HIGH SPEED DECORATING SYSTEM

Abstract

A label applicator system provides for high speed, accurate label transfer from a web to items moving on an item transport along a path relative to the system. The items, such as bottles, have a contoured surface. The applicator includes a supply reel for supplying labels on a web and a take-up for taking up the web after transfer of the label. A drive roller moves the web through the applicator system. The system includes a web positioning assembly and a movable label applicator head. A contour sensor senses the bottle contour and develops a profile for the head to follow to apply the labels to the bottles. The supply, take-up and the drive are operably engaged with one another to maintain a relatively constant tension in the web. The web positioning assembly is configured to advance and retract the web to accommodate a pitch difference between the bottles in the bottle transport and the labels on the web and to accommodate movement of the decorating head toward and away from the bottles in the bottle transport.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The benefits and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a high speed decorating system embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary bottle profile representing the surface contour of a typical bottle;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary web with labels there showing the label pitch;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views of an embodiment of the high speed decorating system with two bottles mounted on a conveyor;

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of applicator system illustrating a product inflation subsystem; and

FIG. 7 is a top view of the applicator system of FIG. 6 showing a mirror image applicator or simultaneously applying labels to both sides of the bottles.

Claims

1. A label applicator system for transferring labels from a web to items moving on an item transport along a path relative to the system, the items having a contoured surface, comprising: a supply for supplying the web with the labels thereon;a take-up for taking up the web after transfer of the label from the web to the label;a drive element for moving the web through the applicator system;a movable label applicator head;a contour sensor; anda control system,wherein the label applicator head is movable toward and away from the item in response to a profile sensed by the contour sensor to apply the label to the item as it moves passed the applicator head, and wherein the supply, the take-up and the drive element are operably engaged with one another to maintain a relatively constant tension in the web.

2. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the supply and the take-up are supply and take-up reels, the supply and take-up each having a biased dancer arm associated therewith, the dancer arms maintaining tension in the web as is moves through the applicator system.

3. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 2 wherein movement of the dancer arms is used to determine a circumference or a change in circumference of a respective supply or take-up reel.

4. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 3 wherein rotation of the respective supply or take-up reel in conjunction with movement of that reel's dancer arm is used to determine the circumference or change in circumference of that reel.

5. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 4 wherein the circumference or change in circumference of the reel is configured to monitor the quantity of the web on the reel.

6. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of the supply, take-up and drive elements are servo-driven.

7. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the contour sensor includes a laser configured to sense the contour of the item and to define the profile therefrom, and wherein the applicator head moves in response to the profile defined by the laser sensor.

8. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 7 wherein a beginning and an end of the profile are smoothed to transition movement of the applicator head and to facilitate transfer of the label onto the item.

9. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 7 wherein the applicator head is a reciprocating servo driven element.

10. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 7 including an inflation system for inflating the item prior to transferring to the label.

11. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the drive element rotates at a predetermined speed and wherein the applicator system includes a sensor at about the drive element for sensing the passing of registration marks disposed on the web or the labels, and wherein a rate at which the registration marks pass the sensor is used to change the speed of the drive element.

12. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 1 including a web positioning assembly configured to advance and retract the web to accommodate a pitch difference between the items in the item transport and the labels on the web.

13. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 12 wherein the web positioning system includes a movable servo having first and second opposing ends, the first end disposed in an approach path to the applicator head and the second end disposed in an egress path following the applicator head, and wherein the movable servo reciprocates to advance and retract the web.

14. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 13 wherein the web is disposed symmetrically over the first and second ends of the movable servo.

15. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 14 wherein movement of the movable servo is linearly proportional to a distance of advancement or retraction of the web.

16. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 1 including a second label applicator system for transferring labels to two sides of the item.

17. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 16 wherein the two sided application is simultaneous.

18. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the labels are wax transfer labels.

19. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 13 wherein the applicator head and the movable servo are operably engaged with one another such that movement of the web due to movement of the applicator head is accommodated by movement of the movable servo.

20. A label applicator system for transferring labels from a web to items moving on an item transport along a path relative to the system, the items having a contoured surface, comprising: a supply for supplying the web with the labels thereon;a take-up for taking up the web after transfer of the label from the web to the label;a drive element for moving the web through the applicator system;a web positioning assembly;a label applicator head; anda control system,wherein the supply, the take-up and the drive element are operably engaged with one another to maintain a relatively constant tension in the web, and wherein the web positioning assembly is configured to advance and retract the web to accommodate a pitch difference between the items in the item transport and the labels on the web.

21. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 20 wherein the web positioning system includes a movable servo having first and second opposing ends, the first end disposed in an approach path to the applicator head and the second end disposed in an egress path following the applicator head, and wherein the movable servo reciprocates to advance and retract the web.

22. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 21 wherein the web is disposed symmetrically over the first and second ends of the movable servo.

23. The label applicator system in accordance with claims 22 wherein movement of the movable servo is linearly proportional to a distance of advancement or retraction of the web.

24. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 20 wherein the label applicator head movable is movable toward and away from the item.

25. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 20 including a contour sensor and wherein the label applicator head is movable toward and away from the item in response to a profile of the item sensed by the contour sensor to apply the label to the item as it moves passed the applicator head.

26. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 25 wherein the contour sensor includes a laser configured to sense the contour of the item and to define the profile therefrom, and wherein the applicator head moves in response to the profile defined by the laser sensor.

27. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 26 wherein a beginning and an end of the profile are smoothed to transition movement of the applicator head and to facilitate transfer of the label onto the item.

28. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 20 including a second label applicator system for transferring labels to two sides of the item.

29. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 28 wherein the two sided application is simultaneous.

30. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 20 wherein the labels are wax transfer labels.

31. A label applicator system for transferring labels from a web to items moving on an item transport along a path relative to the system, the items having a contoured surface, comprising: a supply for supplying the web with the labels thereona take-up for taking up the web after transfer of the label from the web to the label;a drive element for moving the web through the applicator system;means for sensing the contoured surface;means for mapping the contoured surface; anda movable label applicator head operably engaged with the mapping means to move the head to follow the contoured as the label is transferred to the item.

32. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 31 including biased tensioning elements operably associated with each of the supply and take-up to maintain a substantially constant tension in the web.

33. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 32 wherein the supply and take-up are supply and take-up reels respectively and wherein the biased tensioning elements are operably associated with their respective supply and take-up reels to determine one or both of an amount of web with labels on the supply reel and an amount of web without labels on the take-up reel.

34. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 33 wherein the supply reel, the take-up reel, the drive element and the applicator head are servo-drive elements.

35. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 32 including a sensor operably associated with the drive element and wherein the sensor provides a signal to control the speed of the drive element in response to the presence of one or more marks on the web.

36. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 31 including a web positioning assembly for advancing and retracting the web in response to a difference in product pitch and label pitch and in response to movement of the applicator head and web.

37. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 31 including a second applicator system for transferring a label to a second side of the item.

38. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 37 wherein the labels are transferred to the first and second sides simultaneously.

39. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 31 including means for monitoring a level of the web on the supply.

40. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 31 including an inflating system for inflating the items.

41. A label applicator system for transferring labels from a web to items moving on an item transport along a path relative to the system, the items having a contoured surface, comprising: a supply for supplying the web with the labels thereona take-up for taking up the web after transfer of the label from the web to the label;a drive element for moving the web through the applicator system;a label applicator head for transferring the label to the item;a web positioning assembly for advancing and retracting the web in response to a difference in product pitch and label pitch and in response to movement of the applicator head and web.

41. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 40 wherein the label applicator head is a moving applicator head and including means for sensing the contoured surface and means for mapping the contoured surface, wherein the label applicator head is operably engaged with the mapping means to move the head to follow the contoured as the label is transferred to the item.

42. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 40 wherein the supply and take-up are supply and take-up reels respectively and wherein the biased tensioning elements are operably associated with their respective supply and take-up reels to determine one or both of an amount of web with labels on the supply reel and an amount of web without labels on the take-up reel.

43. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 40 including a second applicator system for transferring a label to a second side of the item.

44. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 43 wherein the labels are transferred to the first and second sides simultaneously.

45. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 40 including means for monitoring a level of the web on the supply.

46. The label applicator system in accordance with claim 40 including an inflating system for inflating the items.

47. A method for transferring a label from a web to items moving on an item transport along a path, the items having a contoured surface, the method comprising the steps of: advancing the item toward the web;advancing the web along a label applicator head;sensing the contour of the item;moving the applicator head in response to the contour of the item; andtransferring the label from the web to the item along the contour of the item.

48. The method in accordance with claim 47 including the step of mapping the contour of the item following sensing the contour of the item.

49. The method in accordance with claim 47 including the step of advancing or retracting the web in response to movement of the web in response to movement of the applicator head to follow the item contour.

50. The method in accordance with claim 47 including the step of providing pay-out and take up reels for advancing the web.

51. The method in accordance with claim 47 including the step of maintaining a relatively constant tension of the web during advancing and during transfer of the label to the item.

52. The method in accordance with claim 47 including the step of transferring a second label to an opposite of the item.

53. The method in accordance with claim 52 wherein the second label is transferred substantially simultaneously with the first label.

54. The method in accordance with claim 50 including the step of monitoring a quantity of the web on at least one of the pay-out and take up reels.

55. The method in accordance with claim 47 including the step of inflating the item for the step of transferring the label to the item.

56. The method in accordance with claim 47 including the step of positioning the web to accommodate a difference in pitch of adjacent labels and a pitch of adjacent items to approximately match a speed of advancing the item to a speed of advancing the web.

57. A method for transferring a label from a web having a plurality of labels to a selected one of an item of a group of items moving on an item transport along a path, the items having a contoured surface, the method comprising the steps of: advancing the item toward the web;advancing the web along a label applicator head;positioning the web to accommodate a difference in pitch of adjacent labels and a pitch of adjacent items to approximately match a speed of advancing the item to a speed of advancing the web; andtransferring the label from the web to the item along the contour of the item.