Apparatus for applying labels to cylindrical articles

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING AND ROLLING ADHESIVECOATED LABELS ONTO THE PERIPHERIES OF SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES, COMPRISING FIRST CONVEYOR MEANS HAVING AN ARTICLE-ENGAGING FIRST RUN CONSISTING OF SPACED PARALLEL STRIPS; SECOND CONVEYOR MEANS HAVING AN ARTICLE-ENGAGING SECOND RUN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND DEFINING WITH SAID FIRST RUN A FIRST SPACE HAVING AN INLET END, SAID FIRST RUN COMPRISING A PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND SAID FIRST SPACE; STATIONARY ARTICLE-ENGAGING GUIDE MEANS ALIGNED WITH SAID SECOND RUN AND DEFINING WITH SAID PORTION A SECOND SPACE IN CONTINUATION OF SAID FIRST SPACE; MEANS FOR CONSECUTIVELY INTRODUCING THE CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES THROUGH SAID INLET END AND INTO SAID FIRST SPACE; MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PROJECTING ADJUSTING ELEMENTS RECIPROCABLE BETWEEN SAID STRIPS INTO AND FROM SAID FIRST SPACE FOR ADJUSTING THE POSITION OF CONSECUTIVELY INTRODUCED CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES PREPARATORY TO THE TRANSFER OF LABELS THERETO; MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID FIRST RUN AT A FIRST SPEED IN A DIRECTION FROM SAID INLET END TOWARD AND ALONG SAID SECOND SPACE; MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID SECOND RUN AT A SPEED HIGHER THAN SAID FIRST SPEED AND IN A DIRECTION FROM SAID INLET END TOWARD SAID GUIDE MEANS WHEREBY A CYLINDRICAL ARTICLE INTRODUCED INTO SAID FIRST SPACE IS ROTATED IN A FIRST DIRECTION AND IS SIMULTANEOUSLY ADVANCED TOWARD SAID SECOND SPACE TO BE ROTATED BY SAID PORTION IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHILE ADVANCING ALONG SAID GUIDE MEANS; AND MEANS FOR DELIVERING LABELS TO ONE OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FOR TRANSFER TO CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES IN SAID FIRST SPACE WHEREBY A LABEL TRANSFERRED TO A CYLINDRICAL ARTICLE IS PARTIALLY ROLLED ONTO THE LATTER IN SAID FIRST SPACE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE LABEL IS ROLLED ONTO THE CYLINDRICAL ARTICLE IN SAID SECOND SPACE.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING AND ROLLING ADHESIVECOATED LABELS ONTO THE PERIPHERIES OF SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES, COMPRISING FIRST CONVEYOR MEANS HAVING AN ARTICLE-ENGAGING FIRST RUN CONSISTING OF SPACED PARALLEL STRIPS; SECOND CONVEYOR MEANS HAVING AN ARTICLE-ENGAGING SECOND RUN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND DEFINING WITH SAID FIRST RUN A FIRST SPACE HAVING AN INLET END, SAID FIRST RUN COMPRISING A PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND SAID FIRST SPACE; STATIONARY ARTICLE-ENGAGING GUIDE MEANS ALIGNED WITH SAID SECOND RUN AND DEFINING WITH SAID PORTION A SECOND SPACE IN CONTINUATION OF SAID FIRST SPACE; MEANS FOR CONSECUTIVELY INTRODUCING THE CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES THROUGH SAID INLET END AND INTO SAID FIRST SPACE; MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PROJECTING ADJUSTING ELEMENTS RECIPROCABLE BETWEEN SAID STRIPS INTO AND FROM SAID FIRST SPACE FOR ADJUSTING THE POSITION OF CONSECUTIVELY INTRODUCED CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES PREPARATORY TO THE TRANSFER OF LABELS THERETO; MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID FIRST RUN AT A FIRST SPEED IN A DIRECTION FROM SAID INLET END TOWARD AND ALONG SAID SECOND SPACE; MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID SECOND RUN AT A SPEED HIGHER THAN SAID FIRST SPEED AND IN A DIRECTION FROM SAID INLET END TOWARD SAID GUIDE MEANS WHEREBY A CYLINDRICAL ARTICLE INTRODUCED INTO SAID FIRST SPACE IS ROTATED IN A FIRST DIRECTION AND IS SIMULTANEOUSLY ADVANCED TOWARD SAID SECOND SPACE TO BE ROTATED BY SAID PORTION IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHILE ADVANCING ALONG SAID GUIDE MEANS; AND MEANS FOR DELIVERING LABELS TO ONE OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FOR TRANSFER TO CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES IN SAID FIRST SPACE WHEREBY A LABEL TRANSFERRED TO A CYLINDRICAL ARTICLE IS PARTIALLY ROLLED ONTO THE LATTER IN SAID FIRST SPACE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE LABEL IS ROLLED ONTO THE CYLINDRICAL ARTICLE IN SAID SECOND SPACE.