US 4,361,460 AGranted

Labeling device for bottles and the like

OwnerHermann Kronsederinventor

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Abstract

Labeling machine comprising a turret carrying plural pallets for periodically picking up glue, picking up a label on the glue, and transferring the glued label to a bottle or other workpiece by rotating the turret and oscillating the pallets radially inward and outward. Each pallet has a double-acting dog clutch for engaging or disengaging the drive which oscillates it; the clutch can be shifted only when the turret is at a particular angular position at which the pallet is sufficiently radially retracted to be clear of the sources of glue and labels and the mechanism for transferring labels. When a bottle is presented for receiving a label from a particular pallet the clutch is shifted to or maintained at its position for engaging the oscillating drive so the pallet transfers a glued label for application to the bottle. When no bottle is presented to be labelled by a pallet its clutch is shifted to or maintained at its position for disengaging the oscillating drive so the pallet is locked in a radially retracted position, clear of the source of labels and the mechanism for transferring labels to bottles. The machine is capable of labeling bottles very rapidly, and yet when a gap of even one bottle is detected in the feed stream labeling can be momentarily interrupted to prevent fouling the machine with superfluous labels.

In a labeling machine comprising a turret rotatably mounted on a stationary turret support;

a source of glue, a source of labels, and a label transfer cylinder, each positioned adjacent said turret;
at least one pallet mounted to said turret for rotation about an eccentric axis;
and drive means to periodically oscillate each said pallet about said eccentric axis between a radially retracted position for clearing said glue roller, label source, and label transfer cylinder and a radially extended position for successively contacting said source of glue, removing a label from said label source, and transferring said glue and label to said label transfer cylinder;
a double-acting clutch for momentarily disengaging said drive means from one said pallet and locking said pallet in said radially retracted position, comprising:
first and second coaxial shafts aligned on said eccentric axis, said first shaft having a first end keyed to said pallet, said second shaft having a first end driven by said drive means, and said shafts having adjacent second ends;
a first transversely disposed surface formed by a member fixed to the second end of said second shaft and coaxial therewith;
a second transversely disposed surface formed by a member fixed to said turret support and axially spaced from said first surface;
a transversely disposed floating clutch plate slidably splined on the second end of said first shaft for axial travel between said first and second surfaces, said clutch plate having a first side for engaging said first surface and a second side for engaging said second surface;
pallet locking means to momentarily disengage said first side and said first surface and engage said second side and second surface while said pallet is in said retracted position, for locking said pallet in said retracted position;
and
pallet drive engaging means to engage said first side and said first surface and disengage said second side and said second surface for oscillating said pallet.

8 more elements

Abstract

Claims12