Abstract: In a labeling machine having a rotatable carrier and at least one pickup element rotatably mounted on the carrier, the drive for each pickup element comprising a four-way toggle mechanism including a crank, a connecting rod, a swinging link, with the connecting rod being joined to the crank and swinging link at two respective joints. Two cam followers are connected to the connecting rod by lever arms and are disposed outside the joints of the swinging link and the connecting rod on the one hand and the connecting rod and crank on the other hand. The four-way toggle mechanism and lever arms fixed to the connecting rod of the followers are adjusted to one another such that during a revolution of the carrier, the field swept by the swinging link does not encompass the axis of rotation of the carrier.

Abstract: The labelling machine has a rotatable carrier on which a plurality of label selector components are mounted. Each selector component has an outwardly curved surface and is oscillated via a drive to roll on an adhesive-application roll, to move across a label stack to pick up a label and to roll across a surface of a cylinder at a label transfer station. Various drives can be used to program the movements of the selector components relative to the rotation of the carrier.

Abstract: In a labeling station for bottles or the like, a glue scraper is mounted for swinging movement so that it is positionable ahead of a glue roll doctor blade so that any glue applied to the glue roll from a glue nozzle will be scraped off when there is a gap in the delivery of bottles to the labeling station.

Abstract: A labeling machine has a revolving carrier on which at least one pickup element has a convexly curved receiving surface eccentrically journaled between the receiving surface and the center of curvature thereof. A drive is provided for each pickup element comprising a stationary cam and an arm which follows the cam and imparts to the pickup element an oscillating movement through a drive shaft. The stationary cam comprises a cylindrical cam truck and the drive shaft of each pickup element is coupled with the associated arm for movement by the stationary cam along the drive shaft through a cam consisting of two opposite parallel cam sections. The cam sections extend at an angle to a plane perpendicular to the shaft axis and cam followers are associated with these cam sections. The distance between the two cam sections is adjustable such that any free play present between them and the cam followers can be eliminated.

Abstract: A labeling station has a rotating gripper cylinder having gripper elements equally spaced therearound to define label divisions and a carrier rotating in the same sense bearing pickup elements thereon mounted for either rotary or rocking movement in a contrary sense with respect to the carrier during the label transfer. The movement is controlled such that the receiving surfaces of the pickup elements roll at least in the forward area against the gripper cylinder surface when the gripper cylinder rotates. The arc length of the receiving surface of each pickup element is greater than the arc length of each label division of the gripper cylinder and the trailing portion of each label is lifted by at least one of the slip surfaces on the front edges of the pickup elements and blow nozzles associated with the gripper elements on the gripper cylinder.

Abstract: A device for picking up sheets from a magazine in a packaging machine comprises a driving shaft pivotally supporting a plurality of oscillating levers each comprising a cylindrical segment having grippers for picking up the sheets. A plurality of cams are moreover provided for actuating the oscillating levers to cause the cylindrical segments to roll without slippage for a fraction of a turn of the driving shaft to pick up the leading sheet in the magazine.

Abstract: A cam-controlled equalizing transmission is provided in a labeling machine for bottles and the like having a revolving carrier on which at least one pickup element having an outwardly curved receiving surface for labels is rotatably and eccentrically mounted between the receiving surface and its center of curvature thereof, and having one drive for each pickup element including a stationary sun gear and a pinion which meshes with the sun gear and which is axially displaceable in relation to the sun gear. The cam-controlled equalizing transmission couples the drive spindle of the pickup element with the pinion and comprises a cam disposed between the pinion and the spindle and a cam follower, wherein the cam has a varying curvature.

Abstract: An automatic transfer apparatus for transferring articles stacked on a platform, one by one, to a table comprising a gripping head, a gripping finger mounted for vertical movement relative to a support on the gripping head, a drive for moving the support together with the gripper finger backwards and forwards over the platform and the table, second drive for moving the gripper finger into and out of engagement with the article on top of the stack and an adhesive member on the gripping finger for engaging and holding the article.

Abstract: A labeling machine is provided to apply simultaneously two labels to different diameter portions of a bottle, e.g. the neck and belly. The structure for applying the belly label is conventional but above the usual affixing element there is provided a second affixing element which is operatively connected to a cam follower which senses a cam track opposite the labeling station. This causes the second affixing member to be projected radially outward at the time of label affixing so it reaches the narrow diameter portion of the bottle.

Abstract: A central band of cold glue is applied over most of the length of a label. Each label is then engaged by one of several circumferentially spaced gripper fingers on a rotating head which causes the labels to pass a hot glue applicator which applies bands lengthwise of the label on each side of the central cold glue band. Each label is finally rotated to a properly positioned container where a reciprocable squeezer presses the label onto the container.

Abstract: A labeling station of a labeling machine for bottles or the like having a gripping cylinder rotatable in one direction. The station includes a rotatable carrier and at least one glue segment mounted on the carrier for oscillatory rotational movement about an axis of rotation disposed between the center of curvature of its cylindrically curved pickup surface and the pick up surface, to dispose the center of the pickup surface tangential to the gripping cylinder at the center of the oscillatory movement. The rotational movement of the gluing segment is accelerated and retarded to effect rolling of the pickup surface on the gripping cylinder, by rotating the carrier and gripping cylinder in the same direction and rotating the gluing segment in the opposite direction during the rolling contact.

Abstract: A labelling machine comprises a revolving carrier with at least one pickup element rotatably mounted thereon. A stationary sun gear is provided and the drive for each pickup element includes a drive spindle, a pinion meshing with the sun gear and axially displaceable with respect thereto and coupled to the drive spindle. The coupling includes a cam-controllable compensating drive which comprises two opposite cam pieces which are axially displaceable with respect to the drive spindle and connected for rotation with the pinion, at least one driver disposed between the cam pieces for driving the spindle in response to the rotation of the pinion and axially settable to eliminate free play. Cam control for the compensating drive comprises an axial cam and a bipartite cam follower which is mounted for axial adjustment to eliminate free play.

Abstract: A bottle labeling machine is provided with a circular rotatable support about which there are positioned a gluing station, a magazine carrying a stack of labels and a gripper cylinder so that the pickup-transfer surface of a segment carried by said support successively receives glue, picks up a label and transfers it to the gripper cylinder. The segment is geared so that while carried by said support it rotates about its own axis in opposite direction from the support and from the gripper cylinder. This permits a particular machine capacity to be realized with fewer gluing segments.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for die cutting at least one blank in a sheet and stripping waste material therefrom, characterized by forming a band of interconnected individual sheets by positioning the leading edge of the sheet in alignment with the trailing edge of the last sheet in the band, interconnecting the edges and then intermittently conveying the band of interconnected sheets through a platen press with a dwell for die cutting, followed by a dwell in a stripper station for removing waste and then separating the die cut sheet prior to transfer to a delivery station for subsequent handling. In the preferred embodiments, the separating of the sheets can be accomplished subsequent to the stripping of the waste material or during the stripping operation.

Abstract: A bottle labeling machine is provided with a rotating support which carries a pickup element past a gluing station, a label magazine to pick up a label and a label transfer station. Supplementary means are provided to rotate the pickup element either clockwise or counterclockwise so as to speed it up or slow it down relative to the stations for matching its speed to that required at each station to effect a smooth pass at each station. A pair of cam followers are provided operating on two independent tracks with two lever arms connecting them to the supplementary means for rotating the pickup element. The lever arms may be rigid as one and have an intermediate axis about which they pivot or they may be independently pivoted at one end about one of the cam followers, the other end of one arm being connected to the second cam follower and the other end of the second arm being connected to the supplementary rotating means.

Abstract: Apparatus wherein a picker provided with an arcuate surface is supported for movement in a circular path at a radial distance from a predetermined center of rotation relative to a glue applying roll, a stack of labels and a transfer turret arranged about said predetermined center characterized in that there is means for effecting movement of the picker along said path and effecting rotation of the picker about the center of its arcuate surface such that said arcuate surface will have exclusively rolling tangential engagement with the surface of the glue applying roll, the surface of the label and the surface of the turret comprising, a fixed sun gear at said predetermined center having portions of different radius of curvature by means of which the rotation of the picker may be accelerated or decelerated, a planetary gear at the center of rotation of the arcuate surface of the picker for effecting its rotation, an idler gear in mesh with the planetary gear movable around the fixed gear in consonance with the

Abstract: A feeder mechanism for a labelling machine to transfer gum from a gumming apparatus to labels at a label supply location, and then to convey the labels to a transfer means. The mechanism includes a feeder member which carries at least one label receiving element mounted on the feeder member by means of a pivot shaft. The feeder member is rotatably driven about an axis and bodily driven in a circular path about a central axis, the feeder member axis being eccentric to said central axis. The pivot shaft is parallel to the rotary axis of its associated feeder member, whereby the movement of the pivot shaft perpendicular to its axial direction describes a looped hypotrochoid. The orientation of each label receiving element about the axis of its pivot shaft is controlled in dependence on the orientation of the feeder member about its rotary axis.