Feeder for labelling machines

Claim 1

Feeder, for labelling machines in which labels are singled and extracted from a label container and transferred via a suction transfer cylinder to a gumming drum arranged before a label-applicator device, the feeder having a feeder star with plural arms arranged in a substantially star-shaped pattern and provided with label-receiving surfaces on said arms containing controlled suction apertures for the singling and carrying of the labels and including a planet (or epicyclic) gear drive comprising a crank pin on a crankshaft mounting the feeder star with the label-receiving surfaces on the ends of its arms, an externally toothed planet wheel connected to be coaxial with and secured to rotate with said feeder star, and a fixed sun wheel arranged concentrically of the crankshaft and with which said planet wheel meshes; the arrangement being such that the center line of the suction apertures of the label-receiving arm surfaces of the feeder star describes a cycloid, of which one outer reversal point coincides with the label-transfer position between feeder star and the label container arranged adjacent the periphery thereof, whereas the transfer point between the periphery of the suction transfer cylinder, which is arranged between the peripheral path of said feeder star and the periphery of the gumming drum, where the transfer cylinder takes the labels from the label-receiving surface of the feeder star lies substantially in the middle between the said one reversal point and a next outer reversal point of the cycloid.