US1245600A - Labeling-machine. - Google Patents

Description

A. LA FRANGt.

LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATlON mm SEPT. 22. 1913.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET l.

Inventor-z Jill-red La Franc Witn eases:

' Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

e. I m u (a, a w s 4 r ,t m 0 y 0 F. 4 m m 3 4 nw e L nn V d m .m H My Witnesses:

A. LA FRANCE.

LABELING MACHINE.

'APPucmon mm SEPT. 22, 1913.

1,245,600. Patented Nov 6, 1917."

4 suns-sun a.

- Fig.6.

I nve ntor: JIH'r-ecl La France,

Witness es 2 A. LA FRANCE.

LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1913.

1,245,600. Patented NOV. 6, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- w I I4 Witnesses: Inventor-z I b .flttfg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED LA FBAN CE, 01 CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE- ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LABELING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED LA FRANCE, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Central Falls, county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Labeling-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the application and afiixing of labels, and it comprises a machine for this purpose which is comparatively simple in construction and rapid and reliable in operation, and which presents various other advantages which Wlll hereinafter become apparent. While my invention extends to the particular machine hereinafter described with a special reference to its employment for the labeling of incandescent electric lamps, and to many of its specific features and details, which are of importance on account of their practical advan-- tages, yet it is to be understood that my invention is not limited thereto, but can be otherwise carried out and can be applied and adapted also to the afiixing of labels to articles other than incandescent lamps.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of the machine, certain parts being broken away and removed for the sake of avoiding confusion of the drawing; Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3 is a side elevation; Fig. 4 is an elevation showing various parts in a vertical section through the line 1-4 in Fig. 2; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detailed views of the label punching and affixing mechanism; Figs. 8 and 9 are detailed views of the cams for actuating the said mechanism; Figs. 10 and 11 are detailed views of the label strip and its advancing roll; Figs. 12 and 13 are detailed views showing clutch mechanism.

The machine shown not only applies the labels to the lamp bulbs, but also cuts them from the stock. This stock has the form of a long paper tape or strip with a series of labels-printed on one side thereof. The tape is fed past the position of the lamp bulb and that portion of the tape bearing the label is punched therefrom and pressed against the bulb. Means are provided for supplying moisture so that the label will adhere to the bulb. The machine shown is,

moreover, adapted to be driven by power and to operate automatically and continuously, and its action of afiixing a label is brought about by the lamp bulb to which it is to be applied when it comes into the proper position for the application of the label. The insertion of the lamp bulb starts a cycle {including the proper sequence of operations which is automatically sto ped when a label has been aflixed and the label bearing strip has been advanced to bring another label into proper position. This machine has duplicate mechanisms such that a plurality of different labels can be simultaneously aflixed to one lamp.

As will be seen from Fig. 2, the strip of labels is wound in a roll and placed on a pin or stud 3 at the center of a somewhat inclined plate shaft '4 which is mounted on a bracket 5 attached to the frame structure 6 of the machine. The tape passes over a wheel or pulley 7 suitably mounted at the edge of shaft 4; to a guide 8 over the face of which it extends to a feeding device 9 having the form of a'wheel with pins 10 on its periphery which are adapted to engage in holes 11 in the tape. As will be seen from Fig. 2, the opposed faces of the guides 8 are inclined to each other and have the form of shallow troughs covered by plates 12, and are located above and on each side of an upright sleeve 13 adapted to receive a lamp base. As shown inFigs. 1, 3 and 4, a part 14 with a center opening adapted to receive the lamp bulb is arranged above the guides 8, (this part 14 being omitted from Fig. 2 in order that the parts which it covers may be visible). As will also be seen from Figs. 2, 5 and 7, the the means for punching out the label portions of the, strips and applying them to the lamp bulb, the covering plates 12 having holes (Fig. 4) in alinement with the punching means, as will be seen from Fig. 5 and others, the punching of the label portions of the strips 1 is accomplished by hollow punches 15 in section substantially the same size as the label and adapted to be recipr0- cated through the holes 15 in the cover plates 12, as hereinafter described. 1 The affixing of the detached labels to the lamp bulbs is effected by pins 16 which slide within the punches 15 and are shown as having suitable form with felting 16 thereon so that they will press the labels against the curved surface of the lamp bulb in such a uides 8 accommodate a manner as to cause them to adhere properly thereto. The parts 15 and 16 are actuated by cams 17 mounted at the upper end of the inclined shafts 18, which extend down inside the hollow body portion of the frame structure 6 and are driven through beveled gears 19 from a shaft 20 which is driven and actuated as hereinafter described. As shown in Figs. 2, 5, 8 and others, the cam 17 is composed of four portions, A, B, C and D. The portions A and C engage the punch 15, the portion B the part 16, and the portion D the abutment 17 on the guide 8. The portion D thus acts to swing the guide 8 toward the receiver 14 and to allow it to recede at the proper times. The parts 21 on which the guides or sleeves just mentioned are mounted are pivoted at 22 on lugs or bracket portions 23 projecting rearwardly from the body portion of the frame structure 6 already referred to, and the feed rolls 9 above referred to are also mounted on these parts 21 so as to move therewith and not vary in position with.

reference to the guides 8 when the latter swing as just described. These feed rolls are given a proper turning movement to feed the tape one label space each time the punch 15 and part 16 are actuated, so as to bring a fresh label portion of the strip 1 into position to be operated upon. As shown, this is accomplished from the cams 17 by means of dogs 30 pivoted thereto at 31 and having end portions adapted to engage ratchet teeth 32 on the upper sides of the rolls 9 (Figs. 2 and.3) these dogs beingheld in engagement with the ratchet teeth just described by springs 33 which extend from them to the parts 21 above mentioned. It will readily be seen that when the cams 17 are given the single revolution necessary to cause alabel to be out out and applied to the lamp bulb, the dogs 30 will first move one tooth space so as to take hold upon the next ratchet tooth 32 and then pull back the same distance so as to turn the feed roll a sufficient distance to bring another label portion of the tape 1 into position to be acted upon by the parts 15 and 16, the movement of the dog 30 being so timed with reference to the action of the earns 17 on the parts 15 and 16 that it will .not start to move back and turn the roll until after the application of the label to the lamp bulb has occurred and the parts 15 and 16 have receded far enough not to interfere with the movement of the tape 1. As will also be seen from Figs. 2, 3 and 4, there is a roll 40 having suitable grooves 40 in it to accommodate the pins 10 which is mounted upon a part 41 pivoted at 42 on the part 21, this roller being held in contact with the tape 1 so as to keep it properly engaged with the periphery of the feed roll 9 by a spring 43 mounted on the upper end of the axis about which the structure 21 swings. As also shown in Figs. 1 and 3, there is a spring or brush-like part 44 having slots therein to. v

allow the passage of the pins 10 which engages the periphery of the feed roll 9 a short distance beyond the roller 40 so as to insure that the adhesive side of the tape 1 shall not stick to the roll 9 and result in tangling of the tape. This brush 44 is fixed to a stud on the frame 21 in any suitable manner, as shown in the drawing by a screw, and it is to be understood that the free end of this brush projects into engagement with the roll 9 and strips the tape therefrom, causing the tape to escape between the roller 40 and the brush, the tape being omitted in these figures for convenience in illustration.

The moisture necessary to cause adhesion of the labels to the lamp bulbs is applied at opposite sides of the bulb by means of a pair of felt pads 50 mounted on the forward ends of springy metallic strips which are secured to a part 52 and the pads 50 are in the position indicated in Figs. 2 and 4; but when the labels are to be applied the parts 52 and 50 move forward and backward so thatthe latter pome in contact with the sides of the bulb and wet them and are withdrawn out of the way before the parts 15 and 16 come into action. Moisture is applied to the pads 50 from a reservoir or tank 54 which lies beneath them when. they are in their rearward position (Figs.'2 and 4) this bein effected by a moving part which dips in the tank when pads are carried forward and rises into contact with them when first they return to their position shown in Figs. 2 and 4. As shown, the parts which of curled ends of wires 56 which are secured to a part 57 pivoted at 58 between lugs 59 on a part 60 which is attached to the frame of the machine, the rear ends of said wires being clamped to the part 57 by a part 61 secured thereto by a couple of screws. As shown, the up and down movement of the eyelets is produced by the inclined upper surface of the part 52, which, as it is reciprocated to and fro, raises and lowers the parts 57 thus causing the aforesaid loop to be alternately lowered into the tank 54 and raised into contact with the moving pads 50. Water is supplied to tank through a tube 62 which leads from it to a sleeve 63 at the rear end of the bracket extension in which fits the neck of an inverted glass 64. A valve, not shown, may serve to regulate the flow of water to the tank.

Power to operate the machine is, as

shown, supplied by pulley 70 on one end 7 tion for the application of one or more labels thereto. As will be seen from Figs. 12' and 13, which show the clutch mechanism when the pulley 70 is removed, the clutch proper comprises parts 71, 71 pivoted at 72, 72 on a disk 73 whose hub 74 is fast on the shaft 20. Mounted on the disk and pivotally support by the pin 76 is a part 75, the latter being connected by pins 77 and links to the parts 71. On the pin 76 is also fiized an arm 80 which is acted upon by a plunger 81 mounted in a holder 82 on the rear side of the disk 73 and acted upon by a compression spring 83 therein. The outer end of this arm 80 rests against a part 85 pivoted at 86 on a flange portion 87 of the frame structure 6 and retained in this position by a part 88 pivoted at 89 and engaging its rear side at 90. With this construction it will be seen, the disk 73 and parts mounted on it will remain statio'nar'v while the pulley. 70 revolves fully until t e part 88 is displaced so as to al ow-the part 85 to be forced back by the arm 80 under the actionof the spring 83 which will cause the setting of the clutch and cause the disk 73 and the shaft 20 to revolve. It will further be observed that if the part 88 is immediately returned to its initial position, the part 85 will return to its initial position as soon as the arm 80 has moved past it and will be in position to engage said arm 80 and throw out the clutch at the end of one revolution from the time that it was thrown in, so that each time the part 88 is displaced downward, the shaft 20 and the parts driven thereby will make one revolution and then stop in their initial positions. As already stated, t e setting of the clutch mechanism is produced by the lamp bulb as it comes into proper position for the affixing of the labels. As will be seen from Fig. 4, there is a part 91 adapted to slide in a bearing carried by a web 92 in the sleeve and to come in contact with the lamp base when the lamp is introduced into the machine. The lower end of this part 91 engages one end of the bell crank lever 93 which extends through a slot in the rear wall of the hollow portion of the frame structure 6 and is pivoted at 94 on a lug 95 thereon. The other end of this lever is pivoted at 96 to one end of the catch or dog member 97. The lower end of this catch or dog 97 engages a projection or lug 98 on a crank 99 mounted on a shaft 100, a spring 101 connected between a screw 102 near the upper end of the dog and screw 103 in the hub of the crank 99 serving to urge the catch backward against the lug and to urge the crank downward against the acting face of the dog. The shaft 100 is mounted with hearings in a lug 105 on the frame structure 6 and in the flange 87 and carries on its other end the part 88 already mentioned, so

that when a bulb is introduced into the machine and pushed down into the sleeve 13, the part 91 will be forced downward to cause the setting of the clutch. The dog 97 has thereon a pin 110 which extends through a slot 111 in a part 112 pivoted at 113 to the arm 121 of the bell crank lever 120, so that when this arm swings forward to actuate part 52 and the parts actuated and operated thereby it will pull the dog back against the resistance of the spring 101 so as to give the parts 98 and 99 a chance to return to the positions where they are shown in Fig. 4, lug 98 at this time resting against the surface of the dog below the acting shoulder 97, and the parts in question maintaining this relation until the return and rearward movement of the arm 121 and the Withdrawal of the lamp from the machine allows the dog to move down and swing back so as to engage the lug 98 as shown in Fig. 4.

The pressing of a lamp base against the pin 91 depresses the same and this in turn causes the dog 97 to turn the shaft 100 in such a direction that the stop 88 is depressed. The clutch members 71 then close causing the rotation of shaft 20. The earn 122 on said shaft then engages the lever 120 and causes the pads 50 to be reciprocated forward against the surface of the bulb, at the same time allowing the loops 56 to fall into the tank 54. During this movement the dog 97 is pulled forward so as to clear the lug 98 and the arm 99, the shaft 100 and the stop 88 return to their original positions. Just previous to this the part 85 has returned to its initial position being no longer acted upon by part 80. As the rotation of shaft 20 continues, the cam 122 clears the lever 120 and the action of spring 123 causes that lever and the lever 121 to return to their initial positions thus causing the pads 50 to be retracted and the loops 56 to be raised into contact therewith. The continuation of the rotation'of shaft 20 causes the punches 15 and the affixing pins 16 to be reciprocated to aifix labels to the moistened portions of the bulb. These parts are then allowed to spring back to their initial position and the part 21 is swung back. Simultaneously with this the rolls 9 are turned through the dogs 30 so as to ad- Vance another label into registry with the holes 15. The completion of the rotation of the shaft 20 brings the part 80 into contact with part 85 which forces it back and through the connected parts releases the clutch 71. The cessation of pressure upon pin 90 attendant upon the withdrawal of the bulb allows the dog 97 to drop to its initial position with the shoulder 97 engaging the lug 98. The parts of the machine are then in position to begin another cycle which be started by the insertion of another ,What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a labeling machine, means for holding an article to be labeled,means for feedin a continuous label bearing strip past sa1d article when in said holding means, means for applying moisture to a portion of said article, means for punching a label from said strip and for aflixin it to said article, means whereby the a oresaid operations are given a predetermined sequence, and means mounted so as to be engaged by said article when in said holding means for starting a cycle of said operations having said sequence.

2. .In a labeling machine, means for bold ing an article to be labeled, means for feedin a continuous label bearing strip past sald article when in said holding means, means for applying moisture to a portion of said article, means for punching a label from said strip and for afiixing it to said article, means whereby the aforesaid operations are given a predetermined sequence, and means mounted so as to be operated by the pressing of said article into said holding means, for starting a cycle of said operations having said sequence.

3. In a labeling machine, means for holding an article to be labeled, means for feeding a continuous label-bearing strip past said article when in said holding means, means for applying moisture to a portion of said article, means for punching a label from said strip and for affixing it to said article, means whereby-the aforesaid operations are given a predetermined sequence, pressure actuated means for starting a cycle of said operations having said sequence and means for stopping the same upon the completion of said cycle.

4. In a labeling machine, means for holding an article to be labeled, means for feedin a continuous label-bearing strip past said article when in said holding means, means for applying moisture to a portion of said article, means for punching a label from said strip and for afiixing it to said article,

means whereby the aforesaid operations are given a predetermined sequence, means operated by pressing the said article in said holding means for starting a cycle of said operations having said sequence and automatic means for stopping the same upon the removal of said pressure. a

5. In a labeling machine, the combinationv of a die, a punch registering therewith, a

yielding label affixer also registering with said die, and means for advancing said punch through said die and subsequently advancing said aflixer beyond said punch.

6. In a labeling machine, the combination of a reel for holding a rolled label-bearing strip, a feeding roll having means thereon for engaging perforations in said strip, a

label punching die located intermediate said reel and said roll, and guiding means for causing said strip to assume a predetermined position with reference to said die.

7. In a labeling machine, means for receiving an article to be labeled, means disposed on each side of said receiving means for causing a continuous label strip to be carried past said receiving means, means for punching a label from said strip and for affixing it to an article when placed in said receiving means, and automatic means whereby the insertion of the article into the receiving means causes the aforestated operations to be performed.

8. In a labeling machine, substantially vertically disposed receiving means for the article to be labeled, means for feeding a continuous label bearing strip in a substantially horizontal direction past the said article, substantially horizontally disposed means for punching a label from said strip and for applying it-to said article, and automatic means for actuating the aforesaid means and for afterward causing said labelbearing strip to be advanced another step.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of September, 1913.

ALFRED LA FRANCE.

Witnesses:

G. E. LooKwoon, H. A. GREINER.

Images