US3139368A

US3139368A - Transfer applying machine for conical surfaced bottles

Info

Publication number: US3139368A
Application number: US118625A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl A Flood
Original assignee: Dennison Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Dennison Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1961-06-21
Filing date: 1961-06-21
Publication date: 1964-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 1981-06-30
Also published as: DK107017C; CH385719A; BE619220A; GB954055A

Description

June 30, 1964 c. A. FLOOD 3,139,368

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES Filed June 21. 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet l INV EN TOR.

6a?! .12 jlaad c. A. FLOOD 3,139,368

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES June 30, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21, 1961 NEW June 30, 1964 c. A. FLOOD 3,139,368

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES Filed June 21, 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 c. A. FLOOD 3,139,363

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES June 30, 1964 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 21, 1961 C. A. FLOOD June 30, 1964 TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 21, 1961 June 30, 1964 3,139,368

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES C. A. FLOOD 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 I Filed June 21, 1961 June 30, 1964 c, FLOOD 3,139,368

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES Filed June 21, 1961 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 United States Patent 3,139,368 TRANSFER APPLYING MACHDIE FUR CONICAL SURFACED BUTTLES Carl A. Flood, Framingham, Mass, assigns): to Dennison Manufacturing Company, Framingham, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed June 21, 1961, Ser. No. 118,625 8 Claims. (Cl. 156-475) This invention provides machines for transferring labels, by which is included decorative designs, from a continuous label-carrying strip onto tapered surface portions of articles, for instance bottles. The invention preferably makes use of some of the features of my prior United States patent applications Serial Nos. 729,216, filed April 17, 1958, now Patent No. 2,981,432, and 1,376, filed January 8, 1960, now Patent No. 3,064,714. The inven tion may use label-carrying strips made according to the United States patent of Ridgley G. Shepherd, Ir., No. 2,862,832, granted December 2, 1958.

Bottles having one or more tapered surface portions are desirable for a number of reasons. For example a bottle which tapers from a large base to a small top is more stable against tipping than is a substantially wholly cylindrical bottle of the same height and capacity. With some bottles a taper may be desirable in providing a portion that is more convenient to hold than some larger portion of the bottle, or that will less obscure the top opening when the bottle is turned over in pouring out its contents.

Although the principles of labeling of bottles by heat transfer of labels from a traveling continuous label carrier strip onto a moving surface of a bottle are known from the above disclosures and these principles are extensively practiced, so far as I am aware prior to the present invention there has been no machine capable of effecting this type of transfer onto a tapered surface portion of the bottle.

Heat transfer labeling differs in certain requirements from the more conventional labeling which is typified by causing a cut sheet, of paper or the like, referred to as a label, to adhere to the bottle as by a coating of adhesive. In heat transfer labeling, as in my above prior applications, the thing referred to as a label is essentially an ink image which itself adheres to the bottle, whereas the. paper strip which has carried'this image is peeled away practically instantaneously with the adhesion of the ink to the bottle. If not peeled away soon enough in leaving the bottle surface the strip would take parts of the ink image with it. If a given spot of the ink image does not, during the transfer, ride with thebottle surface at the same speed and in the same direction as a corresponding underlying spot on the bottle surface which is receiving this spot of the image, the image will be blurred or fail to adhere.

For heat transfer labeling of tapered surfaces there is the added complication that the label (image to be transferred) must be a development of the tapered surface in which the label will lie when on the bottle, yet the strip carrying this developed surface cannot be simply Wrapped around the corresponding tapered surface of the bottle because of the criticalpeeling-a'wayrequirement of heat transfer labeling. Each spot on the image must conform in speed and direction with a corresponding spot on the tapered bottle surface, these speeds and directions will be different for the parts of the label destined for'every different height level of the tapered surface.

Thus considering a bottle whose surface to be labeled is a part of a cone, and assuming this bottle to be rotating on a vertical axis with its smaller part uppermost, then at the line where the image transfers from label strip to bottle each spot of image at this line of transfer must be traveling in a horizontal plane in contact with the correparallel thereto may 3,139,368 Patented June 30, 1964 "ice sponding receiving spot on the bottle, a spot of image near the bottom of this line of transfer must be traveling rela tively fast, and a spot of image near the top of the line of transfer must be traveling relatively slowly, so as to correspond to the bottle surface speeds at these places.

At the same time, the label carrier strip leaving the'line of transfer must be kept under tension, for proper peelingon of the strip from the transferred image, and the label carrier strip must extend in a continuous fashion back to its supply, such as a spool, so that cycle after cycle of label application can follow in fast succession.

In the accompanying drawings,

P16. 1 is a diagrammatic view, especially showing an adjustably inclined relation of the main machine casing and some of the parts carried thereby relative to a vertically upstanding turret and a generally horizontal bottle conveyor. Subsequent figures taken from the point of view of a-a or lines parallel to line a-a may be referred to as plan views or horizontal sections, and subsequent figures taken from the point of view of line b-b or lines be referred to as front elevations or vertical sections. FIG. 11, which is taken from the point of view of line c-c' is thus a rear elevation. This terminology is as though the main casing, for example in the course of building the machine, stood upright as shown in FIG. 3; I

PEG. 2 is a diagram of the upper portion of the machine with some parts omitted;

FIG. 2a is a sectional view taken on the line 2a2a of FIG. 2 but to a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a right end view of some of the parts of FIG. 2; 7

FIG.'4 is a view,partly diagrammatic, in the nature of a plan view with some parts omitted;

FIG. 5 is a diagram in the nature of a horizontal section, showing mainly driving connections;

FIG. 6 is a view partly in the nature of a front elevation and partly in the nature of a vertical section showing some of the driving connections of FIG. 5 and some of the parts driven thereby that were omitted from FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a diagram largely in vertical cross-section through the axis and the transfer position of the bottle turret and also showing the mounting of the transfer iron, the main casing here being shown in its actual tilted position of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a detail view, taken from the point of view I of line cc of FIG. 1, omitting many parts;

FIG. 12 is a diagram in the nature of a section taken on line 12-12 of FIG. 11;

FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 are diagrams showing successive positions of a label carrier strip relative to a pivot point that coincides with the common apex of the bottle cone and transfer iron; 7

FIG. 16 is like FIG. 14 but shows the apex below the pivot point; and

FIG. 17 is like FIG. 14 but shows pivot point.

There will be first described as briefly as possible parts of the machine that are similar to those of my applications mentioned above. 1

As in the first of said appliactions and as indicated herein in FIG. 4, the machine includes a supply spool 2 and a take-up spool 3 for the label carrier strip S, feed sprocket wheel 12, and an oscillating slide 11 carrying the apex above the in the nature of a

front elevation rollers

8 and 9. Other guide rolls 7 may guide the strip between the supply spool and sprocket wheel 12 and be tween the roller 9 of the slide and the take-up spool. The course of the strip between roll 8 and roll 9 of the oscillating slide 11 differs from the course between these rollers in that prior application and will be described later.

The. applicator iron, generally designated as I, and the mounting of this iron, also differ, and these will be described later.

The drive of the machine is through a motor-driven shaft 42, FIG. 5, gear 49, gear 63, and shaft 64, whereupon the driving train divides.

Sprocket wheel 86 on shaft 64 drives a chain 84 and sprocket 87 fast on a shaft 83 for driving the applicator iron.

Gear 63 on shaft 64 drives gear 66 on shaft 67, shaft 67 drives gear 68 which drives gear 69 on shaft '71. Gear 72 on shaft 71 drives gear 73 on shaft 74. The sprocket wheel 12 on shaft 74 establishes a constant rate of feed of the label-carrier strip as in said Patent No. 2,981,432. Sprocket wheel 76 on shaft 74 drives a chain 77 for driving the take-up spool 3 through a friction clutch, not shown but the drive shaft of which is indicated as 79' in FIGS. and 6.

A cam 89 on shaft 67 controls a valve 91 for supplying air under pressure to the interior of collapsible bottles being labeled.

A cam 38 on shaft 64 engages cam followers 37 and 37' to operate a slide 27, best shown in FIG. 4, which is slidable in a guide 25.

An angularly adjustable cam block 26 rotatably mounted in slide 27 operates a follower 23 which reciprocates the oscillating slide 11.

A similar angularly adjustable cam block 26' operates a follower 23' which reciprocates a slide 39' connected to a rack 39 for operating the bottle turret. 7

Before leaving the slide 27, it may be noted that, unlike the machine of the earlier applications, the slide 27 is provided with a third angularly adjustable cam block 201? which operates a follower 201 which operates an additional slide 202 having to do with rocking a portion of the label carrier strip as hereinafter described.

Rack 39, operated as described in connection with FIG. 4 engages with a pinion 3211 (FIG. 7) fast on a sleeve 32b which is rotatable about the turret shaft 28a. The turret per se resembles that of Serial No. 1,376 more nearly than those of Serial No. 729,216. A gear 48a fast on sleeve 32b carries a pawl 36a engageable with a ratchet wheel 37a fast on the turret shaft, to rotate the turret one step as the rack 39 moves away from the observer in FIG. 7. As viewed in FIG. 4 these steps of the turret T are in a counterclockwise direction. For the particular bottles under consideration the steps are 90 steps, as determined by the teeth of the wheel 37a and the setting of the cam block 26' of FIG. 4. The bottles B are brought to the turret by a belt conveyor 17a, received by recesses in upper and lower spiders 16a, and carried away from the turret by belt conveyor 18a. Guides 13a retain the bottles in place but leave them exposed to the action of the applicator iron I.

At the label applying station of the turret the base of the bottle slides onto a chuck 44a in which it is pressed down by a rotatable air nozzle 62a which is projected down into the top opening of the bottle and which holds the bottle inflated under air pressure during the transfer, after which the air supply is automatically shut off and the nozzle is retracted to clear the bottle.

During the transfer the chuck 44a is rotated by a gear 47a in mesh with the gear 48a. The extent of rotation is determined by the relative size of gears 48a and 47a and the setting of cam block 26 (FIG. 4). The rotation of the bottle at the label applying station is counterclockwise in FIG. 4 and takes place between successive steps of the turret.

Preferably the turret is equipped with bottleindexing 4 mechanism at one step in advance of the label-applying station.

The applicator iron I as will be evident from FIG. 8 has its operative surface in the form of the tapered surface of a sector of a truncated cone, and for brevity this surface will merely be called conical. The slanting height of this conical surface portion of the iron is a little longer than that part of the width of the label strip which carries labeling image. The are extent of the conical surface portion is such as will very slightly exceed the arc extent of the labeling image, supposing the labeling image to be wrapped around the iron surface, although it is not so wrapped.

The are extent of the conical surface portion of the iron is also such as will keep this conical surface portion out of operating position during the indexing of the turret from one position to the next. For some small bottles or small labels it is possible to form the iron with a plurality of circumferentially spaced active surface portions, each of appropriate conical shape.

Whether one or more of these active conical surface portions is or are provided, the whole imaginary cone whose surface defines the active surface portion or portions of the iron will have its apex at a point which coincides with the apex of the conical surface of the bottle.

- The axes about which the iron and bottle rotate during the transfer lie in a common plane. The common apex of iron and bottle surface will lie in this common plane, as will also the line of transfer. The line of transfer, if extended thus will pass through this common apex.

In FIG. 8 full lines show the iron and construction lines complete the upper and lower diameters of the section of imaginary cone of which the iron forms a sector. In other figures such as FIG. 7 only the section of imaginary cone is shown. It will be understood that the tapered surface of the iron of FIG. 8 sweeps through the path defined by this section of imaginary cone.

As will be evident from FIG. 7 the'bottle being labeled stands upright with its axis vertical, and the axis of the iron is inclined so as to make the active surface of the iron tangent to the conical surface of the bottle. I

So that a standardized construction of much of the machine can be used for bottles of various tapers and yet the turret can stand upright, the main frame 1 of the machine is adjustably pivotally mounted at 206 (FIG. 1) to a base 207 and the turret secured to the main frame through a suitably inclined wedge 208.

' The adjustment of the mounting of the iron relative to the main frame, to accommodate irons of various maximum diameters and various tapers is as follows:

A stationary slideway 210, FIGS. 2 and 9, has slidably keyed thereto a plate member 211 which is horizontally adjustable toward and from the-observer by a screw 214 and hand-wheel 215. The drive chain 84, FIG. 5, may have sufficient slack to permit this adjustment, or if not, one of its idler sprockets may be suitably adjustable.

A plate member 212 (FIG. 9) is slidably keyed to plate member 211 and is vertically adjustable by means of a screw 212a, bevel gears 212b, 212b, and threaded shaft 212a. Plate member 212 forms an integral part of a subframe 213 in which is mounted a cross-shaft 216. Shaft 216 serves as a pivot for a yoke 217, FIGS. 3, 7 and 9 in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 218 to which the iron I is afiixed. This yoke is adjustable about shaft 216 as a pivot to provide the appropriate inclination of the iron axis and is held fixed relative to the sub-frame 213 by a pivoted bolt 217a adjustably clamped to a lug 217b on the sub-frame 213.

Iron shaft 218 is driven from shaft 83 through

bevel gears

220, 221, 222, and spur gear 223, FIG. 2 or FIG. 9, and spur gear 224, FIGS. 3 and 7. Slip rings 225 and brushes 226, FIG. 7, supply current to suitable electrical heating units within the iron.

As indicated above, the label carrier strip is given a special motion in its travel from the roller 8 to the roller observer and the strip. In

9 of the oscillating slide 11, i.e., in its travel past the line of transfer. Although as will appear below the motion of I the feeding sprocket wheel 12 and the motion of the oscillating slide 11 are factors in determining the motion of the strip in this region, further components of motion are superimposed.

A rockable yoke 230 of inverted U shape as viewed in FIG. 2 and inverted L shape as viewed in FIG. 3 is pivotally mounted at 231 on a stationary standard 232 and carries strip guides 236, 237 inclined relative to each other as in FIG. 2. The strip guides 236, 237 lie on opposite sides of the common plane in which the axes of rotation of iron and bottle lie, that is, in effect the

guides

236, 237 straddle the line of transfer. A rocking movement is imparted to the yoke 230 and guides 236, 237 by an arm 239 fast on the yoke and connected by a pivoted link 240 to the slide 202. It may be mentioned that to reach from slide 202 to arm 239 it happens that the link 243 passes freely through a hole in the standard 232. An intermediate position of the

guides

236, 237 and yoke 236 is shown in full lines in FIG. 2. Typical other positions of guide 237 are shown in broken lines.

After passing around roller 8 the strip is bent around an inclined stationary guide 244, see FIG. 14, thence around guide 236, passing thence across the line of transfer, around another inclined stationary guide 245, and thence around roller 9 of the slide 11. Stationary guides 247, FIGS. 11 and 12, may be provided to insure that the label carrier strip has the desired slight arc of contact with the active surface of the iron. These guides are preferably of conical section with their apexes coinciding with the common apex of iron and bottle. It will be recalled that the strip is delivered at a metered rate by the sprocket wheel 12 to roller 8 and is taken up, under tension by the takeup reel 3, after passing roller 9 and a suitable idler roller..

While the label-carrying strip can run directly upon the rocking guides 236 and 237, and for simplicity is so shown in some of the figures of the drawings, the

guides

236 and 237 are advantageously provided with sliding sleeves 236a and 237a respectively to receive the strip. As a

strip guide

236 or 237 is swung upwardly, its sleeve is shifted slightly toward the pivot point 231, this easing the corresponding motion of the strip, and the sleeve is shifted slightly away from the pivot point 231 on the opposite swinging motion of the

guide

236 or 237. This shifting of the sleeve may be effected by stationary cam members 238 each having a cam slot 239 which receives a follower roll 240 carried by the sleeve.

The inclined

stationary guides

244 and 245 are preferably parallel totthe midpositions of the respective rocking guides 236 and 237.

Theswinging motion of

guides

236 and 237 will be greater than represented by the swinging back and forth between the positions of FIGS. 13 and 15, but these figures best show the relations which it is desired that the label-carrying area of the strip shall bear to the line of transfer (indicated by line TR). The label carrying area is indicated in broken lines and may be consideredto be on the rear face of the strip, i.e., in position to engage the bottle. The iron may be considered to be between the FIG. 13 the leading edge of the label area is at the transfer line, and in FIG. 15 the trailing edge is at the transfer line. In going from FIG. 13 to FIG. 15, both

guides

236 and 237 have a component in a feeding direction, i.e., horizontally at right angles to the transfer line TR. Guide 236 has a component downwardly, in the direction of the larger-diameter portion of the iron. Guide 237 has a component upwardly, in the direction of the smaller-diameter portion of the iron.

Guides

236 and 237 swing together with the yoke 23% about the pivot 231, FIG. 2. The pivotal connection be 'tween arm 239 and link 240 is adjustable, lengthwise of link 240, to permit adjustment of the zone of movement of the

guides

236 and 237. The extent of movement of whereafter the strip is bent around guide 237, thence the transfer line,

6 the guides is determined by the angular setting of cam block 200, FIG. 4.

As indicated above, the label area is a development of the conical surface which it will form on the bottle. The leading and trailing edges of the label area when at and in fact any point in the label area 236 and guide 237 should therefore rock about the common apex of the conical bottle surface and the conical surface of the iron. When the pivotal axis 231 of the

guides

236, 237 passes through this common apex, as it may be assumed to do in FIGS. 13, 14, and 15, rocking of the

guides

236, 237 will in and of itself satisfy this requirement. In this case any additional component applied to the strip would disturb this relation. Therefore in this case, throughout the transfer in the FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 sequence, the forward feeding effect of the sprocket 12 is exactly offset by a negative or backward feeding effect of the oscillating slide 11 of FIG. 4. This may be accomplished by a suitable setting of the cam block 26.

This special relation of feeds which applies when axis 231 coincides with the common apex may be used for bottles and irons of various tapers, with the comrnon apex at corresponding height, by adjusting this axis 231 to the height of the particular common apex. Thus the standard 232 may be adjustable as to height, or a standard of proper height may be furnished to be used with an iron of particular taper.

I However, such adjustment of the axis 231 need not be made, as will now appear.

To the extent that forward feed of the strip by the

guides

236, 237 is augmented by an additional net forward feeding effect from the action of the sprocket 12 combined with the action of the slide 11, this will cause the apex point about which the strip rocks to liebelow axis 231 about which the

guides

236, 237 rock. Accordingly when for a given bottle taper the common apex of the bottle and iron lies below pivot desired not to change the pivot axis, the forward feed is augmented sufficiently so that the point about which rocking of the strip takes place will coincide with the common apex. FIG. 16 illustrates this condition. In this case the negative feeding action of slide 11 is not sufficient to offset fully the feeding action of sprocket wheel 12. Cam block 26 will be set to have a lesser throw than when required to offset fully the feeding action of sprocket wheel 12.

Similarly if the forward feed of the strip is diminished by the net effect of the sprocket 12 and slide 11, the point about which the strip is rocked will be higher than the axis 231 about which the guides rock. FIG. 17 shows how this point of rocking and the common apex may be higher than the pivot axis 231. Here cam block 26 will be set to have a greater throw than when required to offset exactly the action of sprocket wheel 12.

Thus, generally speaking, during the transfer of the guides236 and 237 will exert a forward feeding action, the sprocket 12 will exert a forward feeding action, and the feeding action of slide 11 will be negative. The

guides

236, 237 and the slide 11 have reverse movements in between successive transfers; the feeding action of

guides

236, 237 will then be negative during the reverse movement, and that of slide 11 will be positive.

While the action of the slide has been referred to as offsetting more or less the action of the sprocket wheel 12 during the transfer, wherefore reverse movement of the slide will supplement the feeding action of the sprocket wheel, it is equally appropriate to consider the action of the slide 11 to be that of offsetting feeding action of the rocking guides 236, 237 in both directions.

For instance, the

guides

236, 237 in their reverse swinging would feed the strip backward if they acted when between guide alone. Such backward feeding action of the guides 236,

axis 231, and it is ferently than it does in the machines of my prior applications, where there are no rocking guides corresponding to 236 and 237 with ofisetting of their backward feeding action.

The cam 38 through a 160 sector may have a uniform motion throw of for example 3% inches. In the 20 comprising the before and the 10 following this 160 the cam may have a total of another inch throw. Thus where the uniform motion 160 gives a throw of 3% inch, the full 180 gives a total of 3% inch or 1.04 times the throw available for imparting uniform motion.

Determination of the proper base diameter of the iron 'and the proper settings of various adjustments can best be approached by considering the distance M which a point on the label carrier strip opposite to the bottom of the iron will travel during the 160 movement of cam 38 within which the throw of cam 38 is uniform and within which transfer takes place. This 160 may be referred to as the uniform motion labeling cycle. As will appear, it is not all occupied by transference of image at the transfer line.

During the 160 uniform motion labeling cycle a point on the bottle at the level of the bottom edge of the iron should travel about to more distance than the arcuate-length of the bottom edge of the iron. This distance traveled by this point is M=D1r L where L represents the revolutions (or fraction of a revolution) of the bottle during the 160 uniform motion labeling cycle, and D represents the diameter of the bottle at the level opposite to the bottom edge of the iron.

L' is given by the equation L=% J/K where J/K represents the gear ratio between the gears 48a and 49a in FIG. 7.

The arcuate length of the bottom edge of the iron is of course determined by the corresponding dimension of the label area, being only slightly greater than'this dimension of the label area. If M does not, by the above calculation, properly exceed the arcuate length of the bottom edge of the iron by about 20 to 25%, this value M can be made to do so by adjusting the J/K gear ratio so as to increase or decrease L and accordingly increase or decrease M.

The significance of the A in the equation L= A J/K is that in the particular machine illustrated, where the turret is indexed 90 by the back stroke of rack 39, the gear 480 carrying the pawl 36a can readily be caused by a proper setting of the cam block 26' to travel exactly 90 during the 160 uniform motion labeling cycle, so that the rotation of the bottle during the uniform motion labeling cycle is caused by a A revolution of gear 43a.

Having determined the value M and the fact that the gear ratio J/K is a suitable one, the base circumference (and from this the base diameter) of the imaginary full cone of which the iron forms a part may be determined from M.

Where the iron is a single iron, traveling at the same angular speed as the cam 38, the base circumference of the full imaginary cone of the iron will be 360/160 times the value M. This follows from the fact that the linear speeds of the iron and strip and bottle must coin cide, during the uniform motion labeling cycle which represents only 160/ 360 part of the time in which the iron is rotating. The iron must travel through a path 360/160 times as long as M.

A double iron, rotating at half the angular speed of the cam 38, would have double the base diameter of a single iron which rotated at the same angular speed as cam 38. Similarly with a triple iron.

As indicated above, the apex of the imaginary cone of the iron should coincide with the apex of the conical surface of the bottle in label-receiving position.

It will be seen that in the case of a single iron the iron surface will extend through an arc in the region of 130, so that 160 will exceed this arc by about 20 to 25%.

Most of the difference between the 160 uniform motion period of the bottle chuck, slide 11 and guides 236, 237 on the one hand, and the approximately period of contact of the iron and label strip on the other hand (which difference may be called over-travel) will occur at the beginning of the period. This insures that the strip and bottle will have fully attained their uniform motions before the iron becomes active.

If P is the distance from the bottom edge of the iron to the apex which is common to the iron and the conical surface to be labeled, then P and M together determine the angle V through which the label carrier strip will be rocked during the 160 uniform motion labeling cycle. Expressed in radians, V=M/P or expressed in degrees 'V=57.296M/P. To rock the strip through this angle V, the

guides

236, 237 must rock through an angle of /2V. The new third cam block 200 is provided with a dial which will indicate the angle of rock of the

guides

236, 237, and this cam block will be set at the appropriate angle to produce thedesired angle of rock.

The travel M may be considered to have three components: S, that component due to rocking; T, that component due to the feed sprocket 12; and U, that component due to the oscillating slide 11.

Component S is determined bythe ratio between the distance from bottom of iron to pivot 231 (indicated by 'Q) and the distance'from bottom of iron to apex (indicated by P), and this component S is given by Component T amounts to 160/ 360 of the interval at which successive label areas occur on the strip. Thus assuming the label areas to recur at 10.5 inch intervals, component T will be 160/ 360 times 10.5 inches or 4.662 inches.

Component U must then be such that the net of the three components S, T and U will together equal M, and the cam block 26 will be set accordingly.

Supposing that the pivot 231 and the apex coincide, Q equals P and then reduces to S=M. Here U must be such as to exactly offset the value of T, which was assumed to be 4.662 inches. Cam block 26 would accordingly be set to impart to slide 11 a negative feeding movement of 4.662 inches during the 160 uniform motion labeling cycle. This would involvemovement of the slide 11 one-half this amount during this period.

Supposing that Q somewhat exceeds P so that Q/P is for example 1.1 and S is accordingly 1.1 times M. Then U must not only offset T but must also ofiset the excess of S over M. The negative value of U in this case will need to be greater than in the case Where the apex and pivot coincide.

Similarly, supposing that P somewhat exceeds Q so that Q/P is for example 0.9. Then U will not necessarily need to offset T, but will need to offset that excess by which the total of S and T exceeds M.

The cam blocks 26 and 26' will ordinarily be graduated in inches of stroke, and if desired, the graduations may be in terms of the inches of stroke occurring during the 160 uniform motion labeling cycle, ignoring the fact that the total throw of cam 38 during of rotation is 1.04 times the throw that takes place during the uniform motion labeling cycle.

It was mentioned that if the angle of rock of the label strip is V, the angle of rock of the guides will be /2V. The strip is bent a full 180 around each of the

guides

236, 237, the plane occupied by the strip after passage around such a guide being parallel to the plane occupied by the strip before passage around the same guide, although as seen in FIG. 14 the directions of these portions of the strip in these planes are different. The course of the strip results in a multiplication of the rocking motion. FIGS. 13 and show how the strip rocks twice as much as the two

guides

236, 237 rock although this rocking of the strip and guides is around the same point 231.

In counterclockwise rocking in FIG. 14, the multiplica- It has been shown above that the angle of rock of the

guides

236, 237 during the time of 160 uniform motion rotation of cam 38 is /2V where V (expressed in radians) :M/ P, M being distance traveled by a point on the label strip opposite the bottom edge of the die or iron and P being distance from bottom edge of iron to the projected common apex of iron and bottle.

Angle of rock during actual passage of the iron surface across the transfer line will be less than /2V, because this passage will, as explained above, occupy less than the aforesaid 160 uniform motion.

The angle through which the strip will rock while the bottom edge of the iron is in the process of crossing the transfer line may be called V. Then V=M/P where M is the arc length or extent of the bottom edge of the iron surface and P, as before, is the distance from this bottom edge to the projected common apex. The

guides

236, 237 will rock through an angle of /2V' during this passage of the bottom edge of the iron past the transfer line. Or, for the purpose of this equation, V=M'/P, M can be the arc extent of the segmental surface of the iron at any given level, not necessarily the bottom, and P can be the distance from that level to the apex. Or, M can be the distance traveled by any given point anywhere on the iron surface during the time there is iron surface present at the transfer line and P can be the distance from that given point to the apex.

I claim:

1. In a label applying machine including means for holding a supply of continuous strip carrying labels, a rotatable die adapted to transfer labels from the label carrying strip onto articles, means for rotating articles of the type having a label-receiving surface of conical form to move such label-receiving surface past the line of action of the die, the active surface of the die and the label receiving surface of the article turning about respective axes during the transfer, these axes lying in a common plane, strip guides for the label carrying strip, one said guide being in advance of and the other said guide being beyond said plane, means mounting said strip guides for rocking motion in a direction permitting progressive change in angular relation of the strip relative to the line of its intersection by said plane during the transfer, means for imparting such rocking motion to the guides in timed relation to the movement of the label-receiving surface, and means for establishing a predetermined lengthwise feed of the strip per cycle of operation of the rocking guides.

2. A label applying machine including means for holding a supply of continuous strip carrying labels a rotatable die adapted to transfer labels from the label carrying strip onto articles, means for rotating articles of the type having a label-receiving surface of conical form to move such label-receiving surface past the line of action of the die, the active surface of the die and the label receiving surface of the article turning about respective axes during the transfer, these axes lying in a common plane, characterized in that axially of the die there is a progressive decrease in radius of the active surface thereof, and the machine in- 10 cludes strip guides for the label carrying strip, one said guide being in advance of and the other said guide being beyond said plane, means mounting said strip guides for rocking motion in a direction permitting the strip to swing relative to its intersection by said plane, that portion of the strip approaching said plane having a component of swing in the direction of the larger radius portion of the die and that portion of the strip leaving said plane having a component of swing in the direction of the smaller radius portion of the die during the transfer, means for imparting such rocking motion to the guides in timed relation to the movement of the label-receiving surface, and means for establishing a predetermined lengthwise feed of the strip per cycle of operation of the rocking guides.

3. A label applying machine including means for holding a supply of continuous strip carrying labels, a rotatable die for transferring labels from the label carrying strip to articles, means for rotating articles of the type having a label-receiving surface of conical form to move such label-receiving surface past the line of action of the die, the active surface portion of said die being a part of a conical surface, first and second label strip guides, the label ,strip extending from the first said guide to the die and thence to the second said guide, means mounting said label strip guides for rocking motion, the rocking motion of each of the guides having a component in a strip-feeding direction during the transfer, and the rocking of the first said strip guide having a component in the direction of the large radius portion of the die and the rocking of the second strip guide having a component in the direction of the smaller radius portion of the die, during the transfer, means for imparting such rocking motion to the guides in timed relation to the movement of the labelreceiving surface, and means for establishing a predetermined lengthwise feed of the strip per cycle of operation of the rocking guides.

4. A label applying machine as claimed in claim 3 in eluding a further guide with respect to which the second said guide moves and which directs the label strip around the second said guide with an approximately wrap so as to multiply the feeding component resulting from rocking of said second guide.

5. A label applying machine as claimed in claim 3 including a substantially constant speed strip-metering device determining the overall feed of the label strip and adapted to relate such overall feed to the frequency of machine cycles, and a label strip oscillator locally modifying the speed of the strip to locally offset in whole or in part the feed as determined by the metering device.

6. A label applying machine for transferring labels from a label carrying strip to articles having conical surface areas, including means for holding a supply of continuous strip carrying labels, a rotatable die having a segmental conical surface area, means mounting the article and die for rotation around respective axes of their conical surface areas, the axes being inclined, means for so rotating the article and die rocking guides engaging the label strip in advance of and beyond the place of engagement of the strip and die during transfer, and means for rocking the guides, during presentation of the die surface at the transfer line, through substantially one-half the angle represented by the arc extent of the die surface at a given level divided by the distance from said level to the projected apex of the die surface, and means for establishing a predetermined lengthwise feed of the strip per cycle of operation of the rocking guides.

7. A label applying machine for transferring labels from a label carrying strip onto articles of the type having a surface comprising a part of a conical surface, including means for holding a supply of continuous strip carrying labels, a rotatable die having an active segmental surface portion also comprising part of a conical surface, means for rotating the die, means for moving a label-receiving surface of the article past the line of action of the die, means for carrying the label carrying strip between the article and die in contact with the active surface portion of the die during the transfer, means for causing a portion of the traveling continuous strip in the region of the die to swing about a point representing the projected apex of the active surface portion of the die, and means for establishing a predetermined lengthwise feed of the strip per cycle of operation of the strip-swinging means.

8. A label applying machine for transferring labels from a label carrying strip onto articles of the type having a surface comprising a part of a conical surface, including means for holding a supply of continuous strip carrying labels, a rotatable die having an active segmental surface portion also comprising part of a conical surface, means for rotating the die, means for moving a labelreceiving surface of the article past the line of action of the die, means for adjustably mounting the die so that 12 for dies of various taper the projected apex of the active surface of the die can coincide with the projected apex of the conical surface portion of the article, while the active surface of the die presses the label carrying strip against the article, means for carrying the label carrying strip between the articles and die in continuous form, means for causing the label strip to swing about said projected apex of the die in one direction during the transfer and in the opposite direction in between transfers, and means for establishing a predetermined lengthwise feed of the strip per cycle of operation of the strip-swinging means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Flood Apr. 25, 1961

Claims

1. IN A LABEL APPLYING MACHING INCLUDING MEANS FOR HOLDING A SUPPLY OF CONTINUOUS STRIP CARRYING LABELS, A ROTATABLE DIE ADAPTED TO TRANSFER LABELS FROM THE LABEL CARRYING STRIP ONTO ARTICLES, MEANS FOR ROTATING ARTICLES OF THE TYPE HAVING A LABEL-RECEIVING SURFACE OF CONICAL FORM TO MOVE SUCH LABEL-RECEIVING SURFACE PAST THE LINE OF ACTION OF THE DIE, THE ACTIVE SURFACE OF THE DIE AND THE LABEL RECEIVING SURFACE OF THE ARTICLE TURNING ABOUT RESPECTIVE AXES DURING THE TRANSFER, THESE AXES LYING AIN A COMMON PLANE, STRIP GUIDES FOR THE LABEL CARRYING STRIP, ONE SAID GUIDE BEING IN ADVANCE FOR AND THE OTHER SAID GUIDE BEING BEYOND SAID PLANE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID STRIP GUIDES FOR ROCKING MOTION IN A DIRECTION PERMITTING PROGRESSIVE CHANGE IN ANNULAR RELATION OF THE STRIP RELATIVE TO THE LINE OF ITS INTERSECTION BY SAID PLANE DURING THE TRANSFER, MEANS FOR IMPARTING SUCH ROCKING MOTION TO THE GUIDES IN TIMED RELATION TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE LABEL-RECEIVING SURFACE, AND MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING A PREDETERMINED LENGTHWISE FEED OF THE STRIP PER CYCLE OF OPERATION OF THE ROCKING GUIDES.