Patent Grant
10822134
This invention relates generally to label applicator systems and more particularly, to label applicator systems and methods using vacuum surface systems for gluing paper labels and applying those paper labels to generally cylindrical objects being conveyed past the label application zone.
Label applicators for applying pressure-sensitive adhesive-backed labels to articles passing the applicator on a conveyor are well known. Label applicators of this general type are shown in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,220, issued to Kucheck et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,771, issued to Crankshaw et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,948, issued to Crankshaw et al, for example. Other prior art references of interest include Published U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0121593, U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,361 to Takahashi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,395 to Hinton, U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,374 to Winter, Published U.S. Patent Application No. US 2003/0121593, International Publication No. WO 2005/035263, International Publication No. 2006/016823, and International Publication No. 2009/120096. All of the aforementioned patents and published patent applications are herein expressly incorporated by reference, in their entirety. Typically, such labeling apparatus comprise a supply of adhesive-backed labels carried upon an elongate web of release material which is fed from a supply reel to a take-up reel, with the label applicator disposed between the two reels.
One particular category of articles to be labeled are round articles, such as snuff cans, tuna cans, and the like, where the label to be applied is long and narrow relative to its length and the article has a wall which is substantially straight. Typically, because of limitations in currently available labeling equipment, such labels are disposed in a “long feed” configuration on the web to be fed into the label applicator. “Long feed” label configurations are inefficient, in that the label feed mechanism must advance a greater distance (at least the length of each label) to deliver each label and fewer labels can be carried on each roll, thereby requiring change out of the label roll more often. Since the label application system must be shut down to perform the label roll change out, this reduces labeling volume. Current long feed systems can only handle about 300 articles per minute.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a labeling system which would be capable of labeling such round articles using a “short feed” label configuration, as such an arrangement would be much more efficient and permit much faster labeling processing speeds.
The invention, together with additional features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawings.
In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a label application system which applies labels to articles. This system includes a label applicator assembly comprising a conveyor assembly which includes a vacuum conveyor on which a flat vacuum surface is disposed. An unwind assembly is provided which comprises a shaft which is rotatably driven to rotate the shaft, the shaft being adapted to hold a roll having a carrier web thereon and the carrier web feeding onto the vacuum conveyor. A label cutter is disposed at a selected location on the vacuum conveyor for cutting the carrier web into discrete labels of a desired size. A glue applicator is disposed at a second selected location on the vacuum conveyor, downstream of the label cutter, for applying glue to labels passing by the glue applicator after being cut by the label cutter. An article conveyor assembly is provided which transports articles to be labeled past the label applicator assembly, the article conveyor assembly comprising a label application zone adjacent to the label applicator assembly. Advantageously, a stepper motor is provided for moving the conveyor so that the flat vacuum surface moves downstream past the label cutter and the glue applicator and through the label application zone, the stepper motor being controlled to stop the vacuum conveyor so that the vacuum surface is stationary during the application of a label to an article passing through the label application zone on the article conveyor assembly, and the stepper motor being further controlled to restart the vacuum conveyor to move a next label into the label application zone as a next article to be labeled approaches the label application zone on the article conveyor.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the label cutter comprises a laser cutter. The carrier web comprises a lower side and an upper side. In some embodiments, the carrier web is pre-printed on its lower side with information to appear on the labels to be applied to the articles passing through the label application zone on the article conveyor. In other embodiments, the labels cut by the label cutter are printed on their respective lower sides with desired information by a printing station disposed on the vacuum conveyor. The glue applied by the glue applicator is applied to the upper side of labels passing thereby, and may comprise a hot melt adhesive.
The vacuum surface comprises a plurality of vacuum apertures for drawing of vacuum pressure therethrough, to hold the carrier web and cut labels on the vacuum surface. The articles passing through the label application zone on the article conveyor are driven to rotate by the article conveyor assembly, so that rotation of the articles assists in applying the label to a surface of the articles.
Advantageously, the vacuum conveyor and the article conveyor are oriented so that the vacuum conveyor feeds labels into the label application zone in a direction transverse to a direction along which articles are conveyed through the label application zone by the article conveyor. Additionally, each label, after being cut, has a longer dimension and a shorter dimension, and lies on the vacuum conveyor with its longer dimension lying along a width of the vacuum conveyor. These particular arrangements are important to achieving the remarkably high labeling speeds of the present system.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a label application system which applies labels to articles. This system includes a label applicator assembly comprising a conveyor assembly which includes a vacuum conveyor on which a flat vacuum surface is disposed. An unwind assembly is provided which comprises a shaft which is rotatably driven to rotate the shaft, the shaft being adapted to hold a roll having a carrier web thereon and the carrier web feeding onto the vacuum conveyor. A label cutter is disposed at a selected location on the vacuum conveyor for cutting the carrier web into discrete labels of a desired size. A glue applicator is disposed at a second selected location on the vacuum conveyor, downstream of the label cutter, for applying glue to labels passing by the glue applicator after being cut by the label cutter. An article conveyor assembly is provided which transports articles to be labeled past the label applicator assembly, the article conveyor assembly comprising a label application zone adjacent to the label applicator assembly.
Advantageously, the vacuum conveyor and the article conveyor are oriented so that the vacuum conveyor feeds labels into the label application zone in a direction transverse to a direction along which articles are conveyed through the label application zone by the article conveyor. Additionally, each label, after being cut, has a longer dimension and a shorter dimension, and lies on the vacuum conveyor with its longer dimension lying along a width of the vacuum conveyor.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the label cutter comprises a laser cutter. The carrier web comprises a lower side and an upper side. In some embodiments, the carrier web is pre-printed on its lower side with information to appear on the labels to be applied to the articles passing through the label application zone on the article conveyor. In other embodiments, the labels cut by the label cutter are printed on their respective lower sides with desired information by a printing station disposed on the vacuum conveyor. The glue applied by the glue applicator is applied to the upper side of labels passing thereby, and may comprise a hot melt adhesive.
The vacuum surface comprises a plurality of vacuum apertures for drawing of vacuum pressure therethrough, to hold the carrier web and cut labels on the vacuum surface. The articles passing through the label application zone on the article conveyor are driven to rotate by the article conveyor assembly, so that rotation of the articles assists in applying the label to a surface of the articles.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for applying labels to articles, which comprises steps of feeding a carrier web comprising a length of paper onto a vacuum conveyor comprising a flat surface having vacuum apertures disposed therein, drawing a vacuum pressure through the vacuum apertures to hold a lower side of the carrier web on the vacuum conveyor surface, moving the vacuum conveyor so that the carrier web passes a label cutter, using the label cutter to cut the carrier web into labels of a desired size, having a length and a width, moving the vacuum conveyor so that the cut labels pass a glue applicator, using the glue applicator to apply glue to an upper side of each cut label passing the glue applicator, moving an article conveyor so that articles disposed on the article conveyor pass through a label application zone, feeding the cut labels into the label application zone on the vacuum conveyor so that the length of each label lies along a width of the vacuum conveyor, and stopping the vacuum conveyor so that a label thereon is held in a stationary position as it is applied to a passing article on the article conveyor. A further step comprises re-starting the vacuum conveyor after the label has been applied to the passing article and thereby moving a next label on the vacuum conveyor into the label application zone for application to a next passing article on the article conveyor.
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views and embodiments, there is shown in
Other elements of the system 10 to be described below include a vacuum drum assembly 22, a feedscrew assembly 24, and a control panel 26.
The inventive system 10 is particularly adapted to label short, round and straight-walled articles 27 (
The current inventive labeling system is able to apply the labels in a “short feed” orientation, meaning that the labels are fed in a direction generally orthogonal to the direction of travel of the articles being labeled. Because this feeding direction also allows the labels to be disposed on the carrier web with their length lying along the width of the carrier web, this allows substantially more labels to be carried on each label roll, reducing change-out shutdowns of the system. Additionally, the web need only advance by a distance equal to the width of the label, plus any space between adjacent labels, to deliver the next label to the application zone. As a result, the present system is capable of labeling as many as 800 articles per minute or more, an efficiency increase of at least about 100% over prior art systems.
Now, with more particular reference to
As noted above, the roll of labels comprises a carrier web, with a series of pressure-sensitive labels disposed on the web, adhesive side down. The labels are typically pre-printed with appropriate brand and content information. The labels are arranged in a short feed orientation, wherein the length of each label is oriented to extend across the width of the carrier web, with a desired spacing between successive labels. A portion of a length of carrier web 31c, having a plurality of labels 31d disposed thereon, is shown in
As noted above, the carrier web 31c, unwinding from the unwind assembly 28, is routed about idler rollers along a feedpath to the vacuum drum 22 (
As is known in the art, the label feedpath from the label roll is directed to a label peeler 36 for separating the label from the carrier web and delivering it to the next available label flat 32, with the non-adhesive side down. Thus, the non-adhesive side of the label is held by the vacuum pressure against the surface of the label flat 32, with the adhesive side facing outwardly. This process continues as the vacuum drum is rotated in stepwise fashion, using a stepper motor 37 or the like, advancing rotationally the distance of the width of a single label flat 32 with each step, to simultaneously present one label flat 32 to the peeler 36 for delivery of a label onto the surface of that label flat, and to a label application zone 38 for delivery of another label, disposed on the surface of another label flat 32, to an article passing through the label application zone 38.
Within the control panel 26 are disposed the electrical controls necessary to operate the system. These controls are, generally speaking, typical in the industry and will not be further described herein.
In operation, an operator activates the label application system by actuation of an appropriate control switch on an operator control panel 26. Once operational, the roll of labels is unwound from the unwind assembly 28, so that the carrier web travels along the feedpath of the device, about idler rollers. As a result, a leading edge of the carrier web reaches the label peeler 36, and a first label is separated from the web and disposed onto a label flat on the vacuum drum 22. As noted above, the label is retained on the surface of a label flat 32 because of vacuum pressure applied through the vacuum apertures 33 on that surface, by the fans 34, with its adhesive side out. The vacuum drum is stepped rotationally, by the motor 37, as the carrier web is advanced by the width of a label, plus the spacing between adjacent labels on the web, until the next label is applied, by the peeler 36, to the next label flat 32. This process continues as the vacuum drum continues to be stepped rotationally in the same manner, so that each label flat 32 receives a label. In the meantime, the conveyor assembly 14 is activated so that articles to be labeled travel toward the label application zone 38, in the direction of the arrow 20.
The feedscrew assembly 24 is constructed to rotate adjacent to the conveyor belt, for timing purposes, in a manner well known in the labeling art, so that passing articles are received into grooves 39 between the screws of the feedscrew, thus spacing them appropriately as they sequentially enter the label application zone. The feedscrew assembly 24 comprises a back pressure control station, controlling the article pressure generated by the mass quantity of articles at the in-feed, and also creates article separation. As an article to be labeled travels toward the label application zone 38 and approaches the vacuum drum 22, it is placed into a spinning rotation by its contact with and travel along an adjacent vertically-oriented flat belt assembly, in a position opposed to the labeling surface of the vacuum drum 22, which comprises a part of the conveyor system 16. Such a system is not dissimilar to the system shown and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,122 to Mitchell, herein expressly incorporated by reference, in its entirety. However, advantageously, in the inventive system, the article 27 is dispensed out of the feedscrew and is set into rotation as it contacts the outwardly facing adhesive side of the next label to be applied, on a label flat 32 which has been rotated into the label application zone 38. This contact causes the end of the label to adhere to the side wall of the article. As the spinning article continues to move along the conveyor, its spinning action against the adhesive side of the label causes that label to be wrapped about the article, thus completing the labeling process. This approach is in contrast of that known in the prior art, represented by Mitchell, wherein the feedscrew 15 extended downstream, adjacent and opposed to the vacuum drum 11, so that the article being labeled in the Mitchell patent was still disposed in the grooves of the feedscrew as it was being labeled. This prior art approach is not suitable from the short, round articles 27 for which the inventive system is intended. The inventor has discovered that it is not necessary to employ a prior art starwheel to continue the rotation of articles to be labeled within the label application zone, as previously thought. They can be maintained in an adequately spinning state through the label application zone simply by use of the aforementioned flat belt assembly, thus resulting in an advantageously simpler and faster labeling system, as well as one which is efficient since it allows for a label short feed orientation, as discussed above.
In the inventive system, the labeled article 27, after passing through the label application zone 38, then continues along the conveyor for further handling, such as packing and shipping, and the next article 27 to be labeled goes through the same process, with respect to the next label to be rotated into the label application zone. It is noted that
In this embodiment, wherein like elements are identified by like reference numerals, as in the vacuum drum embodiment, the article 27 is initiated into a spinning rotation as it travels into the label application zone, then engages a label disposed on the label applicator 42, which is disposed so that the upstream end of the label thereon will contact the outer sidewall of the article to be labeled. Again, as the article travels downstream along the conveyor and the moving belt 40, the label will be wrapped about the circumference thereof to complete the labeling process quickly and efficiently, with minimal error rates. The label applicator 42 comprises a pad having vacuum apertures therein, a vacuum pad, for receiving a dispensed label thereon, adhesive side up. The pad receives a label 31d thereon, as the label is dispensed from the carrier web 31c (
What is particularly advantageous about this inventive approach is that the label is stationary in the label application zone, while it is being applied to the spinning article, unlike prior art systems for labeling cylindrical articles using long, thin labels, which utilize a nip method and are fed in the direction of flow of the articles, rather than orthogonal to that direction of flow, as is the case with the present invention.
While the foregoing invention embodiments have been particularly suited to the application of pressure-sensitive labels, the principles of the present invention apply, as well, to other labels often used for labeling articles. These alternative labels are typically comprised of paper, which has been pre-printed on one side with the desired information to be labeled on an article, which labels are glued on their back side, during the labeling process. Such a modified embodiment is shown in
With reference now to
After cutting of the labels by the cutter 52, a glue applicator 54 applies adhesive, typically a hot melt glue or other suitable adhesive, to the upper side of each label, as it lies on the vacuum conveyor 50.
The vacuum conveyor 50 comprises a vacuum surface including vacuum apertures, constructed in a similar way as the vacuum surface discussed above in connection with prior embodiments. Thus, vacuum pressure is drawn through the vacuum apertures to hold the label 31d in place on the vacuum surface, with the printed side of the label down and the glued side up. The vacuum conveyor 50 is driven by a stepper motor 37 so that the conveyor can be moved and stopped as desired.
While this invention has been described with respect to various specific examples and embodiments, it is to be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting the invention, but merely as an exemplification of preferred embodiments thereof.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/458,994, entitled High Speed Label Applicator Systems and Methods, filed on Feb. 14, 2017. This application is also related to U.S. application Ser. No. 13/956,233, entitled High Speed Label Applicator and Methods, filed on Jul. 31, 2013, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/678,369, entitled High Speed Label Applicator and Methods, filed on Aug. 1, 2012. Each of the foregoing commonly assigned applications are expressly incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 62458994 | Feb 2017 | US |
