Background of the Invention
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] This invention relates to a labelling machine which is controlled by a digital data
processing system. More particularly, it relates to such a system in which mechanical
camming mechanisms and similar components of a conventional labelling machine are
replaced by electronic controls embodied in a digital data processing system connected
to control tuning, feed and related operations of a labelling machine of the type
which is able to apply labels of various sizes to packaging containers of various
sizes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
[0002] In conventional machines used to apply different size labels to different size cans,
glass bottles, boxes or other packaging containers, timing marks, cams, gears and
similar interconnected mechanical elements are employed to assure that the containers
and labels are supplied to the machine in an orderly fashion and synchronously with
respect to each other so that a single label is uniformly placed in a desired location
on the container. Some control functions of labelling machines have also been implemented
with digital circuits, including microprocessors.
[0003] It is also known_ in the prior art to replace various mechanical timing devices-in
complex machines, such as internal combustion engines with digital electronics. Many
such timing mechanisms have been replaced in automobile engines through the use of
digital data processing circuits embodied in microprocessor integrated circuits, in
combination with various electronic and electromechanical sensing circuits.
[0004] However, labelling machines are very complex devices with many unique problems. Hitherto,
it has not been known in the art to replace the mechanical control systems for main
drive shafts used in labelling machines with digital data processing and electrical
sensing circuits. Examples of such labelling machines are described, for example,
in the following commonly assigned issued patents: U.S. 3,765,991; 4,108,709; 4,181,555;
4,188,843; 4,242,167; 4,336,095.
Summary of the Invention
[0005] Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to adapt digital data processing technology
to a labelling machine.
[0006] It is another object of the invention to provide a digital data processing system
in which electrical circuits are utilized to provide inputs representing positions
and other information about the various components of a labelling machine and the
labels and containers passing through the machine.
[0007] GB-A-2 096 795 discloses apparatus in accordance with the prior art portion of claim
1. This prior document uses a sensor to sense the speed of advance of the web to enable
the cutter to be operated when triggered by a signal indicative of the required cutting
line on the web reaching the cutter. As compared therewith the present invention,
which is characterised as specified in claim 1, provides apparatus more suited to
cutting comparatively small sized labels where the cutter is operable continuously
and the speed of feed of the web is controlled digitally in accordance with the positions
of the registration marks thereon.
[0008] EP-A-0 074 165 is a document effective under Article 54(3) EPC which discloses a
web cutting apparatus in which the speed of advance of the web is controlled by a
stepping motor to cause alignment of the upper ends with the cutter. However, it does
not provide the ready adjustability of the apparatus to different sized sheets as
provided by the input means of the present invention.
[0009] In the preferred form of the invention, the stepping motor used to advance the label
in the machine is directed by a program in the digital data processing means to advance
the label. The stepper motor is directed by the program to make a predetermined number
of steps per machine cycle or per container.
[0010] The ability of the user to select any desired label length and have the machine operate
properly for that length label without any mechanical adjustments to the labelling
machine means that changing labels in the labelling machine is reduced from an operation
taking 30 minutes or so to about 30 seconds.
[0011] The invention should be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art, after
review of the following more detailed description of the invention, taken together
with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a block diagram of a computer controlled labelling machine in accordance
with the invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the system shown in Figure 1.
Detailed Description of the Invention
[0012] Turning now to the drawings, more particularly to Figure 1, there is shown a system
50 in accordance with the invention. The system 50 includes a labelling machine 52
and a digital data processing system 54. The digital data processing system 54 is
implemented in this embodiment with a Gould Modicon-P190/484, although it should be
understood that the digital data processing system 54 could be implemented with any
one of a large number of commercially available control oriented data processing systems
which, for example, utilize commercially available microprocessor integrated circuits,
such as an Intel 8086, Intel 8088, Motorola 68000, Fairchild 9445, National Semiconductor
16000, or the like, to form the processing unit of such control oriented data processing
systems.
[0013] The labelling machine 52 includes a cutter 56 having a shaft 58 including a mark
60, which is sensed by an encoder 62, which supplies shaft 58 position and rotation
rate data signals as inputs to the digital data processing system 54 on line 63, through
an interface 65. The encoder 62 could be replaced with any suitable sensor, such as
a magnetic sensing means, with a structure of the shaft 58 serving the function of
the mark 60 by perturbing a magnetic field to which the magnetic sensing means is
responsive. In practice, the encoder 62 is preferably implemented with a C and A Model
HT-11B encoder, obtainable from C and A Products. The interface 65 is preferably implemented
with a PCEF Encoder Interface Module, which converts the shaft 58 position and rate
information to binary coded decimal (BCD) form. The digital data processing system
54 supplies a rotation rate control signal at a rate of, for example, 2,000 pulses
per revolution of a label- feed roll 66 on line 64 to a stepping motor 67, which is
connected to feed roll 66 by a shaft 69, through a stepping motor control 71. The
rotation rate control signal on line 64 is such that the feed roll 66 will supply
continuous label sheet 68 to the cutter at a proper rate so that the cutter 56 will
separate an individual label 70 from the sheet 68 at the kerf 72 dividing each individual
label from its next adjacent neighbors.
[0014] Each label 70 includes a positioning mark 74. The positioning mark 74 is sensed by
an optical sensor 76 as a means of preventing the sheet 68 from "creeping" with respect
to the cutter 56, so that the cutter 56 begins to slit the sheet 68 at other locations
than the kerf 72. The optical sensor 76 is connected to the data processing system
54 by line 78. The optical sensor 76 supplies a signal on line 78 when a mark 74 is
sensed. The digital data processing system 54 compares the shaft 58 at the time the
mark 74 is sensed with the position shaft 58 should have in order for label 70 feed
and shaft 58 position to be synchronized for proper label 70 slitting. The optical
sensor 76 is preferably implemented with a Banner CVG-1 sensor, obtainable from Banner,
Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota.
[0015] When it is desired to replace a roll 80 of the labels 70 with a roll of labels having
a different length than that of the labels 70, the length of the new labels in inches
is entered into the digital data processing system 54 by means of thumbwheel switches
82 on the front panel 84. An angular position in degrees for shaft 58 when a mark
74 should be sensed by sensor 76 is dialed in with thumbwheel switches 83. A tolerance
for the angular position in degrees is also entered by means of thumbwheel switch
85.
[0016] Figure 2 shows the data processing system 54 in the system of Figure 1 in more detail.
[0017] The system 54 includes a processor 100 and input modules 102,104, and 106 are connected
to supply input to the processor 100. An input/ output module 108 is also connected
to supply inputs to the processor 100 and supply outputs from the system 54 on line
112 for certain machine control functions conventional in the art and not forming
a part of this invention. However, these other control functions are provided using
the same data processing system 54 used for the rest of the invention. An output module
110 is connected to receive outputs from the processor 100, to be supplied to the
stepper motor control on line 113.
[0018] Interface module 65 is connected to the input module 104 of data processing system
54 by line 63. The thumbwheel switches 82, 83, and 85 are respectively connected to
the input multiplexer module 102 by lines 114, 116, and 118. Inputs from other sensors
attached to the labelling machine 52 (see also Figure 1) are supplied on line 120
to the I/0 module 108. Outputs for labelling machine 52 control functions are supplied
by the I/0 module 108 on line 112. Optical sensor 76 supplies the input signal to
input module 106 on line 78 when it senses the presence of a registration mark 74.
[0019] The system 50 feeds labels 70 from roll 80 on a continuous basis to the cutter 56
in such a manner that the cutter will cut the labels 70 at the kerf 72 and supply
the cut labels 70 to a container in a consistent manner. Changing the label machine
52 to accommodate different size labels is a simple matter of entering the new label
length into the digital data processing system 54.
[0020] It should further be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in
form and detail of the invention as shown and described may be made. For example,
the mark 74 can be placed on any desired location on the label.
1. Apparatus for cutting a web into individual sheets comprising drive means (66)
for advancing a web through the apparatus, a cutter (56) for cutting the web (68)
into individual sheets (70), digital data processing means (54), an optical sensor
(76) for sensing registration marks (74) on the web (68) corresponding with the sheets
(70) to be cut therefrom, input means (82) connected to the processing means for entering
a user selectable interval between registration marks on the web corresponding with
the length of sheets to be cut, the processing means being operative to maintain a
desired relationship in use of the apparatus between the advancing of registration
marks on the web and operation of the cutter, characterised in that the apparatus
is a labelling apparatus with the cutter (56) comprising a master shaft (58) the rotary
position of which corresponds with the stage of operation of the cutter and the apparatus
comprises a sensor (60, 62) for sensing the position of the master shaft (58) and
operatively connected to the processing means (54), and a stepping motor (67) connected
between the processing means (54) and the web drive means (66), said processing means
(54) being responsive to inputs from the master shaft position sensor (60, 62), the
registration mark optical sensor (76) and the input means (82) to provide input pulses
to the stepped motor (67) to control the speed of the drive means to maintain a desired
alignment between the ends of the label sheets (70) and the cutter at the time of
operation of the cutter as determined by the position of the master shaft.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that said data processing means
is connected to an input means (83) for entering the required position of the master
shaft when the optical sensor (76) is to sense a registration mark (74).
1. Vorrichtung zum Schneiden einer Bahn in einzelne Blätter, umfassend eine Antriebseinrichtung
(66), um eine Bahn durch die Vorrichtung - laufen zu lassen, eine Schneideinrichtung
(56) zum Schneiden der Bahn (68) in einzelne Blätter (70), eine digitale Datenverarbeitungseinrichtung
(54), einen optischen Sensor (76) zum Abtasten von Kennzeichnungsmarken (74) auf der
Bahn (68), die den davon abzuschneidenden Blättern (70) entsprechen, eine Eingabeeinrichtung
(82), die an die Verarbeitungseinrichtung angeschlossen ist, um ein vom Benutzer wählbares
Intervall zwischen Kennzeichnungsmarken auf der Bahn einzugeben, die der zu schneidenden
Länge der Blätter entsprechen, wobei die Verarbeitungseinrichtung so arbeitet, daß
sie im Betrieb der Vorrichtung eine gewünschte Relation zwischen dem Vorschub der
Kennzeichnungsmarken auf der Bahn und dem Betrieb der Schneideinrichtung beibehält,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Vorrichtung eine Etikettiervorrichtung ist, wobei
die Schneideinrichtung (56) eine Hauptwelle (58) aufweist, deren Drehstellung dem
Betriebsstadium der Schneideinrichtung entspricht, und daß die Vorrichtung einen Sensor
(60, 62), der die Position der Hauptwelle (58) abtastet und der betriebsmäßig mit
der Verarbeitungseinrichtung (54) verbunden ist, und einen Schrittmotor (67) aufweist,
der zwischen die Verarbeitungseinrichtung (54) und die Antriebseinrichtung (66) für
die Bahn geschaltet ist, wobei die Verarbeitungseinrichtung (54) auf die Eingangssignale
von dem Sensor (60, 62) für die Position der Hauptwelle, von dem optischen Sensor
(76) für Kennzeichnungsmarken und von der Eingabeeinrichtung (82) anspricht, um dem
Schrittmotor (67) Eingangsimpulse zu liefern, um die Geschwindigkeit der Antriebseinrichtung
so zu steuern, daß eine gewünschte Ausrichtung zwischen den Enden der Etikettenblätter
(70) und der Schneideinrichtung zum Zeitpunkt der Betätigung der Schneideinrichtung
beibehalten wird, die durch die Position der Hauptwelle bestimmt ist.
2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Datenverarbeitungseinrichtung
an eine Eingabeeinrichtung (83) angeschlossen ist, um die erforderliche Position der
Hauptwelle einzugeben, wenn der optische Sensor (76) eine Kennzeichnungsmarke (74)
abtasten soll.
1. Appareil pour découper une bande en feuilles individuelles comprenant un moyen
d'entraînement (66) pour faire avancer une bande à travers l'appareil, un couteau
(56) pour découper la bande (68) en feuilles individuelles (70), un moyen (54) de
traitement de données numériques, un détecteur optique (76) pour détecter des repères
d'alignement (74) sur le bande (68) correspondant aux feuilles (70) à découper de
celle-ci, un moyen d'entrée (82) relié au moyen de traitement pour introduire un intervalle
que peut choisir l'utilisateur entre les repères d'alignement sur la bande correspondant
à la longuer des feuilles à découper, le moyen de traitement servant à maintenir pendant
le fonctionnement de l'appareil des relations voulues entre la progression des repères
d'alignement sur la bande et le fonctionnement du couteau, caractérisé en ce que l'appareil
est un appareil d'étiquetage où le couteau (56) comporte un arbre moteur (58) dont
la position en rotation correspond au stade de fonctionnement du couteau et l'appareil
comporte un détecteur (60, 62) pour détecter la position de l'arbre moteur (58) et
coopérant avec le moyen de traitement (54), et un moteur pas-à-pas (67) monté entre
le moyen de traitement (54) et le moyen (66) d'entraînement de bande, ledit moyen
de traitement (54) réagissant aux données d'entrée provenant du détecteur (60, 62)
de position de l'arbre moteur, du détecteur optique (76) de repères d'alignement et
du moyen d'entrée (82) pour fournir au moteur pas-à-pas (67) des impulsions d'entrée
pour commander la vitesse du moyen d'entraînement afin de maintenir un alignement
voulu entre les extrémités des feuilles d'étiquettes (70) et le couteau à l'instant
du fonctionnement du couteau déterminé par la position de l'arbre moteur.
2. Appareil selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que le moyen de traitement
de données est relié à un moyen d'entrée (83) pour introduire la position requise
de l'arbre moteur quand le détecteur optique (76) doit détecter un repère d'alignement
(74).