A labeling machine comprising a rotor on which there are mounted at peripherally spaced intervals vacuum pads for movement in a circular path about said axis and a label picking assembly, adhesive-applying rolls and a container support arranged concentrically around the rotor in tangential relation to the path of movement of the pads. The pads are mounted on the rotor for retraction toward the center of rotation of the rotor and springs hold the pads distended into said path so that labels delivered thereto by the picker assembly are presented to the adhesive-applying rolls for an application of adhesive and then pressed into engagement with the containers. The pads contain orifices which are connected by way of a manifold to a source of vacuum to hold labels presented thereto by the picker assembly while they travel from the picker assembly past the adhesive-applying rolls to the container and disconnected at the place of application to release the labels whereupon air pressure is supplied by the manifold to the orifices to release the labels. A circular cam is mounted below the path of movement of the pads and each pad carries a cam follower which is held out of engagement with the cam as long as a label is held to the pad but in the absence of a label is released to engage the cam. The cam is contoured to move the released cam follower and hence the pad inwardly toward the center of rotation of the rotor before it reaches the adhesive-applying rolls to provide a gap between the pad and the adhesive-applying rolls. There are strippers for removing the labels from the rotor in the event that no containers are in a position to receive them and photoelectric controls for stopping the picker when no containers are delivered to a position for receiving labels.
A system for applying pressure sensitive labels to articles, such as bottles, includes a vacuum drum having an outer cylindrical surface, a plurality of vacuum passages in open communication with the outer surface and equally spaced around the drum, means for delivering pressure sensitive labels onto the outer surface of the drum at a predetermined speed of advance and means for rotating the drum with a predetermined linear speed of the outer surface which is greater than the speed at which labels are delivered to the outer surface, so that the outer surface slips on each label until vacuum is applied to a vacuum passage at a label pick-up station, whereby the vacuum picks up the front edge of each label, and whereby labels are spaced uniformly on the drum from the label pick-up station to a label applying station.
A labelling device having a main body member mounted on its frame for rotation about a central axis. The device includes a labelling station, a glue applicator station and a label applicator station circumferentially spaced about a central axis. At least one arm member is slidably mounted on the main body member and projects radially from the central axis. A head is pivotally mounted on each arm for movement about a secondary axis parallel to the central axis. The head has an outer surface which is curved in the plane of rotation of the head about the central axis and is rotatable with the main body with the outer surface disposed in a path passing through the label storage, glue applicator and label applicator stations. The outer surface of the head has a leading edge disposed in the direction of rotation of the main body and a trailing edge disposed in the opposite direction. First guide means is provided for guiding the head to pivot about the second axis to angularly incline the head to a first position as it approaches the label storage station in which the trailing edge of the head is disposed radially outwardly of the leading edge whereby the trailing edge is the first portion of the head to engage the label in the storage station, the first guide means being adapted to cause the head to pivot about the second axis from the first position to a second position in which the leading edge is disposed radially outwardly of the trailing edge whereby the outer surface is rocked about the second axis during movement of the head through the label storage station. Suction means is provided for securing the label to the outer surface of the head as it moves through the label storage station to be transferred thereby to the labelling station.
The disclosure is of a labeling machine wherein a label transport drum carries one or more pairs of vacuum pads to grip the leading and trailing edges of a label. A knife carried directly on the drum acts with a stationary blade to sever each label from a continuous web. The vacuum pads are retracted as they pass the stationary blade, but when they carry a label past a glue roller, the vacuum pads are extended to press the label against the roller. If desired, two glue rollers may be employed, with different glues being applied to the leading and trailing edges of each label. In that case, one pad is retracted and the other extended at each glue roller.
In a bottle labeller of the type having a rotating discharge roller with an extending finger that withdraws a label from a magazine, the discharge roller contains a piston in which the finger is carried by a complimentary shape of a slot in the piston with the base of the finger. The piston moves in a cylindrical bore both axially and rotatably to retract the finger from extended position into the roller when a bottle detecting system discovers an interruption in the flow of bottles to the labeller. The detecting system directs pressurized air to the roller, forcing the piston to move in the bore and retract the finger when an interruption is discovered.
A banding and labeling system for containers includes a central drum which is heated for activation of adhesive coating provided on bands and labels which are to be secured to containers. The drum is provided with carrying elements employing suction, referred to as mouthpieces, which include pockets for holding literature and support bands in appropriate positions for securing the literature to containers. Dispensers are mounted peripherally around the drum at successive work stations for transference of banding materials, labeling materials, and literature packets to the mouthpieces as the drum rotates. At a final work station, a conveyor transports the containers to the drum whereupon the banding and labeling materials are secured to the containers during rotation of the containers between the drum and pressure pads which engage the adhesive coatings to the outer surfaces of the containers. Vacuum valves are provided for initiating and for terminating suction via sets of suction holes to various portions of each of the elements which are to be mounted on the containers. The initiation and termination of vacuum permits the transference of the foregoing elements from the dispensers to the drum and from the drum to the containers.
