Rotary in-mold labeling

A method for in-mold labeling a plastic blow molding machine having a rotary mold wheel that supports a plurality of molds for rotary movement along a rotary path about a mold wheel axis and for concomitant pivotal movement of mold sections of the molds between open and closed positions about associated mold axes that extend parallel with the mold wheel axis and with the mold sections opening in an outward direction from the mold wheel axis and symmetrically about associated mold parting planes that extend from the mold wheel axis through the associated mold axes, the in-mold labeling method comprising:

• rotating a dispensing wheel of a dispensing assembly about a dispensing wheel axis that extends parallel to the mold wheel axis, with the dispensing wheel including a plurality of dispensing head assemblies each of which includes a support and a dispensing head mounted on the support for movement along a dispensing head axis of the support between pick and place positions, and with each dispensing head including a pair of label carriers for receiving associated labels in the pick position thereof and for transferring the labels in the place position thereof to an adjacent open mold of the blow molding machine;
• and
• moving the support of each dispensing head assembly by a first cam mechanism during a label depositing operation along the rotary path of the adjacent open mold about the mold wheel axis and angularly positioning the support of the dispensing head assembly by a second cam mechanism such that the dispensing head axis moves in alignment with the moving mold parting plane of the adjacent open mold as the dispensing head is moved on the support during the label depositing operation from the pick position to the place position to deposit the labels within the adjacent open mold in a manner that permits high speed operation of the in-mold labeling.

A method for in-mold labeling a plastic blow molding machine having a rotary mold wheel that supports a plurality of molds for rotary movement along a rotary path about a mold wheel axis and for concomitant pivotal movement of mold sections of the molds between open and closed positions about associated mold axes that extend parallel with the mold wheel axis and with the mold sections opening in an outward direction from the mold wheel axis and symmetrically about associated mold parting planes that extend from the mold wheel axis through the associated mold axes, the in-mold labeling method comprising:

• rotating a dispensing wheel of a dispensing assembly about a dispensing wheel axis that extends parallel to the mold wheel axis, with the dispensing wheel including a plurality of dispensing head assemblies each of which includes a support and a dispensing head mounted on the support for movement along a dispensing head axis of the support between pick and place positions, and with each dispensing head including a pair of label carriers for receiving associated labels in the pick position thereof and for transferring the labels in the place position thereof to an adjacent open mold of the blow molding machine;
• moving the support of each dispensing head assembly by a first cam mechanism during a label depositing operation along the rotary path of the adjacent open mold about the mold wheel axis and angularly positioning the support of the dispensing head assembly by a second cam mechanism such that the dispensing head axis moves in alignment with the moving mold parting plane of the adjacent open mold;
• and
• camming the dispensing head on the support by a third cam mechanism during the label depositing operation between the pick position and the place position and camming the label carriers between retracted and label transfer positions to deposit the label within the adjacent open mold in a manner that permits high speed operation of the in-mold labeling.

An in-mold labeler for a plastic blow molding machine having a rotary mold wheel that supports a plurality of molds for rotary movement along a rotary path about a mold wheel axis and for concomitant pivotal movement of mold sections of the molds between open and closed positions about associated mold axes that extend parallel with the mold wheel axis and with the mold sections opening in an outward direction from the mold wheel axis and symmetrically about associated mold parting planes that extend from the mold wheel axis through the associated mold axes, the in-mold labeler comprising:

• a dispensing assembly including a base and a dispensing wheel that is rotatably mounted on the base about a dispensing wheel axis that extends parallel to the mold wheel axis, the dispensing wheel including a plurality of dispensing head assemblies each of which includes a support and a dispensing head mounted on the support for movement along a dispensing head axis of the support between pick and place positions, and each dispensing head including at least one label carrier for receiving a label in the pick position thereof and for transferring the label in the place position thereof to an adjacent open mold of the blow molding machine;
• and
• an actuator for moving the support of each dispensing head assembly during a label depositing operation along the rotary path of the adjacent open mold about the mold wheel axis and for angularly positioning the support of the dispensing head assembly about a support axis such that the dispensing head axis moves in alignment with the moving mold parting plane of the adjacent open mold as the dispensing head is moved on the support during the label depositing operation from the pick position to the place position to deposit the label within the adjacent open mold in a manner that permits high speed operation of the in-mold labeling.

An in-mold labeler for a plastic blow molding machine having a rotary mold wheel that supports a plurality of molds for rotary movement along a rotary path about a mold wheel axis and for concomitant pivotal movement of mold sections of the molds between open and closed positions about associated mold axes that extend parallel with the mold wheel axis and with the mold sections opening in an outward direction from the mold wheel axis and symmetrically about associated mold parting planes that extend from the mold wheel axis through the associated mold axes, the in-mold labeler comprising:

• a dispensing assembly including a base and a dispensing wheel that is rotatably mounted on the base about a dispensing wheel axis that extends parallel to the mold wheel axis, the dispensing wheel including a plurality of dispensing head assemblies each of which includes a support and a dispensing head mounted on the support for movement along a dispensing head axis of the support between pick and place positions, and each dispensing head including a pair of label carriers for receiving labels in the pick position thereof and for transferring the labels in the place position thereof to an adjacent open mold of the blow molding machine;
• and
• an actuator including a first cam mechanism that moves the support of each dispensing head assembly during a label depositing operation along the rotary path of the adjacent open mold about the mold wheel axis, and the actuator including a second cam mechanism for angularly positioning the support of the dispensing head assembly about a support axis such that the dispensing head axis moves in alignment with the moving mold parting plane of the adjacent open mold as the dispensing head is moved on the support during the label depositing operation from the pick position to the place position to deposit the labels within the adjacent open mold in a manner that permits high speed operation of the in-mold labeling.

An in-mold labeler for a plastic blow molding machine having a rotary mold wheel that supports a plurality of molds for rotary movement along a rotary path about a mold wheel axis and for concomitant pivotal movement of mold sections of the molds between open and closed positions about associated mold axes that extend parallel with the mold wheel axis and with the mold sections opening in an outward direction from the mold wheel axis and symmetrically about associated mold parting planes that extend from the mold wheel axis through the associated mold axes, the in-mold labeler comprising:

• a dispensing assembly including a base and a dispensing wheel that is rotatably mounted on the base about a dispensing wheel axis that extends parallel to the mold wheel axis, the dispensing wheel including a plurality of tracks that extend radially from the dispensing wheel axis, the dispensing wheel also including a plurality of dispensing head assemblies each of which has a support, the supports of the dispensing head assemblies being respectively mounted by the the tracks for radially movement with respect to the dispensing wheel axis, each dispensing head assembly including a dispensing head mounted on its support for movement along a dispensing head axis of the support between pick and place positions, each dispensing head including a pair of label carriers for receiving labels in the pick position thereof and for transferring the labels in the place position thereof to an adjacent open mold of the blow molding machine, and each dispensing head assembly including a pivotal mount that mounts its support for angular movement about a support axis with respect to the dispensing wheel;
• an actuator including a first cam mechanism that moves the support of each dispensing head assembly during a label depositing operation along the rotary path of the adjacent open mold about the mold wheel axis, and the actuator including a second cam mechanism for angularly positioning the support of the dispensing head assembly about the support axis of its pivotal mount such that the dispensing head axis moves in alignment with the moving mold parting plane of the adjacent open mold as the dispensing head is moved on the support during the label depositing operation from the pick position to the place position to deposit the labels within the adjacent open mold in a manner that permits high speed operation of the in-mold labeling;
• and
• a third cam mechanism including an operator for moving each dispensing head with its label carriers thereon between the pick position and the place position where the label carrier are positioned within the adjacent open mold to transfer the labels carried thereby to the mold.