LABELING MACHINE FOR LABELING CONTAINERS, SUCH AS BOTTLES, CANS, AND SIMILAR CONTAINERS

• US 20090294069A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Original Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Inventors: SCHLUTER, Winfried, KRAMER, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 8,757,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/362
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/04 having means for rotating the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/06 Devices for presenting articles in predetermined attitude or position at labelling station
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/40 Controls; Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1771 Turret or rotary drum-type conveyor

Abstract

A labeling machine for labeling containers such as bottles, cans, and similar containers. 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

1. A labeling machine for labeling containers comprising bottles, cans, and similar containers, said labeling machine comprising:

a rotor being configured to rotate about a central, vertical axis;

a plurality of container support structures being disposed on and about the periphery of said rotor;

at least one labeling device being disposed adjacent the periphery of said rotor and being configured to apply or print labels on containers; and

each of said container support structures comprising;

a support plate being configured and disposed to support the bottom of a container thereon;

a drive arrangement being operatively connected to said support plate to rotate said support plate and thus a container disposed on said support plate to change the orientation of the container with respect to said at least one labeling device; and

said drive arrangement comprising;

a drive element being connected to said support plate to rotate said support plate;

a control arrangement being operatively connected to said drive element to control and monitor the operation of said drive element;

said control arrangement comprising sensors being configured to detect and measure operating conditions of said drive arrangement;

said control arrangement being configured to compare detected operating conditions of said drive arrangement with desired operating conditions of said drive arrangement to detect errors or malfunctions; and

said control arrangement comprising a storage device being configured to store operating information detected and measured by said sensors and errors or malfunctions detected by said control arrangement.

2. The labeling machine according to claim 1, wherein said storage device is configured, upon reaching its limit of capacity, to delete the chronologically oldest information to permit storage of new information.

3. The labeling machine according to claim 2, wherein operating information detected and measured by said sensors and errors or malfunctions detected by said control arrangement are stored individually in said storage device together with at least one of the date and the time.

4. The labeling machine according to claim 3, wherein operating information detected and measured by said sensors comprises at least one of:

temperatures, actuator positions, actuator travel, and torques of said drive element.

5. The labeling machine according to claim 4, wherein errors or malfunctions detected by said control arrangement comprises deviations from at least one of:

desired temperatures, desired actuator positions, desired actuator travel, and desired torques of said drive element.

6. The labeling machine according to claim 5, wherein said sensors comprise at least one of:

at least one temperature sensor, an actuator position or distance sensor configured to detect the actuator travel of said drive element, and a torque sensor.

7. The labeling machine according to claim 6, wherein:

said control arrangement comprises an electronic control and monitoring arrangement;

said storage device comprises at least one electronic memory;

said drive element comprises an electrical motor;

said sensors comprise a motor current measurement device for the measurement of the torque; and

said control arrangement is configured to perform a bidirectional data exchange via an external bus arrangement with a central computer control arrangement.

8. A labeling machine for labeling containers comprising bottles, cans, and similar containers, said labeling machine comprising:

a rotor being configured to rotate about a central, vertical axis;

a plurality of container support structures being disposed on and about the periphery of said rotor;

at least one labeling device being disposed adjacent the periphery of said rotor and being configured to apply or print labels on containers; and

each of said container support structures comprising;

a support plate being configured and disposed to support the bottom of a container thereon;

a drive arrangement being operatively connected to said support plate to rotate said support plate and thus a container disposed on said support plate to change the orientation of the container with respect to said at least one labeling device; and

said drive arrangement comprising;

a drive element being connected to said support plate to rotate said support plate;

a control arrangement being operatively connected to said drive element to control and monitor the operation of said drive element;

said control arrangement comprising sensors being configured to detect and measure operating conditions of said drive arrangement;

said control arrangement being configured to compare detected operating conditions of said drive arrangement with desired operating conditions of said drive arrangement to detect errors or malfunctions; and

said control arrangement comprising a storage device being configured to store errors or malfunctions detected by said control arrangement.

9. The labeling machine according to claim 8, wherein said storage device is configured, upon reaching its limit of capacity, to delete the chronologically oldest information to permit storage of new information.

10. The labeling machine according to claim 9, wherein errors or malfunctions detected by said control arrangement are stored individually in said storage device together with at least one of the date and the time.

11. The labeling machine according to claim 10, wherein operating information detected and measured by said sensors comprises at least one of:

temperatures, actuator positions, actuator travel, and torques of said drive element.

12. The labeling machine according to claim 11, wherein errors or malfunctions detected by said control arrangement comprises deviations from at least one of:

desired temperatures, desired actuator positions, desired actuator travel, and desired torques of said drive element.

13. The labeling machine according to claim 12, wherein said sensors comprise at least one of:

at least one temperature sensor, an actuator position or distance sensor configured to detect the actuator travel of said drive element, and a torque sensor.

14. The labeling machine according to claim 13, wherein:

said control arrangement comprises an electronic control and monitoring arrangement;

said storage device comprises at least one electronic memory;

said drive element comprises an electrical motor;

said sensors comprise a motor current measurement device for the measurement of the torque; and

said control arrangement is configured to perform a bidirectional data exchange via an external bus arrangement with a central computer control arrangement.

15. The labeling machine according to claim 14 in combination with a beverage bottle filling plant, wherein said beverage bottle filling plant comprises:

a filling machine being configured and disposed to fill empty beverage bottles with a liquid beverage;

a first moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles to said filling machine;

said filling machine comprising;

a moving device being configured and disposed to accept beverage bottles from said first moving arrangement and to move beverage bottles within said filling machine;

an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold beverage bottles during filling; and

at least one filling device being configured and disposed to fill beverage bottles with a liquid beverage upon the beverage bottles being within said filling machine;

a closing machine being configured and disposed to close filled beverage bottles;

a second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to accept filled beverage bottles from said moving device of said filling machine to move filled beverage bottles out of said filling machine;

said second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled beverage bottles from said filling machine to said closing machine;

said closing machine comprising;

a moving device being configured and disposed to accept filled beverage bottles from said second moving arrangement and to move filled beverage bottles within said closing machine;

an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold filled beverage bottles during closing; and

at least one closing device being configured and disposed to close filled beverage bottles upon the filled beverage bottles being within said closing machine;

a third moving arrangement being configured and disposed to accept closed beverage bottles from said moving device of said closing machine to move closed beverage bottles out of said closing machine; and

said third moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move closed beverage bottles from said closing machine to said labeling machine.

16. A container handling device for handling containers comprising bottles, cans, and similar containers, said handling device comprising:

a container support structure being configured and disposed to support a container;

a drive arrangement being operatively connected to said support structure to rotate said support structure and thus a container supported by said support plate to change the orientation of the container in the container handling device;

said drive arrangement comprising;

an electric-motor drive element being connected to said support structure to rotate said support structure;

an electronic control arrangement being operatively connected to said drive element to control and monitor the operation of said drive element;

said control arrangement comprising sensors being configured to detect and measure operating conditions of said drive arrangement;

said control arrangement being configured to compare detected operating conditions of said drive arrangement with desired operating conditions of said drive arrangement to detect errors or malfunctions; and

said control arrangement comprising a memory storage device being configured to store errors or malfunctions detected by said control arrangement.

17. The container handling device according to claim 16, wherein said storage device is configured, upon reaching its limit of capacity, to delete the chronologically oldest information to permit storage of new information.

18. The container handling device according to claim 17, wherein:

errors or malfunctions detected by said control arrangement are stored individually in said storage device together with at least one of the date and the time; and

operating information detected and measured by said sensors comprises at least one of;

temperatures, actuator positions, actuator travel, and torques of said drive element.

19. The container handling device according to claim 18, wherein:

errors or malfunctions detected by said control arrangement comprises deviations from at least one of;

desired temperatures, desired actuator positions, desired actuator travel, and desired torques of said drive element; and

said sensors comprise at least one of;

at least one temperature sensor, an actuator position or distance sensor configured to detect the actuator travel of said drive element, and a torque sensor.

20. The container handling device according to claim 19, wherein:

said sensors comprise a motor current measurement device for the measurement of the torque; and

said control arrangement is configured to perform a bidirectional data exchange via an external bus arrangement with a central computer control arrangement.