Container feed for labeling machine

Claim 1

Labeling apparatus comprising: (a) a cylindrical rotary label transport and a rotary container transport-label applicator rotating about parallel axes (b) means for rotating such label transport and container transport-label applicator in opposite directions about their parallel axes said label transport being adapted, as it rotates, to pick up labels at a label pick up station, to transport each label on its cylindrical surface and to release each label at a label applying station said container transport-label applicator having angularly spaced, peripheral pockets each adapted to cradle a cylindrical container with its cylinder axis parallel to the axis of the label transport and the axis of the container transport-label applicator, the outermost surface of each cradled container, as it rotates about the axis of the container transport-label applicator, describing a segment of a cylinder which is concentric to the axis of the container transport-label applicator said label transport and container transport-label applicator being spaced apart by a gap such that each container, as it passes into such gap, is tangent to the label transport (c) an upstream container guide disposed with its downstream terminus substantially tangent to said label transport, such upstream guide acting to hold each cradled container in its pocket until said container reaches such gap, is tangent to the label transport and picks up and adheres to the leading edge of the label at the labeling station and (d) a downstream container guide and label applicator concentric to the axis of the label transport, such guide and applicator being spaced from the label transport and located so that it will extract each container, in turn, from its pocket with the leading end of a label attached to its surface and will roll the container on the label transport to wrap the respective label about it; such upstream container guide, container transport-label applicator, downstream container guide and label transport causing each container to traverse an S-shaped path, the initial part of which is formed by the upstream guide and container transport-label applicator and is concave to the container transport-label applicator, the terminal part of such path is formed by the downstream guide and label transport and is concave to the label transport and the portion of such path at the inflection of the S being located at said gap, whereby each container is caused to pass smoothly through such path under continuous positive control by the elements forming such path.