Claims
- 1. A machine for applying labels to cylindrical containers, said machine comprising:a first conveyor having a front end and an opposing back end; means proximate to said front end of said first conveyor for rotating a container; means in operative connection with said rotating means for sensing when said container rotated by said rotating means has rotated to a preferred orientation, said rotating means responsive to said sensing means, said rotating means halting the rotation of said container by said rotating means when said sensing means senses that said container has rotated so that the preferred side of said container is facing said back end of said conveyor; a pair of opposing label gates positioned over said first conveyor, said label gates receiving a next label from a transferring means and holding said next label over said first conveyor until said container meets said next label; and means in spaced relation to said first conveyor for applying a label to the preferred side of said container.
- 2. The machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said rotating means is a pair of spaced apart conveyors oriented to engage the sides of said container when said first conveyor is conveying a container, said pair of conveyors capable of traveling at different speeds, said speeds of each conveyor of said pair of conveyors being different when said container is to be rotated and being the same when said container is to not rotate.
- 3. The machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said container has ears or a pre-printed mark and wherein said sensing means includes a sensing device and said rotating means rotates said container until said ears or mark of said container is sensed, whereupon said rotating means halts further rotation of said container.
- 4. The machine as recited in claim 2, wherein said container has ears or a pre-printed mark and wherein said sensing means may include a touch bar, and wherein said speeds of said two spaced apart conveyors are synchronized by said sensing means after said rotating means has rotated said pail far enough so that said ears or mark have been detected.
- 5. The machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said container has a bail, said machine further comprising means proximate to said first conveyor for sweeping said bail from the front of said container to the back of said container.
- 6. The machine as recited in claim 5, wherein said sweeping means is located next to said rotating means.
- 7. The machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said label applying means further comprises:a magazine for holding a stack of labels, said magazine being proximate to said first conveyor; means for applying adhesive to each label of said stack of labels, said label gates positioning said each label one at a time over said first conveyor in position to meet said container as said container is conveyed by said first conveyor from said front end to said back end.
- 8. A machine for applying labels to containers, said machine comprising:a first conveyor having a front end and an opposing back end; means proximate to said front end of said first conveyor for rotating a container conveyed by said first conveyor; means in operative connection with said rotating means for sensing when said container rotated by said rotating means has rotated to a preferred orientation, said rotating means being responsive to said sensing means, said rotating means halting the rotation of said container when said sensing means senses that said container has rotated so that the preferred side of said container is facing said back end of said conveyor; a magazine proximate to said first conveyor for holding a stack of labels; means for applying adhesive to each label of said stack of labels; means proximate to said first conveyor for transferring said each label from said magazine, past said applying means and over said first conveyor to meet said front of said container as said container is conveyed by said first conveyor; and a pair of opposing label gates positioned over said first conveyor, said label gates receiving a next label from said transferring means and holding said next label over said first conveyor until said container meets said next label.
- 9. The machine as recited in claim 8, further comprising rollers proximate to said back end of said first conveyor for pulling said each label tightly against said container.
- 10. The machine as recited in claim 8, wherein said applying means includes:a glue roller for applying a quantity of glue to said each label; and a scraper for removing excess glue from said each label.
- 11. The machine as recited in claim 8, wherein said container has a bail, and said machine further comprises means for sweeping said bail from the front of said container to the back of said container.
- 12. The machine as recited in claim 8, wherein said transferring means further comprises at least one feed roller and at least one pivoting back pressure roller.
- 13. A machine for applying labels to containers, said machine comprising:a first conveyor having a front end and an opposing back end; a second conveyor; a third conveyor opposing and spaced apart from said second conveyor, both said second and said third conveyors being oriented at right angles with respect to said first conveyor and being parallel to each other so that a container can pass therebetween when being conveyed by said first conveyor, said second and said third conveyors being positioned near said front end of said first conveyor; means for controlling the speeds of said first, said second and said third conveyors so that said first and said second conveyors can move at different speeds and at the same speed, said first and said second conveyors rotating containers carried by said first conveyor when said first and said second conveyors are moving at different speeds and are engaging the sides of said container; means in operative connection with said second and said third conveyors for sensing when said container being rotated by said second and said third conveyors has rotated to a preferred orientation, said second and said third conveyors being responsive to said sensing means, said controlling means moving said second and said third conveyors at the same speed to halt the rotation of said container as soon as said sensing means has sensed that said container has rotated far enough so that the front of said container is facing said back end of said conveyor; means in spaced relation to said first conveyor for applying a label to the preferred side of said container; and a pair of opposing label gates positioned over said first conveyor proximate to said back end of said first conveyor, said label gates receiving a next label from said applying means and holding said next label over said first conveyor until said container meets said next label.
- 14. The machine as recited in claim 13, wherein said applying means further comprises:a magazine proximate to said first conveyor for holding a stack of labels; means for applying adhesive to each label of said stack of labels; and means proximate to said first conveyor for transferring said each label from said magazine, past said applying means and over said first conveyor to meet said front of said container as said container is conveyed by said first conveyor.
- 15. The machine as recited in claim 13, wherein said container has a bail and said machine further comprises means for sweeping said bail from the front of said container to the back of said container.
- 16. The machine as recited in claim 13, wherein said applying means includes:a roller for rolling a quantity of glue onto said each label; and a scraper for scraping excess glue from said each label.
- 17. The machine as recited in claim 13, further comprising rollers proximate to said back end of said first conveyor for pulling said each label tightly against said container after said label has been applied to said container.
CLAIM TO PRIORITY
The Inventor claim Nov. 13, 1998, the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application, Ser. No. 60/108,464, as a priority date for their invention. The provisional application is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/108464 |
Nov 1998 |
US |