USOO8066046B2

(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8.066,046 B2

(54) CUTTING ANDTRANSFER DRUM INA (58) Field of Classification Search .................. 156/446,
CONTINOUS-FILMI LABELING MACHINE 156/457, 567, 557, 361,566, 542, 556,521,
156/DIG. 9, DIG. 25, DIG. 12
(75) Inventor: Mario Ballarotti, Marmirolo (IT) See application file for complete search history.
(73) Assignee: P.E. Labellers S.p.A., Porto Mantovano (56) References Cited
(IT)
c - U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
(*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 4,735,668 A 4, 1988 Hoffmann et al.
patent is extended or adjusted under 35 4,758,300 A 7/1988 King et al.
U.S.C. 154(b) by 423 days. 5,964.975 A * 10/1999 Hinton .......................... 156,215
6,328,832 B1* 12/2001. Otruba et al. ................... 156,64
(21) Appl. No.: 12/448,140 6,668,518 B2 * 12/2003 Rea .............................. 53,1342
2002fOO29856 A1 3/2002 Gonzalo
(22) PCT Filed: Dec. 6, 2007 * cited by examiner
(86). PCT No.: PCT/EP2007/010588 Primary Examiner — Khanh PNguyen
S371 (c)(1), Assistant Examiner — Keith Aziz
(2), (4) Date: Jun. 10, 2009 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Modiano & Associati;
Albert Josif Daniel O'Byrne
(87) PCT Pub. No.: WO2008/077457
57 ABSTRACT
PCT Pub. Date: Jul. 3, 2008 (57)
A cutting and transfer drum in a continuous-film labeling
(65) Prior Publication Data machine, which allows disassembly into sectors comprised
US 201O/OO1865O A1 Jan. 28, 2010 between tWO contiguous blades, each sector being provided
with elements for locking in the active position, which com
(30) Foreign Application Priority Data prise a rotating rod which is provided with an actuation crank,
said rod having a portion which is adapted to mate with a
Dec. 22, 2006 (IT) ............................. MN2006AOO75 reference element provided on the sector, elements adapted to
retain the sector in the locking position, a cam adapted to
(51) Int. Cl. make contact with an abutment provided on the sector, so as
B65C 9/04 (2006.01) to ensure a contact pressure of the sector on a Supporting ring
which ensures the retention of the fluid that provides suction.
(52) U.S. Cl. ........ 156/446; 156/556; 156/457; 156/567;
156/361; 156/542; 156/521; 156/566 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets

f0 dO a7a
623 67 24
C 16
3f
Ti-R - N d O2 68
C2 so ( )
a&Q
deal O s

s .

. . . . .ING 29 3O
e eSY
s a s 3| 32
s d? (2
of so o s

f(3 310 25
U.S. Patent Nov. 29, 2011 Sheet 1 of 3 US 8.066,046 B2

N
U.S. Patent Nov. 29, 2011 Sheet 2 of 3 US 8.066,046 B2
U.S. Patent Nov. 29, 2011 Sheet 3 of 3 US 8.066,046 B2
 US 8,066,046 B2
1. 2
CUTTING ANDTRANSFERDRUMINA direction of the arrow and is provided with means for Sup
CONTINOUS-FILMI LABELING MACHINE porting individual containers 2 which are turned about their
own axis.
The present invention relates to a cutting and transfer drum The reference numeral 3 designates an axis for Supporting
in a continuous-film labeling machine. a reel 4 of a film 5 which has the labels printed continuously
BACKGROUND ART
thereon and is provided with preapplied portions of paste 6a,
6b at the leading and trailing edges of each label.
Labeling machines are known which are designed to apply In unwinding from the reel 4, the film 5 passes, after a few
to containers labels printed on a continuous film wound on a changes of direction for tensioning, at an alignment device 7.
reel: Such film can have portions of paste which are preap 10 at a photocell 8 for detecting the passage of labels, and at a
traction roller 9.
plied to the labels at the face designed to make contact with
the containers but can also have no preapplied paste, and in All the rollers in contact with the pasted side of the film 5
this case the machine has a pasting assembly. have a non-stick treatment.
Such machines comprise a rotating carousel provided with The reference numeral 10 generally designates a cutting
means for Supporting the individual containers, which are 15 and transfer drum designed to receive the film 5 in output
adapted to turn the containers about their own axis, and the from the traction roller 9, which will be described in detail
continuous film that unwinds from the reel then passes at an with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Such drum is provided with
alignment device, at a label transit detection photocell, and at four blades arranged in the positions 11a, 11b, 11c. 11d
a traction roller. shown in FIG. 1 and therefore at the said drum first of all the
At the output of the traction roller, the film is taken by a individual labels are cut, such as for example the one that has
drum which comprises blades designed to cut the film at the just been cut, designated by the reference numeral 12, with
separation notches between one label and the next and is portions of paste 12a, 12b at its leading and trailing edges,
provided, at its outer Surface, with ports connected to Suction which continue to adhere to the drum by means of a Suction
means which ensure the retention of the film so that it adheres device with which the drum is provided, and then the labels
to the Surface: in this manner, the individual labels, separated 25 are transferred to the corresponding containers, as shown for
after cutting, are brought into contact with corresponding label 13, which is applied to a container 14 and remains fixed
containers Supported by the carousel. by means of the portions of paste provided at the leading edge
Such drum is indeed termed cutting and transfer drum. and trailing edge, the latter being designated by the reference
Known cutting and transfer drums can be divided into numeral 13a, of the label at the face directed toward the
sectors, each of which covers a portion of a circumference 30 container.
which is comprised between two contiguous blades, and Such It is noted that as regards the drum according to the inven
sectors have some disadvantageous characteristics: the opera
tions for locking and releasing them, which have to be per tion, nothing would change if, instead of being required to
formed every time the label processed by the machine is process pre-pasted labels, it were required to process labels
changed, are in fact awkward, and the correct positioning of designed to be spread with paste by an appropriately provided
the sectors is also often problematic. 35 assembly located at Such drum.
It is also necessary to consider the fact that if blades of the In FIGS. 2 and 3, the drum 10 is shown, in which the
known type which operate in combination with a contrast reference numerals 15, 16, 17 designate the blades provided
blade are used, only two blades can be installed on the drum. at the positions designated respectively by the reference
numerals 11a, 11b and 11c in FIG. 1.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 40 Such blades, each supported by a structure such as 16a for
the blade 16 and actuated by actuation cylinders 18, 19 and 20
The aim of the present invention is to provide a cutting and respectively, are of the type which works without contrast and
transfer drum in which the operation forlocking and releasing is disclosed in a patent application by the same Applicant.
the sectors is very easy and which can carry a large number of In the portions of circumference comprised between the
blades. 45 blades 15 and 16 and between the blades 16 and 17 there are
This aim is achieved by a cutting and transfer drum in a respectively the drum sectors 21 and 22, clearly shown in the
continuous-film labeling machine, according to the inven figures, and the drum 10 is completed by identical sectors 23,
tion, characterized in that it comprises the features given in 24.
the appended claims.
Such sectors are provided with ports such as 22a for the
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 50 sector 22 and rest on a ring 25 provided with suction ducts
25a, which are adapted to be connected to the ports 22a in
Further characteristics and advantages will become better order to retain the film 5 and the labels so that they cling to the
apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive SectOrS.
embodiment of the invention, illustrated by way of nonlimit Each sector is provided with means for removable locking
ing example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 55 in the working position, which are independent and identical
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a labeling machine for the individual sectors and are now described in detail with
comprising the drum according to the invention; reference to sector 21.
FIG. 2 is a view of the drum according to the invention with Such means comprise a rod 26, which is associated rotat
one of the sectors removed from the working position; ably with the drum and is provided with a crank 27 for manual
FIG. 3 is a view of the drum according to the invention 60 actuation between the extreme position for disengaging the
without two sectors, only one of which is shown to the side. sector, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and an extreme position for
locking the sector, with reference to the locking means of the
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED sector 22, we note that these two extreme positions are those
EMBODIMENTS shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively.
65 Reverting to the means for locking the sector 21, in Such
With reference to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 1 desig extreme positions an elastic pin actuated by a knob. 27a enters
nates a carousel of a labeling machine, which turns in the reference holes, only one of which, specifically the one
 US 8,066,046 B2
3 4
related to the locking position of the sector 21, is visible and What is claimed is:
designated by the reference numeral 27b in FIG. 3. 1. A cutting and transfer drum in a continuous-film labeling
The rod 26 first of all has a portion 26a, which is adapted to machine, said drum being provided with blades designed to
mate with a reference element 28 provided on sector 21 to cut a film and with ports at the outer surface which are con
provide centering in the positioning of Such sector. nected to Suction means so as to ensure the retention of said
film so that it adheres to said Surface, said drum allowing
On the rod 26 there are also means adapted to retain the disassembly into sectors each of which covers a portion of
sector 21 in the extreme locking position, such means com circumference which is comprised between two contiguous
prising a hook 29 associated with Such rod and adapted to blades, wherein each sector is provided with means for
engage a bar30 associated with the sector 21. removable locking in the active position, in which it rests on
Finally, the rod 26 has a cam 31 associated therewith; such 1 a ring provided with Suction ducts which are adapted to con
cam is adapted to make contact, by means of its active Surface nect to said ports provided at the outer Surface, said means
31a, with an abutment element 32 provided on the sector 21, comprising a rod which is associated with said drum So that it
So as to ensure a contact pressure of Such sector on the Sup two can rotate and is provided with a crank for actuation between
porting ring 25 which ensures the retention of the fluid that extreme positions, respectively for locking and releasing
provides Suction. the sector, said rod having:
From all of the above, optimization of the operations for a portion which is adapted to mate with a reference element
provided on the sector in order to center the positioning
locking and releasing the drum sectors is evident. of said sector,
The described invention is susceptible of numerous modi means adapted to retain the sector in the extreme locking
fications and variations, all of which are within the scope of 20 position of said sector,
the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced a cam adapted to make contact with an abutment element
with other technically equivalent elements. provided on the sector, so as to ensure a contact pressure
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. of said sector on the Supporting ring which ensures the
MN2006A000075 from which this application claims prior retention of the fluid that provides suction.
ity are incorporated herein by reference. 2. The drum according to claim 1, wherein the means
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are fol adapted to retain the sector in the extreme locking position
lowed by reference signs, those reference signs have been adapted toaengage
comprise hook which is associated with said rod and is
a bar associated with said sector.
included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility 3. The drum according to claim 1, wherein the blades are of
of the claims and accordingly, Such reference signs do not O the type which works without contrast.
have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element
identified by way of example by Such reference signs. k k k k k