# US 10,245,687 B2 · Article selection and placement assembly and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,245,687 B2 - Document ID: US10245687B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/454,402 - Filed: 2017-03-09 - Published: 2017-06-29 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2009-06-09 - Assignees: Graphic Packaging International, Inc. - Applicants: Graphic Packaging International, Inc. - Inventors: Kelly Ziegler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245687B2 ## CPC - B23P 19/001: {Article feeders for assembling machines (screws or nuts being carried by a disposable strip or disc B25B23/045)} - B65C 7/00: Affixing tags (in combination with filling of tea bags B65B29/04 {; multi-step processes for making labels or tags B31D1/02}) - B65H 19/10: in unwinding mechanisms or in connection with unwinding operations - B65H 19/22: in winding mechanisms or in connection with winding operations - B65H 20/22: to effect step-by-step advancement of web - B65H 2701/1942: Web supporting regularly spaced non-adhesive articles - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - Y10T 29/49863: with prestressing of part - Y10T 29/4987: Elastic joining of parts - Y10T 29/53539: including work conveyor - Y10T 29/53657: to apply or remove a resilient article [e.g., tube, sleeve, etc.] - Y10T 74/2107: Follower - Y10T 156/1033: Flexible sheet to cylinder lamina - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - B65C: LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES (nailing or stapling in general B25C, B27F; applying labels for packaging purposes B65B; labels, name-plates G09F ){(series-printing machines B41L; containers for the storage or transport of packages B65D)} - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An apparatus is disclosed for applying tags with attached elastic anchor bands onto the tops of objects such as bottles in a high speed packaging application. The apparatus includes an infeed assembly for feeding a web, a conveyor assembly that receives a web and conveys it along a path in an upstream direction, a rotating selector wheel, a placement assembly, a pair of rotating jaw assembles, a vacuum cup of the selector wheel, and stretched elastic bands over the tops of respective bottles being conveyed along a path below the placing assembly. The elastic bands then snap onto the tops of their respective bottles to secure the tags to the bottles. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An article selection and placement assembly comprising: an infeed assembly for continuously feeding a supply of articles to be placed on objects; a conveyor assembly receiving the supply of articles from the infeed assembly and moving the articles in an upstream direction; a selector assembly at an upstream end of the conveyor assembly; and a placing assembly configured to engage articles of the supply of articles moving on the conveyor assembly, the placing assembly being separate from the selector assembly; wherein the selector assembly is configured to select the engaged articles from the supply of articles moving on the conveyor assembly, and the placing assembly is configured to prepare the selected articles for placement onto objects and to place the prepared articles on the objects. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the infeed assembly is configured to carry at least two supplies of articles. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conveyor assembly comprises an endless belt. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 3 further comprising an array of spaced bars on the endless belt configured to receive and carry the supply of articles. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the spaced bars extend transversely from an edge of the endless belt to free end portions and wherein the free end portions are configured to receive and carry the supply of articles. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selector assembly comprises a rotating wheel carrying spaced selectors about its periphery. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the spaced selectors are configured to engage and select individual articles from the supply of articles on the conveyor assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the selectors comprise vacuum cups. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the placing assembly engages the articles prior to the selection of the engaged articles by the selector assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the placing assembly comprises an array of rotating jaw assemblies. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 10 wherein the jaw assemblies are configured to grasp the articles and carry the grasped article to the respective objects. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the placing assembly is downstream from the selector assembly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein a portion of the conveyor assembly extends between the placing assembly and the selector assembly. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selector assembly is positioned above at least a portion of the conveyor assembly and at least a portion of the placing assembly is positioned below at least a portion of the conveyor assembly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selector assembly comprises a plurality of vacuum cups on a wheel and the placing assembly comprises a plurality of jaw assemblies mounted on a hub. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The article selection and placement assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the placing assembly comprises a array of jaw assemblies, each jaw assembly of the array of jaw assemblies comprises a jaw body, a pivoting jaw, a first pin slidably engaging the jaw body and a second pin slidably engaging the pivoting jaw, the pivoting jaws are configured to move with respect to the jaw bodies to engage the articles with at least the first pins and the second pins.