GB779895A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for applying adhevise to labels and fixing them to articles - Google Patents

Abstract

779,895. Labelling machines. BARRACLOUGH, Ltd., R. W., and BARRACLOUGH, R. W. May 2, 1955 [March 9, 1954], No. 6772/54. Class 73. Adhesive is applied to labels and the labels are applied to articles, such as packets of tea, by apparatus incorporating a label stacker 45, 46, means for applying adhesive to a plate 30 as it reciprocates from the position shown to a position beneath the stacker where it picks up a label, means for transferring the label from the plate to a transfer head 18 which reciprocates in the opposite direction to the plate from the label-transferring position shown to a position above the article, and means for transferring the label to the article. The apparatus shown is mounted on one side of the plate 10, and on the other side of the plate, Fig. 2 (not shown) are mounted the various cams and levers for moving the parts in the correct timed sequence. The plate 30 and head 18 are mounted on carriers 14; 13, respectively, which are caused to move in opposite directions by engaging on opposite sides of an oscillating toothed wheel 17. As the plate moves to the right adhesive is applied to it by a roller 37 which has received adhesive from a roller 36 rotating in a bath 35. Roller 37 is mounted on a cam-operated arm 38 and has teeth 40 which can engage with teeth on the roller 36 and also with a rack on the plate 30. When the plate reaches a position beneath the stacker the latter is lowered and the lowermost label adheres to the plate. When the parts return to the position shown the transfer head, which includes a vertically movable tube 20, connected at 21 to a source of suction, and a hollow shaft 19 riding at 24 on a rail 25, is lowered towards the plate by the anti-clockwise rotation of arms 27 which support the rail. Simultaneously -a cam-operated stripping rod is moved upwards towards.an aperture in the plate and pushes the protruding end 23 of the tube 20 upwards so that the label is held between the rod and a rubber block 22 of the head 18. The transfer head now begins its upward movement, followed by the stripping rod for a short distance until the label is removed from the plate. Suction applied to the tube 21 retains the label on the transfer head, the stripping rod is returned to its lower position, and the transfer head with the label held to the now protruding part 23 of the tube is moved to the left by the wheel 17. At the applying station the transfer head is again moved downwards to press the label on to the tea packet, suction being then cut off. The transfer head is then lifted and returned to the original position shown. The guides for the label stacker may be fitted with a bolt which is normally spring- urged away from the path of the stacker but which can be moved by a hand lever to retain the stacker in its upper position. This lever may be controlled by a switch which comes into operation when all the labels in the stacker have been used.