# 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

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- Number: US 2009/0260713 A1
- Document ID: US20090260713A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/429,427
- Filed: 2009-04-24
- Published: 2009-10-22
- Earliest claimed: 2006-10-27
- Assignees: KHS GmbH
- Inventors: Lutz DECKERT; Oliver KRESS
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260713A1

## CPC

- B65C 9/1803: {the labels being cut from a strip}
- B26D 1/405: {for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like}
- B26D 7/2628: {Means for adjusting the position of the cutting member}
- B26D 7/265: {Journals, bearings or supports for positioning rollers or cylinders relatively to each other}
- B26D 5/02: Means for moving the cutting member into its operative position for cutting
- B26D 2007/2664: {for radial adjustment}
- B65C 2009/1857: {two co-acting knifes}
- 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)}
- B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04)

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The labeling machine according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting surface comprises one of I), II), III) and IV), wherein:
I) a plane;
II) a plane angled with respect to said first and said second direction of movement of said adjusting surface;
III) a surface with a varying radius of curvature; and
IV) a surface with a constant varying radius of curvature.

### Claim 3

A labeling machine in a container filling plant, said container filling plant comprising:
a first conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey empty containers to be filled;
a container filling machine being configured and disposed to receive empty containers from said first conveyor arrangement and fill containers;
a second conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to receive filled containers from said container filling machine and convey filled containers to be closed;
a container closing machine configured to receive filled containers from said second conveyor arrangement and close filled containers;
a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to receive closed containers from said container closing machine and convey closed containers to be labeled;
said labeling machine configured to receive closed containers from said third conveyor arrangement and place labels onto containers, 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 shaft comprising an axle and at least one knife extending from said axle;
said axle comprising an axis of rotation substantially parallel with said axis of rotation of said vacuum drum and configured to provide movement of said at least one knife;
said at least one knife having edges extending away from said axle of said knife shaft and having an axial length substantially equal to the axial length of a corresponding one of said at least one anvil;
said at least one knife configured to cooperate with its corresponding 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;
an adjusting apparatus configured to cooperate with said axle of said knife shaft and to rest against said adjusting surface of said movable stop and move said at least one knife in a first direction and a second direction upon movement of said moveable stop;
said adjusting apparatus and said adjusting surface being configured such that upon movement of said adjusting surface in a first direction, said adjusting apparatus moves said at least one knife in said first direction, with respect to a stationary frame portion, 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 apparatus and said adjusting surface being configured such that upon movement of said adjusting surface in a second direction, said adjusting apparatus moves said at least one knife in said second direction, with respect to said stationary frame portion, decreasing 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 at least one knife and its corresponding anvil, upon adjusting the desired 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 labeling machine further comprising:
a transfer drum configured to transfer cut labels from the outer surface of said vacuum drum to containers, during rotation of said vacuum drum; and
a carousel configured to receive filled and closed containers from said third conveyor arrangement and dispose containers to receive cut labels from said transfer drum.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The labeling machine according to claim 3, wherein said adjusting surface comprises one of I), II), III) and IV), wherein:
I) a plane;
II) a plane angled with respect to said first and said second direction of movement of said adjusting surface;
III) a surface with a varying radius of curvature; and
IV) a surface with a constant varying radius of curvature.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The labeling machine according to claim 4, wherein said axle and said rotatable vacuum drum are configured to rotate substantially synchronously and in opposite directions with respect to one another, during label cutting.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The labeling machine according to claim 4, wherein said axle is configured to be stationary with respect to said frame portion, during label cutting.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The labeling machine according to claim 4, wherein said labeling machine further comprises a threaded spindle configured to move said movable stop.

### Claim 8

A labeling machine in a container filling plant, said container filling plant comprising:
a first conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey empty containers to be filled;
a container filling machine being configured and disposed to receive empty containers from said first conveyor arrangement and fill containers;
a second conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to receive filled containers from said container filling machine and convey filled containers to be closed;
a container closing machine configured to receive filled containers from said second conveyor arrangement and close filled containers;
said labeling machine configured to receive containers and place labels onto containers, said labeling machine comprising:
a label supply configured to supply uncut labels;
a feeding arrangement configured to receive uncut labels from said label supply and supply uncut labels;
a cutting station configured to receive uncut labels from said feeding arrangement and cut uncut labels into individual labels, said cutting station comprising:
a rotatable anvil carrier comprising:
at least one anvil disposed on said rotatable anvil carrier and comprising an outer surface extending beyond at least one outer adjacent surface of said rotatable anvil carrier;
a cutting arrangement comprising:
a knife holder configured to hold at least one knife;
a stationary frame portion configured to support said knife holder;
each of said at least one knife being configured to cooperate with a corresponding one of said at least one anvil, to cut uncut labels into individual labels;
said at least one knife configured to move with respect to said stationary frame portion to provide a desired minimal gap between said at least one knife and its corresponding anvil;
a knife gap adjusting apparatus configured to cooperate with said at least one knife and to move said at least one knife in a first direction and a second direction, with respect to said stationary frame portion;
said adjusting apparatus being configured to move said at least one knife in said first direction, increasing a minimum gap between said at least one knife and its corresponding anvil, during cutting;
said adjusting apparatus being configured to move said at least one knife in said second direction, decreasing a minimum gap between said at least one knife and its corresponding anvil, during cutting; and
said at least one knife and its corresponding anvil, upon adjusting the desired minimum gap therebetween with said knife gap adjusting apparatus, being configured to cut uncut labels into individual labels during rotation of said rotatable anvil carrier.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The labeling machine according to claim 8, wherein said labeling machine further comprises a knife gap adjusting apparatus configured to move said at least one knife in said first and said second direction.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The labeling machine according to claim 9, wherein said labeling machine further comprises a movable stop configured to move said knife gap adjusting apparatus, when adjusting a knife gap, and to hold said knife gap adjusting apparatus stationary, during cutting.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The labeling machine according to claim 10, wherein said moveable stop comprises at least one adjusting surface, said at least one adjusting surface having a configuration selected from the group comprising: a plane; a plane angled with respect to a first and a second direction of movement of said adjusting surface; a surface with a varying radius of curvature; and a surface with a constant varying radius of curvature.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The labeling machine according to claim 11, wherein said labeling machine further comprises a threaded spindle configured to move said moveable stop, when adjusting a knife gap.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The labeling machine according to claim 12, wherein said labeling machine further comprises a locking apparatus configured to lock said movable stop in place, during cutting.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The labeling machine according to claim 13, wherein said movable stop is a female threaded component configured to threadingly receive said threaded spindle and move in an axial direction of said threaded spindle by turning said threaded spindle, said adjusting surface is at an angle to the axis of said threaded spindle.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The labeling machine according to claim 13, wherein said locking apparatus comprises a female threaded component configured to threadingly receive said threaded spindle and cooperate with said movable stop.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The labeling machine according to claim 9, wherein said labeling machine further comprises at least one indicator configured to measure and indicate the position of said knife gap adjusting apparatus.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The labeling machine according to claim 10, wherein said movable stop comprises an interchangeable element configured to cooperate with said knife gap adjusting apparatus.

### Claim 18 (depends on 8)

The labeling machine according to claim 8, wherein said knife holder is a drum.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The labeling machine according to claim 10, wherein said labeling machine further comprises an apparatus configured to apply pressure to said knife gap adjusting apparatus, forcing said knife gap adjusting apparatus against said movable stop.

### Claim 20 (depends on 8)

The labeling machine according to claim 8, wherein each of said at least one knife is configured to be stationary during cutting.