Cutting apparatus and splicing apparatus

Abstract

A label cutter comprises a movable cutting blade, a pre-tensioning device, and a trigger. The pre-tensioning device pre-tensions the cutting blade into an arrested position. Upon its release, the cutting blade moves from the arrested position to a cutting position for cutting a label strip. In the arrested position, the cutting blade is retracted behind a component of the cutter.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in a labeling machine, said apparatus comprising a first cutter, wherein said cutter comprises a movable cutting blade, a pre-tensioning device, and a trigger, wherein said pre-tensioning device pre-tensions said cutting blade into an arrested position, wherein said trigger releases said pre-tensioning device so that said cutting blade moves from said arrested position to a cutting position for cutting a label strip, wherein, when in said arrested position, said cutting blade is retracted behind a component of said cutter, and wherein said pre-tensioning device comprises a tensioning piece for manually pre-tensioning said pre-tensioning device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pre-tensioning device comprises an elastic material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pre-tensioning device comprises a spring.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said pre-tensioning device comprises a releasable detent device for a pre-tensioned position of said spring.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said spring comprises a first end that connects to said cutting blade.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said spring comprises a first end that connects to a blade carrier.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said component of said cutter behind which said cutting blade is retracted comprises an inner protective wall that faces a course of a label strip.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a slit formed in said inner protective wall, said slit being configured such that said cutting blade advances through said slit into a cutting position.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said trigger comprises an electromagnetically operated trigger.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second cutter identical to said first cutter, first and second guide rolls, and a splicing station, wherein said first guide roll and said first cutter define a first conveyor path for conveying a first label strip, wherein said second guide roll and said second cutter define a second conveyor path for conveying a second label strip, and wherein said splicing station is disposed to join said first and second label strips.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said trigger is configured to be activated based on a signal indicative of an end of a label strip.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said splicing station comprises first and second halves, each of which accommodates one of said two label strips, and wherein said first and second halves are mirror images of each other, wherein said first and second cutters are mirror images of each other, and wherein said first and second conveyor paths are mirror images of each other.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising first and second swivel arms and first and second deflector rolls, wherein each deflector roll is on a corresponding swivel arm, and wherein each swivel arm is configured to transition between an open position and an operating position.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a tensioning lever that causes said swivel arm to transition from said operating position to said open position, and wherein said tensioning lever enables permits manual pre-tensioning of said pre-tensioning device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an electrical contact element that interrupts a supply of power to said trigger when said swivel arm transitions from said operating position to said open position.

16. The apparatus of any one of claim 13, wherein said first and second deflector rolls comprise components to which access is required for changing a label strip.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described below by way of example by reference to the schematic drawing in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a labeling station comprising an inventive splicer,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a detail of the splicer of FIG. 1 with an additional break contact,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a part of the splicer of FIG. 1; a side panel has been omitted in order to show the pre-tensioning mechanism,

(5) FIG. 4 shows an enlarged plan view of a part of the splicer shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a splicer 10 that includes first and second retaining plates 12, 14 for label strips and a splicing station 16 consisting of two splicing-station halves 16a, 16b that are mirror images of each other.

(7) The two mirror-symmetric splicing-station halves 16a, 16b have first and second guide rolls 20a, 20b, first and second cutters 22a, 22b, best seen in FIG. 3, and first and second deflector rolls 24a, 24b for joining the label strips. The first cutter 22a and the first deflector roll 24a are held on a first swivel arm 26a of the splicing station 16. The second cutter 22b and the second deflector roll 24b are held on a second swivel arm 26b of the splicing station 16. The swivel arms 26a, 26b are, in turn, held on the frame 18 of the splicer 10.

(8) Each swivel arm 26a, 26b transitions between an open position and an operating position. In the open position, it is possible to change the label strip. In the operating position, the splicer 10 is in actual use. The left-hand side of FIG. 2 shows the first swivel arm 26a in its operating position; the right-hand side of FIG. 2 shows the second swivel arm 26b in its open position. First and second swivel bearings 28a, 28b hold the first and second swivel arms 26a, 26b on the frame 18 of the splicer 10.

(9) As can be seen from FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, each cutter 22a, 22b has a blade carrier 30a, 30b that holds a cutting blade 32a, 32b. The blade carrier 30a, 30b is movably guided on a guide 34a, 34b at right angles to the course of the label strip. Each blade carrier 30a, 30b is held on a first end of a coil spring 36a, 36b or lies against a coil spring 36a, 36b. A second end of the coil spring 36a, 36b attaches either to an outer wall 38a, 38b of the splicing station 16 or to another component that is connected to frame 18.

(10) The cutter 22a, 22b also comprises a detent 40a, 40b that can arrest the blade carrier 30a, 30b in a pre-tensioned position of the coil spring 36a, 36b. An electromagnetically-operated trigger 42a, 42b releases the detent 40a, 40b. The coil spring 36a, 36b, the blade carrier 30a, 30b, and the detent 40a, 40b collectively form a pre-tensioning device 41a, 41b, as shown in FIG. 4.

(11) Finally, FIG. 4 shows a tensioning lever 44a, 44b that projects beyond an outer wall 38a, 38b of each symmetrical splicing-station half 16a, 16b. The tensioning lever 44a, 44b is mounted so as to be able to swivel on a swivel axis 46a, 46b on the frame 18. Using this tensioning lever 44a, 44b, the blade carrier 30a,b can be pre-tensioned from a cutting position into an arrested position.

(12) In addition to pre-tensioning the cutting blade 32a, 32b in the arrested position, operating the tensioning lever 44a, 44b also draws the swivel lever 26a, 26b from its operating position to its open position.

(13) Referring now to FIG. 2, Each symmetrical splicing-station half 16a, 16b has an inner protective wall 48a, 48b that faces the course of the label strip. A slit 50a, 50b in the inner protective wall 48a, 48b permits passage of the cutting blade 32a, 32b. When the swivel arm 26b is in its the open position, an operator can change a label strip in the corresponding half 16b of the splicing station 16 without the risk of being injured by the cutting blade 32b.

(14) A frame-mounted contact element 52 interacts with associated arm-mounted contact elements 54a, 54b on corresponding swivel arms 26a, 26b. It is via these associated arm-mounted contact elements 54a, 54b that the trigger 42a of the splicing-station half 16a, 16b receives current. Therefore, it is not possible to trigger the cutter 22a, 22b to transfer of cutting blade 32a, 32b from the arrested position to the cutting position as long as the swivel arm 26a, 26b remains open.

(15) An advantage of the splicing station 16 described herein is that the single maneuver of operating the tensioning lever 44a, 44b carries out two functions. First, it pretensions the pre-tensioning device 41a, 41b thus retracting the cutting blade 32a, 32b into its protected arrested position. At the same time, it swings the corresponding swivel arm 26a, 26b into its open position to allow the strip to be changed in the corresponding splicing-station half 16a, 16b. While the swivel arm 26a, 26b is in the open position, an operator can quickly load a new label strip in the prescribed feed position without fear of injury from the cutting blade 32a, 32b.

(16) Yet another advantage of the splicing station 16 is that both the cutting blade 32a, 32b and the trigger 42a, 42b can be actuated entirely without pneumatic components. In particular, the manually pre-tensioned coil spring 36a, 36b provides the energy for actuating the cutting blade 32a, 32b, and electric current provides the energy needed to operate the trigger 42a, 42b.

(17) The splicer 10 therefore allows the label strip to be changed quickly and safely.

(18) In the depicted embodiment, when swivel arms 26a, 26b are in their operating position the tensioning lever is connected with a detent for the swivel arms such that when the tensioning lever 44a, 44b is actuated, the detent of the associated swivel arm is released and the swivel arm can be opened, as shown on the right-hand side of FIG. 2.

(19) In some embodiments, a controller electrically interrogates the contacts determines whether they are closed. If the contacts are closed, the controller concludes that the halves 16a, 16b of the splicing station 16 are in the operating position. By verifying the switched state of the contacts, it is possible to ensure that the splicer is fully closed and that the splicing station 16 is fully prepared for the next splicing operation.