GB2202512A - Labelling machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A labelling machine applies adhesive labels from a backing strip (6) to a product (3) upon a conveyor by means of a beak (14) mounted for reciprocation. A first reciprocation right-left applies a label utilising a dressing brush (17). A claw (16) engages a label trailing edge to prevent displacement of the label strip 6 relative to the beak tip in a left-right displacement so that further label strip is withdrawn from magazine 4. Adhesion of the labels to the substrate takes place whilst both are stationary relatively to each other at the labelling station (30). <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO LABELLING MACHINES The invention relates to labelling machines for the applIcation of self-adhesive labels to products particularly, but not exclusively, products disposed on a conveyor or in a location Jig.

Labelling machines for applying self-adhesive labels to products have been in use in many forms in the Industry for many years. The pattern of development of such machines has been influenced particularly by developments in printing technology, label production and adhesives technology over many years. More recently, the range of self-adhesive labels avallable commercially and the legal requirements Imposed by legislation on the information required to be carrled by products has accelerated the development of labelling machines and there has been much activity in the art due to the stimulil.

The use of labels on products has developed from the position where a label was Little more than a point-ofsale instrument. Labels are now regarded in manufacturing industry as a management tool for speeding stock control operations and certaln stages in production and handling.

Bar code panels are used for this purpose and also for similar purposes at polnt-of-sale locations.

in principle, all self-adhesive labelling machines are similar. They use dle-cut labels disposed on a reel of Glascene-faced release paper. Release of the label from the release paper backing is achieved by pulling the backing over a sharp edge causing the label adhesive to lose its grip upon the treated surface of the release paper and the label thus to peel from the backing. This exposes the adhesive face of the label and by suitable positioning next to a conveyor or other product handling unit, the released label can be applied to a product In a reasonably satisfactory manner. In practice, of course, various control systems are provided to detect the presence of a product in the correct position (eg on the conveyor or in a locatlon Jlg) in relation to the released label.

The way In which this Is achieved varies from one labelling machine to another and Is very often dictated by the product itself and the different degrees of accuracy In placement which different products demand.

Generally, however, correct positioning of a product on a conveyor trips a micro swltch or limit switch or interrupts a photo-electric beam. This activates a magnetic clutch In a transmission line to an electric motor driving a pinch roller. The carrier paper Is conveyed over the pinch roller when the magnetic clutch Is activated and a further sensing system detects the arrival of a gap between labels to deactivate the clutch and cease advancement of the strip of labels.

The product conveyor and the label strip advance in the same directlon and on peeling from the backing at the sharp edge used for label removal, the relatively rigid label continues to advance, the arrangement being such that Its speed of advancement matches the speed of conveyance of the product on the conveyor. A blast of alr (or perhaps a roller or brush) Is used to force the label into sufficiently secure contact with the product. In practice, this has been found to achieve a good level of accuracy which Is satisfactory for most purposes.

However, greater levels of accuracy require the provision of a vacuum shoe. The vacuum shoe Is placed adjacent the non-tacky surface of the label as It peels from the backing and secures the peeled off label upon Its surface. A piston-and-cyllnder assembly linked to the vacuum shoe reciprocates the shoe between label-receiving positions and a depressed position in which the shoe brings the label Into contact with the product on the conveyor. Whilst broadly satisfactory, this approach has a number of drawbacks. The maJor drawback Is the relatively high capital cost of the equipment Involved, an otherwise standard automatic applicator being combined with vacuum equlpment and a means of elther electrically or pneumatically powering the reciprocating piston-andcylinder assembly.The power requirements of this ancililary equipment are also a significant factor in the Industry. In particular, the level of vacuum required to hold a label firmly in place on the vacuum shoe Is considerable.

Glossy label surfaces are also difficult to retain on a vacuum shoe. The same Is true of labels having a significant elastic memory. Strips of labels on release paper backing are generally provided In roll form and problems arising from elastic memory are particularly significant for labels In the section of the strip nearest to the core of the reel of strip, such labels tending to settle In different positions on the vacuum pad so that accuracy of placement Is often not totally reproducible. Labels having a glossy surface such as is evident in labels made of vinyl materials and which have particularly strong elastic memory may be impossible to handle satisfactorily using a vacuum shoe.

Over recent years, the need for Increased accuracy of placement of labels has increased without solution to the above problems. For example, accuracy of placement is required on such qualIty products as cosmetics In order to provide customer appeal. Accuracy of placement of labels to the centre gramophone of record discs is required for more practical reasons.

According to the Invention, there Is provided a method of applying a label to a substrate which method comprises advancing a strip comprising a plurallty of labels carried serially upon a backing to means discharging to the substrate for removing labels In sequence from the backing, effecting removal of a first of said labels by continued relative displacement between said strip and said label removal means whereby the label and backing are progressively separated, the separated backing being wlthdrawn so that the label confronts the substrate, and adherlng the separated label upon said substrate, characterized in that the strip advances relative to the label removing means and said label removing means Is displaced so as to retreat relative to the substrate so that the label and substrate are substantially stationary relative to one another. The substrate is preferably stationary.

Preferably, the the label-removal means comprises a member defining an edge over which the strip Is deformed in such a way that the label and the backing peel from each other.

Conveniently, the backing Is wlthdrawn from the separated label In a direction the reverse of and parallel to the direction of travel of the strip advancing to the label removal means.

In preferred embodiments of the Invention, a member acts on said backing to advance said strip relative to said label removing means and whereln said label removing means Is displaced In such manner as to displace said label correspondingly In a reverse direction such that the net spatial displacement of the separated label is nil.

Preferably, Indexing means locates In a space between the trailing edge of a downstream label and the leading edge of an upstream label, and engages the trailing edge of said downstream label, upon completlon of the displacement of said strip relative to said label removing means responsible for removal of the first label, said Indexing means fixing a second label In the same position relative to the label-removing means for the start of label removal as that adopted by the first label In a second aspect, the Invent ion provides an apparatus for applying a label to a substrate which apparatus comprises label removal means for removing labels sequentially from a strip carrying a plurality of labels serially upon a backing, means for advancing the strip to said label removing means and means for taking up backing from which labels have been removed, the apparatus Including a carrier member having a part which serves as said label removing means, said carrier member being mounted for reciprocatory linear displacement between a first position in which the carrier member overlles said substrate and a second position In which said carrier member exposes said substrate and having means which, during the stroke of the carrier member from said first to said second positIon, displaces the strip in the reverse directlon and in so dolng displaces a label via the label removing means to a position In which the removed label confronts the exposed substrate, and preferably means for urging a label so-positioned Into adhesion with the substrate.

In preferred forms of the apparatus, Indexing means is disposed for locating In a space between the traIling edge of a label carried on said backing and the leading edge of a next-in-sequence label of said strip when the label earller In sequence relative to said first mentloned label has been removed from the backing and confronts the substrate, said Indexing means engaging the trailing edge of said first-mentioned label on the backing to prevent retreat of the strip from said label removing means during the stroke of the carrier member from said second position thereof to said first position.

The Indexing means preferably forms part of said carrier member.

In preferred embodiments, transport means is provided for transporting backing from the discharge area of the label removing means, said transport means comprising a driven take-up spool cooperative with an optionally rotatable but otherwise fixed guide and a further gulde serving as said reverse direction strip displacement means.

A brush or roller Is usually provided to dress labels onto the substrate.

A particularly preferred apparatus comprises a labelling station in use Issuing labels to product substrates, for example on a conveyor on which In use said products are conveyed through said labelling statlon, means for supplying to said labelllng station a strip comprising a plurality of self-adhesive labels carried serially upon a backing In the form of release paper and means for taking up backing Issulng from the labelllng statlon after label removal therefrom, said labelling station comprising (a) a beak defining a leading edge over which the strip can be displaced In such manner as to deform said backing and cause labels and backing to peel apart, the beak being displaceable linearly between a first position in which It overlles a product substrate presented to the labelling station (eg by the conveyor) and a second position In which it exposes the substrate, (b) means for displacing the strip, during a stroke of the beak from its first to its second position, in the reverse direction relative to that of said stroke so as to advance a label and its backing over said beak leading edge to displace the label to a position In which the removed label confronts the exposed substrate, said means for displacing the strip comprising a backing transport gulde secured to the beak and displaceable with its said stroke and (c) Indexing means secured to the beak and In the form of a claw disposed so as not substantially to impede advancement of said strip to the beak leading edge but to locate in Inter-label spaces and engage the trailing edges of advancing labels to prevent retreat of the strip relative to the beak leading edge.

The following is a specific description, by way of example only, of a preferred embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic side vlew of the apparatus of the Invent Ion; Figure 2 shows part of the apparatus In more detall and on an enlarged scale; and Figures 3a to 3e are vlews taken from the direction of the arrow lil of Figure 2 showing the apparatus at varlous stages of the labelling operation.

As shown in Figure 1, the apparatus comprlses a bulkhead 1 supported adJacent a horizontal flight of a product conveyor Indicated purely for positional purpose by reference numeral 2. Products 3 shown supported on conveyor flight 2 Is conveyed by the conveyor flight in the direction of the arrow A from a processing statlon such as a wrapping or bottling station, dependent on the nature of the product, to the position depicted In the figure and on to a further processing or handlIng station where a plurality of individual products may be packaged, boxed or subjected to some other operation.

A magazine 4 Is mounted non-rotatably to a non-driven spindle 5 rotatably mounted to bulkhead 1. Magazine 4 Is a spool-type magazine wound with a supply of label strip 6 comprising a large number of self-adhesive labels 7 (typically 5000 labels In the case, for example, of a commonly used size of label measurlng about 70mm by about 50mm, with the longest dimension In the direction of length of the strip). The adhesive labels are lightly adhered to a backing made of release paper such as paper coated with a release materlal known In the art as "Glascene".

Strip 6 issues from magazine 4 and follows a defined transport path through the labelllng statlon designated generally by reference numeral 30 to a driven rewind unit 8 also mounted for rotation to the bulkhead 1. The transport path to labelllng statlon 30 is defined by a jockey spindle 18 receiving strip 6 from magazine 4, a pensioner 9a and a spindle 10 all secured to bulkhead 1.

Strip 6 Issuing from spindle 10 is received upon the upper surface of beak 14 referred to below. Strip 6 extends over edge 19 of beak 14 and its continuation extends adJacent the undersurface of beak 14 to spindle 15. Label-free backing Issuing from labelling station 30 is directed to rewind unit 8 via a spindle 11, a driven constant frictlon roller 12 and Its associated tensioner 9b, the latter all being mounted to the bulkhead 1.

Labelling statlon 30 comprises a beak assembly 13 comprising an elongate steel piate beak 14 having a guide spindle 15 which directs backing to the spindle 11, an index claw 16 biassed vertically downwards by spring loading and a dressing brush 17 all secured thereto.

Beak 14 is mounted for reciprocatory horizontal displacement in a recessed track (not shown) in the direction signified by the arrow B of Figure 1. Power means (not shown) Is mounted to bulkhead 1 and coupled to drive the beak 14 in recriprocatlon as well to drive the rewind unit 8 and roller 12 In rotatlon. Reciprocation of the beak will generally be accomplished by coupling drive to the beak via a cam.

Index claw 16 is spring-mounted so as to be blased lightly :t-o the strip 6 but Insufficient to impede advance of the strip or cause damage to the labels.

Beak 14 has a leading edge 19 over which the backing of strip 6 Is deformed by bending It back under the beak thereby to release labels from the backing.

In operatlon, the power is first turned on, a full supply of strip Is wound on magazine 4 and the leading end of strip 6 (usually terminating In a length of label-free backing in the interests of minimizing usage of labels) is fastened to the hub of re-wind unit 8. In this.condltlon, beak 14 I s positioned as shown in Figure 3a. As will be seen from that figure, the strip 6 is so positioned that the reading edge of a label is proximate edge 19.

The presence of a product substrate In registration for label receipt beneath beak 14 Interrupts the beam from a conveyor control photo-electric cell sensing system (not shown). This causes coupling of drive to beak assembly 13 and Its displacement in a right-left stroke. In addtion, the product is arrested as a result of beam Interruption in the location desired through disconnection of drive to the conveyor. The position mid-stroke is represented in Figure 3b, whilst the position at completion of the stroke is shown In Figure 3e. At the same time, drive Is coupled to rewind unit 8 and spindle 12.

As shown In Figure 1, bulkhead spindle 11 and beak assembly spindle 15 are spaced apart and It will be appreciated that each Increment of the right-left stroke of beak assembly 13 Increases this spacing calling for addition of strip to the part of the transport route between spindles 11 and 15. Thks need is satisfled by advancement of strip 6 over edge 19 progressively durlng the stroke. The stroke of beak 14 Is set to slightly more than the largest dimension of a label 7 (and is, of course, adJustable) so that a full right-left stroke advances the strip 6 in increments equal to a label length plus a part of the Inter-label spacing.

Advancement of strip 6 over the edge 19 as Just described deforms the backing. The relative deformation resistance of label 7, however, causes a separation of first label 7 (Figures 3a, 4b) from the backing in a peeling effect.

The relatively rigid label 7 continues to advance relative to beak edge 19, Its speed of progressive advancement being matched by the progressive stroke of beak 14 In the reverse direction so that label 7 In fact remains stationary relative to product 3. Displacement of dressing brush 17 with the beak 14 progressively dresses removed label 7 down onto product 3 so that it firmly adheres to the product substrate.

At completion of the right-left stroke of beak 14, (Figure 3e), peeling of label 7 from the backing of strip 6 is complete and the label Is firmly dressed onto product 3. Index claw 16 locates between the second and third labels as the stroke completes. Completlon of the stroke breaks a beam generated by a further photoelectric cell (not shown) which re-activates coupling of drive to the product conveyor 2 to advance the next product 3. At the same time, beak 14 commences a left-right stroke; this either matches the conveyor motion in speed or the product on the conveyor may arrive in proper position for label receptlon ahead of the beak 14 so that the conveyor Is stopped (by the intervention of the conveyor control photoelectric cell sensing system referred to earlier) whilst beak 14 Is still on its left-right stroke.Of course, by provision of sultable control means, the arrangement may be such that beak 14 reaches position first and remains inactive until a product is brought into register at the label-receptlon position.

Left-right displacement of the beak 14, of course, decreases the spacing between the spindles 11 and 15, thus releasing label-free backing for take-up by rewind unit 8. Forces applied to the strip at beak edge 19 and tending to displace the strip In retreat from the edge 19 are resisted by engagement of index claw 16 with the trailing edge of the second or next label. In this way, the left-right stroke of beak 14 Is completed without relative displacement between strip 6 and beak edge 19, additional strip 6 to compensate for take-up of backing upon rewind unit 8 being thus withdrawn from magazine 4.

Completion of the left-right stroke of beak 14 coincides with arrival of the next product 3 in registration for label receipt, the latter agaln Interrupting the conveyor control photoelectric beam referred to earller so as to decouple drive from the conveyor and render It statlonary to arrest the product in the desired location for label recelpt. A right-left stroke of beak 14 then commences as described earlier to repeat the cycle of label application already described. The procedure continues automatically until stopped by operator Intervention or a control signal from an interface computer..

Label I I ng operations conducted using the apparatus described above proceed at speed (typically 100 labels per minute) and reproducibly apply labels with high levels of accuracy due to the statlonary state of the product substrate and the label strip 6 during application and the Indexation achleved by use of Index claw 16. It will be appreciated that these results are achieved by the simple and Inexpensive expedient of providing a reciprocatory beak, and associated mechanism, whose right-left stroke causes strip displacement relative to the edge 19 of beak 14.

The invention as described earlier without reference to the drawings may include any one or more features of the inventIon as described with reference to the drawings.

Claims (18)

Claims

1. A method of applying a label to a substrate which method comprlses advancing a strip comprising a plurality of labels carried serlally upon a backing to label removal means for removing labels In sequence from the backing, said label removing means discharging to the substrate at a label application statlon, effecting removal of a first of said labels by continued relative displacement between said strip and said label removal means whereby the first label and backing are progressively separated, the separated backing being withdrawn so that the label confronts the substrate, and adhering the separated confronting label upon said substrate, characterized In that the label removal means is provided by a shuttle which In use suffers driven displacement relative to the label application station and In that such driven displacement Is accompanied by.

said relative displacement between said strip and said label removal means so as to separate said first label and said backing and dispose the label in confrontatlon with the substrate at said label application station.

2. A method as clalmed in Clalm 1 wherein the labelremoval means comprises a member defining an edge over which the strip is deformed In such a way that the label and the backing peel from each other.

3. A method as clalmed in Clalm 1 or Claim 2 wherein the backing Is wlthdrawn from the separated label In a direction the reverse of and parallel to the direction of travel of the strip advancing to the label removal means.

4. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein a member acts on said backing to advance said strip relative to said label removing means and wherein said shuttle Is displaced in such manner as to displace said label correspondingly in a reverse direction such that the net spatlal displacement of the separated label relative to the label application station is nil.

5. A method as clalmed in Clalm 4 wherein the backing Is transported from the label removing means by transport means including a backing take-up member, an optionally rotatable but otherwise stationary guide and an optlonally rotatable guide which is linearly displaceable correspondingly with displacement of the shuttle and which serves through such displacement as the member acting on the backing to advance the strip relative to the label removing means.

6. A method as clalmed In any preceding claim wherein Indexing means locates In a space between the tral I Ing edge of a downstream label and the leading edge of an upstream label, and engages the trailing edge of said downstream label, upon completion of the displacement of said strip relative to said label removing means responsible for removal of the first label, said Indexing means fixing a second label In the same position relative to the label-removing means for the start of label removal as that adopted by the first label.

7. A method as clalmed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore descrlbed with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. An apparatus for applying a label to a substrate which apparatus comprlses label removal means for removing labels sequentlally from a strip carrying a plurality of labels serially upon a backing, means for advancing the strip to said label removing means and means for taking up backing from which labels have been removed, characterized in that the apparatus Includes a carrier member having a part which serves as said label removing means, said carrier member being mounted for reciprocatory Linear displacement between a first position In which the carrier member overlies said substrate and a second position in which said carrier member exposes said substrate and said apparatus having means which, during the stroke of the carrier member from said first to said second position, displaces the strip In the reverse direction by a corresponding extent and In so doing causes label removal by the label removing means and positioning of the removed label In a position In which such removed label confronts the exposed substrate, and means for urging a label so-positioned into adhesion with the substrate.

9. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 8 wherein indexing means is disposed for location in a space between the traillng edge of a label carried on said backing and the leading edge of a next-in-sequence label of said strip when the label earlier In sequence relative to said first-mentloned label has been removed from the backing and confronts the substrate, said Indexing means engaging the trailing edge of said first-mentloned label on the backing to prevent retreat of the strip from said label removing means durlng the stroke of the carrier member from said second position thereof to said first position.

10. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9 whereln said Indexing means forms part of said carrier member.

11. An apparatus as claimed In any one of Claims 8 to 10 wherein transport means Is provided for transporting backing from the discharge area of the label removing means, said transport means comprising a driven take-up spool cooperative with an optionally rotatable but otherwlse fixed guide and a further gulde serving as said reverse direction strip displacement means.

12. An apparatus as claimed In any one of Claim 8 to 11 wherein a brush or roller is provided to dress labels onto the substrate.

13. An apparatus for applying a label to products which apparatus comprises a labelling statlon for disposition adjacent, and in use Issuing labels to, a conveyor on which In use said products are conveyed through and are sequentially arrested at said labelling station, means for supplying to said labelilng station a strip comprising a plurality of self-adhesive labels carried serially upon a backing In the form of release paper and means for taking up backing issuing from the labelling statlon after label removal therefrom, said labelling station comprising (a) a shuttle Including a beak defining a leading edge over which the strip can be displaced in such manner as to deform said backing and cause labels and backing to peel apart, the beak being reciprocatably displaceable linearly between a first position in which It overlles a product substrate presented to the labeling statlon by the conveyor and a second position In which It exposes the substrate, (b) means for displacing the strip, durlng a stroke of the beak from Its first to Its second position, in the reverse direction relative to that of said stroke so as to displace a label and its backing over said beak leading edge to displace the label to a position in which the removed label confronts the exposed substrate, said means for displacing the strip comprising a backing transport guide secured to the beak and displaceable with Its said stroke and (c) Indexing means secured to the beak and In the form of a claw disposed so as not substantially to impede advancement of said strip to the beak leading edge durlng a stroke of the beak from its first to its second position but to locate in Inter-label spaces and engage the trailing edge of an advancing label upon a reverse stroke of the beak from Its second to its first position to prevent retreat of the strip relative to the beak leading edge whereby the reverse stroke draws fresh strip from a supply thereof.

14. An apparatus for applying a label to a substrate, wherein there Is provided label-removing means for removing labels sequentially from a strip carrying a plurality of labels serially upon a backing, means for advancing said strip to said label-removing means, means for taking up backing from which labels have been removed and means for dressing removed labels onto a confronting substrate, characterized In that the apparatus Includes means for displacing the label-removing means relative to the substrate so that the label and substrate are substantially stationary relative to each other whilst In confrontation and the label adhered to the substrate.

15. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 14 wherein indexing means is disposed for locating In a space between the trailing edge of a label carrled on said backing and the leading edge of a next-ln-sequence label of said strip when the label earlier In sequence relative to said first-mentloned label has been removed from the backing and confronts the substrate, said Indexing means engaging the trailing edge of said flrst-mentioned label on the backing to prevent retreat of the strip from said label removing means durlng the displacement of the label-removing means.

16. An apparatus for applying a label to a product substrate which apparatus comprlses a label application station, a conveyor for conveying products serially to said statlon, a source of self-adhesive labels provided in a series in the form of a strip comprising said labels upon a backing, a shuttle providing label removal means, take up means

for taking up strip backing and means defining a transport path for said strip Including, as points on said path, said label source, said take up means and said label removal means of said shuttle, said shuttle being displaceable relative to the label application station and the arrangement being such that displacement thereof as aforesald causes a label to be removed from the backing by said label removal means and disposed In confronting relatlon with the product substrate for adhesion thereon.

17. An apparatus for applying a label to a substrate, substantially as herelnbefore described with reference to, and as Illustrated In, the accompanying drawings.

18. A product having a label applled thereto by a method as claimed In any one of Claims 1 to 7.