This invention relates to an improved starwheel (20) for use in continuous packaging, filling or labelling lines for articles such as cans and bottles which has a plurality of spaced orienting devices (18) around its periphery. The improvement resides in that the orienting devices (18) comprise moveable fingers (26) which can readily assume the contour of the outer periphery of such articles and be releasably locked in place after the contour of the article is captured in the orienting device. As a result, starwheel (20) does not have to be removed from the operating line to accommodate a new size or shape of article, the line can be quickly restarted using the new article and a large inventory of starwheels for various sizes and shapes of articles is unnecessary.
A container positioning apparatus as may be used in a labeller is adapted to serve a variety of containers having different configurations. The apparatus comprises a container receptacle on which containers are placed and a support which is located below the receptacle. The container receptacle is supported by a spring so as to be elevatable with respect to the support. The support carries a plurality of pins which are resiliently urged upward. The pins are disposed in a manner to conform the configuration of containers to be positioned, and extend through pin openings formed in the container receptacle. When containers are placed on the container receptacle, which is then depressed, those pins which are located directly below the containers will be depressed together with the container receptacle, whereby those pins which surround the containers and projecting above the container receptacle are effective to position the containers.
An article transfer station for transferring articles from a first conveyor to a second conveyor whereby the station can be selected to be either a station at which articles are carried through a predetermined angle about a substantially vertical axis while changing their orientations by the angle or a station at which articles are carried through the angle about the vertical axis without changing their orientations.
A quick-change roll-fed labeling machine employs a unique container flow path, resulting in higher labeling speed and precision label placement. The labeling machine comprises a conveyor for moving articles to be labeled, and an infeed screw assembly for spacing and stabilizing the articles. Additional system elements include a rotatable starwheel assembly having a plurality of spaced pockets for receiving individual ones of the articles therein, a rotatable vacuum drum assembly, and a supply of roll fed labels, wherein the labels are dispensed singly onto a label receiving face of the rotatable vacuum drum assembly. A glue wheel assembly is disposed adjacent to the vacuum drum assembly for applying glue to the labels. Advantageously, the glue wheel assembly comprises an air cylinder drive for driving the glue wheel disposed between a pair of bushings.
A star feeder (4) is arranged between a first and a second conveying device (1, 2) for conveying objects in series and it serves for transferring the objects (G) from the first conveying device (1) to the second conveying device (2). In order to make the star feeder adaptable to a wide range of different types of objects, the compartments (5) are all simultaneously adjustable regarding their form and/or their radial depth.
A device which centers bottles beneath a filling nozzle and which can be very quickly changed when there is a change in the bottles being run on the line. The device includes an upper bracket which receives the mouth of the bottle and may also include a lower foot against which the back of the bottle is received. The bracket holds the bottle while the bottle is filled. Both the mouth receiving bracket and the foot against which the back of the bottle rests are readily changeable with brackets and feet, respectively, of other sizes. Typically the bottles will be conveyed to the bracket by a star wheel.
