Labelling machine

• US 10,589,889 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KOSME s.r.l. Unipersonale.
• Original Assignee: Kosme Sri Unipersonale
• Inventors: Saccardi, Giovanni
• Primary Examiner(s): Tucker, Philip C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blades, John
• Application Number:
  US15/532,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20170334595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/40733 Printing on cylindrical or rotationally symmetrical objects, e. g. on bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4075 Tape printers; Label printers
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/065 for orienting articles having irregularities in their shape, the irregularities being detected by mechanical means

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a labelling machine (1), comprising a carousel (3) rotatably mounted a supporting frame (2) in such a way that it can rotate about a first axis of rotation (30) and a plurality of supporting elements (4) for articles to be labelled (9). The supporting elements (4) are mounted on the periphery of the carousel (3) and are able to rotate about respective second axes of rotation (40). The machine (1) is characterised in that it comprises an operating unit (55) which is mounted on a rotary support (6) mounted on the supporting frame (2). The support (6) is able to rotate about a third axis of rotation (60) which is at a distance, along a radial line, from the first axis of rotation (30). The carousel (3) is movable relative to the third axis of rotation (60) and the operating unit (55), which is rotatable together with the rotary support (6), is designed to perform an operation on a lateral surface of an article (9) which is on its operating line when the article (9), positioned on a respective supporting element (4), passes near to the operating unit (55) during the rotation of the carousel (3). The rotation of the rotary support (6) about the third axis of rotation (60) is coordinated with the rotation of the carousel (3) about the first axis of rotation (30), whereby, in use, the rotation of the rotary support (6) about the third axis of rotation (60) keeps the operating unit (55) with the operating line towards the article to be labelled (9) along a stretch of angular movement of the carousel (3) about the first axis of rotation (30).

Claims

1. A labelling machine (1;

10;

100) comprising;

a supporting frame (2);

a carrousel (3) rotatably mounted on the supporting frame (2) in such a way that the carrousel (3) can rotate about a first axis of rotation (30);

a plurality of supporting elements (4) for articles to be labelled (9), the supporting elements (4) being mounted on the periphery of the carrousel (3), each supporting element (4) being able to rotate relative to the carrousel (3) about a respective second axis of rotation (40);

one or more motor devices (39, 49) designed to move the carrousel (3) relative to the supporting frame (2) and to move the supporting elements (4) relative to the carrousel (3);

a feed station (16) for feeding the articles to be labelled (9) to the supporting elements (4) and a pickup station (17) for picking up the labelled articles (9) from the supporting elements (4);

an operating unit (55;

550) having an operating line (50;

500), the operating unit (55;

550) being designed to perform an operation on a lateral surface of an article (9) which is located on said operating line (50;

500), said operation being related to labelling the article (9),

wherein the operating unit (55;

550) is mounted on a rotary support (6) which is mounted on the supporting frame (2), the rotary support (6) being able to rotate about a third axis of rotation (60) which is at a distance, along a radial line, from the first axis of rotation (30), the operating unit (55;

550) being rotatable together with the rotary support (6) and the carrousel (3) being movable relative to the third axis of rotation (60),

wherein, in use, an article to be labelled (9) is positioned on a respective supporting element (4), which passes near to the operating unit (55;

550) during the rotation of the carrousel (3) about the first axis of rotation (30), and the rotation of the rotary support (6) about the third axis of rotation (60) is coordinated with the rotation of the carrousel (3) about the first axis of rotation (30), so that the rotation of the rotary support (6) about the third axis of rotation (60) keeps the operating unit (55;

550) with the operating line (50;

500) towards said article to be labelled (9), so that the operating unit (55;

550) follows the article (9) along a stretch of angular movement of the carrousel (3) about the first axis of rotation (30) during the rotation of the carrousel (3) about the first axis of rotation (30).

2. The labelling machine (1) according to claim 1, wherein the rotary support (6) is positioned inside the carrousel (3), the third axis of rotation (60) being located between the first axis of rotation (30) and the periphery of the carrousel (3), the labelling machine (1) being designed in such a way that, in use, the carrousel (3) rotates about the first axis of rotation (30) with a first direction of rotation, each supporting element (4) rotates about the respective second axis of rotation (40) with a second direction of rotation which is opposite to the first direction of rotation, the rotary support (6) during operation of the operating unit (55) rotates about the third axis of rotation (60) with a third direction of rotation which is the same as the first direction of rotation and is opposite to the second direction of rotation.

3. The labelling machine (10;

100) according to claim 1, wherein the rotary support (6) is positioned outside the carrousel (3), the periphery of the carrousel (3) passing through a region between the first axis of rotation (30) and the third axis of rotation (60), the labelling machine (10;

100) being designed in such a way that, in use, the carrousel (3) rotates about the first axis of rotation (30) with a first direction of rotation, each supporting element (4) rotates about the respective second axis of rotation (40) with a second direction of rotation which is the same as the first direction of rotation, the rotary support (6) during operation of the operating unit (55;

550) rotates about the third axis of rotation (60) with a third direction of rotation which is opposite to the first direction of rotation and to the second direction of rotation.

4. The labelling machine (1;

10;

100) according to claim 1, wherein the rotary support (6) is movable relative to the supporting frame (2), the third axis of rotation (60) being able to translate relative to the first axis of rotation (30), the translation of the third axis of rotation (60) being coordinated with the rotation of the carrousel (3) about the first axis of rotation (30),

whereby, in use, a distance between the operating unit (55;

550) and the second axis of rotation (40) of the respective supporting element (4) is kept constant along said stretch of angular movement of the carrousel (3) about the first axis of rotation (30).

5. The labelling machine (1;

10;

100) according to claim 1, wherein the rotation of the rotary support (6) about the third axis of rotation (60) is an oscillating movement, the rotary support (6) performing an outward angular stroke and a return angular stroke which is in the opposite direction to the outward angular stroke.

6. The labelling machine (1;

10;

100) according to claim 5, comprising an annular guide (35;

350) fixed to the carrousel (3) and having an undulating profile, the rotary support (6) being designed to operate in conjunction with the annular guide (35;

350) during the rotation of the carrousel (3) through a follower member which follows the undulating profile, the oscillating movement of the rotary support (6) being determined by its operation in conjunction with the annular guide (35;

350).

7. The labelling machine (1;

10;

100) according to claim 6, wherein the follower member of the rotary support (6) comprises two idle wheels (65) which are angularly spaced from each other relative to the third axis of rotation (60), the two idle wheels (65) being in contact with the annular guide (35;

350) and being designed to follow the undulating profile during the rotation of the carrousel (3).

8. The labelling machine (1;

10;

100) according to claim 7, wherein said annular guide (35;

350) comprises a channel (37;

370) having said undulating profile and the two idle wheels (65) are positioned in said channel (37;

370).

9. The labelling machine (1;

10;

100) according to claim 6, wherein the undulating profile comprises a plurality of curved stretches (371) each having a concavity facing towards the second axis of rotation (40) of said respective supporting element (4), each of said curved stretches (371) being an arc of a circle with its centre on the second axis of rotation (40) of the respective supporting element (4).

10. The labelling machine (1;

10;

100) according to claim 6, wherein the rotary support (6) pivots at a slide (67) which is slidably mounted on a linear guide (27) fixed to the supporting frame (2), said linear guide (27) extending along a line which is substantially radial relative to the first axis of rotation (30), wherein, in use, the slide (67) is designed to slide on said linear guide (27) with a reciprocating movement which is determined by the rotary support (6) operating in conjunction with the annular guide (35;

350).

11. The labelling machine (1;

10;

100) according to claim 6,

comprising a plurality of said rotary supports (6), which are mounted on the supporting frame (2) in regions that are angularly spaced from each other relative to the first axis of rotation (30), each rotary support (6) being able to rotate about a respective third axis of rotation (60),

the labelling machine (1;

10;

100) also comprising a plurality of said operating units (55;

550), each mounted on a respective rotary support (6),

wherein, in use, said respective supporting element (4) passes near to the operating units (55;

550) one after another during the rotation of the carrousel (3) and each of said operating units (55;

550) performs an operation on a respective portion of the lateral surface of the article (9) positioned on said respective supporting element (4),

wherein the rotary supports (6) are designed to operate in conjunction with the same annular guide (35;

350) during the rotation of the carrousel (3), the follower members being positioned in successive stretches of said undulating profile, the rotary supports (6) performing oscillating movements which are out of phase from one another.

12. The labelling machine (1;

10;

100) according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of said rotary supports (6), which are mounted on the supporting frame (2) in regions that are angularly spaced from each other relative to the first axis of rotation (30), each rotary support (6) being able to rotate about a respective third axis of rotation (60),

the labelling machine (1;

10;

100) also comprising a plurality of said operating units (55;

550), each mounted on a respective rotary support (6),

wherein, in use, said respective supporting element (4) passes near to the operating units (55;

550) one after another during the rotation of the carrousel (3) and each of said operating units (55;

550) performs operations on respective portions of the lateral surface of the article (9) positioned on said respective supporting element (4).

13. The labelling machine (1;

10;

100) according to claim 12, wherein said respective portions of the lateral surface of the article (9) are angular stretches of the lateral surface and partly overlap one another, said angular stretches together covering more than 360 degrees.

14. The labelling machine (1;

10) according to claim 1, wherein said operating unit is a detecting sensor (55) and said operation is a scan of the lateral surface of the article (9) for detecting a reference element (91) on said lateral surface.

15. The labelling machine (1;

10) according to claim 14, wherein the detecting sensor (55) comprises an optical fibre or a photocell or a video camera, the labelling machine (1;

10) also comprising a processing unit designed to determine an angular position of the article (9) positioned on the respective supporting element (4) based on what was detected by the detecting sensor (55).

16. The labelling machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein said operating unit is a print head (550) and said operation is printing of a graphical image on the lateral surface of the article (9) positioned on the respective supporting element (4).

17. The labelling machine (100) according to claim 16, comprising a plurality of said rotary supports (6), which are mounted on the supporting frame (2) in regions that are angularly spaced from each other relative to the first axis of rotation (30), each rotary support (6) being able to rotate about a respective third axis of rotation (60),

the labelling machine (100) also comprising a plurality of said print heads (550), each mounted on a respective rotary support (6) and designed to perform printing on the lateral surface of the article positioned on the respective supporting element (4) which passes near to the print heads (550) one after another during the rotation of the carrousel (3),

said print heads (550) being designed to print with colours which are different to each other.

18. The labelling machine (100) according to claim 16, comprising a plurality of said rotary supports (6), which are mounted on the supporting frame (2) in regions that are angularly spaced from each other relative to the first axis of rotation (30), each rotary support (6) being able to rotate about a respective third axis of rotation (60),

the labelling machine (100) also comprising a plurality of said print heads (550), each mounted on a respective rotary support (6) and designed to perform printing on the lateral surface of the article (9) positioned on the respective supporting element (4) which passes near to the print heads (550) one after another during the rotation of the carrousel (3),

said print heads (550) being positioned at different heights to one another relative to the supporting elements (4) and being designed to perform printing on respective regions of the lateral surface of the article (9), said regions being at different heights to one another relative to the bottom of the article (9).

19. The labelling machine (1;

10) according to claim 1, wherein said operation related to labelling the article (9) is an operation of scanning the lateral surface of the article (9) to detect a reference element, thereby determining an angular position of the article (9) and allowing a precise label application in a desired position.

20. The labelling machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein said operation related to labelling the article (9) is a printing operation on the lateral surface of the article (9), thereby producing a label or part of it directly on the article (9).