A-t-o Inc.

Figgie International, Inc.

Sidney T Carter

John W Watkins

Labeling apparatus for applying labels to bottles at different levels to areas of different radius of curvature at the two different levels, for example, the body and neck of a bottle, comprising applicators supported for movement in unison about a common axis relative to a conveyor on which are bottles to which labels are to be applied for movement along a predetermined rectilinear path at a predetermined speed wherein one of the applicators is supported at a fixed radial distance from the common axis of rotation of the applicators about said common axis such that at its place of engagement with the body of the bottle, it moves at a speed corresponding to the speed of the bottle, wherein the other is supported for radial movement relative to the common axis of rotation of the applicators for rotation about said common axis at a radial distance from the common axis to have engagement with the neck of the bottle, wherein the latter applicator is rotatable relative to the common axis of rotation of the applicators as it is rotated about said common axis in a direction opposite to its direction of rotation about said common axis and wherein there is an arm mounted to the latter applicator movable into engagement with the trailing side of the neck of the bottle as the latter applicator is moved into engagement with the neck of the bottle to constrain movement of said latter applicator as it is moved into engagement with the neck of the bottle to the speed of movement of the bottle.

Labeling apparatus

In a labeling machine the combination with a glue applying roll, pickers and a label magazine from which labels are picked by the picker when the latter has on its surface a layer of glue of a doctor blade supported with an edge at a distance from the surface of the glue applying roll which will provide adequate glue for labeling and pneumatically-operable means operable to retract the label magazine from the path of movement of the pickers when there is a gap in the procession of containers or no containers and simultaneously to move the doctor blade closer to the surface of the glue applying roll to reduce the amount of glue on the surface of the glue applying roll available to the pickers without removing all of the glue.

Doctor blade for labeling machine

A labeling machine for gluing labels at one or both sides of bottles with provision for adjusting the inclination of the label transfer pads to approximately the inclination of the side surfaces of the bottles to which the labels are to be applied, including means for retracting the label magazine and removing some of the glue from the surface of the glue-applying roll in the absence of bottles or no bottles.

Labeling machine

A labeling machine wherein there is a picker mechanism for tangentially attaching labels to the necks of bottles traveling along a predetermined path in predetermined spaced relation such that the planes of the tangentially attached labels are substantially parallel to the direction of travel, and longitudinally spaced means arranged along said path comprising jets which displace the ends of the labels transversely of the path and wipers which apply wiping forces to the ends to wrap the transversely displaced ends about the necks.

Wrap neck label mechanism

Labeling apparatus wherein a rotor rotatable about a vertical axis is provided with peripherally spaced suction pads for taking labels presented thereto in vertical positions, moving them by adhesive-applying rolls for application of adhesive thereto and then pressing them into engagement with the side surfaces of containers supported in vertical positions. The adhesive-applying rolls are supported in substantially vertical positions in tangential relation to the rotor and there are adjustably mounted doctor rolls supported in tangential engagement with the adhesive rolls. The surfaces of the adhesive-applying and doctor rolls have mutually interengaged ribs and grooves and adhesive is supplied to the upper ends of the doctor rolls in free flowing streams so as to flow downwardly over the lateral surfaces of the rolls to their lower ends. A tray at the lower ends provides for collecting the adhesive and returning it to a reservoir for reuse. The doctor rolls are driven at about 1/12 the rate of rotation of the applicator rolls and there are strippers associated with the applicator rolls to prevent the labels from clinging to the applicator rolls. A drive is provided for constantly rotating the adhesive-applying and doctor rolls and a pump is provided for pumping adhesive thereto in sufficient quantity to keep the adhesive-applying rolls and doctor rolls coated at all times with adhesive and to coat the labels as fast as they are presented to the adhesive-applying rolls. Override clutches provide for driving the adhesive-applying rolls at a lower speed and valves provide for controlling the adhesive supplied to the rolls by the pump.

Adhesive applying apparatus and method

Apparatus for pressing labels against the lateral sides of containers traveling along a conveyor standing upright, wherein a plurality of wiper assemblies including pressure applying pads are arranged along opposite sides of a container conveyor for movement along paths parallel thereto characterized in that the assemblies are supported by horizontally moving conveyor chains entrained about spaced sprockets so as to have straight runs parallel to the path of movement of the container conveyor and curved end runs which respectively lead into the straight runs and away from the straight runs and wherein the assemblies are rotated relative to the conveyor as they travel around the end runs to establish and maintain full compressive engagement of the pads with the containers throughout movement of the pads along the straight runs from center to center of the supporting sprockets.

Apparatus embodying continuous conveyors for applying labels to

Apparatus wherein a picker provided with an arcuate surface is supported for movement in a circular path at a radial distance from a predetermined center of rotation relative to a glue applying roll, a stack of labels and a transfer turret arranged about said predetermined center characterized in that there is means for effecting movement of the picker along said path and effecting rotation of the picker about the center of its arcuate surface such that said arcuate surface will have exclusively rolling tangential engagement with the surface of the glue applying roll, the surface of the label and the surface of the turret comprising, a fixed sun gear at said predetermined center having portions of different radius of curvature by means of which the rotation of the picker may be accelerated or decelerated, a planetary gear at the center of rotation of the arcuate surface of the picker for effecting its rotation, an idler gear in mesh with the planetary gear movable around the fixed gear in consonance with the planetary gear, means supporting the idler gear for movement relative to the sum and planetary gears as the radius of curvature of the sun gear varies from place to place and a cam for maintaining the idler gear in mesh with the sun and planetary gears as the planetary gear travels around the sun gear.

Rotary glue picker

A labeling machine of the kind wherein labels are removed one at a time from a stack of labels by a rotating picker provided with axially spaced annular picking surfaces disposed for rotation about an axis parallel to the endmost label in the stack at a distance therefrom such that the annular picking surfaces of the picker are tangent to the plane of the endmost label. The annular picking surfaces contain diametrically disposed slots which are connected to a vacuum as they are moved into engagement with the endmost label and thereafter at a predetermined place in the further rotation of the picker are disconnected to release the label characterized in that there is a needle fixed in each slot with its pointed end flush with the annular picking surface of the picker and with which the portion of the label crossing the slot is held engaged during the period the picker is taking hold of the label and releasing it.

Growing community of inventors

Shrewsbury, MA, United States of America

Sidney T Carter