Hygienic labeling machine

A machine for applying labels to articles flowing on a conveyor, said machine comprising:

• (a) a support stand adapted to support a labeler assembly in cantilevered relation above a conveyor;
• (b) the labeler assembly including an enclosure assembly having a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of opposed side walls and an access door incorporating a gasket in the rear wall for preventing ingress of moisture when the access door is closed relative to the enclosure assembly;
• (c) a plurality of servo motors disposed within the enclosure assembly;
• (d) a plurality of rotatable shafts extending through the front wall of the enclosure assembly, a first of said shafts adapted to support a label web supply reel and a second of said shafts adapted to support a web take-up reel, a third of said shafts having a label web drive roll thereon and a fourth of said shafts mounting a pinch roller assembly, each of said first, second, third and fourth shafts passing through an associated bearing isolator mounted to the enclosure assembly and each having a seal for inhibiting passage of moisture along the shafts into the enclosure assembly;
• (e) means for coupling the plurality of servo motors individually to the plurality of shafts within the enclosure assembly;
• (f) a peel plate assembly joined to the support stand;
• and
• (g) a plurality of idler rollers journaled for rotation on a support plate fastened to the support stand and disposed adjacent to the front wall of the enclosure assembly for routing a flexible, label-carrying web over a path of travel from the web supply reel, through the pinch roller assembly and over the web drive roll and about the peel plate assembly back to the web take-up reel.