Label-leaflet applying apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A high speed apparatus for applying labels to containers in a continuous through put operation, the apparatus having container entry and exit stations and a label applicator station, comprising:
- conveyor means for transporting said containers through the apparatus from said entry station to said exit station at a constant predetermined speed and in a predetermined spaced relationship with one another;
means for feeding a continuous label web to said label application station, said label web having label indicia and particularly oriented verification marks disposed therein for each individual label;
means disposed upstream of said label application station for cutting each individual label from the label web;
means for conveying said cut individual labels to said application station;
label applicator means disposed at said label application station for receiving a cut label and applying said label to a container while the container is in motion as it passes said label application station;
control means for selectively operating said label applicator means at the precise time one of said spaced apart containers passes said label applicator means;
label verification means disposed upstream of said label application station including splice sensing means for detecting portions of the label web which have been spliced together;
tracking means responsive to said splice sensing means for tracking the spliced label web portion and the container to which it is applied; and
means responsive to said tracking means for segregating said container to which a spliced label web portion has been applied from properly labeled containers.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for applying labels and/or leaflets to containers in a continuous single run operation includes a product entry station, a conveyor for transporting the containers in a horizontal position through the apparatus, applicators for applying in succession leaflets and labels to the underside and upper surface, respectively of the containers, and a product discharge station where properly processed containers are exited for further processing and improperly processed containers are rejected.
91 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A high speed apparatus for applying labels to containers in a continuous through put operation, the apparatus having container entry and exit stations and a label applicator station, comprising:
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conveyor means for transporting said containers through the apparatus from said entry station to said exit station at a constant predetermined speed and in a predetermined spaced relationship with one another; means for feeding a continuous label web to said label application station, said label web having label indicia and particularly oriented verification marks disposed therein for each individual label; means disposed upstream of said label application station for cutting each individual label from the label web; means for conveying said cut individual labels to said application station; label applicator means disposed at said label application station for receiving a cut label and applying said label to a container while the container is in motion as it passes said label application station; control means for selectively operating said label applicator means at the precise time one of said spaced apart containers passes said label applicator means; label verification means disposed upstream of said label application station including splice sensing means for detecting portions of the label web which have been spliced together; tracking means responsive to said splice sensing means for tracking the spliced label web portion and the container to which it is applied; and means responsive to said tracking means for segregating said container to which a spliced label web portion has been applied from properly labeled containers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for use in an automatic labeling machine to verify a continuous label web having particularly oriented verification marks for each individual label comprising:
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detector means for detecting the absence of said particularly oriented verification marks disposed on said label web as indicative of an unverified label; counter means responsive to said detector means for recording up to a predetermined number the number of consecutive label web portions for which said particularly oriented verification marks are absent; and means responsive to said counter means for terminating the operation of the labeling machine when said counter means has counted up to said predetermined number.
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11. An apparatus for controlling the output of a container labeling machine that employs a continuous label web from which individual labels are cut and applied to containers comprising:
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splice sensing means for detecting portions of the label web which have been spliced together; control means responsive to said splice sensing means for tracking each spliced label web portion and the container to which it is applied; and rejector means responsive to said tracking control means for segregating said container to which a spliced label has been applied from properly labeled containers.
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12. A high speed apparatus for applying leaflets to containers in a continuous through put operation, the apparatus having container entry and exit stations and a leaflet application station, comprising:
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conveyor means for transporting said containers through the apparatus from said entry station to said exit station at a constant predetermined speed and in a predetermined spaced relationship with one another; means adjacent said leaflet application station for storing a plurality of leaflets; means adjacent said leaflet application station for storing a plurality of adhesively activatable tab members; means for supporting a roll of continuous leaflet web material; cutting means for severing individual leaflets from the leaflet web; folding means for folding each individual leaflet to a form suitable for attaching to a container; discharge means for placing each folded leaflet in said leaflet storing means; leaflet applicator means disposed at said leaflet application station for receiving a tab member and a leaflet, such that the leaflet is superimposed over the center portion of said tab to form a tab/leaflet combination, and applying a tab/leaflet combination to a container said leaflet applicator means including means for adhesively activating only the end portions of each tab; means for conveying a leaflet and a tab to said leaflet application; and control means for mating each leaflet with a tab, and each tab/leaflet combination with a container. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A high speed apparatus for applying labels and leaflets to containers in a continuous through put operation, the apparatus having container entry and exit stations, a leaflet applicator station and a label applicator station, comprising:
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conveyor means for transporting said containers through the apparatus from said entry station to said exit station at a constant predetermined speed and in a predetermined spaced relationship with one another, said conveyor means including means for maintaining said containers in a horizontal orientation while passing through said label application station and while said labels are applied; means adjacent said label application station for storing a plurality of adhesively activatable labels; means for storing a plurality of leaflets; means for storing a plurality of adhesively activatable tab members; leaflet applicator means disposed at said leaflet application station for receiving a tab member and a leaflet such that the leaflet is superimposed over the center portion of said tab member to form a leaflet/tab combination, and applying a tab/leaflet combination to a container, said leaflet applicator means including means for adhesively activating only the end portions of eachtab member; label applicator means disposed at said label application station and downstream of said leaflet applicator means for receiving a label from said label storage means and applying said label to a container while the container is in motion as it passes said label application station, said label applicator means including means for adhesively activating said label before it is applied to a container; control means for mating each leaflet with a tab on said leaflet applicator means, and for mating each tab/leaflet combination with a container; and control means for selectively operating said label applicator means at the precise time one of said spaced apart containers passes said label applicator means. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A high speed apparatus for applying labels to containers in a continuous through put operation, the apparatus having container entry and exit stations and a label applicator station, comprising:
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conveyor means for transporting said containers through the apparatus from said entry station to said exit station at a constant predetermined speed and in a predetermined spaced relationship with one another; means for feeding a continuous label web to said label application station, said label web having label indicia and particularly oriented verification marks disposed therein for each individual label; means disposed upstream of said label application station for cutting each individual label from the label web; means for conveying said cut individual labels to said application station; label applicator means disposed at said label application station for receiving a cut label and applying said label to a container while the container is in motion as it passes said label application station; control means for selectively operating said label applicator means at the precise time one of said spaced apart containers passes said label applicator means; and label securing means including;
an endless belt member disposed downstream of said label application station;
a pair of rotatable drive rollers for rotating said endless belt member;
a pair of parallel longitudinal linkage bar members each of which being disposed on one side of said container conveyor means and connecting the coplanar lateral faces of said drive rollers; and
a longitudinal wiper member suspended from each of said linkage bar members such that as said drive rollers rotate each of said wiper members oscillates along with its associated linkage bar member so as to wipe down and secure each label to the sides of its associated container.
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30. A high speed method of applying in succession a folded leaflet and a label to a container in a continuous single run operation comprising the steps of:
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transporting the containers in a horizontal position through the apparatus at a predetermined constant speed and in a predetermined spaced apart relationship with one another; transporting folded leaflets to a leaflet application station at a predetermined constant speed, and in a predetermined spaced apart relationship with one another; feeding an adhesively activatable tab member toward the leaflet application station; adhesively activating the end portions of said tab member; mating said activated tab member with a leaflet such that the leaflet is disposed on the non-adhesive portion of said tab to form a leaflet-tab combination; applying at said leaflet application station said leaflet-tab combination to one face of said container; feeding an adhesively activatable label to a label application station disposed downstream of said leaflet application station; adhesively activating said label; and applying said adhesively activated label to the opposed face of said leaflet bearing container as the container is being transported past the label application station. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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Specification