US3238080A - Labeling machine - Google Patents

Description

Mamh 1, 1966 H. c. SCHLUTER LABELING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 50, 1963 INVENTOR Ham/G C. M

' M AT SRNEY5 March 1, 1966 H. c. SCHLUTER LABELING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 30, 1963 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS arch 1966 H. c. SCHLUTER LABELING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 30, 1965 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,238,081 LABELING MAtIli-lllNE Harry C. Schluter, Southhury, Conn, assignor to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Deiaware Filed Sept. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 312,616 6 Claims. (63!. 156351) This invention relates generally to a labeling machine of the type generally used to apply a pressure-sensitive label to an article as it passes that portion of the labeling machine which may be termed the labeling station.

The machine is more particularly adapted for applying labels to a plurality of continuously moving articles which consecutively pass the labeling station. The machine is adapted for dispensing and applying labels from a roll comprising a plurality of spaced labels which lightly adhere to a carrier ribbon.

This machine is an improvement over the machine disclosed and claimed in my United States Patent No. 2,939,- 599 issued June 7, 1960. Particularly, the instant invention permits the labeling of uneven surfaces, such as bags of fruit, and the labeling of articles of non-uniform size. The previously patented machine required adjustment before it could properly label articles of a different size, while in the instant invention, the applicator portion of the machine automatically adjusts, within limits, to the size of the article passing the labeling station and to undulations of the surface. The instant invention constitutes a further improvement over the machine previously patented, with particular reference to the means for controlling the feeding and dispensing of the labels. As will be evident from a comparison of the patented machine to the machine to be hereafter described, the means for controlling the feeding is less complex, thereby making it less expensive, without sacrificing the accuracy of control and operation introduced by the mechanisms described and claimed in my previous patent, No. 2,939,599.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a labeling machine capable of continuously dispensing labels and applying them to articles of varying sizes as the articles continuously pass the machine, without requiring adjustment of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a label applicator which automatically adjusts itself to the size of the article being labeled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a label applicator which will apply a label to an undulating surface.

Still another object of the invention is to provide improved means for commencing and arresting the feeding of labels.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved labeling machine which can be used to apply a label to a surface in any number of parallel planes.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

Generally speaking, in accordanc with the invention, a label-dispensing machine is adapted to be positioned proximate to a conveyor or chute or other unit capable of carrying the articles which are to receive the labels past a labeling station. The applicator portion of the machine is positioned opposite the conveyor and is adapted to ride over the label-receiving surface of the article. The applicator is adapted to automatically adjust itself to the level of the label-receiving surface. Article sensing means sense the arrival of an article at the labeling station to actuate label-sensing means which effect the commencement of label feed. The label-sensing means sense when one label has been dispensed to stop the label-feeding cycle while the applicator applies the dispensed label to the article.

The cycle commences again when the article-sensing means indicates that the next article has arrived at the labeling station.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a machine constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial front elevational view of the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial view similar to FIG. 3 showing alternate article sensing means;

FIG. 5 is a partial elevational view showing alternate applicator support means;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged elevational view of the label sensing means shown in FIG. 1, with the cover plate removed; and

FIG. 7 is a simplified schematic diagram of the electric circuit of the machine.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, a typical installation is shown wherein a conveyor 11 is mounted on a base 12 for continuously carrying articles 13 (shown in phantom) past the labeling station. Any suitable means may be provided for driving the conveyor with the top surface thereof being driven in the direction of the arrow indicated in FIG. 1. If desired, suitable guides 1 1 may be mounted to base 12 to guide the articles as they travel on the conveyor. An article-sensing arm 15 is pivotally mounted to base 12 and the outer end thereof extends over and substantially parallel to the conveying surface of conveyor 11. A cam 16 is mounted fast on arm 15 for rotation therewith. A normally open-normally closed switch 17 is mounted to base 12 with its actuating button 18 disposed opposite the surface of cam 16 for actuation thereby. It will thus be seen that articles carried by the conveyor will consecutively engage arm 15, thereby rotating it and the cam mounted thereon to actuate switch 17 during the time that arm 15 is deflected by and in engagement with an article. Spring-biased means (not shown) may be provided to return arm 15 to its normal position projecting over the conveyor when the arm is not in contact with one of the articles.

A support 21 is mounted to base 12 and carries a support arm 22 for supporting the labeling machine. A machine frame 23 may be provided with a suitable clamp 24 for securing the frame of the machine to support arm 22 so that the labeling machine is positioned over the conveyor, above the articles transported thereon.

A pair of spaced parallel plates 25 are pivoted to the machine frame at 26 for carrying the roll of labels. The pivotally mounted plates provide easy access for the loading of a roll of labels. A typical roll of labels 27 is mounted between plates 25 on a pivot rod 28. As indicated previously, the roll consists of a carrier ribbon with a plurality of labels lightly adherent to one surface thereof. The labels are preferably oriented in end-to-end relationship and are slightly spaced one from another. The carrier ribbon 29 is trained down between plates 25. A roll 31 is pivotally mounted between the lowermost ends of plates 25 extending transversely to the carrier ribbon and parallel to the pivot rod on which the roll of labels is mounted. An inclined upper shelf 32 forming a label receiving trackway is carried by the machine frame and is adapted for receiving the carrier ribbon thereon. Plates 25 with the roll of labels mounted therebetween, will tend to rotate in a counterclockwise direction about pivot 26 thereby urging roll 31 into contact with the upper surface of inclined shelf 32. As may be seen in FIG. 1, the carrier ribbon and the labels pass between inclined shelf 32 and roll 31 to maintain a slight tension on the carrier ribbon. In the event that the labeling machine is mounted in a plane whereby gravity would not urge roll 31 in contact with inclined shelf 32, as will be discussed hereafter, springbiased means may be provided acting between plates 25 and machine frame 23 to resiliently urge roll 31 into contact with the inclined shelf. It should be noted that the underside of the carrier ribbon engages the upper surface of the inclined shelf with the gummed side of the labels adhering to the upper surface of the carrier ribbon. This places uppermost, the printed surface of the labels.

A bracket 35 having an elongated slot 36 parallel to the inclined shelf is mounted to machine frame 23 and carries thereon label-sensing means indicated generally at 37.

As best shown in FIG. 3, a swingable lower shelf 41 forming a lower trackway is hinged by means of a hinge 42 to the lower end of inclined shelf 32 to provide further support for carrier ribbon 29 and the labels 30. The labels are more clearly shown in FIG. 3. A guide arm 44 extends along and is attached to swingable shelf 41. A cut-out may be provided in the upper surface at the lower end of shelf 41 in which may be mounted a plate 45. Plate 45 may be adjusted longitudinally to provide adjustment of the length of the lower guiding surface and may be adjusted obliquely to adjust the position of its lower edge relative to the longitudinal axis of the swingable shelf to thereby provide means for adjusting the position of the terminal edge of the lower shelf. A block 46 carrying a resilent stop member 47 is mounted to the lower surface of and in spaced relation to inclined shelf 32 at the lower end thereof and is adapted to be engaged by arm 44 to limit the free counterclockwise rotation of swingable shelf 41. A transverse guide rod 48 is carried by the block 46. Carrier ribbon 29 extends around the lower end of swingable shelf 41 and plate 45 and passes over guide rod 48.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a drive wheel 51 is rotatably mounted in frame 23 and is adapted to be driven through a drive belt 53, by a motor 52 carried by the machine frame. A take-up reel 54 is also rotatably mounted in the machine frame and is driven by drive belt 53 through a suitable slip clutch (not shown). A clutching mechanism indicated generally at 55 is adapted to resiliently engage the drive wheel 51 to hold the carrier ribbon against the surface of the drive wheel for the feeding of the carrier ribbon. The clutching mechanism 55 may be substantially the same as that described in aforesaid Patent 2,939,599. No further description thereof is deemed necessary. As seen in FIG. 1, the carrier ribbon passes from drive wheel 51 to take-up reel 54.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-3, a bracket 56 is pivoted to guide arm 44 as at 57 and is provided with a pair of outwardly extending arms 58 between which is journalled for free rotation an applicator wheel 59. The applicator wheel may have the finned surface configuration shown in FIG. 2. Applicator Wheel 59 could also have the configuration of a continuous cylindrical surface. The preferred surface configuration and the material from which the applicator wheel is constructed will preferably be chosen with regard to the parameters of the label material and the parameters of the articles to which the labels will be applied. An additional arm 61 is provided on bracket 56 and carries an adjusting screw 62 passing through an arcuate slot 63 in guide arm 44. The position of applicator wheel 59 with relation to the surface of plate 45 may thereby be adjusted. Alternately, a rockable shoe (not shown) could be substituted for the 4 applicator wheel. The shoe would, in effect, iron a label onto the label-receiving surface of the article.

Referring now to FIG. 6, label-sensing means 37 is shown in a channel 66 in bracket 35. A screw 67 passes through slot 36 and threadedly engages back plate 65. In this manner, label-sensing means 37 can be adjusted longitudinally with relation to inclined shelf 32. The back plate is guided by channel 66 and is secured in any adjusted position by means of screw 67. This adjustment is necessary to permit utilization of the labeling machine with labels of different length. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, back plate 65 is positioned above inclined shelf 32 and the lower end thereof carries a shelf 68 which overlies the inclined shelf. Shelf 68 is spaced from inclined shelf 32 to permit the labels to pass therebetween.

A oarrier 71 is pivoted to back plate 65 through a pivot pin 72 so that the carrier may freely pivot with respect to the back plate. A solenoid 73 is mounted to back plate 65 and the outer end of the armature 74 of the solenoid is pivoted to carrier 71 as at 75. A spring 76 is attached at one end to carrier 71 and at the other end to the back plate. It will be noted that withdrawal of the armature into the solenoid tends to cause carrier 71 to rotate in a clockwise direction about pivot pin 72 while spring 76 urges the carrier in the counterclockwise direction. If desired, means may be provided to adjust the tension on spring 76. Carrier 71 is provided with an elongated channel 77 extending the entire length of the carrier and substantially parallel to the upper surface of inclined shelf 32. Peeler means in the form of a slide 78 and a depending hook 79 is adapted to be freely received in channel 77, with hook 79 extending toward the surface of inclined shelf 32. The upper edge of slide 78 is provided with a cam surface 81 adapted to be engaged by the actuating lever 82 of a switch 83 mounted to the carrier. An elongated slot 84 extends through carrier 71 within channel 77 and a pin 85 mounted fast in slide 7 8 extends through slot 84. One end of a spring 86 is mounted to pin 85 while the other end is attached to the carrier, thereby providing means for urging slide 78 to slide rearwardly in the carrier channel in a direction opposite the direction of travel of the labels as they are dispensed.

The various electrical components heretofore described may be arranged in a circuit shown schematically in FIG. 7. A power source such as volts A.C. is connected to several parallel paths. In the first parallel path a-i, switch 83 is connected in series with motor 52, thereby providing for operation of the motor upon the closing of switch 83. In the next parallel path, b-h, solenoid 73 is connected in series with a relay contact Re. The next parallel path comprises two alternate branch paths, c-f-g and de-g. The path d-e-g comprises in series a rectifier 87, switch 17 and a capaoitor 88. Switch 17 has a normally open and a normally closed position which will be reversed upon actuation of the switch. Its normal rest position is as shown in FIG. 7. With switch 17 in its normal position, the path d-eg will cause capacitor 88 to charge due to the application of a pulsating direct current thereacross as a result of the series-connected rectifier 87. Upon the actuation of switch 17, the circuit will be completed through the path c-f-g, thereby placing a relay R in series with switch 17 and capacitor 88. As will be understood, the completion of the circuit through c-fg will cause capacitor 88 to discharge through the relay thereby actuating the relay for the time during which the capacitor is discharging. Actuation of relay R will, of course, close contact Rc in the path b-lz.

Wit-h particular reference to FIGS. 1 through 3, 6 and 7, the operation of a labeling machine may now be described. Plates 25 are rotated in a clockwise direction about pivot 26 for loading a roll of labels 27 on pivot rod 28. The carrier ribbon 29 with the labels 3% thereon is fed along the upper surface of inclined shelf 32 and plates are rotated counterclockwise so that the carrier ribbon is engaged by roll 31. The carrier ribbon is fed along inclined shelf 32 and between the inclined shelf and shelf 68 on the label'sensing means. Thereafter, the carrier ribbon passes over swingable shelf 41 and plate 45 and is bent around the lower edge of the plate 45. The carrier ribbon is thereafter passed over guide rod 48 and around drive wheel 51 where it is held against the drive wheel by clutching mechanism 55. The end of the carrier ribbon is wound around take-up reel 54 and the machine is now ready for operation.

As previously described in connection with FIG. 7, when power is applied to the machine, capacitor 88 will be charged through the normal position of switch 17. As an article 13 travels along conveyor 11, the leading edge will be engaged by applicator wheel 59 which will freely roll over the surface. As may be seen in FIG. 1, the weight of the applicator wheel will cause it to swing down in a clockwise direction to its lowermost position which occurs when guide arm 44 engages stop member 47. Articles having their top surface higher than the lowermost position of applicator wheel 59 will first cause the article to contact guide arm 44 and then cause the applicator wheel to ride up on to the top surface of the article, thereby rotating the swingable elements in a counterclockwise direction about hinge 42. The contact of guide arm 44 prevents the article from striking carrier ribbon 29 on the underside of plate 45 and shelf 41. As article 13 continues to move, it will strike and rotate the article-sensing arm 15 thereby causing rotation of cam 16 and actuation of switch 17 through the actuating button. Referring specifically to FIG. 7, switch 17 will thereby be moved to open the circuit through the path d-eg and close the circuit through the path cf-g. This causes capacitor 88 to discharge through relay R, thereby actuating the relay and closing the contact R0 in path bh.

Referring now to FIG. 6, in the normal position of the label-sensing means, hook 79 closely approaches the upper surface of carrier ribbon 29 and is in interference with the leading edge of a label 39. Upon actuation of solenoid 73 due to the closing of contact Rc, armature 74 is drawn into the solenoid thereby rotating carrier 71 about pivot 72 and raising hook 79 from its interference p0sition with the edge of a label to a label-freeing position. The freeing of hook 79 by the solenoid and carrier lifter means allows slide 78 to move rearwardly or to the right under the urging of spring 86. The movement of slide 78 to the rear occurs upon the instantaneous energization of solenoid 73. However, the solenoid will be immediately de-energized because of the parameters of the circuit. In other words, relay R will be actuated to close the contacts Rc only during the time required for discharge of capacitor 88. Thus, de-energization of the solenoid will permit carrier 71 to be rocked counterclockwise under the urging of spring 76 which biases the hook into a label-interfering position and, thus, hook 79 may glide along the upper surface of a label 39 as it continues its rearward travel under the urging of spring 86. As slide 78 approaches its rearward position, actuating lever 82 will engage cam surface 81, thereby actuating switch 83 to close the circuit through path a-i (FIG. 7) and actuate motor 52. The actuation of motor 52 will cause the carrier ribbon to be fed along the swingable shelf and the inclined shelf. As the carrier ribbon feeds around the lower end of plate 45, the sharp end in the carrier ribbon will cause the label to break loose from the carrier ribbon since, as is known in the art, the labels will tend to travel in a straight line rather than follow the sharp bend of the carrier ribbon. The ribbon will be driven through drive wheel 51 and tape-up is provided by takeup reel 54.

As shown in FIG. 3, the label 30 will be fed down into contact with the surface of the article to be labeled and the continuing movement of the article will cause applicator wheel 59 to roll the label on to the articles surface. Since applicator wheel 59 freely rotates in its pivots and since the entire swingable applicator arm can pivot about hinge 42, it will be understood that undulations in the surface of article 13 will not prevent the applicator wheel from rolling the label onto the article. In fact, this preferred embodiment of the labeling machine has been successfully operated to apply labels to bags containing fruit, vegetables, and the like.

When the trailing edge of a label passes from beneath hook 79, the hook will move closer to the surface of carrier ribbon 29 under the urging of spring 76 and, when the leading edge of the next label arrives, hook 79 will engage that edge of the label. Even though the solenoid is no longer energized, motor 52 will continue to operate due to the fact that the state of switch 83 is dependent upon the position of the cam surface 81 of slide 78 and not upon the state of solenoid 73. After hook 79 engages the leading edge of a new label 30, continued movement of the label will pull slide 78 forward or to the left as shown in FIG. 6, thereby moving cam surface 81 out of engagement with actuating lever 82 to open switch 83, thereby breaking the circuit through path ai and stopping the motor. Motor 52 is preferably of a synchronous type and suitable reduction gearing will assure that substantially instantaneous stoppage of the motor is attained when the circuit is broken. By means of the label, slide 78 will be returned to its normal position which is the position shown in FIG. 6, and the label-sensing means will be set for commencement of the next cycle.

It will, of course, be understood that the particular labels engaged by hook 79 for controlling the operation of a particular cycle are substantially upstream of the actual label being applied to the article. However, since all labels on the particular roll are of the same size, control of the length of feed by labels upstream will assure the proper amount of feed to dispense one label at the labeling station. It should also be noted that any skew or misalignment of the carrier ribbon during its travel through the machine can be corrected by oblique adjustment of plate 45 relative to the swingable shelf. In other words, adjustment of the lower edge of plate 45 about which the carrier ribbon sharply bends, will determine the alignment of the carrier ribbon on the swingable shelf and on the inclined shelf. Also, the proper positioning of hook 79 relative to the leading edge of the label must be adjusted with relation to the position of a label at the labeling station. Since this will vary, dependent upon the length of labels being used in any particular operation, the entire label-sensing means 37 may be adjusted longitudinally with respect to the labels through screw 67 and elongated slot 36.

During the time that article 13 is at the labeling station, article-sensing arm 15 will continually engage the article, thereby holding switch 17 in the position to close the circuit through path cf-g. This, of course, will not affect the relay once capacitor 88 has discharged therethrough. As soon as the labeled article leaves the labeling station, article-sensing arm 15 will be returned to its normal position over the conveyor thereby returning switch 17 to its normal position shown in FIG. 7. When the switch returns to its normal position, capacitor 88 will once again be charged and thus ready the machine for the next labeling operation. When the next article arrives, switch 17 will be actuated and the cycle will repeat. In this manner, it will readily be seen that continuous operation is thereby attained and labels will be consecutively applied to the articles as long as the articles are continuously carried past the labeling station.

Alternate article-sensing means are shown in FIG. 4. Rather than position the article-sensing means on the base 12 as shown in FIG. 2, the article-sensing means may be carried by guide arm 44. In this alternate construction, an arm 91 is adjustably attached to guide arm 44 and carries a switch 92 mounted to the outer end thereof. A feeler 93 is carried by switch 92 and is adapted to actuate the switch by contact with button 94. In other words, as an article 13 approaches the labeling station, feeler 93 will engage the edge of the article and be deflected upwardly to depress button 94, thereby operating switch 92. Switch 92 performs the exact same functions as the previously described switch 17 and therefore the operation of the machine will be identical. By means of the adjustment of arm 91, control is provided over the positioning of the label on the article.

It may be desired to operate the labeling machine in such a plane that the swingable shelf will not be moved into contact with the articles by means of its own weight. In such an instance a modified construction as shown in FIG. may be utilized. An arm 95 is mounted at one end to bracket 35. Through an aperture 96 in the other end of the arm, passes a rod 97 pivoted at one end to guide arm 44. A collar 98 may be secured to rod 97 near the pivot of the rod to guide arm 44 and a compression spring 99 encircles rod 97 acting between collar 98 and arm 95. Compression spring 99 thereby urges the applicator arm in a counterclockwise direction about hinge 42, thereby urging the applicator wheel 59 into contact with the article regardless of the plane of operation of the machine. In such an application, the spring indicated as 102 may be omitted.

However, in some applications, it may be that the weight of the applicator wheel and the arm could damage the articles to which the labels are being applied. In such a situation, a collar 101 would be attached to the outer or free end of rod 97 and a compression spring 102 would encircle rod 97 acting between collar 101 and arm 95. Compression spring 102 would resiliently urge the applicator arm in the clockwise direction, thereby counteracting the weight of the arm to relieve at least some of the pressure applied to delicate articles. In this latter application, spring 99 may be omitted.

In other applications, it may be desirable to hold the applicator arm in an equilibrium position which would assure positive contact of the applicator wheel with the article and would also control the amount of pressure applied to the article. In such a case, both springs 99 and 102 would be utilized as shown in FIG. 5. Means could be further provided for adjusting the tension of either one of the springs, or both.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description are efiiciently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. A labeling machine for dispensing a label from a roll of labels sequentially arranged on a carrier strip and applying the label to an article as the article reaches a predetermined labeling station, comprising:

(a) means for feeding articles to be labeled past the labeling station,

(b) means for sensing the arrival of an article at the labeling station,

(c) guide means for receiving and guiding labels toward the labeling station,

((1) means responsive to said article-sensing means and controlled by labels on said guide means for dispensing a single label from the machine, and

(e) applicator means for receiving and applying a dispensed label pivoted to said guide means for free movement toward and from said article-feeding means, whereby articles approaching the labeling station contact said applicator means to cause said applicator means to adjust itself about its pivot to the level of the surface to be labeled.

2. A labeling machine in combination with means for feeding articles to be labeled past a labeling station, said labeling machine comprising:

(a) a frame disposed opposite the article-feeding means,

(b) a roll of labels sequentially arranged on a carrier strip,

(c) means rotatably supporting said roll of labels in said frame,

(d) an upper shelf carried by said frame,

(e) label-sensing means carried by said frame proximate to said upper shelf,

(f) a lower shelf pivotally connected to said upper shelf, said lower shelf having a leading edge,

(g) feed means carried by said frame,

(1) said carrier ribbon adapted to be drawn over said upper shelf and said lower shelf and around the leading edge of said lower shelf by said feed means,

(h) an applicator mounted to said lower shelf,

(1) said applicator, through the pivotal connection of said lower shelf to said upper shelf, adapted to automatically adjust itself to the level of the surface of the article to be labeled and traverse the surface as the article passes the labeling station, and

(i) article-sensing means responsive to the arrival of an article at the labeling station,

(1) said article-sensing means adapted to control the operation of said label-sensing means for commencing operation of said feed means, said label-sensing means adapted to cease operation of said feed means upon the dispensing of a single label,

whereby a single label is dispensed at the leading edge of said lower shelf and applied to a surface of the article by said applicator.

3. In a labeling machine of the type for dispensing a label from a roll consisting of a plurality of labels adherent to a carrier strip and applying the label to a surface of an article, the improvement comprising, a lower trackway for guiding the carrier strip toward the article, means being provided on said lower trackway for sharply bending the carrier strip for freeing a label from the strip, means swingably mounting said lower trackway to the labeling machine to permit free deflection of said lower trackway by the article to be labeled, and an applicator on said lower trackway proximate to the freed label whereby the lower trackway and applicator automatically adjusts its level to the surface receiving the label.

4. Means in combination with the label-receiving trackway of a labeling machine comprising, a hinge extending transversely to the line of travel of the labels along the label-receiving trackway, said hinge being located at the terminal edge of the label-receiving trackway, a lower trackway swingably attached to the label-receiving trackway through said hinge, said lower trackway forming a continuous path with the label-receiving trackway for the travel of labels thereover, means at the terminal edge of said lower trackway for freely dispensing the labels, and an applicator mounted to said lower trackway proximate to the terminal edge thereof, said applicator adapted to overlie the labels as they are dispensed from the machine into contact with an article.

5. The structure defined in claim 4 and further including spring-biased means acting on said lower trackway to urge said applicator into contact with the article being labeled. t

6. The structure defined in claim 4 and further in- 9 eluding spring-biased means acting on said applicator to reduce the pressure applied to the article by said applicator.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,378,112 3/1945 Tuthill et a1 156--552 2,613,008 10/1952 Ouellette 156-566 2,703,660 3/ 1955' Von Hofe et a1 15 6-499 2,920,780 1/1960 Haus child et a1 156-461 FOREIGN PATENTS 613,863 12/1960 Italy.

EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner.

HAROLD ANSI-IER, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A LABELING MACHINE FOR DISPENSING A LABEL FROM A ROLL OF LABELS SEQUENTIALLLY ARRANGED ON A CARRIER STRIP AND APPLYING THE LABEL TO AN ARTICLE AS THE ARTICLE REACHES A PREDETERMINED LABELING STATION, COMPRISING: (A) MEANS FOR FEEDING ARTICLES TO BE LABELED PAST THE LABELING STATION, (B) MEANS FOR SENSING THE ARRIVAL OF AN ARTICLE AT THE LABELING STATION, (C) GUIDE MEANS FOR RECEIVING AND GUIDING LABLES TOWARD THE LABELING STATION, (D) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID ARTICLE-SENSING MEANS AND CONTROLLED BY LABELS ON SAID GUIDE MEANS FOR DISPENSING A SINGLE LABEL FROM THE MACHINE, AND (E) APPLICATOR MEANS FOR RECEIVING AND APPLYING A DISPENSED LABEL PIVOTED TO SAID GUIDE MEANS FOR FREE MOVEMENT TOWARD AND FROM SAID ARTICLE-FEEDING MEANS, WHEREBY ARTICLES APPROACHING THE LABELING STATION CONTACT SAID APPLICATOR MEANS TO CAUSE SAID APPLICATOR MEANS TO ADJUST ITSELF ABOUT ITS PIVOT TO THE LEVEL OF THE SURFACE TO BE LABELED.

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