US2614681A - Article-orienting mechanism for labeling machines - Google Patents

Description

C. E. KEIL Oct. 21, 1952 ARTICLE-ORIENTING MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed Aug. 6. 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 W Mi 1 w Oct. 21, 1952 KEIL, 2,614,681

ARTICLE-ORIENTING MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed Aug. 6. 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. E. KElL Oct. 21, 1952 ARTICLE-ORIENTING MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 6. 1949 jna'enar filareizce 5 1 I uz- T Low/7 A (1 y:

Patented Oct. 21, 1952 YARTICLE-ORIYENTING MECHANISM roe LABELING MACHINES Clarence E. Keil, East Peoria, 111., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Geo. J. Meyer Manufacturing 00., Cudahy, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application August 6, 1949, Serial No. 108,902

1 This invention pertains to labeling machines and more especially to article-orienting or so- Claims. (Cl. 198-33) called spotting apparatus operative to turn the article which is to be labeled so that the label will be accurately applied to a predetermined part of the peripheral surface of the article. The

. present invention constitutes an improvement in its normal high velocit to a relatively low substantially constant: velocity-a fixed stop then engaging the projecting element to bring the article to rest with the projecting element in a predetermined position. In the mechanism disclosed in the Carter patent, a pair of spaced rotating drive rolls anda single idle or abutment roll (the axis of the latter rollbeing in a plane midway between the axes of the two drive rolls) are moved in opposite directions toward the article so as to engage its periphery, the drive rolls being at one side of the article and the idler roll being at its opposite side. This arrangement provides a three-point contact between the article and the positioning and driving'elements. Such a threepoint' contact appears to be characteristic of the prior mechanisms of this general type.'

. Howevenwhile devices of this type, in particular apparatus such as shown in the Carter patent above referred to, function very satisfactorily'at usual prior speeds of operation, for example speeds not exceeding sixty cycles per minute, it has been found that at the high speeds now demanded in modern bottling establishments; for example, ninety or-more cycles per minute, the articles are spun so fast that they sometimes escape from between the rolls, spinning outwardly about the contact point of the article with one of the rolls as a fulcrum.

. With a three-point contact, as in the arrangemerit shown'in the Carter patent, slight inaccuracy or wear of the cam which advances, the rolls toward and from the article, or looseness in the motion-transmitting mechanism, may be sufficient at high speeds, to permit escape of the article from between the rolls, in particular, if the article is not absolutely symmetrical with respect to its axis of rotation, for under such-circumstances an eccentric force is developed which is sufiicient to crowd the rolls apart and permit escape of the rapidly rotating article, and this may result in a smash, with serious'injury to nearby workmen or to the machine itself.

Attempts have been heretofore made, when using the three-point contact by the use of a single drive roll and tWo spaced idler rolls, todecrease the arc intervening between'the points of contact of the drive and idler rolls, by increasing the space between the idler rolls, but this neces sitates increased travel of the roll-carrying slides in order to admit the article between the rolls, and at the very high speeds required,'this consumes too large a percentage of the time interval between cycles and introduces difficulties resultant from inertia, slight inaccuracy of the parts and wear suchthat this attempted solution of the problem has not been successful."

The principal object of the present invention is to provide such improvements in the means for rotating the article at the spotting station as to permit the operation to be carried out successfully at very high speeds. A further object is to provide mechanism of the above type wherein the arc of contact. betweenthe drive and idler rolls is substantially less than in the machine shown v in the Carter patent, but without necessitatingan undesirably long travel of the roll-carrying ject' is to provide mechanism of the above type which is simple, rugged and'reliable in action; A further objectis to provide means for steadying a tall or long-necked bottle while itis being rotated at the spotting station; A further ob,- ject is to provide article-orienting mechanisjm of the above type having provision for adjusting the article-stopping element so as to permit accurate stopping of the article and to, accommodate the mechanism for use with articles having projections of different sizes. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detaileddescription and by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal section, on a plane immediately above the plane of rotation of the spotting projection on the article which is being oriented, the machine being of, the general type illustrated in the patent to Carter No. 2,426,433;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section, to" larger scale, substantially on the line 22 of Fi 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in vertical section, showing the upper portion of the mechanism illustrated in Fig; l, and'showing'.

means for steadying the neck of. abottle during the spotting operation;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the partsshown in Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive are diagrammatic plan views, partly broken away and in vertical secti0n, showing various stages in the operation of orienting an article.

The above patent to- Carter No. 2,426,433, dated August 26, 1947, may be referred to, for suchfurther details of construction asare not herein fully illustrated.

The article to be oriented is here; shown by way of example as-a bottle having a substan tially cylindrical body portion B (Fig. 3) having a projection P (Fig. 8) which may be, a special tear drop designed solely for-- use inspotting or which may be a letter, numeral or-other character or element, which has a primary function inaddition to, its secondary function; as; a: spotting element.

The; articles; to be oriented: are advanced in succession, step by step in the direction of the arrow A (Fig. 1) forexample along fixed conveyor rails (Fig.3) by means of a reciprocating feed bar. as is customary in the art, and. when they arrive at the spotting station S. (Fig. 1) their forwardyadvance is 1 intermitted. while the spotting. operation takes place.

In. the following description corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters as intheabove-patent to Carter.

At the spotting station, fixedisupports 52 and 6-located at opposite sides of the path of advance of; the'bottles provide guideways for horizontally movableoposed slides, Land 8 respectively. The slide-l supports the detecting. and stop elements and abutment rolls. while the slide 8' supports the article-driving rolls. The slides T and 8 are moved. toward and fromeach other-in properly timedrelation by appropriate means, for example cams:andmotionetransmitting levers (not here shown) such forexample'as are more fully shown and described inthe above; patent to Carter, the twoslides moving at the same speedand with the samelengthof stroke;

The slide 8 has a bearingfor the lower end of a. verticalshaft 26. which is constantly driven (regardless of the position-of the slide) forexample. by gearingas illustrated in the Carterpatent. ,The slide 8 also carries. an upstanding post or bracket. 31 (Fig. 3) provided with an overhanging portion 32; at its. upper end in which is a-bearing for the upper end ofthe shaft25'. This overhanging portion 32- also hasbearings for the upper ends of a pairofhorizontally spaced, vertical' shafts 33 and 34 (Fig. 1)- respectively, whose lower ends turn in: bearingsprovidedin the slide 8. The: slide '1 also carries-the upstanding post or-bracket- 35 (Fig. 3) provided with the overhanging portion 36 (Fig.4) having a bearing for the upper end of a vertical shaft 37 whose lower end turns in a bearing in the slide 1. On the lower portion of the constantly rotating shaft 26 there is mounted (Fig. 1) a combined ratchet wheel 44 and spur gear 45. A friction clutch normally transmits motion from. the rotating shaft 26 to the ratchet wheel and spur gear, as more fully described in the above patent to Carter, but by means of a pawl member 51 which may be. engaged with the ratchet wheel 44, it is possible to stop the rotation of the ratchet wheel and spur gear 45 without stopping the rotation of the shaftZB. The spur gear 45 constantly meshes with pinions (not shown) fixed to the lower ends of the shafts 33 and 34 respectively, thus turning the shafts 33 and 34 in the same direction. These pinions are provided with hub portions on which are secured the friction drive rolls 50 and 5| (Fig. 1) respectively formed of suitable friction material, for example rubber, synthetic: rubber, felt orthelike, and which are designedto bear against the periphery of the body portion of. the. bottle so as to rotate-the latter in .the direction of; the arrow W (Fig; l.)

A short vertical shaft 52 (Fig. l) is fixed at its upper end in an openinginthe-lower part of thebracket 3|. and-atits lower end inxan opening in the slide 8-. On this shaft. there is mounted to turn a horizontally-elongate housing 54 (Fig. 1). This housin has an. elongate cylindrical bore in which slides the carrier member 56 to whose leit-hand.end (Fig. l) issecuredthe pawl 51. The-carrier 56.is provided witha horizontally elongate slot for the accommodation. of the shaft 52.. Atiitsright-handend the carrier 56 is shaped to constitute a piston whichv slides within the bore in the housing. A: cylindricalreservoir 63 is mounted: on; the right-hand1portion of the hous- I ing 54. This reservoir 63 is filledwithoil'orother fluid and by; means, of. suitable passages and valves (as more: fully described. in the above Carter patent) a dashpot effect is providedfor damping the sliding motion. of the pawl carrier 56. A spring 6'! (Fig. 1). bears against the rear side ofthe housing 5.4 at the right-handend 'of the 'latter,.the other end of" the spring engaging a. fixed abutment 68 carried by the slideB. The springv 61, thus tends to swing the housing 54 in a clockwise direction so as to engage the pawl 54 with a tooth of. the ratchet wheel 44.

Thehousing 54 is providedwith a cam follower ro1l'l'9 (Fig. 1) turning. about a. vertical axis and designed at times to engage an inclined cam surface iw'formed on a block! adiustably secured to the side of the support 6.

Fixed to the upper part of" the housing 54, ad jacent to itsleft-hand end, is a. latch member 82 (Fig.- 1) having-a recess 83anda projecting latch toe 84" at the left-hand end of the recess. This toe- 84- is designed to be engaged, at times, by a movable retainer 85. adjustably secured to-one arm.8.6 of a. bell crank lever'pivoted to turn-on a vertical stub shaft 81v carried by the support 6. A spring 8! tends to turn this bell crank in a clockwise. direction. This bell crank has a second arm 88 (Fig. 1 to which is secured one end ofan elongated horizontally extending abutment arm 89 whose substantially straight vertical rear surface is engaged by-a pad 90 at the right-hand end of'an arm 9| of a bell crank secured'to the lower part of the shaft 31. This bell crank comprisesa second arm 93 to which there is adjustsurface of the body of the bottle.

. 5 Two shafts 96 and 96*- (Fig. 2) are fixed at their upper and lower ends in bores in a block 91 fixed to the bracket or post 35. Idle abutment rolls 98 and 98 housed in a, slot in the block, turn freely on the respective shafts 96 and 96 A stop member 99 (Figs. 1 and 8) having a horizontally elongate slot, is adjustably secured I I by means of. a bolt 99 to the right-hand face of the block 91. This stop member also has a toe portion provided with a beveled face I (Fig. 8) which is'designed to be engaged by the spotting projection P on the bottle and thus positively to stop rotation of the bottle. As illustrated, (Figs. 5 to 8), the stop surface I00 is spaced approximately 10" of are from the detector 95.

As shown in Fig. 1, a bottle has been delivered to the spotting station S and the body B of the bottle is confined between the rolls 50 and SI and 98 and 98 respectively, all of which engage the body of the bottle at the sametime, thus providing a four-point contact.

As illustrated, the rolls 50 and 5| are spaced symmetrically with respect to a diametrical plane of the bottle perpendicular to the path of advance of the bottle, while-the rolls 99 and 98 are similarly located but at the opposite end of As here illustrated the diameter of the bottle. the angle between the points'of contact of the I mus so and 51. with the bottle is of the order of,

Thus the angled are between the point of conthe roll-5I is so narrow as substantially to assure the proper confinement of the bottle during the spotting operation, even-though the parts may develop some degree of looseness or lost motion from the'effects ofwear.

In accordance with the present invention, and

I particularly when the apparatus is designed for spotting tall bottles having long necks, provision is made for steadying the bottle during the spotting operation so that it is constrained to rotate about a vertical axis and cannot nutate and thus set up vibrations which, if not prevented, might be sufiicientto snap off the neck of the .bottle..

To this end a slide IOI (Figs. 3 and 4) having an elongate slot I02, is adjustably. secured by bolts M3 to the'upper face of the overhang 32 of the post 3I. Spaced parallel stub shafts I04 and I05 are fixed to'the left-hand end of the slide IOI. ,Steadying rolls I06 and I0! are mounted to turn freely on the shaftsIM and I05 respectively, these, rollsbeing of suitable material, for example rubber or'felt, for yielding contact with the bottle neck.

A block 36?- is bolted to the upper part of the post and a slotted, horizontally adjustableslide I08 is connected by bolts I09 to the top of this block. steadying rolls H0 and III like the rolls I06 and IN, turn freely on the stub shafts I12 and H3 fixed to the right-hand end'of the slide I08. The slides IOI and I08 are so relatively adjusted that when the rolls 50 and 5!, and 98 and 90 contact the body of the bottle, the rolls I06 and I01 and IIO and III engage the bottle neck, thus confining the latter'with a four-point contact. If desired, the slides I01 and I08 may be yieldingly urged toward each other-by spring meansinstead of being fixed to I bottle-to the orienting or spotting station S, the slides I and 8 are moved apart to the position shown in Fig. 8, so as to provide free entrance tothe spotting station. The bottle comes to rest on the conveyorin a position such that its vertical axis is in the vertical plane which is midway between the axes of the shafts 33 and 34 and 96 and 90 ,"respectively, that is to say, a vertical plane which is perpendicular'to the path of advance'of thebottle. The slides I and 8 are now moved toward each other until the friction drive rolls 50 and 5| engage the body of the bottle at oneside while the abutment rolls 98 anl 98 engage the body of the bottle at the other side. At the same time the steadying rolls I 06 and I0! and [I0 and III, if the latter are employed, engage the neck of the bottle at its opposite sides.

The'shaft'20 being constantly rotated at a" permissive speed of the order of 90 R. P. IVL, turns the combined ratchet wheel and gear 45 by means of the friction clutch connections, thus turning the shafts 33 and 34 at a predetermined speed in the same direction.' The speed of the drive rolls '50 and 5| is such as to start the bottle into rotation at a high angular velocity.

At the beginning of the operation, the retainer member 85 is in engagement with the toe, thus holding the pawl 51 out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 44, as shown in .Fig. l, so that the latter, with the gear 45, is free to rotate; As shown in Fig. 5 the spotting projection P has just contacted the detector or feeler member 95 and has pushed thelatter radially away from the bottle. This outward movement of the detector 95 is accompanied by a swingingof the arms 94 and 9| in a clockwise direction about the shaft 37, thus causin the pad 90 to bear against the arm so as to swing the arm 89 and the arm '86 in a counterclockwise direction. This movement removes the retainer from the latch toe 84, enabling the sprin 'G'I to swing the housing 54 in a clockwise direction so as to cause the pawl or detent 5! to' engage a tooth of the ratchet 44. During this movement the detent 85 enters the recess 03. As soon as the pawl 51 engages a tooth of the ratchet 44, the free rotational movement of'the latter is interfered with and further rotation of the ratchet 44 and the gear 45 can only take place as permitted by the rectilinear recession of the pawl 51, and as a result of the slippage of the elements of the friction clutch. The pawl may move slowly to the right, as shown in Fig. 5,

at 'a predetermined rate as permitted by the movement of the fluid in the dashpot device, thus allowing the gear 45 to turn, but at a much slower rate than initially. C'orrespondingly, the

rotative speed of the drive rolls 50 and El is very much reduced from normal so that the speed of rotation of the bottleis reduced from its original high angular velocity to a very low angularvelocity immediately after the spotting projection P engages and actuates the detector 95. The bottle now continuesto turn at this Very slow angular velocity until the spotting projection P engages the stop surface I00 of the stop member 09. Although during this travel (Fig. 6) of the projection P, it disengages the detector and the retainer 85 is still within the recess 83 so that the pawl 51 still engages the ratchet wheel 4'4.

When the spotting projection B-engages the fixed,

stop I (Fig. '7), rotation of the bottle is positively stopped, the friction rolls 50and 5| then slipping on the bottle at their points of contact. As soon as the bottle is thus stopped, the slides 1 and 8 are retracted, to the initial position of Fig. 8, thus removing the rolls 5D and 5| and 9.8

and Sill. from the body of the bottle and simulta neously. removing the steadying rolls," if used, from, the neck of the bottle. the stop 99 and the detector 35 are withdrawn from the bottle so that the latter is free to be moved; along the conveyor While another bottle is being advancedinto the spotting station;

As the slide llmoves to the right, the roll, 19 engages the inclined, cam surface 80, thus swinging the housing. 54' in av counterclockwise direction until the retainer 85 is permitted to ride up over the latch toe. 84, thus disengaging the pawl 5-! from the ratchet 44 and holding it out of engagement with the ratchet until the beginning of the next cycle of operation. I

The arrangement as thus described, permits a very rapid rotation of the bottle, for example such that whatever the angular position of the spotting projection, as the bottle enters the spotting station, the spotting operation may be completed within a period of, for example /90th of a minute, the initial speedof rotation of the bottle being suddenly reduced as the spotting projection encounters the feeler so that when the spotting projection contacts the fixed stop surface IDD, the velocity is so small that there is no danger of breakage or rebound.

As above pointed out, by the use of the fourpoint contact, the bottleis so confined during the spotting operation that it cannot escape even though driven at the extreme high initial velocity above suggested. By the employment of the steadying rolls which engage the neck of the bottle, it is possible to impart this high speed of rotation to a tall bottle, even though the drive rolls engage the bottle near the lower part of its body, without danger of tipping the bottle even though its center of gravity be eccentrically located.

While a bottle has here been suggested as the article which is to be oriented or spotted, it is to lee-understood thata bottle has been referred to merely by way of example and that the apparatus isuseiul in orienting articles other than botties, for example jars or cartons, particularly those which are cylindrical or substantially cylindrical, and which must be properly positioned prior to the application of a label. Moreover, while but two idle or abutment rolls are here illustrated, it is obvious that more than two such rolls may be employed if desirable, and thus, when reference is made to a pair of rolls, it is not intended thereby to exclude a greater number than two.

While a desirable embodiment of the invention has herein been illustrated by way of example,.

it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims, and while the invention has herein been described with particular reference to its embodiment in a machine such as shown in the above patent to Carter, it is to be understood that in its broader aspects it is capable of embodiment in spotting machines of other types.

I claim:

1; In a combination, in an article-orienting At the same time;

apparatus of: the kind-wherein successive articles, each having a projecting stop element, areidelivered in succession, to a spotting station, and having article-rotating means at the spotting stationincluding a pair of spaced drive rolls en.- gageable with the periphery of the article for rotating the latter, two spaced abutment rolls dis-' posed respectively at oppositesides of a diameter of the article passing midway'between'the'axis of the drive rolls, a detector located between the-abutment rolls and engageable by the projection, on the article as the latter iszrotated' by the drive rolls, and means for moving the two sets; of rolls toward and from each.other simultaneously. I

2. In combination in an article-orienting apparatus of the kind wherein successive articles, each having a projecting stop element, are delivered in succession-to a spotting station, articleconfining elements at said station providing a four-point contact with the article when it is positioned at the spotting station, said articleconfining elements comprising two drive rolls and two abutmentrolls, the arc of contact between corresponding rolls of the opposite sets with the surface of the article being of the order of 124. v r

3; In combination in an article-orienting apparatus of the-kind" wherein successive articles, each having a projecting stop element, are delivered in succession to a spotting station, and article-confining elements providing a four-point contact withthe article whenit is positioned at; the spotting station, said confining elements comprising two driven rolls and two abutment rolls, and means for moving each respective pair of rolls, as a unit, toward and from an article positioned at the spottingstation at: a speedof the order of cycles per minute.

4; In combination' in an'article-orienting apparatus of the kind wherein successive articles, each having a projecting stop element, are delivered in succession to a spotting station, and article-confining elements providing a four-point contact with the article when it is positioned at the spotting station, said confining elements comprising two spaced driven rolls turning about livered in succession to a spotting station, and

wherein the article, while at the spotting station, is turned by two spaced driven rolls located adjacent to one end of the diameter of the article, characterized in that the article is held in contact, with the drive rolls during the spotting operation by two freely rotatable abutment, rolls turning about parallel axes and disposed adjacent to the opposite end of said diameter of the article, the points of contact of said abutmentrolls with the article being closer togetherthan the points of contact of the drive roll with the article. 1

6. In combination in an article-orienting apparatus of the kind wherein successive articles, each having a projecting stop element, are delivered in succession to a spotting station, and

' ing spaced elements, engageable with the periph- 9. Article-orienting apparatus of the class described wherein bottles, each having a neck and a substantially cylindrical body having a peripheral projection, are advanced one by one to ery of the article adjacent to the opposite end of said diameter, said elements being spaced apart approximately 46 of arc.

'7. In combination in article-orienting apparatus wherein successive articles, each having a peripheral projection, are delivered in succession to a spotting station and having means at the spotting station for rotating an article, said articlerotating means including two drive rolls turning in the same direction about parallel axes and so spaced that they contact the periphery of the article at points approximately 66 apart, spaced article-contacting abutment rolls disposed respectively at the opposite sides of that diameter of the article which bisects the angle between the points of contact of the drive rolls, that abutment roll which is nearest to the drive roll which is, last to contact the article being so located as to contact the periphery of the article at a point spaced approximately 124 from the point of contact of the last-named drive roll with the article.

8. In combination in article-orienting apparatus wherein successive articles, each having a peripheral projection, are delivered in succession to a spotting station and having means at the spotting station for rotating the article, said article-rotating means including a pair of drive rolls turning in the same direction about parallel axes and so spaced that they contact the periphery of the article at points approximately 66 apart, a pair of spaced abutment rolls dis- ,posed symmetrically with respect to that diameter of the article which bisects the angle 'between the points of contact of the drive rolls with the article, the abutment rolls being so spaced apart that the are between their points of contact with the periphery of the article is of the order of 46, and means for moving the two sets of rolls toward and from each other simulvtaneously.

a spotting station, bottle-confining elements at said station comprising a pair of spaced drive rolls located at one side of the path of advance of the bottle, a pair of idle rolls located at the opposite side of the path of advance of the bottle, slides supporting the respective rolls, means for moving the slides simultaneously to engage the rolls with the bottle, and a pair of steadying rolls mounted on each slide and engageable with the neck portion of the bottle while the latter is being rotated by the drive rolls.

10. Article-orienting apparatus of the class described wherein bottles, each having a neck and a substantially cylindrical body having a peripheral projection, are advanced one by one to a spotting station, bottle-confining elements at said station comprising a pair of spaced drive rolls turning in the same direction about parallel axes and located at one side of the path of advance of the bottle, a pair of idle abutment rolls rotatable about parallel axes and located at the opposite side of the path of advance of the bottle, slides supporting the respective pairs of rolls, means for moving the slides simultaneously to engage the rolls of each respective pair with the periphery of the body, and a detector element carried by the slide which supports the abutment rolls and which is engageable by the projection on the body of the bottle as the latter is rotated.

CLARENCE E. KEIL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Carter Aug. 26, 1947

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