Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-13
2003-05-06
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S351000, C156S361000, C156S362000, C156S541000, C156S542000, C156SDIG004
Reexamination Certificate
active
06558490
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high speed method and device for applying labels.
2. Description of the Related Art
An application of relatively small labels to relatively large, flexible bodies, such as cartons and newspapers, has been an expensive, time-consuming and an inaccurate activity. The flexible bodies, such as cartons and newspapers, have been difficult to adhere adhesive articles and align with a labeling device. Furthermore, it has heretofore not been possible to adapt a device for labeling bottles to a device for labeling cartons and newspapers because the cartons and newspapers often travel at a very different rate than other types of products. Typically, the higher rates are much faster than can be accommodated by a conventional labeling device. The result is improper registration between the carton and the label. The poor registration becomes catastrophic within a very short period of time in a rapid labeling operation. A consequence is the significant loss of production time and maintenance that is required to correct and, repair damaged equipment in the label process. Excessive raw label material must be destroyed. Mislabeled products may also have to be destroyed.
Furthermore, it has always been difficult to increase the rate at which labels are applied to any type of article, while maintaining a sufficient level of consistency and avoiding damaging the articles, the labels, or the supply web.
The Eder patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,495, issuing Nov. 7, 1995, describes a method and an apparatus for applying labels to containers and the resulting containers. With this method, containers are transported on rotatable support plates which are arranged in a circle on a rotating turntable. A leading edge of a label is adhered to a container as the container orbits past a vacuum-type label transfer drum. A curved guide which is tangential to the cylindrical body of the container, as the orbiting and rotating container passes, causes the label to wrap completely around the container. One of a circular array of heat-sealing elements which are rotated with the turntable adjacent each support plate is cammed radially outwardly of the turntable into contact with the region on the container where the trailing end overlaps the leading end of the label. This action fuses the ends of the labels together. The cam profile is adjustable in length to keep the time during which the heat-sealing member is in contact with the label ends overlap constant and independent of the rotational speed of the turntable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A device for the precise delivery of labels includes a mechanism for web manipulation, a mechanism for label positioning, and a mechanism for micro-adjustment of the device for the precise delivery of labels. The label positioning device interacts with an article, such as a carton
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or newspaper, in order to transfer labels from a web to the article.
The present invention also includes a method for applying labels to articles so that the labels have a consistent and precise alignment. The method includes providing a device with a web manipulation mechanism, a label positioning mechanism and a position mechanism micro-adjuster. A peel tip component of the device is spatially adjusted in a precise manner in order to produce precise alignment between the labels and the articles to which they are applied, at a variety of manufacturing speeds.
The present invention also provides a positionally based system for matching the placement of a label with the arrival of an article at a nip point, wherein the label is applied to the article at the nip point. In the most preferred form, the web carrying the labels is moved continuously and this movement is accurately adjusted for each article that passes through the nip point. To accomplish this a pitch sensor is provided that detects the pitch between the articles as they are moved along a conveyor. Subsequently, the articles location is detected by a registration sensor. This detection occurs at the approximate time that the preceding object receives a label. In addition, a label sensor is located near the supply web (prior to the nip point) to determine the pitch of the labels. The same sensor is also used to determine the position of a leading edge of each label.
A system controller receives all of the data and controls the distribution of the labels, by controlling the motion of the supply web. When the pitch of the objects is measured by the pitch sensor, this data is transferred to the system controller and an “electronic gear ratio” is defined for that article. That is, in order for a label located at a distance from the nip point, and an article that is similarly located some distance from the nip point to arrive at the nip point at the same time, some ratio of movement between the article and the label must be defined. For example, if the article is exactly twice as far from the nip point as the label, the article will have to move two incremental units for every incremental unit that the label moves. As such, the system is entirely positionally oriented and therefore fully functional, independent of velocity. Once this ratio is determined, a closed loop servo driving the supply web corrects the position of the web to achieve the desired ratio (since movement of the article conveyor is relatively constant).
When the article is detected by the registration sensor, the ratio that had been determined for the particular article is then implemented. Theoretically, the label and the object should then arrive at the nip point at the same time. This assumes perfect movement of the supply web and perfect spacing between the labels. Since neither occurs with sufficient reliability, a final adjustment is made. That is, when the article is detected by the registration sensor, the label sensor looks for the leading edge of the label to be placed. Since there is a difference in the distance between the registration sensor to the nip point and the distance between label sensor and the nip point, the label will be sensed at some point after the article is detected. This interval is predefined and any deviation noted (i.e., the label being detected earlier or later by the sensor) is recorded as an error. The system controller then causes the servo motor driving the supply web to temporarily accelerate or decelerate (with respect to the rate of motion of the product conveyor) to account for this error. Once the error is corrected, the supply web resumes moving at the predetermined ratio. This secondary adjustment occurs very rapidly and is generally very small. However, this adjustment is separate and distinct from the initial setting of the electronic gear ratio.
In operation, the supply web supporting the labels will move continuously. Adjustments will be made to the motion of the supply web; however, it will normally not stop moving unless an article is missing from the conveyor. The label and the article will arrive at the nip point at the same time. The supply web is pulled around the peel tip, thus causing the label to separate from the web. The continued motion of the web causes the label to move forward toward the nip point. The peel tip is positionally adjusted so that as the label enters the nip point, only a very small portion of the label remains adhered to the supply web. Entry into the nip point and partial attachment to the article causes the label to be pulled from the supply web as the article travels much faster than the supply web. Since only a very small portion of the label was in contact with the supply web, this pulling action has no negative impact on the supply web itself. Subsequently, a roller (forming the nip point) applies the remainder of the label to the object. Alternatively, the label could be launched or shot into the nip point. That is, no portion of the label will remain adhered to the supply web when the label enters the nip point. Such an arrangement requires very precise alignment, a high tolerance in the manufacture of the l
Bakken Craig D.
Klein Timothy H.
Schaupp Richard E.
Cochran William W.
Crispino Richard
Purvis Sue A.
Smyth Companies, Inc.
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