Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – With work feeding or handling means
Patent
1997-05-30
1999-05-11
Engel, James
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
With work feeding or handling means
156556, 156568, 156571, B65C9/00
Patent
active
059024500
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for applying adhesive-carrying labels to articles which are moved past the apparatus, for example on a moving conveyor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus according to the present invention comprises an arm mounted for rotation about an axis transverse to the direction of movement of the articles, a label support on the arm for releasably supporting a label and carrying the label along a path to bring the label into contact with an article to be labelled, the label support being yieldably mounted relative to the inner part of the arm.
Advantageously, the arm is articulated with a resilient bias towards a straight configuration but resiliently yieldable when applying a label to an article.
Advantageously, the labels are self-adhesive labels carried by a release tape at a supply point which may include a printer for printing required indicia on the labels. The arm is preferably extendible and has means for extending the label support to collect a label at the supply point and then to retract the label support clear of the supply point. The extending means may comprise a pneumatic actuator actuated through rotary joints on the axis of rotation of the arm. The apparatus may include two arms mounted for rotation about a common axis and arranged to alternate in collecting and applying labels. In order to reduce the number of rotary air-supply joints required, each arm may carry a two-position pilot valve, the state of which may be changed by the supply of pressurized air, via a respective rotary joint, this supply also being connected by a flexible conduit to a part of the pilot valve on the other arm. The arrangement is such that when both supplies are pressurized, both label supports are retracted, but when one supply is depressurized, the associated pilot valve operates to apply pressure from the other supply to extend the label support associated with the said one supply means.
Preferably, each label support holds successive labels by suction (applied via a rotary connection at the axis of rotation of the respective arm), which suction is replaced by positive pressure as the label is applied to an article.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a vertical elevational view of labelling apparatus in accordance with the invention mounted about a conveyor, as seen from one side of the conveyor;
FIG. 2 is a vertical section generally on the line II--II of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows one arm of the apparatus on an enlarged scale, in side elevation;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line IV--IV of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an end-view of the arm in the direction of the arrow V of FIG. 3;
FIGS. 6a to 6l show 12 successive positions adopted by the arms of the apparatus during a cycle of collecting a label and applying it to a package; and
FIG. 7 shows diagrammatically the electrical and pneumatic relationships of the apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the labelling apparatus 1 is mounted on a gantry frame 2 spanning a conveyor 3 along which successive packages A, B, C, for example from a packaging machine (not shown) are being moved under the apparatus 1. The packages A, B, C have substantially the same dimensions but are not necessarily spaced at equal intervals along the conveyor.
The apparatus comprises two substantially identical arms L and R capable of being rotated about a common horizontal axis 4 indefinitely but at variable speeds.
The arms L, R are articulated and mounted on respective shafts 6 supported in bearings 7 in a gearbox housing 8 for each arm. Each shaft 6 is driven, always in the same direction but at variable speed, by a brushless DC motor 9 (FIG. 3) via a toothed belt and pulley reduction transmission 10 and a worm shaft 11, the worm 12 of which meshes with a worm wheel 13 secured to the shaft 6.
Each arm L, R is formed by an inner arm portion 15, the outer end part of which carrie
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patent: 4561921 (1985-12-01), Treiber
patent: 4574027 (1986-03-01), Weinundbrot
patent: 4767487 (1988-08-01), Tomsovic, Jr.
patent: 5019207 (1991-05-01), McCoy
patent: 5221405 (1993-06-01), Trouteaud
English translation of European Patent No. 0 608 296 which resulted from Publication WO 93/08081 dated Apr. 29, 1993.
Engel James
Labfax Systems Limited
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