Apparatus for pressing foil on containers, such as on the tops and the necks of bottles or the like

Apparatus for pressing and attaching foil sheets around the top and neck of bottles comprising:

• means for transporting said bottles and foil sheets along a predetermined path of travel to a transfer station;
• means for transporting said bottles and foil sheets along a predetermined path of travel from said transfer station to a pressing station;
• means in said pressing station for pressing said foil sheets around the top and neck of said bottles;
• said means for pressing said foil sheets including operative means for moving said foil pressing means in a movement at least a portion of which is an axial movement only with respect to said path of travel of said bottles from said transfer station to said pressing section;
• said operative means for moving said foil pressing means being mounted on a rotatable support;
• and
• said operative means for moving said foil pressing means also provides movement at least a portion of which is a combined simultaneous axial and radial movement which respect to said path of travel of said bottles from said transfer station to said pressing station, from a retracted position out of said predetermined paths of travel to an extended position above said top of said bottles.

A labelling machine for applying labels to bottles, said labelling machine comprising:

• a label transfer station;
• a turntable having said label transfer station located along said turntable, said label transfer station for transferring labels to the bottles;
• a delivery star wheel having receiving portions at the periphery thereof for receiving the bottles from said turntable;
• a pressing element being movable axially toward a bottle, said pressing element being held by a rotatable support located above said delivery star wheel, said support for rotating with said delivery star wheel;
• two dimensional cam means;
• three dimensional cam means;
• rocker means movably supported by said three dimensional cam means and connected to said two dimensional cam means;
• said rocker means for supporting said pressing element;
• said rocker means being movable in an axial plane during movement of said pressing element;
• said rocker means being movable on said three dimensional cam means;
• said rocker means being movable in a radial direction by said two dimensional cam means during said axial movement of said rocker means;
• said two dimensional cam means having first surface means and second surface means;
• said first surface means of said two dimensional cam means for allowing movement at least a portion of which is a combined simultaneous axial and radial movement of said pressing element when said rocker means moves in said axial plane;
• and
• said second surface means for allowing only axial movement of said pressing element when said rocker means moves in said axial plane, whereby said two dimensional cam means and said three dimensional cam means cause said pressing element to be in a raised and radially inward position with respect to the surface and axis of rotation of said turntable and to be in a lowered and radially outward position with respect to the surface and axis of rotation of said turntable.