Machine and method for labeling containers

Abstract

A machine and a method for labeling containers, the machine including a transfer drum, fed by an assembly for unwinding a labeling ribbon and provided with cutting elements, which is adapted to bring the individual labels, separated after cutting, into contact with corresponding containers which are supported by a conveyor; a roller for spreading adhesive faces the transfer drum and is designed to apply, to the labels that are present on the ribbon, at least one line of adhesive prior to their separation from the ribbon.

Claims

1. A machine for labeling containers, comprising: a transfer drum fed by an unwinding assembly for unwinding a labeling ribbon on which a plurality of labels are printed continuously thereon, said transfer drum including a lateral surface and being provided with multiple cutting means thereon, wherein the cutting means are distributed around the transfer drum and each cutting means comprises a respective blade that is positioned on and fixed within a respective recessed portion of the lateral surface of the transfer drum such that the labeling ribbon must move into the recessed portion to be cut by the blade, and wherein each cutting means can be activated on command by respective actuation means, also carried on said transfer drum, in order to cut said labeling ribbon at a separation portion between two consecutive labels, said transfer drum being adapted to bring the individual labels, separated after cutting, into contact with corresponding containers supported by a conveyor, a roller for spreading adhesive facing said transfer drum and being positioned to apply to the labels that are present on said labeling ribbon at least one line of adhesive at both a leading edge and a trailing edge of each label prior to separation of each label from the labeling ribbon, wherein each of the actuation means are configured to be activated to separate each label from the labeling ribbon after the at least one line of adhesive is applied to both the leading edge and the trailing edge; wherein said transfer drum is provided with a plurality of adhesive bonding regions which are distributed mutually spaced apart around said transfer drum, said adhesive bonding regions being, with at least one portion thereof, in relief with respect to the lateral surface of said transfer drum and being adapted to receive, by coming to rest thereon, the leading and trailing edges of the labels that are present on said labeling ribbon, in order to allow, in cooperation with said roller, the application of a respective strip of adhesive on each of the trailing edge of a leading one of two consecutive labels and the leading edge of a trailing one of two consecutive labels, prior to separation of the leading one of two consecutive labels from said labeling ribbon.

2. The machine according to claim 1, wherein said adhesive bonding regions each comprise a respective pair of resting contact surfaces, both arranged in relief with respect to the main lateral surface of said transfer drum and designed to receive respectively, by coming to rest thereon, one the trailing edge and the other the leading edge of two consecutive labels that are present on said labeling ribbon, prior to their separation from said labeling ribbon.

3. The machine according to claim 2, wherein between the resting contact surfaces of said adhesive bonding regions a seat is provided that extends toward the axis of said transfer drum and is adapted to accommodate the separation portion between two consecutive labels that are present on said labeling ribbon, means being provided of attracting said separation portion toward the bottom of said seat.

4. The machine according to claim 1, wherein respective cutting means of cutting said labeling ribbon are associated with each one of said adhesive bonding regions.

5. The machine according to claim 4, wherein said cutting means are arranged to the rear of the respective adhesive bonding region along the direction of rotation of said transfer drum.

6. The machine according to claim 1, wherein said unwinding assembly is controlled by a controller that is adapted to vary a feed rate of said labeling ribbon to said transfer drum by said unwinding assembly during a rotation of said transfer drum.

7. The machine according to claim 6, wherein said controller is adapted to actuate at least one first slowing of the feed rate of said labeling ribbon to said transfer drum, after the passage, at said spreading roller, of the adhesive bonding region on which said labeling ribbon rests, so as to bring the cutting means for the adhesive bonding region on which said labeling ribbon rests to the separation portion of the two consecutive labels on which the spreading roller has applied the adhesive.

8. The machine according to claim 7, wherein said controller is adapted to actuate a second slowing of the feed rate of said labeling ribbon to said transfer drum, after the separation of a label from said labeling ribbon.

9. The machine according to claim 6, wherein said controller is connected to a sensor for detecting a presence of containers on said conveyor, said spreading roller being configured to be movable from an active position, in which it is close to said transfer drum, in order to allow the application of the adhesive to said labeling ribbon, to an inactive position, in which it is spaced apart from said transfer drum, movement of the spreading roller being activateable by said controller is upon the detection, by said sensor, of the lack of at least one container on said conveyor, the time available to bring said spreading roller from said active position to said inactive position corresponds substantially to the time required by an entire division of said transfer drum to pass in front of said spreading roller.

10. A machine for labeling containers, comprising: a rotatable transfer drum fed by an unwinding assembly that unwinds a labeling ribbon on which a plurality of labels are printed continuously thereon, said transfer drum including a lateral surface and being provided with multiple cutting means thereon, wherein the cutting means are distributed around the transfer drum and each cutting means comprises a respective blade that is positioned on and fixed within a respective recessed portion of the lateral surface of the transfer drum such that the labeling ribbon must move into the recessed portion to be cut by the blade, and wherein each cutting means is configured to be activated for cutting on command by respective actuation means, also positioned on the recessed portion of said lateral surface of said transfer drum for rotation with the transfer drum, that pull said ribbon inward against the cutting means in order to cut said labeling ribbon at a separation portion between two consecutive labels, said transfer drum being positioned and configured to bring the individual labels, separated after cutting, into contact with corresponding containers supported by a conveyor, a roller for spreading adhesive facing said transfer drum and being configured and positioned to apply to the labels that are present on said labeling ribbon at least one line of adhesive at both a leading edge and a trailing edge of each label prior to separation of each label from the labeling ribbon, a controller configured to activate each of the actuation means to separate each label from the labeling ribbon after at least one line of adhesive is applied to both the leading edge and the trailing edge; wherein said transfer drum is provided with a plurality of adhesive bonding regions which are distributed mutually spaced apart around said transfer drum, said adhesive bonding regions being, with at least one portion thereof, in relief with respect to the lateral surface of said transfer drum and being adapted to receive, by coming to rest thereon, the leading and trailing edges of the labels that are present on said labeling ribbon, in order to allow, in cooperation with said roller, the application of a respective strip of adhesive on each of the trailing edge of a leading one of two consecutive labels and the leading edge of a trailing one of two consecutive labels, prior to separation of the leading one of two consecutive labels from said labeling ribbon.

11. A machine for labeling containers, comprising: an unwinding assembly that unwinds a labeling ribbon on which a plurality of labels are printed continuously thereon; a rotatable transfer drum to which the labeling ribbon is fed by the unwinding assembly, said transfer drum including a lateral surface and being provided with multiple cutting means thereon, wherein the cutting means are distributed around the transfer drum and each cutting means is configured to be activated for cutting on command by respective actuation means, also positioned on said transfer drum for rotation with the transfer drum, said transfer drum being positioned and configured to bring individual labels, separated after cutting, into contact with corresponding containers supported by a conveyor, a roller for spreading adhesive facing said transfer drum and being configured and positioned to apply to the labels that are present on said labeling ribbon at least one line of adhesive at both a leading edge and a trailing edge of each label prior to separation of each label from the labeling ribbon; a controller configured to operate the unwinding assembly and to activate each of the actuation means such that: the roller applies at least one line of adhesive to the trailing edge of a first label and the leading edge of an immediately following second label while a separation portion between the first label and the second label is at an application position on the lateral surface of the transfer drum, and thereafter, to slow down a feed rate of the labeling ribbon to the transfer drum to reposition the separation portion between the first label and the second label into alignment with cutting means that follows the application position and then activate the actuation means such that the labeling ribbon is cut, by the cutting means aligned with the separation portion, between the line of adhesive applied to the trailing edge of the first label and the line of adhesive applied to the leading edge of the second label; wherein said transfer drum is provided with a plurality of adhesive bonding regions which are distributed mutually spaced apart around said transfer drum, said adhesive bonding regions being, with at least one portion thereof, in relief with respect to the lateral surface of said transfer drum and being adapted to receive, by coming to rest thereon, the leading and trailing edges of the labels that are present on said labeling ribbon, in order to allow, in cooperation with said roller, the application of a respective strip of adhesive on each of the trailing edge of a leading one of two consecutive labels and the leading edge of a trailing one of two consecutive labels, prior to separation of the leading one of two consecutive labels from said labeling ribbon.

Description

(1) Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the machine according to the invention, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

(2) FIGS. 1 to 6 are schematic plan views from above of the machine according to the invention in a sequence of steps of its operation;

(3) FIGS. 7 to 13 are schematic views of the operation of the machine according to the invention if a container is missing on the conveyor;

(4) FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a runner associated with a transfer drum of the machine according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 15 is a front elevation view of the runner;

(6) FIG. 16 is a view from above of the runner;

(7) FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X in FIG. 15 of the runner facing an adhesive spreading roller;

(8) FIG. 18 shows a labeling ribbon used by the machine according to the invention, with two strips or lines of adhesive applied.

(9) With reference to the figures, the machine for labeling containers, according to the invention, generally designated with the reference numeral 1, comprises a transfer drum 2 that is designed to receive, from an unwinding assembly 3, which comprises, for example, at least one dispenser roller 3a and a feeder counter-roller 3b, a labeling ribbon 4, without preapplied adhesive, which bears, printed consecutively along its extension, a plurality of labels and which comes from a reel, not shown, by way of the interposition of tensioning means, also not shown for the sake of simplicity.

(10) Advantageously, the transfer drum 2 has, on its lateral surface 2a, a plurality of holes which are connected to aspiration means, not shown, which ensure the ribbon 4 is kept adhering to its lateral surface 2a.

(11) The transfer drum 2 is, furthermore, provided with cutting means 5, which are distributed, mutually angularly spaced apart, about the axis of the transfer drum proper and can be activated on command, independently of each other, by respective actuation means, in order to carry out the cutting of the ribbon 4 at the separation portion 6 between two consecutive labels 7a, 7b that are present on the ribbon 4.

(12) For example, each of the cutting means 5 comprises a respective blade 8, which is integral with the transfer drum 2, and the corresponding actuation means comprise a chamber 9, defined in the transfer drum 2 and open at the lateral surface 2a of the transfer drum 2, which receives the blade 8 and which is adapted to be connected to air extraction means, which make it possible to attract the ribbon 4 inward into the chamber 9 and against the blade 8, so as to result in the cutting thereof.

(13) In particular, the transfer drum 2 is designed to bring the individual labels, separated after cutting, into contact with corresponding containers 10, which are supported by a conveyor 11, which is constituted, for example, by a rotating carousel 11a which is provided with a plurality of supports which are designed to receive a respective container 10 resting thereon and to rotate it about its own axis.

(14) According to the invention, a roller 12 for spreading adhesive faces the transfer drum 2 and its function is to apply, by contact, to the labels that are present on the ribbon 4, at least one line of adhesive 13, before the labels are separated from the ribbon 4 by way of the cutting carried out by the cutting means 5, following the activation of their actuation means.

(15) In particular, the transfer drum 2 is provided with a plurality of adhesive bonding regions 14, which are distributed, mutually spaced apart, about the transfer drum 2.

(16) Such adhesive bonding regions 14 are, with at least one portion thereof, in relief with respect to the lateral surface 2a of the transfer drum 2 and are adapted to receive, by coming to rest thereon, the leading and trailing edges of the labels that are present on the ribbon 4, in order to allow, in cooperation with the spreading roller 12, the application of respective strips of glue 13a, 13b on the leading and trailing edges of the labels.

(17) In more detail, each adhesive bonding region 14 is conveniently provided with a respective pair of resting contact surfaces 14a, 14b, which are both arranged in relief with respect to the main lateral surface 2a of the transfer drum 2 and designed, respectively, to receive, by coming to rest thereon, one the trailing edge and the other the leading edge of two consecutive labels 7a, 7b that are present on the ribbon 4, before the latter are separated from each other and, therefore, from the ribbon 4 by the activation of the cutting means 5.

(18) Conveniently, each adhesive bonding region 14 is provided by a respective runner which is constituted, in essence, by a block 15, shown in particular in FIG. 14, which is supported by the transfer drum 2 and on which are defined the resting contact surfaces 14a, 14b. Advantageously, the block 15 is crossed by ports 16 that are connected to the aspiration means associated with the transfer drum 2, in order to ensure the adherence of the ribbon 4 to the adhesive bonding regions 14 as well.

(19) Between the respective resting contact surfaces 14a, 14b, the adhesive bonding regions 14 have, furthermore, a seat 17 that extends toward the axis of the transfer drum 2 and which is designed to receive, internally, the separation portion 6 between two consecutive labels 7a, 7b that are present on the ribbon 4. Such seat 17 is in essence provided by a recess defined on the outer surface of the block 15.

(20) In particular, the adhesive bonding regions 14 are provided with means that make it possible to attract the separation portion 6 between the labels 7a, 7b toward the bottom of the seat 17, so as to prevent the spreading roller 12 from applying the adhesive on the separation portion 6 as well. Such means of attraction are provided by the ports 16 in the block 15 at the recess that defines the seat 17.

(21) As illustrated, each one of the adhesive bonding regions 14 is, conveniently, associated with respective means 5 of cutting the ribbon 4, which are advantageously arranged laterally adjacent to those regions.

(22) More specifically, the cutting means 5 are positioned behind the corresponding adhesive bonding region 14, with respect to the direction of rotation of the transfer drum 2.

(23) In this manner, the transfer drum 2 is, in essence, divided into multiple divisions, each one of which extends for a respective portion of the lateral surface 2a of the transfer drum 2 which is comprised between two consecutive adhesive bonding regions 14. In particular, each one of the divisions of the transfer drum 2 is designed to progressively receive, so that it adheres, a label of the ribbon 4 and is provided with respective means 5 of cutting the ribbon 4 which are located at the front end thereof, with respect to the direction of rotation of the transfer drum 2.

(24) The transfer drum 2 is rotationally actuated at a constant speed, which is synchronized with the speed of the conveyor 11, and, more specifically, with reference to the embodiment shown, it is made to rotate so as to be in phase with the rotating carousel 11a, so as to be able to progressively deliver the individual labels obtained after cutting to the container 10 located on a determined support 11b of the rotating carousel 11a.

(25) Advantageously, the unwinding assembly 3 is driven by control means 20, shown schematically only in FIG. 1 for convenience, which make it possible to vary the speed with which the ribbon 4 is fed to the transfer drum 2, during the rotation of the latter.

(26) More specifically, in a first step of operation, the control means 20 command the actuation of the unwinding assembly 3 so as to feed the ribbon 4 to the transfer drum 2 at a first speed, which is synchronized with respect to the speed of the transfer drum 2. In this step the ribbon 4 is entrained by the transfer drum 2 without slipping.

(27) Subsequently, once the adhesive bonding region 14 of the transfer drum 2, with the ribbon 4 resting on it, passes in front of the spreading roller 12, the control means 20 command a slowing of the unwinding assembly 3, in order to feed the ribbon 4 to the transfer drum 2 at a second speed, which is lower than the first speed, with consequent slipping of the transfer drum 2 with respect to the ribbon 4, so as to bring the cutting means 5 immediately behind the adhesive bonding region 14 on which the ribbon 4 rests to the separation portion 6 between the two consecutive labels 7a, 7b on which the spreading roller 12 has applied the adhesive, so that such cutting means 5, following the subsequent activation of the corresponding actuation means, can carry out the separation of the label 7a from the ribbon 4.

(28) With reference to the embodiment shown, the activation of the cutting means 5 is obtained by providing, in the angular position in which those means are arranged when they are brought to the separation portion 6 between the two consecutive labels 7a, 7b on which the adhesive has been applied, a suction port that is consequently connected to the chamber 9 of the cutting means 5, causing the suction into the chamber 9 of the separation portion 6 between the labels 7a, 7b and its consequent contact against the blade 8 that cuts it.

(29) Conveniently, the control means 20 are adapted to command a second slowing or, optionally, in relation to the length of the labels, an inversion of the rotary motion of the unwinding assembly 3, after the separation of each individual label 7a from the ribbon 4, thus feeding the ribbon 4 at a third speed, lower than the second speed, in order to allow the distancing of the individual label 7a, separated from the ribbon 4, from the remainder of the ribbon 4 and the positioning of the trailing edge of the consecutive label 7b, which remained attached to the ribbon 4, on the subsequent adhesive bonding region 14, before the latter arrives at the spreading roller 12.

(30) It should be noted that by providing the transfer drum 2 with a diameter such that the length of each division thereof, measured, in particular, along the circumferential portion described by the lateral surface of the transfer drum between the blades 8 of two consecutive cutting means 5, is equal to the length of each label 7a, 7b plus the space between the blade 8 of one of the cutting means 5 and the bottom of the seat 7 of the corresponding adhesive bonding region 14, the second slowing can be avoided, with the possibility therefore of subjecting the unwinding assembly 3 to less mechanical stress.

(31) Conveniently, the control means 20 are also connected to a sensor 18 for detecting the presence of containers 10 on the conveyor 11, and the spreading roller 12 is provided with movement means 21, schematically shown in FIG. 1 only for convenience, which are adapted to move the spreading roller 12 from an active position, in which it is close to the transfer drum 2, in order to allow the application of the adhesive to the ribbon 4, to an inactive position, in which it is spaced apart from the transfer drum 2.

(32) In particular, the means 21 of moving the spreading roller 12 can be activated by the control means 20 upon the detection by the sensor 18 of the absence of at least one container 10 on the conveyor 11.

(33) It should be noted that, in the case of the machine according to the invention, the time available to the movement means 21 in order to move the spreading roller 12 from the active position to the inactive position is much longer than that available in traditional machines, in that it corresponds to the time necessary for two consecutive adhesive bonding regions 14 to pass in front of the spreading roller 12 and it is therefore equal to the time taken for an entire division of the transfer drum 2 to pass in front of the spreading roller 12.

(34) Operation of the machine according to the invention is the following.

(35) FIG. 1 shows a first step of operation, in which the ribbon 4, fed by the unwinding assembly 3 to the transfer drum 2, adheres to the transfer drum 2 with the trailing and leading edges of two consecutive labels 7a and 7b that are present on the ribbon arranged at the resting contact surfaces 14a and 14b of an adhesive bonding region 14 of the transfer drum 14. In this step, the unwinding assembly 3 feeds the ribbon 4 to the transfer drum 2 at a speed synchronized with the rotation speed of the transfer drum 2, at least until the adhesive bonding region 14, on which the labels 7a and 7b are resting, passes in front of the spreading roller 12, which deposits, on the trailing edge of the label 7a and on the leading edge of the label 7b, respective strips 13a and 13b of adhesive.

(36) FIG. 2 shows a second step of the operation, in which the control means 20 command a reduction in speed of the unwinding assembly 3 until the cutting means 5 immediately behind the adhesive bonding region 14, which, in the previous step, passed in front of the spreading roller 2, are brought, by way of the slipping of the transfer drum 2 on the ribbon 4, to the separation portion 6 between the two labels 7a and 7b, as FIG. 3 shows.

(37) At this point, as shown in FIG. 4, while the unwinding assembly 3 is again actuated by the control means 20 at a speed synchronized with that of the transfer drum, the cutting means 5 which were brought to the separation portion 6 between the two labels 7a and 7b reach the angular position in which the corresponding actuation means are activated so as to obtain the cutting of the ribbon 4 and the separation of the label 7a.

(38) Subsequently, while the rotation of the transfer drum 2 continues with consequent approaching of the label 7a to the region of tangency of the transfer drum 2 with the rotating carousel 11a, where the transfer takes place of the label 7a to the corresponding container 10, the control means 20 command a second reduction in the speed of the unwinding assembly 3, so that the subsequent adhesive bonding region 14 is positioned with its resting contact surfaces 14a and 14b at the trailing edge of the label 7b that remained attached to the ribbon 4 and of the leading edge of the label 7c consecutive thereto, as FIG. 6 shows, thus resuming the operation as described above.

(39) If the sensor 18 detects the absence of one or more containers 10 on the conveyor 11, once the adhesive bonding region 14 on which rests the trailing edge of the label intended for the last container 10 present before the absence passes in front of the spreading roller 12, the control means 20 command the activation of the movement means 21 of the spreading roller 12 so as to bring it from the active position to the inactive position, and command the arrest, or possibly the slowing, of the unwinding assembly 3, so that no label is dispensed by the transfer drum 2 at the absence.

(40) Subsequently, when the sensor 18 detects the presence of the first container after the absence, the control means 20 command the reactivation of the unwinding assembly 3 and the return of the spreading roller 12 to the active position, so that the transfer drum 2 can resume dispensing the labels to the containers 10 arriving from the conveyor 11.

(41) FIGS. 7 to 13 show a sequence of steps of operation of the machine in the event of the absence of a container 10 in the flow of incoming containers on the conveyor 11. For greater clarity of description, in these figures, the adhesive bonding regions of the transfer drum 2 are designated with 140a, 140b, 140c and 140d, while the containers immediately before and immediately after the absence are designated respectively with 10a and 10b.

(42) In more detail, FIG. 7 shows a situation in which the sensor 18 has detected the absence of the container in a station 100 of the conveyor 11 and the spreading roller 12 has supplied, when the adhesive bonding region 140a passed in front of it, the strips of adhesive 13a, 13b respectively on the trailing edge of the label 7a intended for the container 10a immediately before the station 100 on the conveyor 11 and on the leading edge of the label 7b intended for the container 10b immediately after the station 100.

(43) As shown in FIG. 8, as soon as the adhesive bonding region 140a has passed on, the spreading roller 12 is retracted to the inactive position and the ribbon 4 begins to slow down, slipping with respect to the transfer drum 2 in order to be positioned correctly for the cutting of the label 7a.

(44) As shown in FIG. 9, after the label 7a has been cut, the ribbon 4 starts to slow further in order to be positioned correctly for the subsequent spreading of adhesive, which will take place at the adhesive bonding region 140c instead of at the adhesive bonding region 140b.

(45) In FIG. 10, the label 7a, already cut, is applied to the container 10a, the ribbon 4 is kept still so that it slips on the transfer drum 2, and the adhesive bonding region 140b passes in front of the spreading roller 12 without the label 7b being smeared with adhesive, since the spreading roller 12 is still in the inactive position.

(46) With reference to FIG. 11, the ribbon 4 starts to accelerate, in order to be returned to a speed synchronized with that of the transfer drum 2, as soon as the adhesive bonding region 140c arrives proximate to the spreading roller 12, and the spreading roller 12 is returned to the active position.

(47) In FIG. 12, the ribbon 4 is returned to a constant speed, which coincides with the peripheral speed of the transfer drum 2, so that the spreading roller 12 can apply the adhesive at the adhesive bonding region 140c, and from this moment on the machine resumes its normal operation, following the steps described previously, with the label 7b which will then be cut and applied to the bottle 10b, as FIG. 13 shows.

(48) From the foregoing it can be seen that the invention is capable of fully achieving the set aim and objects.

(49) All the characteristics of the invention, indicated above as advantageous, convenient or similar, may also be missing or be substituted by equivalent characteristics.

(50) The individual characteristics set out in reference to general teachings or to specific embodiments may all be present in other embodiments or may substitute characteristics in such embodiments.

(51) The invention, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

(52) In practice the materials employed, provided they are compatible with the specific use, and the dimensions and shapes, may be any according to requirements.

(53) Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

(54) The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. 102016000128413 (UA2016A009224) from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

(55) Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.