US3850774A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for labelling containers such as bottles
Assignee: Weiss J Maschinenfab und Apparatebau dt GmbH
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Filing: 1972-12-26
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Granted: 1974-11-26
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Expires: 1992-12-26
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for labelling objects, such as bottles, jars, etc., the apparatus including a conveyor belt serving to supply and carry away the objects, a label store, from which the labels are passed onto a constantly revolving label distributor arranged adjoining the conveyor belt and on to which the forwardly moved bottles are brought. The label distributor cooperates with a counter-support arrangement for the bottles which faces the label distributor parallel and adjacent to the conveyor belt. The label distributor is constructed as an endless, yieldable, internally toothed belt normal to and having a bottle engaging stretch which is parallel to the conveyor belt. The distributor belt is maintained on rotary guide members, such as toothed cylinders or rolls, rotatable about shafts perpendicular to the supporting surface of the conveyor belt being driven by at least one of the guide members with the speed of travel of the conveyor belt. Openings for gripping the labels are disposed on the label distributor and a subatmospheric air pressure is adapted to be admitted to the openings by means of a suction air source through a rotary guide member via a fixed rotary slide valve.
Inventors
- 👤 B Schonig
- 👤 E Schlacht
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 18:14
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65C; B65C3/00; B65C3/06; B65C3/08; B65C3/14; B65C3/16; B65C9/00; B65C9/08; B65C9/12; B65C9/14; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/17; Y10T156/1702; Y10T156/1705; Y10T156/1707; Y10T156/171; Y10T156/1744; Y10T156/1768; Y10T156/1776; Y10T156/1778; Y10T156/178
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
298 words
Apparatus for labelling objects, such as bottles, used in combination with a conveyor belt which supplies and carries away the objects comprising a label store, means to pass labels from the store to a distributor, a label distributor arranged adjacent one edge of the conveyor belt and a counter-support arrangement for the objects facing the label distributor and adjacent the other edge of the conveyor belt, said label distributor comprising an endless, yieldable belt which has a stretch parallel to the conveyor belt, guide members mounting said distributor belt and rotatable about axes perpendicular to the supporting surface of the conveyor belt, the distributor belt being driven by at least one of said guide members with the speed of travel of the conveyor belt, the distributor belt having at least one group of aligned openings subject to suction for gripping the labels, and means whereby a sub-atmospheric air pressure is adapted to be admitted from a suction air source to the said openings through a fixed rotary slide valve, the improvement comprising: fluid communication passages from the front surface to the rear surface of said distributor belt; at least one of said guide members being a rotary cylinder, on the external circumference of which open at least one group of substantially radially directed bores having associated means which can be brought into communication with the suction air source by way of the rotary slide valve as long as said cylinder bores are in communication with fluid communication passages arranged in the distributor belt and during the passage of the distributor belt past a station where the distributor picks up a label until that part of the belt travel where the distributor carried label reaches an object which is on the conveyor belt and in position to be labelled.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
298 words
Apparatus for labelling objects, such as bottles, used in combination with a conveyor belt which supplies and carries away the objects comprising a label store, means to pass labels from the store to a distributor, a label distributor arranged adjacent one edge of the conveyor belt and a counter-support arrangement for the objects facing the label distributor and adjacent the other edge of the conveyor belt, said label distributor comprising an endless, yieldable belt which has a stretch parallel to the conveyor belt, guide members mounting said distributor belt and rotatable about axes perpendicular to the supporting surface of the conveyor belt, the distributor belt being driven by at least one of said guide members with the speed of travel of the conveyor belt, the distributor belt having at least one group of aligned openings subject to suction for gripping the labels, and means whereby a sub-atmospheric air pressure is adapted to be admitted from a suction air source to the said openings through a fixed rotary slide valve, the improvement comprising: fluid communication passages from the front surface to the rear surface of said distributor belt; at least one of said guide members being a rotary cylinder, on the external circumference of which open at least one group of substantially radially directed bores having associated means which can be brought into communication with the suction air source by way of the rotary slide valve as long as said cylinder bores are in communication with fluid communication passages arranged in the distributor belt and during the passage of the distributor belt past a station where the distributor picks up a label until that part of the belt travel where the distributor carried label reaches an object which is on the conveyor belt and in position to be labelled.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide cylinder is externally toothed and the distributor belt is toothed on the inner surface to mate with said cylinder teeth.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the guide cylinder bores open in the head end surfaces of selected teeth of said cylinder.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cylinder is formed with narrow marginal end flanges projecting beyond its circumferential surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the width of the distributor belt is greater than the height of the label to be applied to the object so that marginal strips of the distributor belt will not be covered by the label and that said strips are disposed above and below label-receiving surfaces of the belt which are arranged symmetrically in height on its outer surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the label-receiving surfaces are recessed on the outside surface of the distributor belt.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
65 words
Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein means are included for applying strips of adhesive to the labels before being applied to the objects and recesses are arranged at those places on the external surface of the distributor belt where the terminal edge of the labels will be positioned and said recesses are aligned with the locations on the labels whereon strips of adhesive are applied.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the diameter of the guide cylinder is larger than that of at least one guide roller which serves as one of the guide members for the distributor belt.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein means are provided to directly correlate the speed and travel of the distributor belt with the speed and travel of the circumference of said guide cylinder.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said distributor belt includes internal reinforcement means providing an essentially non-stretchable characteristic.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
124 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the group of aligned openings in the surface of the distributor belt disposed for receiving a label have associated fluid communication passages in the belt adapted to be brought into communication with a distributor duct on the circumference of said cylinder disposed at right-angles to the direction in which said belt is extending, said duct in turn being connected via selected ones of said cylinder bores with a manifold bore in said cylinder extending substantially parallel to said distributor duct, a flexible tube nipple connects to said manifold bore, and a flexible tube connects and provides said fluid communication passage between said nipple and a valve port part of said rotary slide valve which rotates with said cylinder.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
93 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, having means for applying front and back labels in one operation, further including, interposed between each two groups of openings in the distributor belt which accommodate front labels, a group of back label openings for the accommodation of back labels, said back label openings being connected through associated passages in said distributor belt extending in the direction of the belt to rear face distributor bores which are adapted to be brought into engagement with the cylinder bores in the cylinder during passing of the belt around the cylinder.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the guide cylinder is externally toothed and the distributor belt is toothed on the inner surface to mate with said cylinder teeth.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the guide cylinder bores open in the head end surfaces of selected teeth of said cylinder.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the width of the distributor belt is greater than the height of the labels to be applied to the object so that the marginal strips of the distributor belt will not be covered by the label and said strips are disposed above and below the label-receiving surfaces of the belt which are arranged symmetrically in height on its outer surface.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the label-receiving surfaces are recessed on the outside of the distributor belt.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein recesses are arranged at those places on the external surface of the distributor belt where the terminal edge of the labels will be positioned and are aligned with the locations on labels whereon strips of adhesive are applied.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the diameter of the guide cylinder is larger than that of at least one guide roller which serves as one of the guide members for the distributor belt.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
125 words
Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the group of aligned openings in the surface of the distributor belt disposed for receiving a label have associated fluid communication passages in the belt adapted to be brought into communication with a distributor duct on the circumference of said cylinder disposed at right-angles to the direction in which said belt is extending, said duct in turn being connected via selected ones of said cylinder bores with a manifold bore in said cylinder extending substantially parallel to said distributor duct, a flexible tube nipple connects to said manifold bore, and a flexible tube connects and provides said fluid communication passage between said nipple and to a valve port part of said rotary slide valve which rotates with said cylinder.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-11-25 | 1978-05-27 | 1978-11-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-11-25 | 1982-05-27 | 1982-11-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-11-25 | 1986-05-27 | 1986-11-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |