US3111564A

US3111564A - Device for detecting adhesive stamps or the like on packets

Info

Publication number: US3111564A
Application number: US60411A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gagg James
Original assignee: Molins Machine Co Ltd
Current assignee: Molins Machine Co Ltd
Priority date: 1959-10-22
Filing date: 1960-10-04
Publication date: 1963-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 1980-11-19

Description

Nov. 19, 1963 J. GAGG 3,111,564

DEVICE FOR DETECTING ADHESIVE STAMPS OR THE LIKE ON PACKETS Filed Oct. 4, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WW, Mm ATTORNEXs Nov. 19, 1963 J- GAGG DEVICE FOR DETECTING ADHESIVE STAMPS OR THE LIKE ON PACKETS Filed Oct. 4, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 8 Y Wm 4M war/2,9,,

ATTORNEXi Nov. 19, 1963 J. GAGG 3,111,564

DEVICE FOR DETECTING ADHESIVE STAMPS OR THE LIKE ON PACKETS Filed Oct. 4, 1960 3 Sheets-61 1961. 3

ATTORNEXQ United States Patent 3,111,564 DEVICE FOR DETECTING ADHESIVE STAMPS OR THE LIKE 0N PACKETS James Gagg, Diep'tford, London, England, assignor to Molins Machine Company Limited, Deptford, London, England, a British company Filed Oct. 4, 1960., Ser. No. 60,411 Claims priority, application Great-Britain Oct. 22, 1959 3 Claims. (Cl. 200-61.41)

This invention concerns a device for detecting missing adhesive stamps or the'like on packets. The invention is mainly concerned with the detection of missing revenue stamps on American-style cigarette packets but is applicable to any packet where packet folds are secured by a label.

The popular American-style cigarette packet comprises an open paper cup containing a batch of cigarettes which are completely wrapped in metal or other foil, the closure folds of the foil wrapper being at the top of the open cup. In the United States of America the closure folds are not sealed and the whole packet is secured by a stamp or label extending across the narrow width of the packet and a short distance down eadh broad side of the paper cup. These packets are popular in many other countries and are often closed either by a label or a revenue stamp.

In other packets which are sealed at the ends, for example, the common tea packet, a label is often applied to the ends for ornament, price fixing, or other reasons and it is often desired to check if the packets have been labelled. All closure folds of packetsresult in some difference in level between the outer surface of an outer fold and some other part of the closed portion and this difference can be felt mechanically, but if a label is fixed over the folds the difference is smoothed out from a step to a slope and a suitable feeler will pass over the closure of a labelled packet but will catch on said step of an unlabelled packet or one where the label has missed.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the essential feature of any packet to which the invention is applicable is that its closure folds shall be, at least in part, covered by some kind of label.

According to the invention there is provided a device for detecting missing labels on packets having closure folds over a part at least of which an adhesive label is supposed to extend, said device comprising a feeler suitably shaped to engage the edge of a packet fold and movable relatively to a packet surface in close proximity thereto and towards the folding angle of the last of such folds, said feeler being attached to the free end of a lever, and a switch positioned for operation by said lever, whereby :the feeler can move relatively to a properly labelled packet without hindrance but on encountering an unlabelled packet the feeler will catch on the step caused by said fold and cause a lever movement which will cause the switch to be operated.

Where, as in the case of the American-style packet, the closure folds are unsealed, the feeler is preferably a clawlike member shaped so as to pass beneath said last fold and approach the interior angle of the said fold where it will catch and cause said lever movement.

In a preferred construction the lever is constructed of two parts hinged together with a knee joint and having a spring arranged to hold said joint in the locked condition until such time as the feeler catches on the edge of a fold whereupon the knee will bend against the influence of the spring and operate the switch.

In automatic packing machines, for which the invention is intended, the lever will normally be swung to and fro, or rotated, in timed relationship with the passage of packets to be tested by the detecting device.

3,111,564 Patented Nov. 19, 1963 ice One construction 'accord'mg to the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an American-style packet;

FIGURE '2 is a perspective view of a similar packet from which a stamp is missing and shows how aclaw can ascertain this fault;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the complete detecting device arranged to detect such faults in a movable column of the packets;

FIGURE 4 is similar to FIGURE 3 but shows [the detecting device engaging a faulty packet.

Referring to the drawings, in FIGURE 1 the packet shown has an open paper cup or box 1 containing a batch of cigarettes completely enclosed in a metal foil wrapper 2. The wrapper is of the block-ended type and the end at the mouth of the paper cup is enclosed by first folding down two narrow flaps 3 and then folding down two broad flaps 4 and 5 in succession. The flaps 4 and 5 are not stuck together and to secure the closure an adhesive label 6, often a revenue stamp is placed across the narrow width of the packet and stuck to the folds 4 and 5 and to the broad sides of the paper cup as shown. It will be appreciated that if the label is missing the free end of the fold 5 will not lie down quite so fiat as it would in a properly labelled packet. Advantage is taken of this fact to detect if a label is missing and this is done by a claw 7, FIGURE 2, which is moved towards the interior angle 8 of the fold 5 and will be checked as the edge of the claw comes against said angle.

In FIGURE 3, a column of such packets is moved in the direction of the single arrow along a surface 9. This view illustrates the application of the invention to an automatic packing machine and in most cases the packets will move intermittently as they push one another along the surface.

The detecting device is positioned above the column and comprises a lever 10 pivoted at 11 to a fixed part of the machine and having the claw '7 at its lower end. The lever 10 consists of two

parts

10A and 10B hinged together at 12 and shaped at the joint to form a knee joint, that is, a joint movable in one direction only to bend the lever. An over-centre spring 13 normally keeps the parts of the lever in the relative positions shown in FIG- URE 3. The lever 10 is oscillated over the packets by any suitable device, shown here as a lever 14. This device moves in timed relationship with the packet movements and it could of course be rotated instead of oscillating. 15 is an electric switch fixed to a plate 16 which is fixed to the part 10A of the lever and 17 is a switchoperating spring. The claw 7 touches or practically touches the upper surface of the passing packets during its movement and it can give slightly under the spring tension if necessary but as long as every packet is labelled the

parts

10A and 10B of the lever remain substantially straight. If however a label is missing the lever 10 will bend about its joint 12, as in FIGURE 4 where bending is just starting, as the claw 7 comes against the interior angle 8 of the flap 5. Further movement of the lever 10 will bend it still more and the switch 15 is then operated, the lower part 10B of the lever being displaced relatively to the upper part 10A so that spring 17, secured to the lower part 10B, engages switch button 17A tooperate the switch 15.

Switch operation can be utilised to give an audible or visible alarm or to secure the eventual rejection of the faulty packet, these expedients being commonplace in the art and needing no further description.

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

1. A device for detecting missing labels on packets having closure folds and an adhesive label extending over an outer fold, said device comprising a feeler member, means for supporting said member and a packet with the memher. and the packet surfiace which normally bears the label in close proximity and with the member directed toward the folding angle of said outer fold, and for causing movement of said member toward said fold and into said folding angle in the absence of a label, said means comprising a pivoted lever to which the member is attached, said lever being formed of two parts hinged together with a knee joint, a switch mounted on a first of said hinged parts of said pivoted lever and operable in response to relative movement of said hinged parts, and a spring acting between said hinged parts to hold said joint in a locked condition until said member enters the folding angle of a 'fold, thereby causing relative movement of said hinged par-ts against the influence of said spring to operate said switch.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which yielding means is interposed between said switch and a second of said hinged parts of said pivoted lever to operate said switch on relative movement of said hinged parts.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which said means comprises mechanism for feeding packets in succession past said 'feeler and for reciprocating said feeler toward the outer fold of each packet as it passes said feeler.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,252,853 Hoover Aug. 19, 1941 2,430,935 Klug Nov. 18, 1947 2,782,961 Gassaway Feb. 26, 1957 2,806,621 Drennan Sept. 17, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,076,310 Germany Feb. 25, 1960

Claims

1. A DEVICE FOR DETECTING MISSING LABELS ON PACKETS HAVING CLOSURE FOLDS AND AN ADHESIVE LABEL EXTENDING OVER AN OUTER FOLD, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A FEELER MEMBER, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID MEMBER AND A PACKET WITH THE MEMBER AND THE PACKET SURFACE WHICH NORMALLY BEARS THE LABEL IN CLOSE PROXIMITY AND WITH THE MEMBER DIRECTED TOWARD THE FOLDING ANGLE OF SAID OUTER FOLD, AND FOR CAUSING MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER TOWARD SAID FOLD AND INTO SAID FOLDING ANGLE IN THE ABSENCE OF A LABEL, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A PIVOTED LEVER TO WHICH THE MEMBER IS ATTACHED, SAID LEVER BEING FORMED OF TWO PARTS HINGED TOGETHER WITH A KNEE JOINT, A SWITCH MOUNTED ON A FIRST OF SAID HINGED PARTS OF SAID PIVOTED LEVER AND OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID HINGED PARTS, AND A SPRING ACTING BETWEEN SAID HINGED PARTS TO HOLD SAID JOINT IN A LOCKED CONDITION UNTIL SAID MEMBER ENTERS THE FOLDING ANGLE OF A FOLD, THEREBY CAUSING RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID HINGED PARTS AGAINST THE INFLUENCE OF SAID SPRING TO OPERATE SAID SWITCH.