th point of application to the articles A or their equivalent. For this purpose the machine includes adhesive applying means consisting of an adhesive applying roll 26 carried by a shaft 21 suitably journalled in the frame I0, and an adhesive distributing roll 28 located on a shaft 29 in tangential relation with the roll 26. 'To provide for the adjustment of the roll 28 relatively to the roll 26, said shaft 29, in the illustrated example, is rotatably mounted on bell-crank levers 30 pivoted on the frame I0 at 31 and provided with adjustable stop-screws 32 adapted to engage fixed stops 33; springs 34 maintain the stop-screws 32 against and return them into engagement with the stops 33 to thereby determine the position of the roll 28 relatively to the roll 26. It will be understood that the frame I0 is provided with openings for the shaft 29 of such dimensions as to permit the shifting of said shaft 29 during adjustment of the roll 28 relatively to the roll 26. In the preferred arrangement the roll 26 is formed with circumferential grooves 35 for the purpose to be more fully set forth hereinafter, and the roll 28 carries loosely mounted rings 36 adapted to project into the grooves 35 to prevent adhesive from filling the same. The novel arrangement further includes take-off members or fingers 31 fixed upon a stationary portion 38 of the frame I!) located rearwardly of the adhesive applying roll 26 so that the take-off members 31 are likewise positioned length and so arranged as to project beyond the peripheral surface of the roll 26 at their free ends. In the preferred arrangement the free end portions of the take-off members 31 project tangentially in the grooves 35 of the adhesive applying roll 26 below the peripheral surface thereof and beyond said peripheral surface to an extent less than the horizontal radius of said roll 26 in the direction of travel of the labels l2 toward the label applying station. Because of the fact that the take-off members 31 project in the direction of travel of the labels and in the direction of rotation of the roll 26, said members 31 are subjected to tensional strains when said roll 26 is in operation; in other words the members 31 are not subject to any compression forces as is the case in existing machines in which the pick-off members project in directions opposite to the direction of rotation of the associated roll. As a result of the absence of compression forces, as set forth above, the take-off members 31 are at no time, required to resist any tendency to buckle and accordingly may be made of very thin material without affecting their efficiency: because of this fact the grooves 35 of the roll 26 may be made correspondingly narrow. As a consequence of this arrangement the dry spots on the labels, that is the portions thereof which because of the presence of the members 31 and grooves 35, receive no adhesive, are very narrow or in other words are of minimum dimensions. In practice it sometimes happens that because of careless cleaning of the adhesive applying roll 26, a residue of adhesive will remain in the grooves 35 thereof so that, at the end of a rest period, the members 31 will be sealed or glued in said grooves 35. With the instant novel arrangement this will cause no damage because of the fact that the members 31 are subjected to tensional forces when the roll 26 is rotated; any adhesive connection existing between the roll 26 and the members 31 is accordingly easily disrupted with a minimum of mechanical force and without injury to any of the parts.

At the same time the free ends of the members 31, which project beyond the peripheral surface of the roll 26 as set forth above, prevent the labels from adhering to said roll 26 and from being carried with the same in its path of rotation; in other words, the labels, after being adhesively coated by the roll 26 as will be described more fully hereinafter, will not be torn away from the suction head 25.

It is to be noted that the adhesive applying roll 26 is of relatively small diameter, that is not materially more than half the diameter of the adhesive distributing roll 28, so that the labels when carried by the suction head 25 over and in tangential contact or adhesive receiving relation to said r011 26 form therewith relatively small angles of only slight depth toward the apices thereof. This is due to the fact that only a minimum portion of the circumferential surface of the roll 26 is in tangential relation with a correspondingly small part of the surface of successive labels when the latter pass in contact or adhesive receiving relation with said roll 26, while at the same time the surface of th roll 26 curves abruptly downwardly and away from said label surface. The tendency for adhesive to collect and pile up on the roll 26 in the aforesaid angles is thus reduced to a minimum. The difference in this respect between a roll 26 of relatively small diameter and the customary adhesive applying roll of relatively large diameter is shown diagrammatically in Figs. 5 and 6 respectively; as a result of the instant novel arrangement, the adhesive coatings on the labels are continuously uniform and even, and the formation of beads of adhesive at the rear edges of the labels is prevented. The arrangement of the take-off members 31 to the rear of said roll 26 also assists in promoting this result.

The distributing roll 26 dips into a supply of adhesive in a container 39 of suitable construction and dimensions and mounted in the machine in any convenient manner. To facilitate access to the container 39 for filling, cleaning purposes or the like, said container 39 may be carried by a member 40 vertically slidable in a guide 4| on the frame ill; to enable the container 39 to be easily raised and lowered at will a hand lever 42 is pivoted at 43 on the frame l0 and is connected with the member 40 by means of a link 44 as illustrated in Fig. 1. Any suitable means may be provided for locking the container 39 in its raised position; for instance. as shown in Fig. l, the lever 42 may be provided with an opening adapted to removably receive a locking pin 45 properly mounted on the frame I0 for this purpose.

The rolls 26 and 23 are preferably geared together for instance by means of a pinion 46 on the shaft 21 and a gear 41 on the shaft 26, and are positively driven; for instance bymeans of a sprocket wheel 46 on the shaft 21 and a sprocket chain 49 connected with a suitable source of power.

In the operation of the machine, the carriage 22 is horizontally reciprocated on the guide rail 23 and carries the suction head 25 from the pick-up station to the label applying station and vice versa. At the pick-up station the suction head 25 is caused to pick up the current terminal label i2 from the supply stack and carry said label to the label applying station where said suction head 25 is operated to deposit said label i2 upon the article A which is on the support 26 at the time. Subsequently, in properly timed sequence, the deposited label i2 may be subjected to the action of a vertically reciprocable pressure member 56 controlled by a suitably operated lever 5| and associated mechanism to complete the application of said label to said article A The mechanism whereby the rock-shaft I3 is rocked on its axis and the arm 24 is operated to reciprocate the carriage 22 on the guide rail 23 comprises a toothed segment 52 fixed on said shaft l9 and meshing with a rack 53 vertically movable in a guideway 54 suitably located on the frame Ill. The rack 53 forms part of an operating member 55 forked at its lower end to straddle the driving shaft 2|". The operating member 55 carries a roller 56 which projects into the cam groove 51 of a cam 58 secured upon th shaft 2!. The cam groove 51 is designed as shown, to cause the speed of transportation of the carriage 22 and its suction head 25, and consequently of the labels l2 carried by the latter to vary relatively to the speed of movement of the adhesive applying means during the travel of said carriage 22, suction head 25 and transported label i 2 toward the applying station of the machine.

When the carriage 22 travels to the left in Fig. 1 or in other words toward the label applying station, which is toward the right in Fig. 1A, the suction head 25 will occupy a raised position in which the label I 2 which is in place thereon at the time, will pass in tangential uniform surface .contact or in adhesive receiving relation with the adhesive applying roll 26 and in any case will receive an even coating of adhesive upon its lower surface. During the return movement of the carriage 22, the suction head 25- is carried at a level above the adhesive applying roll 26 and accordingly will pass above said roll without contacting therewith.

The arrangement and operation of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1A, is such that during the described travel of the carriage 22 toward the left in Fig. 1, which is toward the right in Fig. 1A, the advance of the carried label l2 when first engaging the adhesive applying roll 26 or when first coming into adhesive receiving relation therewith, will be slower than the surface speed of said roll 26 thereby causing the latter to develop a wiping action on said label which prevents the forward end thereof from accumulating excess adhesive; as the travel toward the left in Fig.1 or toward the right in Fig. 1A continues, the advance of said label l2 will be accelerated to become faster than the surface speed of the roll 26 whereby piling up of excess adhesive at the rear end of said label is avoided.

As a result of this arrangement the coatings of adhesive applied to successive labels are uniform and even, and extension of surplus adhesive from beneath the labels during application thereof under pressure is reduced to "a minimum or entirely done away with.

Because of the fact that in the instant novel arrangement the forward edges of the labels l2 or their equivalent are located at a given point in the supply stack regardless of the length or other dimensions of said labels, these forward edges constitute a factor which is constant. By advancing said labels toward the adhesive roll 26 at a speed which at first is less than the surface speed of said'roll 2B and subsequently is greater than said surface speed, the application of the coating of adhesive to said labels is accomplished without accumulation of excess adhesive at any part of said labels; in other words, .the adhesive is applied uniformly and evenly at all times and undesirable soiling of the pressure member 50 and other elements of the machine with adhesive is positively avoided. At the same time dry spots on the adhesive coated surfaces of the labels are reduced to a minimum because of the type and arrangement of the pick-off members 31 and the correspondingly narrow co-operating grooves 35 of said roll 26. As a result a maximum and efiicient adhesive connection between the labels and the articles to which they are applied is effected by the machine.

The absence of seepage of adhesive also obviates the necessity for wiping of labels or articles and assures clean and efficient results. Furthermore, no skilled attendants are required to supervise the operation of the machine.

Various changes in the specific forms shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1.,In a labeling machine, the combination of a holder for a supply of labels, means for removing labels from said supply and transporting said labels to a labeling point, movable adhesive applying means, means for moving said adhesive applying means to apply coatings of adhesive to said labels during transport thereof to said labeling point, and means whereby the speed of transportation of said labels and the speed of movement of said adhesive applying means varying relatively to each other in predetermined sequence.

2. In a labeling machine, the combination of a holder for a supply of labels, means for removing labels from said supply and transporting said labels to a labeling point, a rotatively driven adhesive applying roll arranged to be tangentially engaged by said labels during transport to said labeling point whereby coatings of adhesive are applied to said labels, and means whereby the speed of transportation of said labels when initially engaging the adhesive applying roll is slower than the surface speed of said roll and subsequently is faster than the surface speed of said roll.

GEORGE van HOFE.

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