US874012A - Can-labeling machine. - Google Patents

Description

No. 874,012. PAIENTED DEO.1'7, 1907.

J. KAIN. CAN LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. l2 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No.'874,012. PATENTED DEG. 17, 1907.

J. H.KAIN.

CAN LABELING MACHINE. Arrmonxon [mam xov.1 2,1aos.

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PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907.

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J. H. KAIN.

CAN LABELING MACHINE. APPLIOTION FILED NOV. 12 1906.

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PATENTED 1130117, 1901' UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN HARVEY KAIN, OF MILFORD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO DENIS A. REIDY, OF CINCINNATI,

OHIO.

CAN-LABELING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Dec. 17, 1907.

Application filed November 12,1906. Serial No. 3431147.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. KAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milford, in the county of Olermont and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Labeling Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved canlabeling machine.

The object of the invention is to produce a gravity actuated device, which shall be automatic in its operation and invariable in result.

Other objects of the invention relate to the mechanisms for applying cement to the can, to feeding the labels uniformly, and to pasting the edges of the labels.

Other objects of the invention relate to features of adjustability, whereby a given machine may be used with various sizes and diameters of cans and various sizes and thicknesses of labels.

Various other features of my invention are more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure lis a side elevation of my improved can-labeling machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on line 7 y, Fig. 1, of the label feeding mechanism. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the adjusting mechanism for adjusting the feed for various thickness of labels. Fig. 4 is a section on line w, w, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 1), Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on line M, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on line w, :20, Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a central vertical section through the upper or body portion of my can labeler. Fig. 9 is a detail top plan view of the mechanism employed for actuating the vari-' ous feeds, paste and cement devices initial to a labeling operation. Fig. 10 is a section on line a, Fig. 9. Fig. 11'is a side-elevation of the label paste applying mechanism. Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the'label paste applying brush. Fig. 14 is a detail side elevation of the label guide for properly maintaining the labels in position on the table.

The device sets on legs 1, 2, secured to the frame 3. To the front portion of the frame 3, (Fig. 5), is pivotally connected a cross piece 5, having a vertical sleeve 6, in which sleeve is adjustably mounted a stem 7, upon the upper end of which is secured the front rail support 8.

9 is the thumb screw for locking said vertical adjustment.

10 represents the rear end rail support, (see Fig. 6).

11 represents a screw, the opposite ends of which are journaled in support 8.

12 represents a similar screw in support 1O.

13 represents the left hand can rail having screw threaded engagement with screws 11, 12.

14 represents the right hand can rail through which pass non-screw threaded ends of screws 11 and 12. These rails form an inclined can-way or track.

15 represents sprocket wheels on the left hand outer ends of said screws. They are connected by sprocket chain to rotate in unison.

16 represents a hand wheel for rotating one of the screws,and through the sprocket chain and wheels it actuates the other screw, so adjusting rail 13, relative to rail 14, to properly gage the track for different sizes of cans.

The stem may be set to adjust the pitch of the can rail incline, and thus determine the rate of travel of the can down the incline.

I will first describe the device for applying the glue or cement to the can.

17 represents a shaft journaled in the rails 13, 14. Fixed to shaft 17 between the rails are the fingers 18, having bifurcated ends 19, see Figs. 8 & 9.

20 represents a glue pot supported by the rails under fingers 18.

21 represents another shaft journaled in the rails in rear of shaft 17.

22 represents glue applying fingers fixed to shaft .21, with their outer ends under the bifurcated ends 19. Fingers 22 have front extensions 23, engaging under the sides of fingers 18.

The outer end of shaft 21 has a crank arm 24 to which is connected a coil spring 25 at one end, the opposite end of the spring being fastened to an adjusting screw supported to one of the rails.

Fingers 18 normally extend at an angle to the incline of the rails and in position to be engaged by the downwardly rolling can so that the weight of the can presses the fingers down to position coincident with the inclme, at the same time fingers 18 raise fingers 22 from the glue pot and apply glue to the portion of the can periphery exposed through bifurcations 19. Fingers 18 form a track for the can at their front ends continuous with the front end of the can-way incline and they preferably extend in a horizontal plane, or else at such an angle to the incline that the inertia of the moving can will roll it over these fingers or track so that its travel down the incline is practically uninterrupted.

f Idwill now describe the label support and 'ee 26 represents the platen supporting a pile of labels. It is located below the can ceme'nting devices. The top label is substantially flush with the bottom of the incline so that the can will contact the top most label, and the label will attach itself to glued portions of the can. It is necessary to lift the platen after each pasting operation so as to maintain a constant level of the labels. To accomplish this movement, I provide the following devices, (see Figs. 1, 7 and 8).

27 represents a bracket adjustably secured to the slide-way 28 of rail 14. The bracket depends below the incline and forms a support for the platen feeding devices. The object of its lateral adjustability on rail 14, is to regulate its distance relative to the can cementing devices when different sizes of cans and labels are employed. J ournaled in the bottom extension 29 of bracket 27 are two screws 30, 31, the upper ends of which are screw threaded into two sleeves 32, 33, and platen 26, (see Fig. 7), is pivotally secured to the upper ends of said sleeves.

34, 35, represent sprocket wheels fixed to the lower ends of screws 30, 31, they are connected by sprocket chain 36, (see Fig. 2).

37 represents a ratchet wheel fixed to the lower end of screw 30.

38 represents an oscillating arm fulcrumed on screw 30, pawl 39 being pivoted to said arm and spring controlled so that the oscillation of the arm rotates the ratchet wheel in one direction and feeds the platen 26 up wardly at a regular uniform speed depending on the thickness of the label. To oscillate arm 38, I provide the following devices :41 represents a crank arm on the outer end of shaft 17, (see Fig. 1).

40 represents a link pivoted to arm 41 at one end and to link 42 at the other end. Link 42 is slidable in ears 43 on bracket 27.

44 represents a slotted bar formed on the bracket 27, the walls of the slot having the gage indications 45. In this slot is adjustably secured a fulcrum plate 46 through which is inserted a stud 47.

48 represents a lever passing through stud 47, the upper end of lever 48 being pivoted to the link 42, while the lower end of said lever is pivoted to a link 49, which link is in turn pivoted to arm 38.

50 represents a collar engaging over the outer end of stud 47, see Fig. 4, its upper and lower peripheral edges seating against the outside face of lever 48 see Fig. 3.

51 represents a clamping nut.

When lever 48 oscillates the stud 47 jou1' nals in block 46. When nut 51 is loosened the fulcrum block may be adjusted vertically in the slot of bar 44 and then clamped to the lever 48, to secure the fulcrum in its position. By this means the length of the stroke of oscillating arm 38 may be adjusted, and therefore the feed of the platen can be adjusted at will to suit the thickness of labels employed, and to adapt it to all conditions.

It is obvious that a can rolling over fingers 18 will oscillate shaft 17, and through the link, lever, pawl, ratchet and screw mech anisms above described, impart an upward feed to the platen 26, so that each can actuates the cement applying and the label feeding devices in its travel down the incline.

52 represents a coil spring connected to rail 14 and to arm 40 for retracting the mechanism.

By means of the two sets of gravity actuated mechanism just described, two streaks of cement may be applied to the can at places corresponding to the positions of the top and bottom edges of the labels.

The uppermost label will adhere to the can rolling over it. It is still necessary to glue together the opposite edges of the label which overlap when the label is wrapped around the can. These devices for gluing the overlapping label edges are also automatically actuated by the gravity of the can, and they consist in the following instrumentalities 53 represents a second glue or paste receptacle, (see Figs. 8, 11 & 12), located under the rails 13, 14, below the label support secured to bracket 27.

54 represents a shaft journaled in rear of pot 53. Fixed to said shaft is an outer crank arm 55, pivoted to the rear end of link 42, (see Fig. 1), by which means rock shaft 54 is oscillated every time a can passes over and actuates fingers 18.

56 represents a pair of crank arms fixed to shaft 54 between the rails.

57 represents a cam bracket attached to and projected above the rear edge of the glue pot 53.

58 represents a pair of lever arms pivoted at their rear ends to arms 56, their front ends being connected by a cross piece 59, from the lower edge of which projects a lip 60, of any suitable flexible material for applying glue to the labels. Bracket 57 has cam slot or groove 61. Arms 58 have a tierod 62 one end of which slides in said camway see Fig. 12. The labels 63 rest on the platen just in front of the glue receptacle 53, and the uppermost label is pressed against the lip 64.

65 represents a finger pivoted to bracket 57, the front ends having the inturned lug 66, which lies in the front end of cam-way 61.

67 represents a spring tripping arm fixed to the pivoted end of finger 65, and depending downwardly into position where they will be engaged by the tripping crank arm 68, when shaft 54 is rocked.

69 represents a glue roller in pot 53, having a ratchet endfixed thereto.

71 represents a .pawl, the front end of which engages ratchet 70, the rear end being pivoted to the crank arm 56.

The rear end of cam-way 61 is inclined u wardly and of a diameter to fit the rod 62. The front end of said cam-way is large enough to allow the end of rod 62 to pass over and under the lug 66. When shaft 54 is rocked, the glue strip 60 will be raised from contact with roll 69, the cam mechanism will push the strip 60 forward and clear over the pile of labels, the clearance being affected by the rod 62 riding over and beyond lug 66 when lip 60 drops upon the edge of the upper label. The crank trip arm 68 will engage spring arm 67 and raise finger 65 lifting the lug 66 in cam-way 61, allowing rod 62 to retract along the lower edge of cam-way 61 and thus rearwardly dragging the lip over the rear edge of the label. This retraction also retracts pawl 71 turning glue roll 69 intermittently in one direction of rotation.

The shaft 54 and the glue applying devices 59, 60, lie and operate under the rails 13, 14, and are made wide enough to correspond with the Widest label to be used. When rail 13 is adjusted it moves over these devices.

It is desirable to have the fingers 18, and glue applying fingers, adjacent to the rails 13, and 14, owing to the end rims of the cam, extending the thickness of the metal beyond the periphery of the body of the can. To simultaneously move one set of fingers 18 and glue fingers 22 with the moving rail 13, when the gage of the track can-way is to be adjusted, the following mechanism is employed. The shaft sleeves of both finger 18 and 22, adjacent to the rail 13, are provided with a groove 72, (see Fig. 10).

73 represents a late fixed to the rail 13 'having an upwarcly projecting flange 74,

adapted to seat into the groove of the sleeves of said fingers. Thus as the rail 13 is adjusted laterally it will likewise carry with it the fingers aforesaid.

In order to keep in alinement the labels upon the table, the following mechanism is provided:

75 represents a guide rod fixed to the bracket 27, (see Fig. 7). One or more of such guide rods may be employed as desired. 76 represents guide rods fixed to the glue receptacle support 77 at the rear end of the label platen, 78, 79, represent guide rods longitudinally adjustably mounted upon the rail 13, (see Figs. 7, 8 and 14). The adjustment of the guide rods 78, 79, is accomplished by the following mechanism- 80 represents a rail fixed to rail 13 upon which the guide rod plate 81 is slidably mounted, said guide rods 78, 79, being fixed to said plate 81. 82 represents a lock nut for securely locking the plate 81 in its adjusted position. The adjustment of these guide rods is necessary when an adjustment of the platen 26 is made. To provide for the adjustment of rail 13, the platen has transverse slots 85, (see Fig. 7), through which extends the rods 7 8, 79. The platen is wide enough to sup ort the widest label to be used, and when rai 13 is adjusted, it moves over the left hand edge of the platen.

After the label has been applied to the can it is desirable to have the cans travel over a smoothing table to take out such wrinkles as may appear in a labeling operation and neatly bind the overlapping edges of the label. This, is accomplished by means of a pad 83 of felt or rubber or flexible material spanned between the rails 13 and 14 over which the cans after they have been labeled roll before leaving the can labeling machine. The can-way deviates from the incline at 84, where it passes over the platen, so that the periphery of the can only contacts the front edge of the u per label. Therefore the first label edge ad ieres to the can, and as the can progresses it lifts this attached edge above the level of the top of the labels, so that the further rolling of the can over the platen, strips the upper label from the top of the pile, the can not resting on the pile at all. By this means it is insured that the can will only pick up one label at a time.

Thus Ihave produced a gravity actuated can-labeling machine. The can placed on the inclined canway rolls down the same and actuates by its own gravity, at proper relative intervals, the mechanisms which apply glue to the can, feed the labels, and paste the overlapping edges of the labels. Therefore all the operator has to do is to place the cans on the top of the inclined can-way, and the ensuing operations are entirely automatic;

The rate of travel of the can can be suitably regulated by adjusting the pitch of the incline. Also the gage of the can-way can be adjusted by shifting the movable rail 13, and this rail 13 can be shifted Without inter fering with the devices for gluing the can, with the platen for supporting the labels, with the platen feed, or with the devices for gluing the labels. The length of feed of the platen at each operation may also be adjusted to suit whatever thickness of labels are to be employed. And all of these various adjustments by means of which the machine is made universal can be effected without interfering with the operating parts.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a can labeling machine, an inclined can-way, can-gluing, label-feeding and labelgluing devices, and means actuated by the gravity of the can adapted to simultaneously operate said devices, substantially as described.

2. In a can labeling machine, an inclined can-way, a main actuating member operated by the gravity of the can, can-gluing, labelfeeding and label-gluing devices, all connected to and operated by said main actuating member, substantially as described.

3. In a can-labeling machine, a can-way, a

platen adapted to support a pile of labels with the upper label in the path of can travel, a platen feed consisting of screw, pawl and ratchet, and lever mechanism, a member actuated by the moving can adapted to reciprocate said lever, and means for adjusting the fulcrum of the leverage so as to regulate the amount of feed, substantially as described.

4. Ina can-labeling machine, an inclined can-way, a rock shaft having a rocking member projected from the can-way and adapted to be rocked by the rolling can, a glue device actuated thereby to apply glue to the periphery of the can, a platen located below the gluing device and adapted to su port a pile of labels with the upper label in t 1e path of can travel, a platen feed, connections between said rock shaft and platen feed adapted to raise the platen each time a can passes over the rocking member, a label pasting device located in rear of the labels, and mechanism connected to and operated by the said rock shaft adapted to apply glue to the rear edge of the uppermost label at each opera tion, substantially as described.

5. In a can-labeling machine, a can-way, a bracket adjustably attached to said way, a platen, platen feed mechanism, and a gluing device in rear of the platen attached to said bracket, whereby said platen feed and gluing devices may be adjusted as a unit relative to the can-way and means actuated by the can for operating said feeding and gluing devices, substantially as described.

6. In a can-labeling machine, a pair of rails forming an inclined can-way, a pair of rocking fingers pivoted in the can-way and projected at an angle therefrom, a glue retort, a pair of glue applying fingers pivoted to the can-way with their outer ends lying normally in the retort, means for retracting said members to normal position after the can has passed, connections between said rocking fingers and gluing fingers, adapted to interpose the latter into the can-way when the rocking fingers are actuated by the can, one of said rails being adjustable relative to the other, one of the rocking fingers and one ofthe glue applying fingers being connected to and movable with the adjustable rail, substantially as described.

7. In a can-labeling machine, an inclined can-way, a pair of rocking fingers pivoted in the can-way and projected at an angle therefrom, the outer ends of said fingers being bifurcated, a pair of glue applying fingers pivoted to the can-way, a glue retort under the can-way in which the outer ends of the gluing fingers lie, means for holding the said rocking fingers normally at an angle to the canway, connections between the rocking and gluing applying fingers, the said fingers being so disposed that when a can depresses the rocking fingers into the plane of the incline, the gluing fingers will be presented to the can through the bifurcated ends of the rocking fingers, substantially as described.

8. In a can-labeling machine, an inclined can-way, a spring actuated member pivoted to the can-way and extended at an angle thereto, so as to be depressed by the rolling can, devices actuated by the depressing of said member adapted to apply glue to the periphery of the can, means for supporting labels in the path of the moving can, and means for gluing the edges of the labels actuated by the depressing of said member, substantially as described.

9. In a can-labeling machine, an inclined can-way, a spring controlled member supported by the can-way in the path of can travel, and adapted to be depressed by the can, a label supporting platen, a screw mechanism for raising and lowering the platen, a pawl and ratchet mechanism for operating the screw in one direction, a lever for oscillating the pawl, connections between said lever and depressing member, whereby the can actuates the platen feed, and means for shifting the fulcrum of said lever so as to adjust the length of the platen feed, substantially as described.

10. In a can-labeling machine, an inclined can-way, means for supporting the labels in the path of the can, a gluing device supported in rear of the label support, said devices comprising a rotary glue roll, a glue applying member normally contacting the same, and lying out of the path of the can cam and lever mechanism adapted to raise the gluing device over the labels and in the path of the can travel to rub the glue applying member against the rear edge of the top label, and adapted to retract the gluing member into its normal position and means actuated by the can rolling down the incline, adapted to operate said glue applying devices, substantially as described.

I 11. In a can-labeling machine, an inclined canway, means for supporting the labels in the path of the can, a gluing device supported in rear of the label support, said devices comprising a rotary glue roll, a glue applying member normally contacting the same, cam and lever mechanism adapted to rub the glue applying member against the rear edge of the top label, means actuated by the can rolling down the incline adapted to operate said glue applying devices, and means also actuated by the can rolling down the incline, adapted to intermittently raise the label support, substantially as described.

12. In a can-labelin machine, a label support, a glue retort, a glue roll therein, a glue applying member normally contacting the roll, ratchet mechanism for intermittently rotating the roll, cam and lever mechanism adapted to lift the glue ap lying member from the roll, rub it over the abel and return it to the roll, connections between the said lever mechanism and ratchet mechanism, whereby they operate together, and means actuated by the can adapted to operate the said glue applying devices, substantially as described.

13. In a can labeling machine, an inclined can-way, mechanism adapted to apply glue to the can, a label support adapted to successively present labels to the glued surface of the can, mechanism adapted to successively paste the rear edges of the labels, and means actuated by the downwardly rolling can adapted to simultaneously operate the can and label gluing devices and the label feeding devices, substantially as described.

14. In a can labeling machine, an inclined can-way, a rocking member adapted to be operated by the rolling can to apply glue thereto, a rock shaft adapted to be actuated by said rocking member, a label supporting platen and feed mechanism therefor, and pasting mechanism adapted to glue the edges of the labels successively, connections between said rock shaft and the platen feed, and connections between the said rock shaft and the label pasting devices, whereby when the can deflects the depressing member, the gluing, pasting and feeding mechanism are simultaneously operated- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN HARVEY KAINQ

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