High speed sleever

• US 5,433,057 A
• Filed: 10/27/1992
• Issued: 07/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Automated Label Systems Company
• Inventors: Lerner, Hershey, Liebhart, Dana J.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, LINDA B
• Application Number:
  US07/963,059
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 53/137.1, 53/291, 53/292, 53/293, 53/294, 53/295, 53/441, 53/399, 53/459, 53/567, 53/556, 53/585, 53/253
• US Class Current: 53/399
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/20 of tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/423 specially applied to the mass-production of externally coated articles, e.g. bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/14 Devices for distending tubes supplied in the flattened state
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 3/065 by placing tubular labels around the container applying preformed tubular sheathings of plastics in general B29C63/18; applying protective covers to closures B67B5/03

Abstract

A method and apparatus for placing sleeves on bottles and other objects is disclosed. In particular, a high speed method and apparatus having a plurality of sleeving stations for placing sleeves on bottles is disclosed. Each sleeving station includes a circularly arranged set of relatively movable parallel pins which are operable to contract or expand. A label transporter deposits a sleeve on the pins when they are contracted. The pins expand to stretch the sleeve. A bottle and the pins are then moved relative to one another to place the bottle inside the stretched sleeve. A gas flow is provided between the bottle and the sleeve to reduce friction. The sleeved bottle is then stripped from the pins. The method occurs without starts and stops by the bottle or the sleeve and is thus capable of very high production rates.

Claims

1. A method of applying inherently resilient tubular sleeves to objects comprising:

a) sequentially delivering objects and sleeves, each one at a time to an associated one of a set of sleeving stations, the objected delivery including conveying the objects along an input path in a plane;

b) sequentially expanding and stretching each sleeve to a cross-sectional configuration generally corresponding to the cross-sectional configuration of an object to be sleeved;

c) relatively moving an expanded sleeve and a delivered object vertically to position the expanded sleeve around the delivered object;

d) introducing fluid to provide a lubricating gas film between the expanded sleeve and the delivered object concurrently with the relative motion step thereby facilitating the positioning of the expanded sleeve on the delivered object;

e) thereafter stopping the fluid flow to allow the inherent resiliency of the sleeve to shrink the sleeve into circumferential engagement with the object; and

,

f) removing each delivered object from its station by moving it along an exit path at a level spaced from said plane.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of removing said lubricating gas film to increase friction between said sleeve and said object once said sleeve is positioned at a predetermined location on said object.

3. A method according to claim 2 including the step of holding said sleeve against said object to ensure its position on the object.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the object removed step is performed at a level above said plane.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the objects moving along the exit path are moving in a direction generally opposite the movement of objects along said input path.

4. A machine for applying sleeves to objects such as bottles comprising:

a) a rotary carousel supporting a plurality of circumferentially spaced sleeving stations;

b) an object conveyor for sequentially delivering objects to be sleeved to a pick-up location defined by the carousel;

c) a variable pitch screw disposed longitudinally of and adjacent to the conveyor upstream from the pick-up location, the screw being adapted to space objects along the conveyor to deliver objects sequentially to the pick-up location in registration with the sleeving stations as rotation of the carousel sequentially positions the sleeving stations at the pick-up location;

d) each of the sleeving stations including an object support pedestal and a sleeve stretching and delivery mechanism;

e) the sleeving stations also each including a position shifting means operatively connected to its stations'"'"'s pedestal and mechanism for relatively shifting its pedestal and the mechanism toward one another for positioning a sleeve around a pedestal-supported object, the relatively shifting including elevating the pedestal, the shifting means also being for moving its mechanism and platform away from one another to ready the two for a subsequent sleeve positioning;

f) a sleeve supply structure positioned above the carousel including delivery means for delivering of sleeves sequentially to the sleeving station in synchronism with the rotation of the carousel;

g) said sleeving stations each including gas film means to develop a lubricating film of gas between a sleeve and an object being sleeve as the pedestal and the mechanism are shifted toward one another to place a stretched sleeve around such object; and

h) an output conveyor for removing sleeved objects from the carousel at a level different than the level of object delivery by the object conveyor.

5. The machine of claim 4 wherein the sleeve stretching and delivery mechanism includes tubular pins which form a part of said gas film means.

6. The machine of claim 4 wherein the sleeve supply structure is adapted to support a length of sleeves joined end to end along lines of weakness and includes a sleeve guide means, a sleeve feeding means for feeding said length of sleeves through said guide means, wherein said guide means forms opposed, longitudinal, inward folds in such sleeves as said length of sleeves are fed through said guide means to create a tendency in said sleeves to spring open when free of said guide means and, a sleeve transporter for separating a terminal one of said sleeve along its line of weakness joining it to the remainder of the length and for positioning said sleeve on a sleeve stretching and delivery mechanism for placement on an object.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said sleeve feeding means comprises a powered a pair of nip rollers.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said guide means comprises a set of opposed longitudinal guides which form a tapered path along which said length of sleeves are drawn, each guide forming one of said longitudinal folds.

9. A machine according to claim 4, wherein the position shifting means includes a plurality of cam followers and wherein each of said pedestals is connected to an associated one of the cam followers and wherein each of said cam followers engages a cam independent of said carousel, and wherein said cam is configured to move said pedestals longitudinally in accordance with a predetermined cycle.

10. The machine of claim 4 wherein the object conveyor delivers objects sequentially to said pedestals when said pedestals are in a lowered condition and the output conveyor removes sleeved object from said pedestals while said pedestals are in a raised condition.

18. The machine of claim 4 wherein the object conveyor delivers objects along a path in a direction generally opposite the direction of an output path along which sleeved objects are taken by the output conveyor.

12. A method of supplying film sleeve in positions around objects comprising:

feeding a length of film sleeves joined end to end along lines of weakness along a path, the path extending through a guide means;

forming opposed, longitudinal, inward folds in said sleeves with said guide means such that said sleeves tends to spring open when free of said guide means;

separating a terminal one of said sleeves along its line of weakness joining it to the remainder of the length;

transporting said separated sleeve to a sleeve holder; and

,

allowing said folds to cause said separated sleeve to spring open and placing said open separated sleeve on said sleeve holder for placement on an object.

13. An apparatus for putting plastic film sleeves on bottles comprising:

a sleeve supply station for supporting a length of sleeves joined end to end along lines of weakness;

a sleeve guide means;

a sleeve feeding means for feeding said length of sleeves through said guide means, said guide means including a set of opposed longitudinal guides which form a tapered path along which said length of sleeves are drawn to form opposed, longitudinal, inward folds in such sleeves as such length of sleeves is fed through said guide means to create a tendency in such sleeves to spring open when free of said guide means; and

,

a sleeve transporter for separating a terminal one of such sleeves along its line of weakness joining it to the remainder of its length of sleeves and for positioning such sleeve on a sleeve holder for placement on a bottle.

14. An apparatus according claim 13, wherein said guide means comprises a set of opposed longitudinal guides which form a tapered path along which said length of sleeves is drawn, each guide forming one of said longitudinal folds.

15. A machine for applying sleeves to objects such as bottles comprising:

a) a rotary carousel supporting a plurality of circumferentially spaced sleeving stations;

b) an object conveyor for sequentially delivering objects to be sleeved to a pick-up location defined by the carousel;

c) a variable pitch screw disposed longitudinally of and adjacent to the conveyor upstream from the pick-up location, the screw being adapted to space objects along the conveyor to delivery objects sequentially to the pick-up location in registration with the sleeving stations as rotation of the carousel sequentially positions the sleeving stations at the pick-up location;

d) each of the sleeving stations including an object support pedestal and a sleeve stretching and delivery mechanism;

e) the sleeving stations also each including a position shifting means operatively connected to its station'"'"'s pedestal and mechanism for relatively shifting its pedestal and the mechanism toward one another for positioning a sleeve around a pedestal-supported object and for moving its mechanism and platform away from one another to ready to two for a subsequent sleeve positioning;

f) a sleeve supply structure positioned above the carousel including delivery means for delivering of sleeves sequentially to the sleeving station in synchronism with the rotation of the carousel;

g) said sleeving stations each including gas film means to develop a lubricating film of gas between a sleeve and an object being sleeved as the pedestal and the mechanism are shifted toward one another to place a stretched sleeve around such object; and

,

h) said sleeve supply structure being adapted to support a length of sleeves joined end to end along lines of weakness and including;

i) a sleeve guide means;

ii) a sleeve feeding means for feeding said length of sleeves through said guide means;

iii) said guide means being for forming opposed, longitudinal, inward folds in such sleeves as such length of sleeves is fed through said guide means to create a tendency in such sleeves to spring open when free of said guide means; and

iv) a sleeve transporter for separating a terminal one of such sleeves along its line of weakness joining it to the remainder of its length and for positioning such sleeve on a sleeve stretching and delivery mechanism for placement on an object.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said guide means comprises a set of opposed longitudinal guides which form a tapered path along which such length of sleeves is drawn, each guide forming one of such longitudinal folds.