US1448364A - Label-attaching machine - Google Patents

Description

Mar. 13, 1923. 1,448,364. F. M. PETERS ET AL.

LABEL ATTACHING MACHlNE- FILED MAY 26, 1919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET h I 29 Wad, M, %/)W 3-% Mar. 13, 1923. I 1,448,364.

' F. M. PETERS ET AL.

LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE.

FILED MAY 26, 1919- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

UNITED s PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. PETERS AND WARREN H. I-IUNGERFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO PETERS MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Application filed May 26,

To all whom it may concern; 7

Be it known that we, FRANK M. PETERS and VVARREN H. HUNGERFORD, both citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Label-Attaching Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for applyinglabels to articles, and is adapted to feed label's consecutively from a magazine, apply paste or adhesive thereto, and aflix the labels to articles such as cartons or packageswhich are continuously fed past the point of application of the labels.

It is an important object of our invention to provide a machine of this. character with means automatically controlled by the presence of a label on the carrier to apply paste to the label, and serving when a label fails to feed onto the carrier to avoid application of the paste thereto. Other important objects of the invention are to provide improved means to resiliently press the label against the article to insure tho-rough application without damage to the article; ,to provide an improved holder for the supply of labelsv to maintain them in proper position to feed properly onto the carrier; and in general, to provide an improved label attaching machine of simple form which obviates disadvantages which have been experienced with machines of this character heretofore provided.

On the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of the labelattaching machine with some of the parts broken away and others shown in section, and includes a fragmentary portion of the frame upon which the machine is mounted. Fig. 2 is a view of the structure shown in Fig. l on the line 2-2 and includes a fragmentary portion of a package carrier for supplying packages to the labeling machine to be labeled.

The machine shown in the accompanying drawings is an improvement on that shown in Patent N 0. 770,696, dated September 20, 1904, designed particularly for usein connection with a. wrapping machine of the character shown in said patent, and the reference numeral 1 indicates a portion of a carrier of such a wrapping machine which has pockets 2 for holding the packages to 7 through which bolts are LABEL-ATTACHING MACHINE.

1919. Serial No. 299,924.

label is attached. Our present invention,

however, is not limited to use with, such a carrier, but any suitable means may be employed for moving the packages successively to the labeling position and removing same from such. position after the label is affixed thereto. A frame 3 is mounted adjacent the position at which the label is to be attached and has a pair of brackets 4 and 5 held in separated parallel relation, by spacers 6 and passed for holding the frames4 and 5 together. The label carrier comprises a tube 8 fitted to slide in a sleeve 9, the latter having trunnions 10 journaled in bearings in the frames 4 and 5 to enable the label carrier to swing to an upright position to receive a label from the label magazine and to ahorizontal position to affix the label to the package. A hollow head 11 is provided on that end of the pipe 8 which swings down adjacent the package on the carrier 1 and has a flat outer face to receive the label and press same against the package on the carrier. The chamber 12 in the head 11 communicates with the passageway through the pipe. 8, and has an aper ture 13 through the front wall of the head to'maintain suction. on the label for holding it in place on the face of the head.

A long sleeve 14 is mounted to slide on the tube 8 and spaced from the head 11 so that a spring 15 may be interposed between the head 11 and the sleeve 14 for applying a resilient pressure on the head 11 in the operation of affixing the label. The sleeve 14 is enlarged atone end, as at 16,-toafford a broad faced portion engaged between a-rcuate guides 17 of the frames 4 and 5 to prevent turning of the sleeve 14 between the arcuate guides, and each of these. guides has an arcuate slot 18 concentric with-the pivots 10 of the carrier and terminating at the lower end in a. horizontal extension 19 projecting toward the package holder, and an extension 20 at the upper end projecting upwardly toward a label magazine mounted thereabove. The junctures of the slot 18 with the extensions 19 and 20 are carefully round-ed, and the enlarged end 16 of the sleeve 14,provided with rollers 21 engaged in the slots, and extensions so as to freely travel therein in the movement of the label carrier from the horizontal to the upright position and reversely.

The tube 8 is held from rotation in the sleeve 14 and relative longitudinal movement limited by a pin 22 projecting outwardly from the pipe 8 and engaged in a slot 23 in the sleeve 14, the pin 22 normally engaging the inner end of the slot 23 by reason of the tension of the spring 15, but being withdrawn a short distance therefrom as the head 11 presses thelabel against the package.

The mechanism of this labeling machine may be operated from any suitablesource of power, being, of course, synchronized with, the operation of the carrier 1 to affix the label at the time the package is properly positioned by the carrier 1. The reference numeral 24 indicates a drive shaft folthe labeling mechanism which is thus synchronously operable with the carrier 1 and has an eccentric 2:") thereon arranged to swing the label carrier at the proper time to receive a label from the magazine and affix the label to the package. A rocker arm 27 is pivoted at the outer side of the frame member 5 on a stud or bolt 28 secured to the frame 5 at its lower end and preferably at the point of connection of the frames 4 and 5 by the spacer 6. and the upper end of this lever is pivotally connected by a link which embraces the eccentric 25 so that when the shaft 24- is rotated, the rocker arm 27 is oscillated on its pivot 28.

The rocker arm 27, link 29, and extension 30 are so arranged and of suitable length so that when the label carrier is in the lowermost position the link 29 is substantially horizontal and movement of the rocker arm 27 to the right extremity of its movement (looking at Fig. 2) drives the sleeve 14 and tube 8 of the label carrier laterally toward the package to be labeled the label carrier being guided at such time by the travel of the rollers 21 in the slot extensions 19. Movement of the rocker arm 27 to the left (looking at Fig. 2) withdraws the label carrier from the package, and the curved juncture of the slots 18 with the extensions 19 directs the rollers 21 upwardly into the slots 18 and thereby raises the sleeve 14 and the end of the link 29 which is connected with the extension 30, and changes the angular relation of the link 29 with the rocker arm 27 whereby the latter assumes a lifting effects as it continues its movement and forces the rollers 21 to travel upwardly in the slots 18 and swings the label carrier to the upright position. As the label carrier nears the upright position the link 29 approaches a position of alignment with the rocker arm 27 and the rollers 21 (that is, movement to the right, looking at Fig. 2) withdraws the label carrier from the upright position and returns it to the horizontal position for aihxing the label, the complete cycle of operations of the label carrier being effected with each rotation of the driving shaft 24.

The label magazine 32 comprises an upright casing of suitable dimensions to hold a stack of labels 33 therein, and is supported by brackets 34 on the upper ends of the frames 4 and 5 directly above the position occupied by the head 11 on the label carrier when the latter is in upright position. At each side of the casing of the label magazine and on the inner face thereof is a plate 36, each of which has an inturned lip 36 at the lower end projecting under the opposite edges of the labels merely a sufficient distance to support the stack of labels in the magazine. These lips are comparatively thin and admit the head 11 of the label carrier thereunder sufliciently close to the bottom label so that the latter may bereadily withdrawn from the magazine.

For withdrawing the labels singly from the magazine and holding same on the head 11 until they are affixed to the package, we provide an air exhauster of any suitable form (not shown) to which the pipe 37 is connected, and have a flexible hose 38 connecting this pipe with a nipple39 on the valie head 40 mounted on the outer end of the pipe 8 and communicating with the interior of the pipe so as to continually exhaust the air therefrom and from the chamber 12 in the head 11, and afford a suction through the aperture 13 sufiicient to draw a label 33 from the bottom of the stack of labels in the magazine 32 and hold same securely on the face of the head 11 as it is transferred to the labeling position and applied to the package. The valve head 40 has an opening therefrom at the outer end which is nor mally closed by a valve 41 hinged to the head at 42, and having a spring 43 for holding the valve closed. A finger 44 projects upwardly from the valve 41 into position to engage a stop 45 which is adjustably clamped on the spacer 7 of the frames 4 and 5 so that when the label carrier is projected to press the label against the package the valve 41 is opened, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to release the suction in the pipe 8 and chamber 12 of the head and relieve the suction through the aperture 13 on the'label,

' ticularly at the bottom and to feed the labels magazine to direct the same to the 7 roller 47 journaled therein so onto the head 11 in proper position to be afiixed .to the package, a shaft 77 is journaled transversely across the front of the magazine in bearings 78 on the side walls, and has a central arm 79 thereon with a,de-- pending spring 80 extending inwardly at a slight angle to the stack of labels in the proper position at the bottom of the magazine, the lower end of'this spring being arranged to resiliently press against the stack of labels adjacent the bottom thereof just above the point of exit from the magazine. An adjusting arm 81 is secured to one end of the shaft 77 and has an arcuate slot 82 at the outer end engaged by a screw 83 threaded into the wall of the magazine to enable the spring 80 to be adjusted to afford the proper tension on the labels.

Mounted adjacent the upper end of the frame 3 is a paste receptacle 46 with. a paste as to dip into the paste at all times. The shaft '49 to which this roller is secured projects outside the paste receptacle and has a gear 50 there on meshing with a gear wheel 51, which is connected in any suitable manner with the driving mechanism of the machine to be constantly operated. The side walls of the paste receptacle 46 are extended as at 52 to afford elevated bearings-to support another roller 53 which rolls against the roller 47' to receive a coating of paste, and is positively driven with the roller 47 by the intermeshing gears 54 and 55 connected with the rollers 47 and 53 respectively.

A pair of links 56 are pivoted at their ends on aligning axes'57 on theupper ends of the frames 4 and 5, and have a paste roll 58 journaled to rotate on a shaft 59 which connects the outer ends of the links 56 in a manner to afford a rigid frame to support this paste roll. One of the arms 56 is connected by a link 60 with a rocking lever 61 -.pivoted at 62 intermediate of its ends on a bracket 63 mounted on the frame 3, and the opposite end of the lever 61 has a roller 64 engaged under a cam 65 on the shaft 24 and maintained in contact therewith by the weight of the paste roll 58, its frame .and connections. This cam is arranged to normally hold the roll 58 up in contact with 'taching position.

the gear 65, the teeth of these gears being preferably pointed, as shown, to insure ready meshing. The cam 65 is suitably arranged with reference to the eccentric 25 and cut away to permit the roll 58 to drop down just prior to the passage of the label carrying head 11 thereunder as it carries a i label from the ma azine'32 to the label atroller 91 is spaced from one end of the paste roll 58 so as to be engaged by the finger 92 as the head 11 approaches the depressed paste roll 58, and thereby hold the latter up and permit the head and label thereon to pass smoothly thereunder, and wipe the label against the roll 58 to receive a coating of paste. After the label is moved past the roll 58, the cam 65 immediately returns. the roll 58 to the upper position against the roll 53v to be recoated with paste.

In order to avoid application of paste to the surface of the head 11 in the absence of the label thereon, which may occasionally occur through failure of a label to feed fromthe magazine 32, we have provided an automatic mechanism controlled by the presence of a label on the head 11 for regulating the operation of the paste roll 58. For this purpose the lever 61 has a lug 66 which is adapted to be engaged by the pendent lever 67 which is pivotally mounted at 68 on the frame of the machine, and has a hook or detent 69 at the lower end. arranged to engage under'the lug 66 to hold'the paste roller in the elevated position. An arm 7 0 is fixed to the upper end'of the lever 67, and a spring 71 connected to the outer end of this arm and to a bracket, 72 on the frame of the machine is adapted to normally swing the lever 67 to engage the detent 69 under the lug 66. Obviously the lever 67 .must be withdrawn at each time that a label is carried from the magazine to the position of aflixing the label, in order that the paste roll 58 may be depressed to coat the label with paste. To permit this operation we have provided a cylinder 73 with a plunger 74 slidably fitted therein and having a rod 75 connecting the piston with the lever 67 The outer end of this cylinder has the air exhaust pipe 37 connected therewith and likewise the flexible hose 38 so as to regulate the adjustment of the lever 67 by the presence of a label on the head 11.

The pipe 37 being connected with a continuously acting air exhaust means tends to exhaust the air from the interior of the tube 8 and the chamber 12 of the label carrier head. When the head 11 swings upwardly to a position under the magazine 32, thetrigger 44 of the valve 41 is released from the stop 45 so that the valve is closed by the action of the spring 43. The interruption of admission of air through this valve then leaves the aperture 13 of the head 11 alone available to compensate for the reduction of pressure in the head due to the continuing exhaust of air therefrom through the tube 8, hose 38, and pipe 37, and as the head 11 moves up to the position immediately below the stack of labels 33 in the magazine 32, the inrush of airtlirough the aperture 13 sucks the lowermost label down against the face of the head 11, thus closing the air inlet, detaching the lowermost label from the stack of labels and holding it securely on the face of the head as it is carried thereby past the paste roll to the labeling position. The

closing of the aperture 13 by the label interrupts admission of air into the head 11, and as the valve 41 is closed, suction is built up in the cylinder chamber 76 and withdraws the piston 7 4 and with it the lever 67 so that the detent 69 thereof is withdrawn from the lug 66 and permits the paste roll to depress when the cut-away portion of the cam 65 reaches the roller 64. This occurs just previous to the passage of the head 11 under the paste roll '58 so thatthe latter is in the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that the label is drawn against the roller and a coating of paste is thus applied to the label. The label carrier then swings on downwardly to the horizontal position so that the head 11 and label thereon is directly in front of the end of the package 75, and as the carrier is projected towards the package, the trigger 74 engages the stop 45, thereby opening the valve 41 and relieving the suction in the carrier and chamber 12 of the head, thus releasing the pull on the label on the head so that the latter may be withdrawn without any tendency of the label to stick to the head.

Thepressure applied to the carrier to aliix the label to the package is transmitted through the lever 27 and link 29 to the sleeve 14 which is fitted to slide on the tube 8, and through the spring 15 applies a yielding pressure to the label head 11 to press the label firmly against the package without danger of crushing or damaging the package.

In the event that a label fails to feed onto the head 11 from the magazine 32, or for any other reason there is no label on the head as it is passed under the paste roll 53, the latter is retained in the elevated positlon and therefore prevented from coating the head 11 with the paste. This is accomphshed by reason of the aperture 13 being uncovered and admitting-suficient air to satisfy the rate of exhaust of air through invention in a preferred form, and the manner of application to a particular type of package carrier, we are aware that various changes and modifications may be made, and that it may be applied to other types of package carriers without departing from the principles of our invention, and we therefore do not propose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

' We claim as our invention:

1. In a labeling machine, the combination of a movable label picker, paste applying means, mechanism for shifting the paste applying means to and from a. position for applying paste to the labels on the picker, and a stop controlled independently of the picker movement and eflective only in the absence of a. label on the picker, to control shifting of the paste applying means to the paste applying position.

2. In a labeling machine, the combination of a frame,'means for holding an article to be labeled, a movable carrier on the frame for supplying labels to be affixed to the article, means operable to apply paste to the label on the carrier, and a suction device stationarily mounted on the frame and controlled by the labels on the carrier for regulating the operation of the paste applying means.

3. lln a labeling machine, the combina tion of a holder for the'article to be labeled, a carrier for feeding labels to be affixed to the article, a paste roll movable to and from a position for applying paste to the label on t e carrier, a stop for interrupting movement of the paste roll, and a suction mechanism operatively connected with the stop and controlled by the labels on the carrier.

4. In a labeling machine, the combination of a holder for an article to be labeled, a magazine for labels, a carrier pivotally mounted and provided with a label supporting head adapted to receive a label thereon from the magazine, and press same matically release the label as it is pressed against the article, and means controlled by the suction acting upon the label, for regulating th operation of the paste applying mechanism.

5. In a label affixing machine, the combination of a holder for the article to be labeled a label magazine, a label carrier for transferring a label from the magazine and pressing same against the article in the holder, and having a label supporting head with an air inlet aperture adapted to he covered by the label, a paste roll adapted to apply a coating of paste to the label on the head, a drive shaft having a cam for normallyholding the paste roll in an elevated position and periodically permitting depression of the paste roll to engage the label on the head, a latch normally locking the paste roll against depression, and suction operated means connnunicating With the aforesaid air inlet of the carrier head and adapted when the label covers the inlet to release said latch and otherwise to maintain the latch in the normal position.

FRANK M. PETERS. vWARREN H. HUNGERFORD.

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