Claims
- 1. Labeling apparatus for elongated articles such as pharmaceutical containers, comprising: label feed means and label applying means; article advancing means comprising rotational wheel means having a plurality of spaced releaseable article gripping means circumferentially therearound, shiftable between an article receiving position, an article labeling position, a label checking position, and an article discharge position, as said wheel means rotates; each of said article gripping means having article-end engaging means shiftable axially, generally parallel to said wheel axis, between a contracted condition to engage articles on their ends and hold them with their axes parallel to said wheel axis and to each other, and an expanded cocked condition to receive or release articles; biasing means to bias said engaging means toward said contracted condition; releaseable latch means to retain said engaging means in cocked expanded condition; release means on said apparatus adjacent said article receiving position of said wheel means arranged to cause release of each of said engaging means for biased movement from cocked expanded condition to contracted condition; and cocking means on said apparatus adjacent said article discharge position to shift each said engaging means against the bias from the contracted condition to the expanded cocked condition for latching.
- 2. The apparatus in claim 1 including article loading means adjacent said receiving position at said wheel means having an article singulating and advancing pusher shiftable from a first retracted position toward said wheel means to a second position adjacent said article gripping means to load a single article into a receiving gripping means on said wheel means.
- 3. Labeling apparatus for elongated articles such as pharmaceutical bottles, comprising: label feed means and label applying means; article advancing means comprising rotational wheel means having a plurality of releasable article gripping means therearound spaced radially with respect to the wheel means rotational axis, said wheel means being rotationally shiftable to advance said gripping means between an article receiving position, an article labeling position, a label checking position, and an article discharge position as said wheel means rotates; each of said gripping means being so mounted to said rotational wheel means to continuously retain an article in a fixed given position relative to said wheel means while the article is advanced from said article receiving position through said article labeling position and said article checking position to said article discharge position; said wheel means having a pair of spaced rims forming article receiving space at each of said gripping means; said gripping means each including an article engaging saddle on one of said rims for engaging one end of an article, a spring biased plunger on the second rim, shiftable between a cocked article receiving or releasing position and an article engaging and clamping position, and restraining latch means for each spring biased plunger shiftable between a set position restraining its spring biased plunger in cocked position and a plunger releasing position for releasing its spring biased plunger into article engaging position; means to cock each of said plungers and set its restraining latch means at said article discharge position; and means at said article receiving position to controllably release said plunger from its latch means for gripping an article.
- 4. Apparatus for applying coded labels to articles and verifying such comprising: article advancing means having a plurality of releasable article gripping means movable through a series of stations; article loading means at the first station, article label applying means at a sugsequent station, label verification checking means at a subsequent station, and labeled article discharge means at a subsequent station, with said gripping means being advanced successively through such stations in the order noted, thereby enabling verification of coded labels after application thereof to the gripped article; and article discharge control means operably associated with said label verification checking means to differentiate between approved and unapproved labeled articles; said article gripping means comprising a plurality of independently actuable gripping mechanisms, and said article discharge control means including (a) a pre-settable control element for each gripping means, shiftable between a triggering position and a non-triggering position, (b) control element shifting means responsive to said verification checking means and (c) article disposition means including trigger means activated by a control element in the triggering position to controllably dispose of the article.
- 5. The apparatus in claim 4 wherein said article advancing means comprises rotational wheel means having said plurality of gripping mechanisms around its periphery.
- 6. Apparatus for applying coded labels to articles and verifying such comprising: article advancing means having a plurality of releasable article gripping means movable through a series of stations; article loading means at the first station, article label applying means at a subsequent station, label verification checking means at a subsequent station, and labeled article discharge means at a subsequent station, with said gripping means being advanced successively through such stations in the order noted, thereby enabling verification of coded labels after application thereof to the gripped articles; and article discharge control means operably associated with said label verification checking means to differentiate between approved and unapproved labeled articles; said verification checking means comprising photosensitive detector means preset to be responsive only to a particular set of label code indicia for verification approval or disapproval.
- 7. Labeling apparatus for a label having a code indicia thereon, comprising: label advancing and applying means; article advancing means having a plurality of releasable article gripping means, movable between an article pick up position, a label applying position, a label registry checking position, and at least one discharge position; each of said gripping means being so mounted relative to said article advancing means to continuously retain an article in a fixed given position relative to said article advancing means while the article is advanced from said article pick up position through said label applying position and said label registry checking position to said discharge position; photosensitive label alignment and label verification checking means at said label registry checking position capable of scanning the label code and differentiating between acceptable articles with aligned properly coded labels and defective articles with non-aligned and/or improperly coded labels; camming means to actuate each of said article gripping means at said pick up station; camming means to release each of said article gripping means at a discharge station; defective article kick out means adjacent the discharge station; and actuator means for said kick out means operably associated with said label registry checking means to controllably actuate said kick out means in response to the detection of a defectively labeled article.
- 8. The apparatus in claim 7 wherein said actuator means for said kick out means includes trigger means at said discharge position, a plurality of shiftable trigger operators on said article advancing means, one for each article gripping means, and trigger operator shifting means at said checking position; said label alignment checking means being operably associated with said trigger operator shifting means to selectively shift said trigger operators for controllably triggering said trigger means.
- 9. The apparatus in claim 8 wherein said article advancing means comprises a rotational wheel, said trigger means comprises switch means, and said trigger operators comprise shiftable pins on said wheel.
- 10. A labeling machine comprising: label tape feed means for intermittently feeding a continuous tape of repeat pattern labels and periodic scrap sections; powered label cut-off means forming a cut-off station to receive successive portions of a label tape from said feed means and shiftable to cut individual labels and scrap sections from the tape; said feed means including a one-way rotary drive clutch means operably connected to and driven from reciprocable gear sector means, said gear sector means being operably connected to a pitman which in turn is pivotally connected to an oscillatory pivotal link, said pivotal link having an elongated slot receiving an eccentric drive pin of a continuously rotating crank, for effecting shaped drive strokes.
- 11. Apparatus for applying labels to articles and verifying the labels on the articles, comprising a label applying station, means for feeding articles to and past said label applying station and through a second inspection station at which label inspection takes place after complete attachment of the labels to articles, said feeding means including retaining means for holding such articles in a fixed given position relative to said feeding means while in said label applying station during the application of labels thereto and while passing therefrom, and to and through said second inspection station, means for feeding labels to said label applying station and for applying the same to articles held at such label applying station, means at said second inspection station for inspecting the label bearing areas of articles that have been fed to said label applying station for application of labels thereto while said articles are being held in said given position by said article feeding and holding means, and means selectively controlled by said inspecting means and operative by the latter whenever the label of an inspected article does not pass such inspection, to exercise a supervisory action on the article not passing such label inspection.
- 12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, in which said inspection means is constructed and arranged to make a linear inspection of a given linear portion of a label held in a given position by said article feeding and holding means, and to reject such article if such given linear portion of the label thereof is offset from such fixed position.
- 13. Apparatus as defined in claim 12, in which said inspection means is constructed and arranged to make a linear inspection of two widely spaced apart markings on the label.
- 14. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, in which said selectively controlled means comprises means for separating an article not passing such label inspection from the other labeled articles.
- 15. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, including a first means for accurately locating a plurality of spaced markings on a label, and in which said label feeding and applying means are constructed and arranged to accurately locate a label in given relation on an article.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional application of parent application Ser. No. 692,104, filed Dec. 20, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,570 and entitled LABELING MACHINE.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
692104 |
Dec 1967 |
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