US2695721A

US2695721A - Labeling machine

Info

Publication number: US2695721A
Application number: US397171A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fairest Morgan; Derek H Fairest
Original assignee: Morgan Fairest Ltd
Current assignee: Morgan Fairest Ltd
Priority date: 1953-12-09
Filing date: 1953-12-09
Publication date: 1954-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 1971-11-30

Description

Nov. 30, 1954 M. FAIREST EI'AL LABELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4? Inventors 31 2 W. 7M

3;- waa 0&

M dam Attorneys Nov. 30, 1954 FMREST ETAL 2,695,721

LABELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorneys LABELING MACHINE Morgan Fairest and Derek H. Fairest, Sheffield, England, assignors to Morgan Fairest Limited, Shefiield, England Application December 9, 1953, Serial No. 397,171

8 Claims. (Cl. 216-55) This invention relates to labelling machines for performing the operation on bottles known as top-strap ping, i. e., applying a strap-like label over the head of a screwed stopper and down each side of the end of the bottle neck. a a

The object of the invention is to provide top-strapping means that will bring each end of the label into close conformity with the contour of the end of the bottle neck, thus providing both firm adhesion and neat appearance of the top-strapped bottle.

According to the present invention, top strapping means for a labelling machine comprises a head containing a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separated from the plunger, a block-holder slidable in the same direction as the plunger, springs urging the plungerand the blocks to a position in which their faces are in line with each other, means to limit the separate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to the blockholder, inter-engaging wedging surfaces on the blocks and the head to close the blocks on to the sides of the plunger in further sliding of the plunger into the head together with the blocks, suction openings in the end face of the block-holder in line with the blocks, and resilient surfaces on the sides of the blocks facing the sides of the plunger. The. plunger itself may contain a suction opening in its face.

With a label held by its ungummed side to the end face of the block-holder by suction applied through the openings, and with the label held across the face of the plunger in line with the blocks, endwise pressure between the head and a stoppered bottle supported co-axially with the plunger causes theplunger to slide into the head, the label being trapped between the plunger face and the end of the stopper. The ends of the label are drawn from the end face of the block-holder and lie in the spaces between the two blocks and the sides of the plunger.

The first inward movement of the plunger is suflicient for the label ends to lie wholly within these spaces, alongside the resilient surfaces of the blocks, the face of the plunger having receded beyond the inner ends of these surfaces. Further inward movement of the plunger then moves the block-holder with it, and the blocks close on to the label ends and the resilient surfaces press the label ends on to the edges of the stopper and on to the sides of the mouth end of the bottle neck The inward movement of the blocks in this further movement of the plunger is necessarily accompanied by the equal inward movement of the bottle mouth into the head, so that there is no relative lengthwise movement between the blocks and the bottle mouth: only the closing movement of the blocks. Consequently, the resilient surfaces of the blocks merely cause the label to be pressed to the contours of the stopper edges and of the mouth end of the bottle neck, the resilience enabling the surfaces to conform closely to these contours.

Advantageously, the surfaces are hollowed lengthwise to conform generally to the periphery of the mouth end, so that the resilient thickness of the surface merely has to accommodate itself to the single or multiple rim of the mouth end.

When the pressure between the plunger face and the stopper is relaxed, the blocks are free to move outwards away from the bottle mouth. There may be so urged by springs. When the stopper is finaly freed from the plunger, the plunger face is once again in line with the suction faces of the block-holder.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described States in greater detail with respect to the accompanying draw ings, in which Figure l is a vertical section of the head preparatory to the application of alabel to a bottle; a a w 1 1 Figure 2 corresponds to Figure 1, showing the label applied to the bottle; t

Figure 3 is a side elevation from the left of Figure 1; t a H a t F'gclllre 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Figure an a i Figure 5 corresponds toFigure 1, but shows an alternative construction. 1

t he head body 1 has a conical flared end 2 leading to a parallel bore 3 in which is guided a cylindrical centre portion 4 of a block-holder 5, with two radial. slots 6 in the end of the holder within the conical flare carrying radial fins 7 ofsliding blocks 8. t a

-The fins 7 have inclined outer faces 9 bearing against the correspondingly inclined inner faces of wedge fins 10 proejcting through slots 11 in the flare 2 and carried by plates 12 secured to the flare. The wedge faces are rather more sharply inclined than the wall of the flare, but a similar action (as explained below) is obtainable by having the faces 9 bear against the inside of the wall (Figure 5); however, the separate wedges: 10 are advantageous inbeing replaceable in the event of wear, besides allowing a sharper operating angle to be used. The blocks 8 are urged outwards by springs 13.

An inner cylindrical portion 14 of the holder 4 is of smaller diameter and fits a corresponding smaller bore 15 in the head. It ends in a collar 16 urged by a spring 17 into contact with the end 18 of a larger bore 19 continuing in the head beyond the bore 15. A sleeve 20 fits within the smaller bore 21 of the holder 4 and guides an (to a smaller scale) taken innerhead 22 of a cylindrical plunger 23 fitting and projecting from a reduced bore 24 in the sleeve 20. The plunger is bored at 25 to receive a spring 26 that urges the inner head 22 against the end 27 of its bore.

An outer head 28 of the plunger 23 bears against the lower end 29 of the sleeve when the plunger is compressed against the action of the spring 26, and the end 29 of the sleeve forms a collar that bears on the inner end 30 of the central bore 21 of the holder 4. Further compression of the plunger 23 against the action of its spring 26 causes the holder 4 to be compressed against the action of its own spring 17. The blocks 8 are carried upwardly by the holderand forced radially inwardsas the faces9 of the fins 7 then slide along the inner faces of the wedge fins 10 (see Figure 2).

Beyond the blocks 8, the holder 4 ends in suction heads 31 with faces 32 in line with the face 33 ofithe head 28 of the plunger 23 when the latter is urged to the limit by its spring 26. The suction heads 31 and the plunger head 28 are faced with resilient material 34. The faces of the suction heads 31 have suction openings .35 connecting with suction passages 36, flexible connections 37 (Figure 3) providing for the application of suction via tubes 38. A suction opening 39 in the head of the plunger 23 is supplied by a central tube 40 from a flexible connection41.

The overall area of the resilient faces 34 corresponds to that of the label 42 to be applied, and suction applied at the

openings

35, 39 holds a label extended across the resilient face of the plunger.

The flat topped stopper 43 of a bottle 44 lies just below the label 42 and in line with the plunger head 28, the head 1 being supported at an appropriate height (which may be adjustable) by an upper bracket 45 (Figure 3). A cam raises the bottle 44 (or alternatively depresses the bracket 45) for the centre of the label 42 to be pressed to the stopper and for the plunger head 28 to be urged into the head, the ends46 of the label being drawn from the faces 32 to lie between the sides of the bottle mouth 47 and the lengthwise hollowed inner faces 48 of resilient faces 49 on the blocks 8. When the head 28 meets the collar 29, the holder 4 is urged further into the head, and the blocks 8 close on to the label ends, to press them firmly to the sides of the stopper 43 and of the bottle mouth 47 (Figure 2). It is not essential for the bottle to be very accurately centred below the head, because the closing action of the blocks Mem s v 2.

centres the bottle as they press the label on to the sides of the bottle mouth; The bottle is lowered, or the head raised, by cam action to retract the block 8 and bring the labelled bottle clear of the head before the bottle reaches the. discharge station of the: carrier..

In Figure 5, wedging surfaces 50 on the blocks 51 bear directly on the inner wall 52 of the flare 2,, and the inward movement of theblocks causes opposed wedging, surfaces 53 to slide over the conicalsurface 54 of a ring 55, thus forcing the ring upwardly against the action of a: spring 56. When thelabell-ing: is completed, the pressure of the spring on the ring, forces. the blocks 51' outwardly.

Gum may be applied over the whole length of the label: if it is. desired to stick the label. to the stopper face as well as to the sides of the bottle mouth; but gum. may be omitted from the centre of the label if sticking to the stopper face is not desired, e. g.,, by using, two spaced gum rollers. With a large-diameter carrier, the gum roller or rollers may be cylindrical without producing any noticeable skidding. action on the label. They may, however, be conical if any skidding, tendency arises.

What we claim is;

1. Top-strapping means: for a labelling machine com- .prising, a head containing a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separated from the plunger, a block-holder slidable in the same direction as the plunger, springs urging the plunger and the blocks to a position in which their faces are in" line with each other, means to limit the separate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to the block-holder, inter-engaging wedging surfaces on the blocks and the head to close the blocks on to the sides of theplunger in further sliding of the plunger into the head together with the blocks,

suction openings in the end face of the block-holder in line with the blocks, and resilient surfaces on to the sides of the blocks facing the sides of the plunger.

2. Top-strapping means for a labelling machine comprising ahead containing a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separated from the plunger, a blockholder slidable in the same direction as the plunger, springs urging, the plunger and the blocks to a position in which their faces are in line with each other, means to limit the separate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to the block-holder, inter-engaging wedging surfaces on the blocks and the head to close the blocks on to the sides ofv the plunger in. further slidingv of the plunger into the head together with the blocks, suction openings in the end face of the block-holder in line with the blocks, and resilient surfaces on to the sides of the blocks facing the sides of the plunger, the resilient surfaces being. hollowed lengthwise.

3. Top-strapping means for a labelling machine comprising a head containing a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separated from the plunger, a block-holder slidable in the same direction as the plunger, springs urging the plunger and the blocks to a position in which their faces are in line with each other, means to limit the separate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to the block-holder, inter-engaging wedging surfaces on the blocks and the head to close the blocks on to the sides of the plunger in further sliding of the plunger into the head together with the blocks, suction openings in the endface of the block-holder in line with the blocks and in the end face of the plunger, and resilient surfaces on to the sides of the blocks facing the sides of the plunger.

4. Top-strapping means for a labelling machine comprising a head containing a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separated from the plunger, a block-holder slidable in the same direction as the plunger, springs urging the plunger and the blocks to a position in which their faces are in line with each' other, means to limit the separate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to the block-holder, a conical flared end of the head body, wedges on the blocks to engage the inner wall of the flared end, spring-urged means serving 4 to urge the wedges into contact with that inner wall, the wedges serving in opposition to the spring-urgedmeansto close the blocks on to the sides of the plunger in further sliding of the plunger into the head together with the blocks, suction openings in the end face of the blockholder in line with the blocks, and resilient surfaces on to the sides of the blocks. facing the sides of the plunger.

5. Top-strapping labelling means as in claim 4, wherein the spring-urged means comprises further wedging surfaces on the blocks, a conical ring, and a spring serving to urge the conical ring into contact with the further wedging surfaces.

6. Top-strapping means for a labelling machine comprising a head containing a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separated from the plunger, a blockholder slidable in the same direction as the plunger, springs urging the plunger and the blocks to a position in which their faces are in line with each other, means towlimi-t the separate sliding of the plunger into'the. head with respect to the Block-holder, springs inter-posed between the blocks, wedges extending inwardly of the headand inter-engaging wedges on the blocks, whereby the blocks are closed on to the sides of the plunger. in opposition to the interposed springs in further sliding of the plunger into the head together with the blocks, suctionopenings in the end face of the. block-holder in line with the blocks, and resilient surfaces on to the sides of the blocks facing the sides of the plunger.

7. Top-strapping means for a labelling machine comprising a head containing a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separated from the plunger, a blockholder slidable in the same direction as the plunger, springs urging the plunger and the blocks to a position in which their faces are in line with each other, means to limit the. separate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to the block-holder, springs interposed between the blocks, wedges extending inwardly of the head and inter-engaging wedges onthe blocks, whereby the blocks are closed onto the sides of the plunger in opposition to the interposed springs in further sliding of the plunger into the head together with the blocks, suction openings in the end face of the block-holder in line with the blocks, and resilient surfaces on to the sides of the blocks facing the sides of the plunger, the resilient surfaces being hollowed lengthwise.

8'. Top-strapping means for a labelling machine comprising a head containing a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separated from the plunger, a blockholder slidable in the same direction as the plunger, springs urging the plunger and the blocks to a position in which their faces are in line with each other, means to limit the separate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to the block-holder, springs interposed between the blocks, wedges extending inwardly of the head and inter-engaging wedges on the blocks, whereby the blocks are closed on to the sides. of the plunger .in

opposition to the interposed springs in further sliding.

of the plunger into the head together with the blocks,

suction openings in the end face of the block-holder in line with the blocks and in the end face of the plunger, and resilient. surfaces on to the sides of the blocks facing the sides of the plunger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS