In-line continuous feed sleeve labeling machine and method

• US 6,263,940 B1
• Filed: 04/21/1999
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Axonn LLC (Globalstar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Axonn LLC (Globalstar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Menayan, Victor V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crispino, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Purvis, Sue A.
• Application Number:
  US09/295,549
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 156/86, 156/540, 156/543, 156/556, 156/566, 156/567, 156/568, 533/99, 534/41, 535/56, 535/85
• US Class Current: 156/556
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/48 for articles of indefinite length, i.e. bending a strip progressively
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/426 in combination with the in situ shaping of the external tubular layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5326 said single elements being substantially flat
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1705 Lamina transferred to base from adhered flexible web or sheet type carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1744 Means bringing discrete articles into assembled relationship
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1768 Means simultaneously conveying plural articles from a single source and serially presenting them to an assembly station

Abstract

An in-line continuous feed sleeve labeling machine labels containers, such as beverage containers, in an in-line fashion maintaining the elevation of the containers during their linear transport. The in-line continuous feed sleeve labeling machine of the present invention receives bottles in flood feeder or linear fashion. A timing screw or the like properly separates, and both spatially and temporally disposes, the containers for sleeving. The timing screw propels the containers onto a pedestal system. The pedestals of the pedestal system maintain their horizontal nature due to offset pivotable attachments to the track system upon which they travel. In coordinated fashion with the travel of the pedestal system, iris carriers carrying sleeves upon articulating radial arms descend upon the bottles. Once the label sleeve has reached the appropriate point (generally adjacent to the central portion of the bottle), the iris carrier allows the label sleeve to engage the central portion of the bottle. Frictional attachment or otherwise allows the finger rods of the iris carrier to pull away from the sleeve as the iris carrier continues to descend down towards the pedestal. The sleeve then becomes attached to or engaged by the bottle until the finger rods of the iris carrier free themselves from the sleeve label. A container stabilizer may provide lateral bottle support and aid the ensleevement process. The finger rods then dilate to better disengage the bottle as the iris carrier ascends up and away from the bottle. The bottle is then transported to an exit conveyor having been properly sleeved, while the iris carrier returns to transport another sleeve.

Claims

1. A sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles, comprising:

a sleeve carrier, said sleeve carrier defining a bottle-receiving aperture circumscribed by a controllable label holder;

a sleeve carrier transport system, said sleeve carrier transport system transporting said sleeve carrier and causing said sleeve carrier to circumscribe a bottle so that said bottle may be labeled by said sleeve carrier, said bottle passing through said aperture during a sleeving operation;

a first endless track pivotably coupled to said sleeve carrier on a first side of said sleeve carrier at a first position on said sleeve carrier; and

a second endless track pivotably coupled to said sleeve carrier on a second side of said sleeve carrier opposite said first side at a second position on said sleeve carrier, said second endless track parallel to said first endless track and offset from said first endless track by a distance equal to an offset present in said sleeve carrier between said first position and said second position so that said sleeve carrier transport system transports said sleeve carrier and keeps said sleeve carrier in a horizontal position throughout a complete cycle of said sleeve carrier transport system; and

a pedestal, moveable horizontally and vertically, said pedestal receiving and supporting said bottle for labeling by said sleeve carrier, said pedestal maintaining an elevation of said bottle at a constant level when engaged with said bottle;

whereby

said bottle may pass into and out of the sleeve application machine in a straight-line fashion, said bottle maintaining a substantially constant elevation during the sleeving operation.

2. A sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles, comprising:

a carrier, said carrier defining a bottle-receiving aperture circumscribed by a controllable label holder, said carrier having a carrier base with first and second offset pivoting connections, a link ring coupled to said carrier base, a radial arm coupled to said carrier base and said link ring, and a finger rod coupled to said radial arm so that pivoting said link ring with respect to said base pivots said radial arm upon said carrier base and swings said finger rod towards a center of said bottle-receiving aperture;

a carrier transport system, said carrier transport system transporting said carrier and causing said carrier to circumscribe a bottle so that said bottle may be labeled or sleeved by said carrier, said bottle passing through said aperture during a sleeving operation, said carrier transport system having a first endless track pivotably coupled to said carrier at said first pivoting connection on a first side of said carrier at a first position on said carrier and a second endless track pivotably coupled to said carrier at said second pivoting connection on a second side of said carrier opposite said first side at a second position on said carrier, said second endless track parallel to said first endless track and offset from said first endless track by a distance equal to an offset present in said carrier between said first carrier position and said second carrier position so that said carrier transport system transports said carrier and keeps said carrier horizontal throughout a complete cycle of said carrier transport system;

a pedestal, said pedestal receiving and supporting said bottle for labeling by said carrier, said pedestal maintaining an elevation of said bottle at a constant level, said pedestal having a pedestal base having first and second offset pivoting pedestal connections, a pillar coupled to said pedestal base, and a bottle-engaging top coupled to said pillar so that said pedestal engages a bottom of said bottle and supports said bottle as said carrier labels said bottle;

a pedestal transport system, said pedestal transport system transporting said pedestal and causing said pedestal to movably support said bottle so that said bottle may be labeled by said carrier, said pedestal transport system moving synchronously with said carrier transport system so that horizontal motion of said pedestal matches and is aligned with horizontal motion of said carrier, said pedestal transport system having a first endless pedestal track pivotably coupled to said pedestal at said first pivoting pedestal connection on a first side of said pedestal at a first position on said pedestal and a second endless pedestal track pivotably coupled to said pedestal at said second pivoting pedestal connection on a second side of said pedestal opposite said first side at a second position on said pedestal, said second endless pedestal track parallel to said first endless pedestal track and offset from said first endless pedestal track by a distance equal to an offset present in said pedestal between said first pedestal position and said second pedestal position so that said pedestal transport system transports said pedestal and keeps said pedestal vertical throughout a complete cycle of said pedestal transport system;

a container stabilizer disposed above said pedestal transport system, said bottle stabilized by said container stabilizer as said bottle travels upon said pedestal and is labeled by said carrier, said container stabilizer having a first endless belt disposed on a first side of said bottle and a second endless belt disposed on a second side of said bottle, said second endless belt oppositely opposed said first endless belt so that said bottle is trapped between said first and second endless belts, said bottle stabilized by entrapment between said first and second endless belts;

a label feeder, said label feeder proximate said carrier transport system, said label feeder feeding labels to said carrier as said carrier passes by said label feeder, said label feeder having a guillotine cutter, said guillotine cutter cutting an individual label from a ribbon of labels, said label then fed to said carrier by said label feeder;

a timing screw acting as a single bottle feed system, said timing screw adjacent said pedestal when said pedestal receives said bottle, said timing screw synchronously feeding said bottle to said pedestal; and

an exit conveyor, said exit conveyor receiving said bottle from said pedestal, said exit conveyor transporting said bottle away from said pedestal;

whereby

said bottle may pass into and out of the sleeve application machine in a straight-line fashion, said bottle maintaining a constant elevation during the sleeving operation.

3. A sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles, comprising:

label carrying means for carrying labels, said label-carrying means defining bottle-receiving aperture means for receiving a bottle, said bottle-receiving aperture means circumscribed by a controllable label-holding means for controllably holding a label to be applied to said bottle, said label-carrying means having label-carrying base means with first and second offset pivoting connection means, link ring means coupled to said label-carrying base means, radial arm means coupled to said label-carrying base means and said link ring means, and finger rod means coupled to said radial arm means so that pivoting said link ring means with respect to said label-carrying base means pivots said radial arm means upon said label-carrying base means and swings said finger rod means towards a center of said bottle-receiving aperture means;

label-carrying means transport means for transporting said label-carrying means and causing said label-carrying means to circumscribe a bottle so that said bottle may be labeled by said label carrying means, said bottle passing through said aperture means during a sleeving operation, said label-carrying means transport means having first endless track means pivotably coupled to said label-carrying means at said first pivoting connection means on a first side of said label-carrying means at a first position on said label-carrying means and second endless track means pivotably coupled to said label-carrying means at said second pivoting connection means on a second side of said label-carrying means opposite said first side at a second position on said label-carrying means, said second endless track means parallel to said first endless track means and offset from said first endless track means by a distance equal to an offset present in said label-carrying means between said first label-carrying means position and said second label carrying means position so that said label-carrying means transport means transports said label-carrying means and keeps said label-carrying means horizontal throughout a complete cycle of said label-carrying means transport means;

pedestal means for receiving and supporting said bottle for labeling by said label-carrying means, said pedestal means maintaining an elevation of said bottle at a constant level, said pedestal means having a pedestal base means having first and second offset pivoting pedestal connection means, pillar means coupled to said pedestal base means, and bottle-engaging top means coupled to said pillar means so that said pedestal means engages a bottom of said bottle and supports said bottle as said label-carrying means labels said bottle;

pedestal means transport means for transporting said pedestal means and causing said pedestal means to movably support said bottle so that said bottle may be labeled by said label-carrying means, said pedestal means transport means moving synchronously with said label-carrying means transport means so that horizontal motion of said pedestal means matches and is aligned with horizontal motion of said label-carrying means, said pedestal means transport means having a first endless pedestal track means pivotably coupled to said pedestal means at said first pivoting pedestal connection means on a first side of said pedestal means at a first position on said pedestal means and a second endless pedestal track means pivotably coupled to said pedestal means at said second pivoting pedestal connection means on a second side of said pedestal means opposite said first side at a second position on said pedestal means, said second endless pedestal track means parallel to said first endless pedestal track means and offset from said first endless pedestal track means by a distance equal to an offset present in said pedestal means between said first pedestal means position and said second pedestal means position so that said pedestal means transport means transports said pedestal means and keeps said pedestal means vertical throughout a complete cycle of said pedestal means transport means;

container stabilizer means for stabilizing said bottle, said container stabilizer means disposed above said pedestal means transport means, said bottle stabilized by said container stabilizer means as said bottle travels upon said pedestal means and is labeled by said label carrying means, said container stabilizer means having first endless belt means disposed on a first side of said bottle and second endless belt means disposed on a second side of said bottle, said second endless belt means oppositely opposed said first endless belt means so that said bottle is trapped between said first and second endless belt means, said bottle stabilized by entrapment between said first and second endless belt means;

label feeder means for feeding labels to said label-carrying means as said label-carrying means passes by said label feeder means, said label feeder means proximate said label-carrying means transport means, said label feeder means having guillotine cutter means, said guillotine cutter means for cutting an individual label from a ribbon of labels, said label fed to said label-carrying means by said label feeder means;

timing screw means for synchronously feeding said bottle to said pedestal means, said timing screw means adjacent said pedestal means when said pedestal means receives said bottle, said timing screw means acting as a single bottle feed system; and

conveyor means for transporting said bottle away from said pedestal means, said exit conveyor means receiving said bottle from said pedestal means;

whereby

said bottle may pass into and out of the sleeve application machine in a straight-line fashion, said bottle maintaining a constant elevation during the sleeving operation.