US 2009/0260713 A1 · BEVERAGE BOTTLE OR CONTAINER LABELING DEVICE WITH A CUTTING UNIT AND CUTTING UNIT FOR A BEVERAGE BOTTLE OR CONTAINER LABELING DEVICE

Abstract

A beverage bottle or container labeling device with a cutting unit and cutting unit for a beverage bottle or container labeling device. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

A labeling machine in a bottling plant, said bottling plant comprising:

a first conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey empty bottles to be filled;
a bottle filling machine being configured and disposed to receive empty bottles from said first conveyor arrangement and fill bottles;
a second conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to receive filled bottles from said bottle filling machine and convey filled bottles to be closed;
a bottle closing machine configured to receive filled bottles from said second conveyor arrangement and close filled bottles;
a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to receive closed bottles from said bottle closing machine and convey closed bottles to be labeled;
said labeling machine configured to receive closed bottles from said third conveyor arrangement and place labels onto bottles, said labeling machine comprising:
a label supply configured to supply uncut labels in strip form;
a feeding arrangement configured to receive uncut labels in strip form from said label supply and supply uncut labels in strip form;
a cutting station configured to receive uncut labels in strip form from said feeding arrangement and cut uncut labels into individual labels, said cutting station comprising:
a rotatable vacuum drum comprising:
a plurality of vacuum openings in an outer circumferential surface thereof configured to be in flow communication with a vacuum source;
at least one anvil disposed on said vacuum drum and comprising an outer surface radially extending beyond said outer circumferential surface of said vacuum drum;
said at least one anvil longitudinally extending parallel to the axis of rotation of said vacuum drum;
a cutting arrangement comprising:
a knife carrier cylinder comprising a supporting axle and at least one knife radially extending from said knife carrier cylinder;
said axle comprising an axis of rotation substantially parallel with said axis of rotation of said vacuum drum and configured to provide angular movement of said at least one knife;
said at least one knife radially extending away from said axle of said knife carrier cylinder and having an axial length substantially equal to the axial length of said at least one anvil;
said at least one knife configured to be stationary during label cutting and to cooperate with a corresponding one of said at least one anvil, to cut uncut labels in strip form into individual labels;
a knife gap adjusting apparatus comprising:
a movable stop comprising at least one adjusting surface;
a threaded spindle configured to move said movable stop;
an adjusting plate connected to said axle of said knife carrier cylinder and configured to rest against said adjusting surface of said movable stop and to move said at least one knife in a first angular direction and a second angular direction upon movement of said moveable stop;
a transmission, connected to said axle, configured to rotate said axle and said at least one knife to initially position said at least one knife in a position to sufficiently align said at least one knife with its corresponding anvil to permit adjustment of the position of said at least one knife with said threaded spindle, with respect to its corresponding anvil;
said adjusting plate and said adjusting surface being configured such that upon movement of said adjusting surface in a first direction, said adjusting plate moves said at least one knife, with respect to a stationary frame portion, in said first angular direction substantially less than ten degrees, increasing a minimum gap between said at least one knife and its corresponding anvil, during rotation of said at least one anvil with said vacuum drum;
said adjusting plate and said adjusting surface being configured such that upon movement of said adjusting surface in a second direction, said adjusting plate moves said at least one knife, with respect to the stationary frame portion, in said second angular direction substantially less than ten degrees, decreasing a minimum gap between said at least one knife and its corresponding anvil, during rotation of its corresponding anvil with said vacuum drum;
said at least one knife and its corresponding anvil, upon adjusting the minimum gap therebetween with said knife gap adjusting apparatus, being configured to cut uncut labels in strip form into individual labels during rotation of said vacuum drum;
said knife gap adjusting apparatus being configured to hold said at least one knife stationary, during label cutting, with respect to said stationary frame portion;
said labeling machine further comprising:
a transfer drum configured to transfer cut labels from the outer surface of said vacuum drum to bottles, during rotation of said vacuum drum;
a carousel configured to receive filled and closed bottles from said third conveyor arrangement and dispose bottles to receive cut labels from said transfer drum;
and
a label affixing apparatus configured to fix cut labels to closed bottles in said carousel.

29 more elements

Beverage bottle or container labeling device with a cutting unit and cutting unit for a beverage bottle or container labeling device

Life of this patent

Beverage bottle or container labeling device with a cutting unit and cutting unit for a beverage bottle or container labeling device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20