Container labeling machine

A container labeling machine, comprising a conveyor of containers to be labeled along an advancement path and at least one labeling unit arranged along said advancement path of the containers, said at least one labeling unit comprising an unwinding assembly adapted to pick up from a spool a label ribbon, which has printed thereon with continuity labels to be applied to the containers, and to feed said label ribbon to a cutting drum which is provided, on a lateral surface thereof, with suction apertures for retaining said label ribbon in adhesion on the lateral surface of said cutting drum, and provided with at least one cutting device for cutting said label ribbon at a separation region between two consecutive of said labels, said cutting drum being adapted to release the labels obtained after cutting to a transfer drum assigned to transferring the individual labels so that said labels adhere to a respective container that is arriving from said conveyor, wherein said at least one cutting device is provided with a suction chamber for a suction of air which is open substantially at the lateral surface of said cutting drum and accommodates inside at least one blade, said suction chamber being connectable to air suction means for drawing said label ribbon against said blade, in order to cut said label ribbon;

• wherein said cutting drum has, for each cutting device, at least one auxiliary region for retention of said label ribbon and which is provided with auxiliary suction holes;
• wherein said air suction means comprise a fixed vacuum distribution unit on which said cutting drum is mounted rotatably, a cutting region being formed in said distribution unit and having a vacuum chamber which is connected to vacuum generation means and is provided with a vacuum opening, which is formed on a face of said distribution unit that is directed toward said cutting drum, and an auxiliary vacuum chamber which is connected to said vacuum generation means and is provided with an auxiliary vacuum opening, formed on the face of said distribution unit that is directed toward said cutting drum, said suction chamber having, on the face of said cutting drum that is directed toward said distribution unit, at least one communication aperture, which is designed to face said vacuum opening, during the rotation of said cutting drum, in order to establish a connection between said suction chamber and said vacuum generation means, said auxiliary retention region comprising an auxiliary suction chamber which communicates with said auxiliary suction holes and with an auxiliary communication aperture which is designed, during the rotation of said cutting drum, to face at least partially said auxiliary vacuum opening, before said communication aperture arrives at said vacuum opening.