US3630805A

US3630805A - Label-applying machine

Info

Publication number: US3630805A
Application number: US821577A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter Fried
Original assignee: New Jersey Machine Corp
Current assignee: New Jersey Machine Corp
Priority date: 1969-05-05
Filing date: 1969-05-05
Publication date: 1971-12-28
Anticipated expiration: 1988-12-28
Also published as: CA923853A; DE2021994A1; GB1267627A

Abstract

The labeling machine herein includes a single powered roller which is so associated with two other driven rollers and the label strip that the three rollers unwind the label strip from a supply roll and successively register the terminal labels in the strip with cutting mechanism. The cutting mechanism includes a knife that is intermittently actuated to sever the terminal labels by a label carrier for transferring the labels to a place of label application. This same label carrier also activates an elevator for carrying the severed labels to a position where they are placed in contact with such carrier for transfer to such place of label application.

Description

llnited States Patent [54] LABEL-APPLYING MACHINE 12/1958 Seragnoli 2,865,261 156/520 3,140,214 7/1964 Von Hofe.... 156/354 3,488,243 1/1970 Pesch et al 156/354 Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-Daniel Bent Attorneys-Sylvester J. Liddy, John .1. Hart, Joe E. Daniels and Charles E. Baxley ABSTRACT: The labeling machine herein includes a single powered roller which is so associated with two other driven rollers and the label strip that the three rollers unwind the label strip from a supply roll and successively register the terminal labels in the strip with cutting mechanism. The cutting mechanism includes a knife that is intermittently actuated to sever the terminal labels by a label carrier for transferring the labels to a place of label application. This same label carrier also activates an elevator for carrying the severed labels to a position where they are placed in contact with such carrier for transfer to such place of label application.

PATENTED DEC28 |s7| SHEET 3 0F 4 INVENTOR. WA LTER FRI E D PATENTEDuecza Ian SHEET [1F 4 FIG.6

INVENTOR. WA LTER FRIE D LABEL-APPLYING MACHINE THE INVENTION This invention relates to machines for applying labels to articles and its primary purpose is to provide an improved labeling machine of the type which severs individual labels from a continuous strip of the same and applies the separated labels to articles.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed, compact and low-cost roll feed labeling machine that can perform reliably for long periods.

Another object of the invention is to provide a roll feed labeling machine in which the parts are so constructed and arranged that the strip or web of labels is readily accessible at every part of its path of travel through the machine.

The aforesaid objects are obtained by combining the operational elements of the roll feed machine of this invention in new and novel arrangements. Thus, the knife that severs the terminal labels from the web takes its cutting action motion from the label carrier that transfer the severed labels to the place of application to the articles to be labeled. This same label carrier motion while activating the knife motion, is also utilized to activate an elevator which carries the severed labels up to a place of contact with the label carrier for transfer to the place of application. In feeding the strip or web through the machine, a single powered roller is so arranged with two driven rollers and with the web of labels that it provides the force to unwind the web from a supply roll thereof and to advance the web to bring the terminal labels successively into registry with the cutting mechanism.

For a better understanding of the improved labeling machine of this invention as well as the features of novelty thereof, reference is made to the following description which should be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective front elevational view of a labeling machine embodying the invention, the machine being shown with the label carrier in an advanced position in which it is about to deposit a label on a package resting on a support;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the mechanism for feeding the label web from a supply roll and through the machine to the cutting mechanism for severing the terminal labels therefrom;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view, looking from the right in FIG. 1, of the cutting mechanism, the severed label elevator and the label carrier;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the parts shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view, looking from the right of FIG. I, of the operating mechanism contained in the base of the machine and in the rear housing forming part of such base; and

FIG. 6 is a partial front elevational view of the operating parts shown in FIG. 5.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 10 designates the base of the machine in which are housed the driving mechanism for the machine. The base 10 is provided with doors 11, through which the driving mechanism is readily accessible for adjustment and repair. Constructed on the rear of the base 10 is a back housing 12 for containing the chassis for the register controls, suction devices, operating mechanism for the carrier, etc. The front wall 13 of the housing 12 also serves as a support for the labeling mechanism of the machine.

Secured to the front housing wall 13 is a bracket 15 projecting from one side of the machine and provided at its outer end with a forwardly projecting stub shaft 16 on which is rotatably mounted a roll 17 of a strip or web 18 bearing a series of labels 19 to be attached to the articles or packages 20 at the label applying station on the other side of the machine. The roll 17 is connected to shaft 16 by known means for exerting a drag on the roll sufficient to place a slight tension on the portion of web 18 being pulled therefrom. It will be noted from FIG. 1

that in its feed from the roll 17 toward the package 20 the web 18 travels through a circuitous path disposed generally longitudinally of the machine over the top 21 of the base 10.

The web 18 drawn from the roll 17 passes under a pair of longitudinally spaced

idler rolls

25,26 rotatably mounted on transverse shafts supported by the housing 12, and around a web supply roll 27. The web supply roll 27 forms part of a unitary web feed mechanism composed of two transversely spaced brackets 28,29. The inner bracket 29 is detachably secured as by bolts to the housing 12 and is connected to the outer bracket 28 by transverse support shafts 30,3] rotatably connected at their ends to such brackets. The web supply roll 27 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 32 supported at its ends on the upper inclined arms 33 of a pair of

bellcranks

34,34 secured to the ends of the rotatable shaft 31. The other arms of the

bellcranks

34,34 extend downwardly, the downwardly extending arm of the inner bellcrank 34' being connected at its lower end to one end of a spring 35 which is attached at its other end to the inner bracket 29 so as to bias both bellcrank arms 33 upwardly to tend to maintain the web supply roll 27 in engagement with a drive roll 40. The drive roll 40 is secured to a shaft 41 rotatably supported by the brackets 28,29 and having connected to its inner end a sprocket 42 in FIG. 6 which is connected by a chain 43 and a sprocket 44 in FIG. 5 to the camshaft 45 of the machine.

The engagement of web supply roll 27 with the drive roll 40 is automatically controlled by the demand for the web being fed to the label-applying station and is manually opened by a hand-operated eccentric. As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the manual control comprises a hand lever secured to the outer end of a pin 51 rotatably supported by the outer bracket 28. Secured to the inner end of pin 51 is an eccentric 52 whose periphery is in engagement with the downwardly extending arm of the outer bellcrank lever 34. In the positions shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the handle 50 and eccentric 52 permit the spring 35 to maintain the roll 27 in engagement with the drive roll 40. When it is desired to space such rolls manually in order to permit threading of the web therebetween, for example, lever 50 is pivoted downwardly as indicated by the arrow to cause the eccentric 52 to force the downwardly extending arm of bellcrank 34 to a retracted position against the tension of spring 35. When the threading operation is completed handle 50 is returned to the position shown in FIG. 2, thereby permitting spring 35 to advance roll 27 into engagement with the drive roll 40.

The retraction of the downwardly extending arm of bellcrank 34 is also effected automatically during the operation of the machine by a solenoid 54 which is connected by wires 55 to a control panel 56 located in the housing 12. The circuit containing solenoid 54 also includes a microswitch 57 which when closed causes the solenoid 54 to be deenergized thereby permitting spring 35 to maintain roll 27 in engagement with roll 40. During the operation of the machine, microswitch 57 is controlled by a three-anned lever mounted for pivotal movement on a transverse shaft 58 supported at one end by the housing 12 and located between the

guide rolls

25,26. The three-armed lever includes an upwardly extending arm 59 provided at its upper end with a freely rotatable guide roller 60 over which passes the label web in its travel from between the

drawing rollers

27,40 to a guide roller 61 rotatably mounted on the transverse shaft 58. As is best shown in FIG. 2, the second arm 62 extends generally horizontally and is provided at its outer end with an adjustable screw 63, the head of which engages microswitch 57 to close it when such arm 62 moves in a clockwise direction. The third arm 64 extends downwardly and has connected to its lower end, one end of a spring 65 which is secured at its other end to a fixed part of the housing 12. It will be understood from the foregoing, that the spring 65 tends to maintain the lever arm 62 and consequently the screw 63 retracted from the microswitch 57. A stop 66 coacting with the lever arm 59 limits the retracted movement of the arm 62 under the influence of spring 65. In this condition of the parts, the solenoid 54 is energized and holds the bellcrank 34 retracted against the tension of spring 35, thereby opening the gap between the

rolls

27,40 and preventing such rolls from drawing web material from the roll 17. When however, there is a shortage of the length of label web needed by the registering rolls which include the driving roll 40, due to the operating requirements of the machine, the lever arm 62 is advanced against the tension of the spring 65 to actuate the microswitch 57. The microswitch when so actuated sends a signal to the electronic chassis 56 to cause the solenoid 54 to be deenergized, thereby enabling the spring 35 to close the gap between the

rolls

27,40. The

rolls

27,40 will then operate to draw web material from the web roll 17.

It will be understood from the foregoing, that the web material drawn by the

rolls

27,40 from the web roll 17, passes around the

guide rolls

60 and 61 and then under a guide roll 69 adjacent to guide roll 25, to travel vertically upwardly past an imprinter 70 carried by a movable bracket 71 which is adjustably secured in a selected position on a vertical guide bar 72 secured to the front wall 13 of the housing 12. The imprinter 70 is an electrically operated type of imprinter utilized by the art for printing code numbers, dates, registry marks, etc., on the label web during each pause in the step-by-step feed of the web through the machine, and is connected by an electrical cable 73 to the electronic chassis 56. The intermittent operation of the imprinter is controlled by a scanning device 75 during the cyclic operation of the machine. in its travel past the imprinter 70, the web passes over a guide roll 76 mounted on the front housing plate 13 near the top of the housing. From the guide roll 76, the web 18 travels downwardly vertically in substantial parallelism to the portion thereof traveling upwardly through the imprinter 70, and to a guide roll 77 mounted on the housing 12 above the guide roll 69. From the guide roll 77 the web travels horizontally through the scanning device 75 and to the

register rolls

40,80.

The scanning device 75 comprises a support 81 which is mounted for adjustable movement horizontally on the housing wall 13 and a scanning unit 82 carried by said support 81 for scanning control elements 83, provided on the web 18. The unit 82 is precisely located with respect to the opposing side face 84 of a label carrier 85 so that when it is actuated by a control element 83 to stop the feed of the

register rolls

40,80, the foremost or terminal label in the web will be properly located in the field of action of the mechanism for severing such label from the web, and a following label in the web will be properly registered in the imprinter 70.

As is known to the art the control elements 83 on the web may be in the form of holes punched in the web, or in the form of indicia printed on the web with any suitable type of ink, or may be provided on the web in any other suitable manner. The construction of the scanning unit 82 will be dependent on the type of control element 83 to be scanned thereby. Thus, the unit 82 may be a known electronic pickup device of the look through" type in which a detecting beam passes through the web to a receiver as the control element 83 comes into registry therewith, or a known scanning device of the reflective type, or any other suitable type of scanning device known to the art. On scanning a control element, the scanning unit 82 will send a signal through the electrical conductor cable 86 to the control panel 56 to cause the register roll 80 to be forced away from the driven roll 40 to stop the feed of the advanced portion of the web, to cause the imprinter 70 to print a code date or any other material on a label in the web, and to cause a counter 87 mounted on the housing 12 to count.

As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the registry roll 80 forms part of the unitary web feed mechanism and like the web supply roll 27 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 90 supported at its ends on one of the arms 91 of a pair of

bellcranks

92,92 secured to the ends of the rotatable shaft 30. As in the case of the

bellcranks

34,34, the other arm of the inner bellcrank 92 is connected at its outer end to a spring 93 for maintaining the registry roll 80 in engagement with the drive roll 40, and the other arm of the outer bellcrank 92 is manually and automatically manipulated to effect the separation of the register rolls 40,80.

As in the case with roll 27, the separation of the rolls is effected manually by a hand lever 94 which is pivotally mounted on the outer bracket 28 and which when actuated in the direction of the arrow adjacent thereto in FIG. 2, causes an associated eccentric 95 to force the other arm of the outer bellcrank 92 to a retracted position against the tension of spring 93, thereby withdrawing roll 80 from roll 40. The retraction of the other arm of the outer bellcrank 92 is also effected by a solenoid 96 which is connected by wiring 97 to the control panel and which when energized effects such retraction. As previously indicated, when the scanning unit 75 detects a control element 83 on the web 18, and sends a signal to the control panel 56, the solenoid 96 will be caused to be energized to pull the register roll 80 away from the driven roll 40 to stop the feed of the registry rolls. After a given interval, timing means in the control panel operate to cause the deenergization of the solenoid 96, thereby enabling roll 80 to advance into engagement with roll 40 under the influence of spring 93 and enable a resumption of the feed of the register rolls on the next cycle of operation of the machine.

In each cycle of the machine, the web 18 is advanced by the register rolls 40,80 over a supporting plate 100, between the knives 101,102, and over a label support 103 to bring the terminal edge of the foremost label 18 in the web to a point 104 in FIG. 2 at which such label 18 will be properly registered with respect to the knives for the severing operation. As is shown more clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the upper knife 101 is of tapered configurationand is secured at its broad end to a vertically disposed post 105 slidable in a vertical guide 106 formed on a support plate 107 that is detachably secured for longitudinal adjustment on the front plate 13 of the housing 12. The post 105 is normally maintained in raised position by a spring 108 conhected at one end to such post and at its other end to the guide 106.

The knife blade 102 is formed on the inner edge of a transverse elongated vacuum housing 110 mounted on the upper end of a vertical slide 111 slidable in a vertically disposed transverse guide 112 secured at its inner end to the guide 106. The slide 111 normally rests on a pin 113 provided in the lower end of the guide 112 and is biased towards such resting position by a spring 114 which is connected at its ends to slide 111 and guide 112 so as to resist upward movement of the slide. Pivotally mounted on a depending portion 112' of the guide 112 is a lever having an arm 115 on which is provided an adjustable screw 116 whose head engages the lower end of the slide 111. The lever also has an arm 117 which extends rearwardly into the path of movement of the slide post 105. It will thus be seen that when the post 105 is depressed the knives 101,102 will function to cut the web 18 with a scissorlike action due to the tapered configuration of the upper knife 101. As the post 105 continues its downward movement, the lower end thereof will engage the lever arm 117 and rotate the lever in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3, to cause the screw on its arm 115 to raise the slide 111 and consequently the vacuum housing 110 on the upper end thereof. When the pressure on post 105 is removed, it will be caused to rise in its guide 106 by the spring 108. As the post 105 is withdrawn the slide 111 will fall because of its weight and the tension of spring 114 until it comes to rest on the stop 113.

The post 105 is depressed by a slide 120 mounted for horizontal movement on a horizontally disposed guide 121 provided on the upper end of a vertically disposed slide 122 located in the housing 12 and vertically slidable in a guide 123 secured to the interior face of the housing front plate 13. The slide 122 at its lower end is provided with a cam roller 124 which is engaged with the cam groove in a cam 125 secured to the camshaft 45. It will be understood that as the cam 125 rotates it will cause the slide 122 to vertically reciprocate so as to lower and raise the guide 121 and consequently the slide 120 movably mounted on the guide 121. During the downward movement of the slide 120 it will engage the enlarged upper end of the slide post 105 and depress the same, thereby initiating the above-described sequence of operations of the

knives

101 and 102. The slide 120 is moved longitudinally on the guide 121 to impart to the label carrier 85 mounted in depending relation thereon a longitudinal movement as well as a vertical movement. This longitudinal movement of the slide 120 and label carrier 85 is caused by a cam lever 130 located in the housing 12 and projecting at its upper end through an opening in the housing wall 13; such offset upper end being connected to the slide 120 as indicated in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the cam lever 130 inclines downwardly to a shaft 131 supported by brackets 132 on the floor of the machine base. The lower end of lever 130 is provided with an arm 133 provided with a cam roller which is in engagement with a cam groove provided in the side of a cam 134 secured to the cam shaft 45. In its rotational movements cam 134 causes arm 133 and lever 130 to oscillate about shaft 131 as a pivot to impart horizontal movement of the slide 120 on the guide 121.

The compound movement imparted to the label carrier 85 by the horizontal movements of the slide 120 and the vertical movements of its guide 121 is such that in each cycle of the machine, the carrier 85 is caused to move downwardly from a raised position, into a lowered position over the vacuum housing 110 on which is formed the lower knife 102 to pick up a terminal label 18 severed by the knives 101,102, then vertically raised, then moved horizontally to a position over the article 20, then downwardly to apply the label to the article 20, and finally upwardly and horizontally to a raised position over the cutting mechanism. As previously described, as the label carrier 85 moves down to pick up the severed label the vacuum housing 110 carrying such severed label is caused to be elevated by the label carrier to a position at which the severed label will be transferred therefrom to the label carrier. During these movements of the vacuum housing 110 and the label carrier 85 the terminal label 18' is under the positive control of vacuum. As is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the body 110 of the lower knife blade 102 is provided with an elongated suction chamber 135 which is in communication with a plurality of vacuum holes 136 provided in the top label bearing surface of such body 110. The chamber 135 is connected by a hose 137 to a vacuum valve in FIG. 6 located in the base and connected by a tube 141 to a source of vacuum such as a vacuum pump located in such base. The valve 138 is preferably a 4-way type of valve known to the art and includes a control slide 139 carrying a cam roller on its lower end and operated by a cam 140 provided on the camshaft 45 to transfer the application of vacuum through the hose 137 to a hose 142 leading to the vacuum head 143 of the label carrier 85. The cam 140 is constructed to furnish vacuum to the blade body 110 after the terminal label 18' is registered with the knives 101,102 and before it is severed by the latter from the web 18 so that such vacuum holds the terminal label in proper registered position during the severing operation. The vacuum is maintained in the blade body 110 while it is being raised by the elevating mechanism actuated by the slide 120 carrying the label carrier 85, and until the label is elevated to a position at which it may be gripped by the vacuum head 143 of such label carrier. At that time, the cam 140 causes the valve 138 to switch the application of the vacuum to the carrier vacuum head it enable it to grip the severed label elevated by the blade body 110. The vacuum is maintained in the head 143 until the label carrier 85 is moved down to apply the label to the article or package 20. As will be observed in FIG. 2 of the drawings, there is associated with the label support plate 100 a pressure finger 145 which functions to hold the web 18 in proper position during the severing operation and to prevent the forward end of the web from retracting after the terminal label 18 has been severed. The label carrier 85 is provided with a heater 146 in FIG. 4 to heat the suction head 143 sufficiently to activate the thermoplastic coating of adhesive provided on the label 18 as it is being transferred by such carrier and so that such label will adhere to the package when it is deposited thereon by the carrier. The heater 146 is connected by an electric cable 147 to the control panel 56.

After the label 18' has been applied to the package, a pressure pad 150 descends to press the label into full contact with the package. The pressure pad 150 moves downwardly while the carrier is being retracted out of its path of travel as it is moving back into position to actuate the cutting mechanism and pick up another label in the next cycle of operation of the machine. As is shown more clearly in FIGS. 1 and 5 of the drawings, the pressure pad is mounted on the lower end of a vertically disposed member 151 slidably mounted in a guide 152 provided on the outer end of a transverse arm 153 projecting through the front wall 13 of the housing 12. The slide member 151 is adjustably secured to the guide 152 by a manual clamping device 154. Within the housing 12, the inner end of the arm 153 is secured to a slide 155 slidably movable in a vertical guide 156 secured to the housing 12. Connected to the lower end of the slide 155 is the upper end of a connecting rod 157, the lower end of which is connected to the outer end of a pivotally mounted cam lever 158 carrying a cam roller in engagement with a cam groove in the side face of a cam 159 mounted on camshaft 45. It will thus be understood that the pressure pad 150 will be actuated downwardly by the cam 159 and the movable slide 155 to press the label 18' delivered by the carrier 85 firmly on the package so that it will be smoothly and completely attached thereto. As soon as this has been accomplished the cam 159 will cause the pressure pad 150 to be raised out of the path of operation of the carrier 85 in the next cycle of the machine.

It will be observed from FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings, that the shaft 45 carrying the

cams

140, 125, 134 and 159 is rotatably supported at its ends by a bearing 160 mounted on the rear wall :161 of the housing 12, and a bearing 162 mounted on a vertically disposed longitudinally extending support plate 163 secured to the floor of the base 10. The vacuum valve 138 is also mounted on the support plate 163. The forward end of the camshaft 45 is connected by a clutch 165 to a driven pulley 166. The clutch is a commercially available clutch of the one revolution type which has a constant stopping position, for example, a Hilliard Clutch. The clutch 165 is actuated to initiate each cycle of operation of the machine by a foot treadle 167 which is pivotally mounted on the support plate 163. The driven pulley 166 is connected by a belt 168 to a pulley 169 secured to the shaft of a constantly operating electric motor 170, mounted on a bracket 171 connected to a sidewall of the base 10.

It will be understood that in operating the above-described machine, the operator places the article 20 to be labeled on an adjustable work support 173 in FIG. 1 provided on the upper end of a shaft 174 adjustably clamped by the device 175 to a support 176 provided on the adjacent sidewall of the'base 10. The operator then steps on the foot treadle 167 which engages the clutch 165 thus starting rotational movement of the camshaft 45 and the sequence of operations to be performed in a cycle of operation of the machine.

When the machine is so started, the label web 18 is drawn by the register rolls 40,80 through the scanning unit 75 which when it detects the next succeeding control element 83 on the web sends a signal to the control panel 56 which causes the solenoid 96 to be energized thereby actuating the bell cranks 92,92 to withdraw the register roll 80. When the

rollers

40,80 are thus opened, the web 18 stops moving. When this occurs the forward edge of the terminal label 18 will be positioned at the point 104 in FIG. 2 and such label will be registered with the cutting knives 101,102, in proper position for accurate cutting.

Prior to cutting off the thus registered terminal label 18' from the web 18, vacuum is introduced in the body 110 of the lower knife blade 102 through the hose 137 which connects it to the vacuum valve 139. Valve 139 is operated from cam 140 on the machine cam shaft 45. The vacuum applied to the lower knife blade body holds the terminal end of the web in position while the label 18' thereon is being severed from the web. The slide 120 on which the label carrier 85 is mounted supplies the power to cut and bringthe terminal label 18' into position for pickup by the IEEH carrier. As the carrier moves down to pick up the severed label, its slide 120 pushes on the enlarged end of the slide rod 105 carrying the upper knife 101, and forces the latter past the lower knife 102 thereby severing the terminal label 18' from the web. Continued downward motion of the carrier 85 and its slide 120 pushes the lower end of the upper knife rod 105 into contact with one arm 117 of an actuating lever, thereby forcing the other am 115 of such lever to move the lower knife slide 111 upwardly. The upward movement of such slide, elevates the lower knife body 110 to bring the severed label 18' resting thereon into contact with the carrier suction head 143. During such movement of the lower knife body 110, the severed label 18' is held thereon by suction. When the severed label is brought into contact with the carrier 85, the vacuum application is switched from such body 110 to the carrier suction head 143 which thereupon obtains a firm grip on the label. The carrier 85 then moves to a position over the package 20 located on the work support 173 and as it does so the heat created in the suction head by the heater elements 146 activates the thermoplastic coating of adhesive on the severed label so that the label will adhere to the package. When the carrier 85 is in the applying position, it moves downwardly to deposit the label on the package. As the label is so deposited the vacuum valve 138 operates to release the label.

After the label has been deposited on the package by the carrier it moves back to its starting position to be ready for the next cycle of the machine. As the carriage is returning, the pressure pad 150 moves down and presses the adhered label into full contact with the package. The pressure pad then moves upwardly to release the package which may then be removed by the operator. A new package is then placed on the package support 173 to enable the cycle to be repeated.

As has been explained, when the scanning device 75 is activated by a control element 83 on the portion of the web being scanned thereby, the signal so created causes the imprinter 70 to print a code date on a label located in the web upstream from the label being scanned by the scanning device. Such activation of the scanning device 75 also causes the counter 87 to count the label so scanned.

While I have hereinabove described and illustrated in the drawings, a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. A labeling machine, comprising means for supporting a roll of label web, means spaced from said supporting means for successively severing the recurring terminal labels registered therewith, means between said supporting means and said severing means for feeding the web in a sinuous path and including first means to draw the web from a roll thereof into one run of said path, and second means to advance the web in another run of said path into registry with said severing means, said first means being controlled by the tension of the web in said one run to control the amount of web in said one run, and said first and second means being operable to simultaneously feed the web into said one run and advance the web into registry with said severing means.

2. A labeling machine, comprising means for supporting a roll of label web, means spaced from said supporting means for successively severing the recurring terminal labels registered therewith, means between said supporting means and said severing means for feeding the web in a sinuous path of superposed runs, and including means operable simultaneously to draw the web from a roll thereof into one run of said path, and to advance the web in another run of said path into registry with said severing means, said operable means comprising a first feed roll, means for positively driving said feed roll, a second feed roll cooperative with said first roll to draw the web from a roll thereofinto said one run of the path, and a third feed roll cooperative with said first roll to advance the web in said other run of said path into registry with said severing means.

3. A labeling device as defined in claim 2, including first movable means supporting said second feed roll and movable to control the feed of said first and second feed rolls, and second movable means engaging the portion of the web extending along the path between said second and third feed rolls and operable by such web portion to control the movements of said first movable means.

4. A labeling device as defined in claim 2, including movable means supporting said third feed roll and movable to control the feed of said first and third feed rolls, means for 5. A labeling machine comprising means for supporting a roll of label web, means spaced from said supporting means for successively severing the recurring terminal labels registered therewith, means between said supporting means and said severing means for feeding the web into registry with said severing means, and means for applying a terminal label separated from the web by said severing means to an article located at a place of application spaced horizontally from said severing means, said severing means comprising a first movable knife blade, a first vertically movable member supporting said first movable knife blade, and a second knife blade coactable with said first knife blade to cut the web, and said applying means including a movable label carrier operable to pick up a label cut from the web by said knife blades and to transfer the same to said place of application, and means operable to move said label carrier vertically in the region above said severing means and through the horizontal space between said severing means and said place of application, said applying means on downward vertical movement of said label carrier in such region depressing said first movable member to move said first knife blade downwardly to cause a cutting action on the web.

6. A labeling machine as defined in claim 5, in which said second knife blade is movable, and said severing means includes a second vertically movable member supporting said second knife blade, and means between said first and second movable members and operable by said first movable member on downward vertical movement of the latter to cause an upward vertical movement of said second movable member and said second knife blade.

7. A labeling machine as defined in claim 6, in which said label carrier is a suction head having a label-carrying surface, and including a label-supporting suction head associated with said second knife blade and mounted on said second movable member so as to support the terminal label of the web during the cutting operation, and to partake of the vertical movements of said second knife blade, said feeding means being operative to advance the terminal label into supported position on said label supporting suction head prior to the cutting action of said severing means, and vacuum means connected to said label carrier suction head and said label supporting suction head and operable to furnish vacuum to the latter to cause it to hold a terminal label thereto during the cutting operation and while such label supporting suction head and the cut label supported thereon is moved vertically upwardly by said second movable means, and to switch the vacuum condition to said label carrier suction head when said label supporting suction head has been elevated to a position for transfer of the cut label supported thereon to said label carrier suction head, whereby the terminal label is continuously under the positive control of vacuum while being cut from the web and during the transfer thereof to the place of application.

8. A labeling machine as defined in claim 5, in which said operable means moves said label carrier vertically downwardly at said place of application to deliver a label to an article located thereat and to raise such label carrier after such delivery for movement back to said severing means, a pressure pad aligned with said vertical path of horizontal movement of said label carrier, and operable when said label carrier is returning along said path of horizontal movement to advance said pressure pad along said label carrier's vertical path of movement at the place of application and into pressing engagement with the label delivered to the article by said label carrier.

222 3? UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,630,805 Dated December 28, 1 971 lrwenc fls) Walter Fried It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

001. 5, line 1&1, after "valve" should be inserted --138-- Col. 8 line 10, after "for" insert --=sce.nning control elements provided on said web, and means controlled by said scanning means for controlling the movements of said movable 001. 8 line 21, after "first", --movable-- should be deleted.

Col. 8 line 62, before "horizontal" --movement of said'label carrier at the place of application, and means supporting said pressure pad in raised position above the path of-- should be inserted.

Signed and sealed this "20th day of June 1972m (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOT'I'SCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

2. A labeling machine, comprising means for supporting a roll of label web, means spaced from said supporting means for successively severing the recurring terminal labels registered therewith, means between said supporting means and said severing means for feeding the web in a sinuous path of superposed runs, and including means operable simultaneously to draw the web from a roll thereof into one run of said path, and to advance the web in another run of said path into registry with said severing means, said operable means comprising a first feed roll, means for positively driving said feed roll, a second feed roll cooperative with said first roll to draw the web from a roll thereof into said one run of the path, and a third feed roll cooperative with said first roll to advance the web in said other run of said path into registry with said severing means.
3. A labeling device as defined in claim 2, including first movable means supporting said second feed roll and movable to control the feed of said first and second feed rolls, and second movable means engaging the portion of the web extending along the path between said second and third feed rolls and operable by such web portion to control the movements of said first movable means.
4. A labeling device as defined in claim 2, including movable means supporting said third feed roll and movable to control the feed of said first And third feed rolls, means for
5. A labeling machine comprising means for supporting a roll of label web, means spaced from said supporting means for successively severing the recurring terminal labels registered therewith, means between said supporting means and said severing means for feeding the web into registry with said severing means, and means for applying a terminal label separated from the web by said severing means to an article located at a place of application spaced horizontally from said severing means, said severing means comprising a first movable knife blade, a first vertically movable member supporting said first movable knife blade, and a second knife blade coactable with said first knife blade to cut the web, and said applying means including a movable label carrier operable to pick up a label cut from the web by said knife blades and to transfer the same to said place of application, and means operable to move said label carrier vertically in the region above said severing means and through the horizontal space between said severing means and said place of application, said applying means on downward vertical movement of said label carrier in such region depressing said first movable member to move said first knife blade downwardly to cause a cutting action on the web.
6. A labeling machine as defined in claim 5, in which said second knife blade is movable, and said severing means includes a second vertically movable member supporting said second knife blade, and means between said first and second movable members and operable by said first movable member on downward vertical movement of the latter to cause an upward vertical movement of said second movable member and said second knife blade.
7. A labeling machine as defined in claim 6, in which said label carrier is a suction head having a label-carrying surface, and including a label-supporting suction head associated with said second knife blade and mounted on said second movable member so as to support the terminal label of the web during the cutting operation, and to partake of the vertical movements of said second knife blade, said feeding means being operative to advance the terminal label into supported position on said label supporting suction head prior to the cutting action of said severing means, and vacuum means connected to said label carrier suction head and said label supporting suction head and operable to furnish vacuum to the latter to cause it to hold a terminal label thereto during the cutting operation and while such label supporting suction head and the cut label supported thereon is moved vertically upwardly by said second movable means, and to switch the vacuum condition to said label carrier suction head when said label supporting suction head has been elevated to a position for transfer of the cut label supported thereon to said label carrier suction head, whereby the terminal label is continuously under the positive control of vacuum while being cut from the web and during the transfer thereof to the place of application.
8. A labeling machine as defined in claim 5, in which said operable means moves said label carrier vertically downwardly at said place of application to deliver a label to an article located thereat and to raise such label carrier after such delivery for movement back to said severing means, a pressure pad aligned with said vertical path of horizontal movement of said label carrier, and operable when said label carrier is returning along said path of horizontal movement to advance said pressure pad along said label carrier''s vertical path of movement at the place of application and into pressing engagement with the label delivered to the article by said label carrier.