Claims
- 1. A sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles, comprising:
a sleeve carrier, said sleeve carrier defining a bottle-receiving aperture circumscribed by a controllable label holder; a sleeve carrier transport system, said sleeve carrier transport system transporting said sleeve carrier and causing said sleeve carrier to circumscribe a bottle so that said bottle may be labeled by said sleeve carrier, said bottle passing through said aperture during a sleeving operation; and a pedestal, moveable horizontally and vertically, said pedestal receiving and supporting said bottle for labeling by said sleeve carrier, said pedestal maintaining an elevation of said bottle at a constant level when engaged with said bottle; whereby said bottle may pass into and out of the sleeve application machine in a straight-line fashion, said bottle maintaining a substantially constant elevation during the sleeving operation.
- 2. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sleeve carrier further comprises:
a base having first and second offset pivoting connections; a link ring coupled to said base; a radial arm coupled to said base and said link ring; and a finger rod coupled to said radial arm; whereby pivoting said link ring with respect to said base pivots said radial arm upon said base and swings said finger rod towards a center of said bottle-receiving aperture.
- 3. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sleeve carrier transport system further comprises:
a first endless track pivotably coupled to said sleeve carrier on a first side of said sleeve carrier at a first position on said sleeve carrier; and a second endless track pivotably coupled to said sleeve carrier on a second side of said sleeve carrier opposite said first side at a second position on said sleeve carrier, said second endless track parallel to said first endless track and offset from said first endless track by a distance equal to an offset present in said sleeve carrier between said first position and said second position; whereby said sleeve carrier transport system transports said sleeve carrier and keeps said sleeve carrier in a horizontal position throughout a complete cycle of said sleeve carrier transport system.
- 4. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pedestal further comprises:
a base having first and second offset pivoting connections; a pillar coupled to said base; and a bottle-engaging top coupled to said pillar; whereby said pedestal engages a bottom of said bottle and supports said bottle as said sleeve carrier ensleeves or labels said bottle.
- 5. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
a container stabilizer disposed above said pedestal, said bottle stabilized by said container stabilizer as said bottle travels upon said pedestal and is labeled by said sleeve carrier.
- 6. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 5, wherein said container stabilizer further comprises:
a first endless belt disposed on a first side of said bottle; and a second endless belt disposed on a second side of said bottle, said second endless belt oppositely opposed said first endless belt; whereby said bottle is trapped between said first and second endless belts, said bottle stabilized by entrapment between said first and second endless belt.
- 7. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
a single bottle feed system, said single bottle feed system adjacent said pedestal when said pedestal receives said bottle, said single bottle feed system synchronously feeding said bottle to said pedestal.
- 8. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 7, wherein said single bottle feed system further comprises:
a timing screw.
- 9. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
a pedestal transport system, said pedestal transport system transporting said pedestal and causing said pedestal to movably support said bottle so that said bottle may be labeled by said sleeve carrier, said pedestal transport system moving synchronously with said sleeve carrier transport system, horizontal motion of said pedestal matching and aligned with horizontal motion of said sleeve carrier.
- 10. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 9, wherein said pedestal transport system further comprises:
a first endless track pivotably coupled to said pedestal on a first side of said pedestal at a first position on said pedestal; and a second endless track pivotably coupled to said pedestal on a second side of said pedestal opposite said first side at a second position on said pedestal, said second endless track parallel to said first endless track and offset from said first endless track by a distance equal to an offset present in said pedestal between said first position and said second position; whereby said pedestal transport system transports said pedestal and keeps said pedestal in a vertical position throughout a complete cycle of said pedestal transport system.
- 11. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
a label feeder, said label feeder proximate said sleeve carrier transport system, said label feeder feeding labels to said sleeve carrier as said sleeve carrier passes by said label feeder.
- 12. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 11, wherein said label feeder further comprises:
a guillotine cutter, said guillotine cutter cutting an individual label from a ribbon of labels, said label then fed to said sleeve carrier by said label feeder.
- 13. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
an exit conveyor, said exit conveyor receiving said bottle from said pedestal, said exit conveyor transporting said bottle away from said pedestal.
- 14. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a sleeve forming apparatus, said sleeve forming apparatus forming a sleeve from a sheet of film, said film having edges and transferring said sleeve to said sleeve carrier.
- 15. The sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 14, wherein said sleeve forming apparatus further comprises:
a tube forming apparatus, said tube forming apparatus overlapping said edges of said film; and an ultra sonic welder, said ultrasonic welder connecting said overlapping edges, thereby forming a sleeve.
- 16. A sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles, comprising:
a sleeve forming apparatus, said sleeve forming apparatus having a roll of film, said film having edges and a tube forming apparatus, said tube forming apparatus overlapping the edges of said film, said sleeve forming apparatus also having an ultrasonic welder, said ultrasonic welder connecting said overlapping edges, thereby forming a sleeve; a carrier, said carrier receiving said sleeve from said sleeve forming apparatus, said carrier defining a bottle-receiving aperture circumscribed by a controllable label holder, said carrier having a carrier base with first and second offset pivoting connections, a link ring coupled to said carrier base, a radial arm coupled to said carrier base and said link ring, and a finger rod coupled to said radial arm so that pivoting said link ring with respect to said base pivots said radial arm upon said carrier base and swings said finger rod towards a center of said bottle-receiving aperture; a carrier transport system, said carrier transport system transporting said carrier and causing said carrier to circumscribe a bottle so that said bottle may be labeled or sleeved by said carrier, said bottle passing through said aperture during a sleeving operation, said carrier transport system having a first endless track pivotably coupled to said carrier at said first pivoting connection on a first side of said carrier at a first position on said carrier and a second endless track pivotably coupled to said carrier at said second pivoting connection on a second side of said carrier opposite said first side at a second position on said carrier, said second endless track parallel to said first endless track and offset from said first endless track by a distance equal to an offset present in said carrier between said first carrier position and said second carrier position so that said carrier transport system transports said carrier and keeps said carrier horizontal throughout a complete cycle of said carrier transport system; a pedestal, said pedestal receiving and supporting said bottle for labeling by said carrier, said pedestal maintaining an elevation of said bottle at a constant level, said pedestal having a pedestal base having first and second offset pivoting pedestal connections, a pillar coupled to said pedestal base, and a bottle-engaging top coupled to said pillar so that said pedestal engages a bottom of said bottle and supports said bottle as said carrier labels said bottle; a pedestal transport system, said pedestal transport system transporting said pedestal and causing said pedestal to movably support said bottle so that said bottle may be labeled by said carrier, said pedestal transport system moving synchronously with said carrier transport system so that horizontal motion of said pedestal matches and is aligned with horizontal motion of said carrier, said pedestal transport system having a first endless pedestal track pivotably coupled to said pedestal at said first pivoting pedestal connection on a first side of said pedestal at a first position on said pedestal and a second endless pedestal track pivotably coupled to said pedestal at said second pivoting pedestal connection on a second side of said pedestal opposite said first side at a second position on said pedestal, said second endless pedestal track parallel to said first endless pedestal track and offset from said first endless pedestal track by a distance equal to an offset present in said pedestal between said first pedestal position and said second pedestal position so that said pedestal transport system transports said pedestal and keeps said pedestal vertical throughout a complete cycle of said pedestal transport system; a container stabilizer disposed above said pedestal transport system, said bottle stabilized by said container stabilizer as said bottle travels upon said pedestal and is labeled by said carrier, said container stabilizer having a first endless belt disposed on a first side of said bottle and a second endless belt disposed on a second side of said bottle, said second endless belt oppositely opposed said first endless belt so that said bottle is trapped between said first and second endless belts, said bottle stabilized by entrapment between said first and second endless belts; a label feeder, said label feeder proximate said carrier transport system, said label feeder feeding labels to said carrier as said carrier passes by said label feeder, said label feeder having a guillotine cutter, said guillotine cutter cutting an individual label from a ribbon of labels, said label then fed to said carrier by said label feeder; a timing screw acting as a single bottle feed system, said timing screw adjacent said pedestal when said pedestal receives said bottle, said timing screw synchronously feeding said bottle to said pedestal; and an exit conveyor, said exit conveyor receiving said bottle from said pedestal, said exit conveyor transporting said bottle away from said pedestal; whereby said bottle may pass into and out of the sleeve application machine in a straight-line fashion, said bottle maintaining a constant elevation during the sleeving operation.
- 17. A sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles, comprising:
a sleeve forming means, said sleeve forming means having a roll of film, said film having edges, said sleeve forming means also having a tube forming means, said tube forming means overlapping said edges of said film, said sleeve forming means also having a means for connecting said edges thereby forming a sleeve; label-carrying means for carrying labels, said label-carrying means receiving said label from said sleeve forming means, said label-carrying means defining bottle-receiving aperture means for receiving a bottle, said bottle-receiving aperture means circumscribed by a controllable label-holding means for controllably holding a label to be applied to said bottle; transport means for transporting said label-carrying means, said transport means transporting said label-carrying means and causing said label-carrying means to circumscribe said bottle so that said bottle may be labeled by said label-carrying means, said bottle passing through said bottle-receiving aperture means during a sleeving operation; and pedestal means for receiving and supporting said bottle for labeling by said label-carrying means, said pedestal means maintaining an elevation of said bottle at a constant level; whereby said bottle may pass into and out of the sleeve application machine in a straight-line fashion, said bottle maintaining a constant elevation during the sleeving operation.
- 18. A sleeve application machine for labeling containers such as bottles, comprising:
label-carrying means for carrying labels, said label-carrying means defining bottle-receiving aperture means for receiving a bottle, said bottle-receiving aperture means circumscribed by a controllable label-holding means for controllably holding a label to be applied to said bottle, said label-carrying means having label-carrying base means with first and second offset pivoting connection means, link ring means coupled to said label-carrying base means, radial arm means coupled to said label-carrying base means and said link ring means, and finger rod means coupled to said radial arm means so that pivoting said link ring means with respect to said label-carrying base means pivots said radial arm means upon said label-carrying base means and swings said finger rod means towards a center of said bottle-receiving aperture means; label-carrying means transport means for transporting said label-carrying means and causing said label-carrying means to circumscribe a bottle so that said bottle may be labeled by said label-carrying means, said bottle passing through said aperture means during a sleeving operation, said label-carrying means transport means having first endless track means pivotably coupled to said label-carrying means at said first pivoting connection means on a first side of said label-carrying means at a first position on said label-carrying means and second endless track means pivotably coupled to said label-carrying means at said second pivoting connection means on a second side of said label-carrying means opposite said first side at a second position on said label-carrying means, said second endless track means parallel to said first endless track means and offset from said first endless track means by a distance equal to an offset present in said label-carrying means between said first label-carrying means position and said second label-carrying means position so that said label-carrying means transport means transports said label-carrying means and keeps said label-carrying means horizontal throughout a complete cycle of said label-carrying means transport means; pedestal means for receiving and supporting said bottle for labeling by said label-carrying means, said pedestal means maintaining an elevation of said bottle at a constant level, said pedestal means having a pedestal base means having first and second offset pivoting pedestal connection means, pillar means coupled to said pedestal base means, and bottle-engaging top means coupled to said pillar means so that said pedestal means engages a bottom of said bottle and supports said bottle as said label-carrying means labels said bottle; pedestal means transport means for transporting said pedestal means and causing said pedestal means to movably support said bottle so that said bottle may be labeled by said label-carrying means, said pedestal means transport means moving synchronously with said label-carrying means transport means so that horizontal motion of said pedestal means matches and is aligned with horizontal motion of said label-carrying means, said pedestal means transport means having a first endless pedestal track means pivotably coupled to said pedestal means at said first pivoting pedestal connection means on a first side of said pedestal means at a first position on said pedestal means and a second endless pedestal track means pivotably coupled to said pedestal means at said second pivoting pedestal connection means on a second side of said pedestal means opposite said first side at a second position on said pedestal means, said second endless pedestal track means parallel to said first endless pedestal track means and offset from said first endless pedestal track means by a distance equal to an offset present in said pedestal means between said first pedestal means position and said second pedestal means position so that said pedestal means transport means transports said pedestal means and keeps said pedestal means vertical throughout a complete cycle of said pedestal means transport means; container stabilizer means for stabilizing said bottle, said container stabilizer means disposed above said pedestal means transport means, said bottle stabilized by said container stabilizer means as said bottle travels upon said pedestal means and is labeled by said label-carrying means, said container stabilizer means having first endless belt means disposed on a first side of said bottle and second endless belt means disposed on a second side of said bottle, said second endless belt means oppositely opposed said first endless belt means so that said bottle is trapped between said first and second endless belt means, said bottle stabilized by entrapment between said first and second endless belt means; label feeder means for feeding labels to said label-carrying means as said label-carrying means passes by said label feeder means, said label feeder means proximate said label-carrying means transport means, said label feeder means having guillotine cutter means, said guillotine cutter means for cutting an individual label from a ribbon of labels, said label fed to said label-carrying means by said label feeder means; timing screw means for synchronously feeding said bottle to said pedestal means, said timing screw means adjacent said pedestal means when said pedestal means receives said bottle, said timing screw means acting as a single bottle feed system; and exit conveyor means for transporting said bottle away from said pedestal means, said exit conveyor means receiving said bottle from said pedestal means; whereby said bottle may pass into and out of the sleeve application machine in a straight-line fashion, said bottle maintaining a constant elevation during the sleeving operation.
- 19. A method for sleeving containers, such as bottles, in a generally in-line fashion, the steps comprising:
receiving a bottle on a traveling support pedestal; supplying a label or sleeve to a carrier; transporting said carrier to said bottle; descending said carrier about said bottle; ensleeving said bottle with said label; disengaging said label from said carrier; and ascending said carrier from said bottle; whereby said bottle being sleeved in an in-line fashion by said carrier travelling about said bottle.
- 20. The method for sleeving containers in a generally in-line fashion as set forth in claim 19, wherein the step of receiving a bottle on a traveling support pedestal further comprises:
supplying said bottle in a linear feed manner.
- 21. The method for sleeving containers in a generally in-line fashion as set forth in claim 20, wherein the step of supplying said bottle in a linear feed manner further comprises:
providing a timing screw, said timing screw feeding bottles to said traveling support pedestal in a linear feed manner.
- 22. The method for sleeving containers in a generally in-line fashion as set forth in claim 19, wherein the step of supplying a label to a carrier further comprises:
supplying a ribbon of labels or sleeves to a feeder; cutting an individual label or sleeve from said ribbon; opening said label or sleeve; and placing said label or sleeve on said carrier.
- 23. The method for sleeving containers in a generally in-line fashion as set forth in claim 19, wherein the step of transporting said carrier to said bottle further comprises:
transporting said carrier horizontally throughout a transport cycle.
- 24. The method for sleeving containers in a generally in-line fashion as set forth in claim 19, wherein the step of supplying a label to a carrier further comprises:
descending said carrier about said bottle at a horizontal speed the same as a horizontal speed of said traveling support pedestal.
- 25. The method for sleeving containers in a generally in-line fashion as set forth in claim 19, wherein the step of ensleeving said bottle with said label further comprises:
ensleeving said bottle about a center portion of said bottle.
- 26. The method for sleeving containers in a generally in-line fashion as set forth in claim 19, wherein the step of disengaging said sleeve from said carrier further comprises:
fixing a top of said sleeve to said bottle; and slidably removing said carrier from said sleeve.
- 27. The method for sleeving containers in a generally in-line fashion as set forth in claim 26, wherein the step of fixing a top of said sleeve to said bottle further comprises:
providing a container stabilizer, said container stabilizer compressibly stabilizing said bottle between two endless belts, said endless belts holding said label at a top portion thereof to said bottle as said carrier sleeves said bottle as said carrier slidably removes itself from said sleeve.
- 28. The method for sleeving containers in a generally in-line fashion as set forth in claim 19, wherein the step receiving a bottle on a traveling support pedestal further comprises:
forming a sleeve from film, said film having edges.
- 29. The method for sleeving containers in a generally in-line fashion as set forth in claim 28, wherein the step of forming a sleeve from film further comprises:
unrolling said film; overlapping said edges of said film; and connecting said edges of said film.
- 30. The method for sleeving containers in a generally in-line fashion as set forth in claim 29, wherein said edges are connected using an ultrasonic welder.
- 31. A method for sleeving containers, such as bottles, in a generally in-line fashion, the steps comprising:
providing a timing screw, said timing screw feeding bottles in a linear feed manner; receiving a bottle from said timing screw on a horizontally and vertically traveling support pedestal; unrolling a spool of film, said film having edges; overlapping said edges of said film; welding together said edges of said film thereby creating a sleeve; supplying a ribbon of sleeves to a sleeve feeder; separating an individual sleeve from said ribbon; opening said sleeve; placing said sleeve to a carrier; transporting said carrier to said bottle, said carrier transported horizontally throughout a transport cycle; descending throughout a transport cycle; descending said carrier about said bottle at a horizontal speed the same as a horizontal speed of said traveling support pedestal; ensleeving said bottle with said sleeve; disengaging said sleeve from said carrier by providing a container stabilizer, said container stabilizer compressibly stabilizing said bottle between two endless belts, said endless belts holding said sleeve at a top portion thereof to said bottle as said carrier sleeves said bottle and as said carrier slidably removes itself from said sleeve; and ascending said carrier from said bottle; whereby said bottle may be sleeved in an in-line fashion by a carrier traveling about said bottle.
- 32. A carrier for an in-line sleeve application machine for sleeving containers such as bottles, comprising:
a base having first and second offset pivoting connections, said base defining a bottle-receiving aperture circumscribed by a controllable sleeve holder; whereby said first and second offset pivoting connections hold said base horizontally when transporting the sleeve carrier.
- 33. The carrier for an in-line sleeve application machine for sleeving containers such as bottles as set forth in claim 32, wherein said controllable sleeve holder further comprises:
a link ring coupled to said base; a radial arm coupled to said base and said link ring; and a finger rod coupled to said radial arm; whereby pivoting said link ring with respect to said base pivots said radial arm upon said base and swings said finger rod towards a center of said bottle-receiving aperture.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 09/295,549 incorporated herein by this reference.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09295549 |
Apr 1999 |
US |
Child |
09767168 |
Jan 2001 |
US |