Abstract: A closure member for crown cork applicators, which comprises a closure cone and an ejector engaging the longitudinal bore of said closure cone, is provided with an observation opening connecting the bore to the outside thereof, said observation opening having an aperture angle of at least 180.degree. and being dimensioned such that the ejector is located completely within said observation opening. The large observation opening defined in this way permits the best possible access to the particularly critical areas of the closure member for the purpose of examination, cleaning, disinfection or the like.

Abstract: A machine for labeling containers around their complete circumference. The machine has a driven rotating turntable with rotating plates that are positioned around its circumference. The plates accommodate the containers and, as they travel past a labeling station, are rotated at different individual speeds by means of a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism includes roller cams and a recessed cam in order to adapt to the cross-sections of the different containers. In order to provide a machine for labeling containers around their complete circumference in which the specific speed of the rotating plates can be considerably more rapidly and easily adapted to the cross-section of the containers being labeled, one section of the recessed cam consists of cam elements that are positioned at intervals, that are designed to yield, and that are adjustably supported.

Abstract: A device for slipping segments of film, such as originally flattened but tubular segments of plastic film, on vessels such as bottles. A rotor rotates about a horizontal axis. Sucker devices mounted on swivel arms and expanding mandrels are arranged alternately about the circumference of the rotor. The flat sleeve segments are fed toward the rotor and are attracted by a sucker device. As the rotor rotates from the position in which a sleeve is gripped by a sucker device the sucker parts spread to open the tubular sleeve and the arm carrying the sucker is caused to swing and turn the sleeve segment 90.degree. whereupon the sleeve is passed over the presently unexpanded mandrel which is circumferentially adjacent the designated arm and its suckers. The mandrel is caused to expand for holding the sleeve and the sucker is timely released.

Abstract: For blocking containers that are moving on a conveyor between parallel guide rails, a rotatable star wheel is positioned adjacent the container path. A locking member selectively locks the star wheel in a neutral position wherein it lies completely outside of the container path and in a blocking position wherein it is rotated to block containers. When the star wheel becomes unlocked at neutral position, a rotary device causes the wheel to rotate sufficiently for one of its arms to project into the container path so the moving containers will force further rotation until the wheel becomes locked automatically in the blocking position.

Abstract: A bottle labeling machine has a turret rotating on a fixed axle. The turret has circumferentially spaced apart curved glue pallets mounted on individual pallet shafts supported in oscillatable drive members, respectively, which drive the shafts. The pallets orbit and oscillate to pick up glue from a roller, pick up a label next and deposit the label on a cylinder from which it is transferred eventually to a bottle. The drive members are externally splined axially and are each surrounded by an internally axially splined clutch member. The drive member has a smooth bore to permit it to rotate on a shaft that is driven in oscillating fashion as the turret rotates. The oscillating shaft has a transversely extending element on which there are axially projecting teeth that engage in corresponding recesses in the clutch member to effect oscillation of the pallet shaft.

Abstract: A rotating radial unit has bottle receiving recesses on its periphery for accepting bottles from a linear conveyor. A pair of elements are mounted on the unit adjacent each receiver for moving towards and away from the receiver. A belt runs around rolls that are on both elements so portions of the belt grip a bottle on each side when the elements are moved toward each other automatically. A motor can drive the belt to rotate the gripped bottle as it is transported on the unit. A sensing device controls the motor to start and rotate the bottle and to stop when a marker on the bottle is rotated to a preferred orientation or alignment so a series of bottles will be aligned identically as they are released. The elements are automatically spread apart to release the grip of the belt on the bottle.