Labelling devices

Claim 2

A LABEL-APPLYING APPARATUS COMPRISING CONVEYOR MEANS FOR MOVING A ROW OF ARTICLES TO BE LABELLED PAST A LABEL-APPLYING STATION, MEANS AT SAID LABEL-APPLYING STATION FOR DISPERSING LABELS SUCCESSIVELY FROM A WEB OF LABELS TO FLOAT FREE OF SUPPORT AND WITHOUT APPLICATION OF SUCTION THERETO, PNEUMATIC NOZZLE MEANS AT SID LABEL-APPLYING STATION AND DISPOSED AT THE POINT WHERE EACH SUCCESSIVE LABEL IS DISPENSED FROM THE WEB, SAID PNEUMATIC NOZZLE MEANS DIRECTING A BLAST OF AIR UNDER POSITIVE PRESSURE AGAINST EACH FREELY FLOATING LABEL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING ITS DISPENSING FROM THE WEB, FOR BLOWING FREELY FLOATING LABELS DIRECTLY FROM SAID DISPENSING MEANS INTO ADHERING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ARTICLES AND CONSTITUTING THE ONLY MEANS

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the articles to be labelled are upright cylindrical containers and said synchronizing means includes a light source directed to a position off-set from the centre of the row and at an angle to an upper plane surface of the containers and a photo-electric cell oriented to receive light from the light source reflected from the upper plane surfaces of the containers.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the synchronizing means comprises an inhibit circuit which serves to prevent indexing of the label web and operation of the nozzle as a result of stray signals.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the outlet of the nozzle means is spaced by about 3mm to 6mm from a label dispensed from the web and about to be applied to said article.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the label about to be applied is spaced, on detachment from the web, by about 6mm. from the surface of the article which is to receive the label.

Claim 7

Self-adhesive label applying apparatus comprising a conveyor for moving a row of articles to be labelled through a label-applying station, a sharp-edge member operable to detach successive labels from a web carrying the self-adhesive labels, a nozzle disposed immediately adjacent the sharp-edge member and operable to direct a blast of air under positive pressure against each freely floating detached label, directly as it is detached by said sharp-edge member, onto an article to be labelled, means operable to detect the presence of an article approaching the label-applying station and means operable, responsive to a signal from the detecting means, to initiate synchronous operation of the nozzle and detachment of a label from the web.

Claim 8

Self-adhesive label applying apparatus comprising a conveyor for moving a row of articles to be labelled through a label-applying station, a sharp-edge member operable to detach successive labels from a web carrying the self-adhesive labels, a nozzle disposed immediately adjacent the sharp-edge member and operable to direct a blast of air under positive pressure against each freely floating detached label, directly as it is detached by said sharp-edge member, onto an article to be labelled, means operable to detect the presence of an article approaching the label-applying station and means operable, responsive to a signal from the detecting means, to initiate synchronous operation of the nozzle and detachment of a label from the web.