Abstract: In a labeling station for applying labels onto objects, having at least one pickup element mounted eccentrically on a rotatable carrier for movement about an axis, a gripper cylinder comprising a rotating carrier having eccentrically disposed gripping and pressing elements thereon, which elements are tangent to the circulation path of the pickup elements approximately in synchronism, the labels being transferred by the gripping and pressing elements to objects moved along a transport path, the part of the gripper cylinder which carries the pressing elements being eccentrically mounted on the gripper-cylinder shaft in such a way that the areas to be labeled of the objects are tangent to or slightly intersected by the path of rotation of the pressing elements, and the part carrying the pressing elements and the part carrying the gripping elements rotate with the same angular velocity, the improvement comprising means for adapting the rotative speed of the pressing elements to the path speed of the areas to be l

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: The present invention consists of labeling apparatus which includes a rotatable turnstile and an oscillating label magazine. The turnstile includes vacuum means which withdraws the label from the magazine and urges it onto an object by pneumatic means.

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 machine for gluing labels at one or both sides of bottles with provision for adjusting the inclination of the label transfer pads to approximately the inclination of the side surfaces of the bottles to which the labels are to be applied, including means for retracting the label magazine and removing some of the glue from the surface of the glue-applying roll in the absence of bottles or no bottles.

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: Apparatus is provided for the application of elongated labels to front end faces and adjacent lateral surfaces of cigarette packs which are transported at intervals through an elongated folding duct. The duct is mounted in a rotary barrel having openings for label carriers which accept labels during travel past a magazine and thereupon place the labels across the inlet of the duct prior to being moved out of the way so that the front end face of an oncoming pack adheres to the central portion of a label which extends across the inlet and the pack pushes such label against the rear end face of the preceding pack while the duct automatically folds the end portions of the label over the adjacent lateral surfaces of the respective pack. Patches of adhesive are applied to successive labels during travel with the corresponding carriers from the magazine toward the inlet of the folding duct.

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: In a bottle labeller of the type having a rotating discharge roller with an extending finger that withdraws a label from a magazine, the discharge roller contains a piston in which the finger is carried by a complimentary shape of a slot in the piston with the base of the finger. The piston moves in a cylindrical bore both axially and rotatably to retract the finger from extended position into the roller when a bottle detecting system discovers an interruption in the flow of bottles to the labeller. The detecting system directs pressurized air to the roller, forcing the piston to move in the bore and retract the finger when an interruption is discovered.

Abstract: In a labeling station for applying labels one above the other onto objects, having at least one pickup element mounted eccentrically on a rotating carrier for movement about an axis, a gripper cylinder is provided having a rotating carrier having eccentrically disposed gripping and pressing element for the upper and lower labels, which elements are tangent to the circulation path of the pickup elements approximately in synchronism. The labels are transferred by the gripping and pressing elements to objects moved along a transport path, whose areas to be labeled are at different distances from the gripper cylinder axis.

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 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: Apparatus for labeling objects including fruits supplied to a labeling station by an endless conveyor. Labels on a carrier tape are moved from a supply reel by a knurled roller which impresses a surface weakening pattern on each label so it will readily conform to a non-planar surface of the object. The tape is formed into a feed storage loop by an oscillatable tension regulating arm which controls actuation and deactuation of the knurled roller. An indexing tape segment passes through an indexing block in a transfer station, where each entering label is sensed by a detector. Indexing movement of the tape is initiated by an object detector on the conveyor. Indexing moves the tape around a sharp bend to strip the detected label from the tape and position it in a label holding frame.

Abstract: Newly formed battery plates are fed singly edgewise into radially open pockets in a first transfer wheel, while a like number of wrapper sheets are folded in half and pressed radially into pockets in a second transfer and sealing wheel. Vacuum plates in the sides of the pockets in the second transfer wheel hold the wrapper sheets open. Both wheels rotate step by step, and each plate is released to fall by gravity between folded sides of each wrapper. Centering rails carried around segment of second wheel pass through notches in edges of wrapper sheet to center battery plate in wrapper. Plates and wrappers carried by second wheel then pass hot air jets to soften edge of wrapper sheet; after which clamp blades carried by sides of vacuum plates are cammed closed to seal side edges of wrapper sheets over side edges of each plate. Clamp plates then open, and wrapped battery plate is released and delivered by gravity from second transfer wheel to off-feeding conveyor.

Abstract: The invention disclosed sets forth a machine for forming a sleeve of a shrinkable, cellular polymeric material from a predecorated web. The web is processed to provide (1) a partial-depth slit along the longitudinal dimension, and (2) cross-dimension pleats. Predecorated shrunken neck labels are formed from the web for overlying the neck and closure of the bottle and including a pilfer-proof feature. Such a label is formed from the processed web by cutting a blank having the cross pleats therein and winding the blank on a mandrel to overlap the ends and seam the overlap to make a sleeve. The sleeve is stripped onto the top neck end and over the closure of a bottle of room temperature to a label position and shrunken to a snug fit, the pleats absorbing wrinkles that occur in shrinking the material onto a "cold" bottle.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying adhesive onto cards or other inserts to be adhered to signatures on a collecting conveyor. A solenoid valve controlled dispensing nozzle is energized when a card is detected by photodetectors as being in proper position for receiving adhesive. Two sets of photodetectors may be employed and positioned for high and low speeds, respectively. A chopper may be introduced into the energization path of the solenoid valve at low speeds to reduce the amount of adhesive deposited.

Abstract: A labelling machine comprises feed rollers which are driven stepwise to draw lengths of tape from a tape reel and to feed same to a transfer roller. Each length of tape is severed by co-operating cutter means on the transfer roller and on a pivotal arm adjacent the transfer roller. The severed length, which forms the label, is fed stepwise by the transfer roller to a label-applying station. During the stepwise movement the label is held on the transfer roller, for example by vacuum.

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 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 labeling machine has a plurality of successive stations whereby a rotating pickup member on a revolving carrier picks up a label at one station, carries the label to a glue applicator station and transfers it to a gripping cylinder at another station. The invention provides a drum at the label supply station which rotates with the carrier and contacts the pickup member. A strip of labels passes about the drum into the nip between drum and pickup member and means, such as a steep helical thread and follower, are provided to speed up the pickup member so as to tear off the foremost label from the rest of the strip. Knives can be positioned inside the drum and cams and/or stops provided to project the knives out through slits in the drum so as to pre-score or perforate the label strip to facilitate tearing.

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 labeling machine of the kind wherein labels are removed one at a time from a stack of labels by a rotating picker provided with axially spaced annular picking surfaces disposed for rotation about an axis parallel to the endmost label in the stack at a distance therefrom such that the annular picking surfaces of the picker are tangent to the plane of the endmost label. The annular picking surfaces contain diametrically disposed slots which are connected to a vacuum as they are moved into engagement with the endmost label and thereafter at a predetermined place in the further rotation of the picker are disconnected to release the label characterized in that there is a needle fixed in each slot with its pointed end flush with the annular picking surface of the picker and with which the portion of the label crossing the slot is held engaged during the period the picker is taking hold of the label and releasing it.

Abstract: A length of face sealing valve stock is formed into individual face sealing valves and applied to end closures of pressurized dispensers. The stock advances in steps by a feed dog in vent slots in the tape. The tape is held against advancement by an index dog at all other times. Lost motion in the feed dog drive accommodates the drive to tape arrest and permits shutdown and startup at a known, predetermined position in a cycle. A head carries a punch and shear blade which form vent slots and cut the tape to valve length during the time that the tape is stopped. Tape is sheared to valve length at an index wheel which holds the tape by vacuum during shear and successive 90.degree. transports for solvent activation of adhesive and transfer from the wheel by bonding the activated adhesive to an end closure. A proximator forces an end closure into contact with a valve during transfer.

Abstract: A labelling device having a main body member mounted on its frame for rotation about a central axis. The device includes a labelling station, a glue applicator station and a label applicator station circumferentially spaced about a central axis. At least one arm member is slidably mounted on the main body member and projects radially from the central axis. A head is pivotally mounted on each arm for movement about a secondary axis parallel to the central axis. The head has an outer surface which is curved in the plane of rotation of the head about the central axis and is rotatable with the main body with the outer surface disposed in a path passing through the label storage, glue applicator and label applicator stations. The outer surface of the head has a leading edge disposed in the direction of rotation of the main body and a trailing edge disposed in the opposite direction.

Abstract: In a label applicating apparatus a self-contained vacuum generating means is incorporated in the applicator drum so that a partial vacuum may be established at a predetermined peripheral portion of the drum in response to the rotation of said drum. The generated partial vacuum is maintained for a predetermined portion of each cyclically rotary movement of the drum.

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.

Abstract: A label applicator has a rotating head assembly for carrying labels from a hopper for application to articles to be labelled. The labels are held on the head assembly by suction. To load labels from the hopper, the hopper is reciprocated towards a spring loaded suction head of the head assembly, depressing the head thereby connecting suction to it, and then away again. A latch locks the head in a depressed state so that a label is withdrawn from the hopper. The head assembly is driven stepwise to stop temporarily for loading a label on each head. The latch is released allowing the loaded head to spring forward when it has rotated to a desired orientation on the head assembly. The released head presses the label onto the article to be labelled simultaneously disconnecting the suction. For heat activated adhesive labels, a radiant heater, preferably a quartz infra-red tube, is arranged to irradiate labels when loaded on the suction heads.

Abstract: A drum continuously rotating on a vertical axis carries at least two pairs of label transfer members spaced circumferentially around its axis and rotatably connected to the drum on vertical axes. One of the transfer members in each pair is a pick-up member and the other a delivery member, with the pick-up members alternating with the delivery members. The pick-up members are continuously rotated on their axes in one direction while the delivery members are rotated in the opposite direction at the same speed. Each of the transfer members has a label-contact surface provided with a vertical row of air inlets, the contact surface of each pick-up member facing away from the axis of the drum when that member is in pick-up position at the label magazine, at which time suction is applied to the air inlets to withdraw a label from the magazine.

Abstract: A system for automatically fixing information bearing labels to randomly delivered articles includes: a transport for the articles; a sensor for detecting the articles as they are moved by the transport; a label source for providing labels when articles are detected; and a label transfer wheel driven at a uniform rate for fixing labels from the source to the articles. The label transfer wheel has a cylindrical surface, a stationary chamber communicating with a vacuum source, and a plurality of holes on the surface which periodically communicate with the chamber to pneumatically hold labels as they are transferred from the label source to the articles.

Abstract: A labeling system for automatically fixing information bearing labels to articles includes: a conveyor belt; means for placing articles on the conveyor belt at a variable periodic rate; a source of labels providing labels at said periodic rate; and a label transfer wheel, coupled to the drive source, for fixing each of the labels from the source to a different one of the articles. The label transfer wheel has a cylindrical surface, a stationary chamber communicating with a vacuum source, and a plurality of holes on the surface which periodically communicate with the chamber to pneumatically hold labels as they are transferred from the label source to the articles.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming envelopes from thermoplastic sheet material including means for feeding said sheets at predetermined intervals along a conveyor means, means for heating the thermoplastic sheet along a narrow transverse zone, means for moving the heated sheet into contact with a curved surface which is of such a configuration that the sheet is folded along the heated zone into an envelope, and means for heat sealing the envelope along the side edges thereof.

Abstract: This invention refers to a machine for applying transfer-designs to a substrate or a succession of substrates. Basically the machine includes a magazine for holding a stack of stick-down transfers, means for withdrawing one transfer from a stack and positioning it adjacent but in spaced relation to the substrate, means for bringing the transfer into contact with the substrate so that the transfer is applied to and remains on the substrate and means for subsequently removing the backing sheet from the transfer when so positioned on the substrate.

Abstract: A label transfer wheel includes a cylindrical structure having an annular cavity extending into a side thereof; an axially extending hole engageable by a rotary drive; and two circular series of holes, each hole extending radially from the cylindrical surface of the structure to a cylindrical surface bounding the cavity. A plate rotatably coupled to the structure generally covers the cavity and includes a port adapted for connection to a vacuum source. The plate is coupled to a pair of devices located within the cavity, each of the devices having a polyurethane foam seal which is in abutment with the bottom boundary of the cavity and a section of the cylindrical surface bounding the cavity to provide, in combination with the plate, a fluid tight chamber coupling the port to arcuate sets of holes of the series of holes. The devices are movable with respect to each other to permit varying the size of the chamber and the number of holes communicating therewith.

Abstract: A vacuum applicating apparatus for dispensing and applying measured lengths of tape on a moving substrate. The apparatus has a plurality of rotating applicating segments which are driven by a driving wheel. The segments can be disposed so that tape is fed onto the segments from a continuous supply of tape at a slow speed; the tape is then severed into measured lengths and the lengths are applied in spaced relationship onto a faster moving substrate.

Abstract: A method of consecutively applying pieces of sheet material to a moving sheet material length preferably for securing reinforcing sheet pieces to the handle hole areas of a sheet length for the production of carrier bags, comprising advancing the sheet material length past an application station in which a strip of sheet material is successively fed to a number of movable carrier plates, cutting the sheet strip between consecutive carrier plates so as to leave a sheet piece on the leading plate or plates, moving the carrier plates successively into a working position adjacent the surface of said sheet length and pressing the carrier plate in this position with said sheet piece temporarily held thereon against said surface so as to transfer the sheet piece to the sheet length, retracting the carrier plate and moving the next carrier plate into said working position while advancing the sheet length further, characterised by feeding the sheet strip to carrier plate facets on a rotary carrier body and effecting t

Abstract: Patches for envelope windows are cut, one per envelope, from a patch web supplied at a surface speed proportional to but lower than the speed of a travelling envelope web. The cut patches are transferred from the cut-off apparatus to the envelope web by a rotary vacuum system, at a surface speed which equals the speed of the latter web, or is accelerated to this latter speed. Steps and means are provided for insuring proper positions and motions of the cut-off patch, at points where the speed thereof changes.

Abstract: A machine for transferring adhesive labels from both sides of a single carrier strip to two separate streams of product items on a continuous basis. A pair of spaced continuously rotating vacuum wheels come in contact with opposite sides of the carrier strip, the carrier strip passing around a loop-forming roller adjacent each vacuum wheel to bring the label in contact with the vacuum wheel. Each vacuum wheel has holes around the periphery thereof, a vacuum being applied through the openings in a stationary sector of the vacuum wheel. As each label comes in contact with the associated vacuum wheel, it is pulled off by the vacuum and transported through the sector angle to a release point, where it is transferred to the surface of a product item.

Abstract: A label applying turret having label support pads, a label marker and a pressing platen for pressing the label against the marker. The marker is mounted on the turret to rotate therewith and faces outwardly against the inwardly facing side of the label. In one embodiment a label gripping platen is aligned with the marker so that its action in gripping the label to the turret concurrently imposes die marking pressure on the label. In another embodiment a roller platen is mounted externally of the turret and presses the labels against the die marker.This application is a division of copending application Ser. No. 381,184 filed July 20, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,388, which was a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 223,204 filed Feb. 3, 1972, now abandoned.