Apparatus for gluing and applying labels on objects

Abstract

 Apparatus for successively placing labels (E) of wafer-thin paper, such as for instance rice tissue paper or silk tissue paper, on an object (O), such as for instance the top side of a cheese, which apparatus comprises an object conveyor (1) and a label-dispensing unit (2) arranged above the object conveyor, which label-dispensing unit comprises a label-stack holder (3), a label conveyor (4), and a label-feeding face (5) arranged downstream of and in line with the label conveyor, above which label-feeding face a feed-through roller (6) is arranged, the label-dispensing unit comprising a glue-applying roller (7) arranged adjacent and downstream of a dispensing end of the label-feeding face, the label-dispensing unit also comprising a glue reservoir (8), at least one take-off element (9), and a scraper (10), the glue-applying roller extending, at least at a bottom side thereof, into the glue reservoir, and the take-off element being intended for removing a label from the glue-applying roller.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an apparatus for successively placing labels of wafer-thin paper, such as for instance rice tissue paper or silk tissue paper, on objects, such as for instance the top sides of cheeses, which apparatus comprises an object conveyor and a label-dispensing unit arranged above the object conveyor, which label-dispensing unit comprises a label-stack holder, a label conveyor, and a label-feeding face arranged downstream of and in line with the label conveyor, above which label-feeding face a feed-through roller is arranged.

[0002] Such an apparatus is known from practice and is put on the market by applicant, among others. This known apparatus is intended for placing a label on the top side of a cheese. This involves the use of labels made of rice tissue or silk tissue paper. These types of paper are wafer-thin and are particularly difficult to process. The slightest load causes the paper to tear, particularly when it is moist. Hence, by the known apparatus, the labels are placed in a dry state on the cheese. To establish an undetachable connection between the label and the cheese, the label is placed on the cheese during the treatment process of the cheese. In general, during the treatment process, which takes from a number of weeks up to a number of months, the cheese is a number of times provided with a layer which, in the field of the art, is referred to by the term 'cheese plastic'. The drying time of a layer of cheese plastic is a number of days. The dry label is placed on the cheese plastic, for instance by the above-described apparatus, after this layer of cheese plastic has been applied and when the cheese plastic is still moist. After drying of the layer of cheese plastic, the label is fixedly connected to the cheese. Often, after the label has been provided, another layer or a number of other layers of cheese plastic are applied. After the treatment process, during maturing of the cheeses, the cheeses are sometimes further provided with a layer of paraffin, which prevents the cheese from drying out any further.

[0003] Already during the treatment process of his stock of cheeses, the producer of the cheeses should make a prognosis of the number of cheeses that are to be provided with a specific label. Since the cheeses, after the labels have been applied, should be left lying for a couple of days, in view of the drying time of the cheese plastic, it is particularly difficult to make such a prognosis. Accordingly, in practice, it may occur that the supplier cannot in time supply his customer with the cheeses having the desired label. Sometimes, in that situation, it may even be the case that the supplier has in itself enough cheeses of the desired quality, but that they have been provided with the wrong label.

[0004] Another drawback of placing labels in the cheese plastic is that fungoid growth may develop underneath the label. This chance of fungoid growth under the label is present particularly when after the label has been applied, the cheese remains in the treatment process for a considerable time and is provided with some further layers of cheese plastic.

[0005] A third drawback of placing the label in the cheese plastic is that the label is often further covered with a number of layers of cheese plastic and/or a layer of paraffin. This causes the visibility or at least the brilliance of the label to decrease.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a solution to these problems.

[0007] To this end, according to the invention, the apparatus of the type mentioned in the preamble is characterized in that the label-dispensing unit comprises a glue-applying roller arranged adjacent and downstream of a dispensing end of the label-feeding face, the label-dispensing unit also comprising a glue reservoir, at least one take-off element, and a scraper, the glue-applying roller extending, at least at a bottom side thereof, into the glue reservoir, and the take-off element being intended for removing a label from the glue-applying roller.

[0008] As with the apparatus according to the invention, the label is provided with a layer of glue by means of the glue-applying roller before it is placed on the object, such as for instance a cheese, the label can be stuck on a cheese that is already suitable for delivery. Such a cheese suitable for delivery has a dry outer side of cheese plastic or paraffin and is directly suitable for dispatch. Thus, the application of the labels can be delayed until directly before dispatch and hence, it can up to the last moment be decided which labels the cheeses will be provided with. This has a particularly great logistic advantage. After all, it is no longer necessary to stock cheeses that have already been labeled.

[0009] When the label is stuck on the cheese plastic, a layer of paraffin may optionally be applied to prevent the cheese from drying out any further. This does not lead to stock-formation of labeled cheeses, because the drying time of paraffin is only a couple of minutes. This layer of paraffin may also be applied first, after which the label is stuck on the layer of paraffin. For this, a suitable adhesive must of course be used. As the label is provided on the outermost layer of cheese plastic or on the layer of paraffin, the label is more brilliant. As it is, the label is not covered with several layers of cheese plastic but at most by a single layer of paraffin.

[0010] Another advantage of the use of the apparatus is that the chance of contamination by fungoid growth under the label decreases. After all, the label is placed on the cheese shortly before dispatch, so that fungus, if any, is hardly given a chance to develop. Moreover, the layer onto which the label is glued is dry, so that the chance of fungoid growth is smaller anyhow.

[0011] The greatest advantage of the apparatus according to the invention is a logistic advantage. Indeed, the supplier of the cheeses can produce cheeses without label and leave them on the shelves until he receives a customer's order. At that moment, the supplier knows the exact number of cheeses that are to be delivered with a particular label. Subsequently, the cheeses are provided with the labels by means of the apparatus according to the invention without there being produced too many or too few cheeses of a particular brand. Hence, the number of cheeses having a specific label and, accordingly, often a specific destination, that are to be held in stock can be minimized.

[0012] In accordance with a further elaboration of the invention, grooves can be provided in the outer surface of the glue-applying roller, which grooves extend in the circumferential direction of the glue-applying roller, the take-off elements being designed as a number of disks mounted on a common shaft, which shaft extends parallel to the rotation axis of the glue-applying roller and is arranged downstream of the glue-applying roller, the disks extending at least partially into the grooves of the glue-applying roller.

[0013] A label located on a stack of labels is pulled loose by the label conveyor at the bottom side of the stack. The label conveyor passes the label in downstream direction towards a label-feeding face to a position under the feed-through roller. After that, the label conveyor stops. As soon as an object, such as for instance a cheese, is detected on the object conveyor, the feed-through roller is temporarily driven and/or pressed onto the label located underneath the feed-through roller, as a result of which the label is further conveyed. This conveyance by means of the feed-through roller is continued until the front side of the label reaches the dispensing end of the label-feeding face and contacts the glue-applying roller. The rotation of the glue-applying roller provides for the further conveyance of the label. The label remains stuck on the glue-applying roller until it reaches, by a leading edge thereof, the take-off elements. These take-off elements, designed as disks, likewise have a rotational speed such that the label is pulled loose from the glue-applying roller by the take-off elements designed as disks. To ensure that the leading edge of the label is actually pulled loose in the desired manner from the glue-applying roller by the take-off elements designed as disks, in accordance with a further elaboration of the invention, the disks may be provided, at a circumferential edge thereof, with notches. As the disks partially extend into the grooves of the glue-applying roller, it is guaranteed that the leading edge of the label is lifted from the glue-applying roller by the first notch passing, whereupon the take-off elements actually pull the label from the glue-applying roller.

[0014] Further elaborations of the invention are described in the subclaims and will be specified on the basis of an exemplary embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of the apparatus at the location of the glue-applying roller and the direct environment thereof;

Fig. 3 is a partial front view of the glue-applying roller and the take-off elements;

Figs. 4a-4c show the different stages of removing a label located on the glue-applying roller; and

Fig. 5 shows a detail of the partial sectional view represented in Fig. 2.

[0015] The exemplary embodiment shown in the Figures relates to an apparatus for placing labels E of wafer-thin paper, such as for instance rice tissue paper or silk tissue paper, on successively supplied objects O, in this case on the top sides of cheeses O. The apparatus comprises an object conveyor 1 and a label-dispensing unit 2 disposed above the object conveyor. The label-dispensing unit 2 comprises a label stack holder 3. Located on this label stack holder 3 is a stack of labels ES. The stack is provided with two punched holes through which two pins 20 of the label stack holder 3 are passed, so that the stack ES is held together. Resting on the stack of labels ES is a weight which presses the stack down. The lowermost label of the stack ES has a leading edge ER thereof resting on a label conveyor 4. When the label conveyor 4 is put into motion, this conveyor pulls the lowermost label of the stack ES loose from the pins 20. Downstream of and in line with the label conveyor 4, a label-feeding face 5 is provided, with a feed-through roller 6 disposed thereabove. The label conveyor 4 stops the conveyance as soon as a leading edge ER of the foremost label has reached the label-feeding face 5 and is located underneath the feed-through roller 6. As a matter of fact, this feed-through roller may also be designed as a feed-through wheel. The feed-through roller 6 can be controlled such that the label E located therebelow can be further conveyed at an accurately determined point of time, so that the label E is dispensed by the label-dispensing unit 2 at the very moment when an object O passes.

[0016] Figs. 2-5 show a relevant portion of the label-dispensing unit 2 in detail. This portion is not shown in Fig. 1, since it is hidden behind the press-down roller 17 pressing down an applied label E on the cheese. As is clearly demonstrated in Fig. 2, the label-dispensing unit comprises a glue-applying roller 7 arranged adjacent and downstream of a dispensing end 5a of the label-feeding face 5. The label-dispensing unit 2 also comprises a glue reservoir 8, at least one take-off element 9, and a scraper 10. The glue-applying roller 7 has at least a bottom side thereof extending into the glue reservoir 8. The take-off elements 9 are intended for removing a label E from the glue-applying roller 7. As is clearly shown in Fig. 3, grooves 11 are provided in the outer surface 7a of the glue-applying roller 7, which grooves extend in the circumferential direction of the glue-applying roller 7. The take-off elements 9 are designed as a number of disks 9 mounted on a common shaft 12. The shaft 12 extends parallel to the rotation axis 13 of the glue-applying roller 7 and is arranged downstream of the glue-applying roller 7. The disks 9 extend at least partially into the grooves 11 of the glue-applying roller 7. At their circumferential edge, the disks are provided with notches 14 for enhanced engagement with a leading edge ER of the label E located on the glue-applying roller 7. Instead of notches 14, a rough or non-slip circumferential edge may be used. Preferably, the shaft 12 with the disks 9 located thereon rotates at a higher speed than the glue-applying roller 7, so that the chance of the leading edge ER of the label E falling into a notch 14 is great.

[0017] Since the paper from which the labels are made is wafer-thin, this paper tears particularly easily and wrinkle formation readily occurs during application. This wrinkle formation should certainly be prevented on the glue-applying roller 7, because otherwise, no glue is applied at the location of a wrinkle in the label E. In the present exemplary embodiment, the tendency towards wrinkle formation in a direction parallel to the conveying direction of the label-dispensing unit 2 is minimized in that an angle a is enclosed between the label-feeding face and the outer surface 7a of the glue-applying roller 7, at the location of said dispensing end 5a. This angle α, indicated in Fig. 4C, provides that a label E located on the label-feeding face 5 has to buckle or bend upon landing on the glue-applying roller 7. This buckle provides reinforcement of the label E. Also a normal sheet of paper that is passed through a bend is more difficult to compress in a direction perpendicular to the bend. At a given moment, the conveyance of the label E is taken over by the glue-applying roller 7 in that the feed-through roller 6 no longer exerts any conveying forces on the label E.

[0018] From that moment onwards, there is the chance of the label E being pulled loose from the label-feeding face 5, so that no buckle is formed in the label E anymore. To prevent this phenomenon, in the present exemplary embodiment, a deflecting element 15 is disposed above the dispensing end 5a of the label-feeding face 5. The deflecting element 15 is located directly above the angle a enclosed between the label-feeding face 5 and the outer surface 7a of the glue-applying roller 7. In this manner, a passing label E is forced to bend or buckle, as the deflecting element 15 prevents the label from being pulled loose from the label-feeding face 5.

[0019] When no further measures were taken, the label E leaving the glue-applying roller 7 would not be provided with glue at the location of the grooves 11 of the glue-applying roller 7. This is visible on the end product. In the present case, the label E would reveal bands of a slightly different color, due to the fact that no glue is present at the location of those bands. To provide a solution to this problem, a glue-applying spatula 16 extends in each groove 11 of the glue-applying roller 7. This glue-applying spatula 16 extends from a point A which, viewed in rotational sense R of the glue-applying roller 7, lies before the dispensing end 5a and extends from point A through a relevant groove 11 towards a point B which, viewed in rotational sense R of the glue-applying roller 7, lies between the dispensing end 5a of the label-feeding face 5 and the take-off element 9. The glue-applying spatula 16 has a free end 16a located in the relevant groove 11 substantially at the level of the outer surface 7a of the glue-applying roller 7. In the present exemplary embodiment, the point A, viewed in rotational sense R of the glue-applying roller 7, lies before the scraper 10. The effect of this feature is that glue scraped from the outer surface 7a by the scraper 10 ends up on the top side of the glue-applying spatula 16 and in the grooves 11 of the glue-applying roller 7. This glue, located on the inside of the grooves 11, is carried along through rotation of the glue-applying roller 7 and scraped loose again from the edges of the groove 11 at the location of point B by the gluing spatula 16, so that at the free end 16a of the glue-applying spatula, an accumulation of glue occurs again. Since the free end 16a is located substantially at the level of the outer surface 7a of the glue-applying roller 7, the glue accumulating at the free end 16a is smeared against the bottom side of the label E. It is thus effected that also at the location of each groove 11, glue is applied to the label E. To guarantee contact between the glue-applying spatula 16 and the label E, in the present exemplary embodiment the glue-applying spatula 16 is designed as a blade spring.

[0020] Fig. 5 further shows a detail from Fig. 2, at the location of the point A from which the glue-applying spatula 16 extends. The distance 18 between the glue-applying spatula 16 and the tip of the scraper 10 determines the amount of glue ending up in the groove 11 on top of the glue-applying spatula 16. When the regulating slot 18 is narrow, little glue is carried along in the groove 11, while when the regulating slot 18 is great, more glue is carried along in the groove 11. The distance from the scraper 10 to the outer surface 7a of the glue-applying roller 7 defines the thickness of the glue that is applied to the label E where there is a direct contact between the outer surface 7a and the label E. When this regulating slot 19 is enlarged, more glue is applied to the label E.

[0021] Figs. 4a-4c show again how the label E runs, via a buckle, from the label-feeding face 5 across the glue-applying roller 7 and touches, by a leading edge ER thereof, the take-off element 9. Through rotation of the take-off element 9 and notches 14 provided therein, the leading edge ER is pulled loose from the glue-applying roller 7 and the label is further discharged. If necessary, a blowing unit 22 may further be disposed downstream of the take-off element 9, which blowing unit blows the label downwards by means of an air flow. As is already indicated hereinabove with reference to Fig. 1, a press-down roller 17 may further be provided for pressing down the label E on the object O.

[0022] The label-dispensing unit 2 may be height-adjustable relative to the object conveyor 1. This adjusting possibility is shown in Fig. 1 by the arrows V and, in that exemplary embodiment, is realized by means of the handwheel 21. If necessary, the height adjustment may also take place via a motor drive. In this manner, it can be effected that the label E lands on the object O almost directly after leaving the take-off element 9. In particular in the case of the wafer-thin paper labels, a shortest possible free fall should be created, so that the place where the label E touches the object O varies minimally.

[0023] It is understood that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment described, but that various modifications are possible within the framework of the invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for successively placing labels (E) of wafer-thin paper, such as for instance rice tissue paper or silk tissue paper, on objects (O), such as for instance the top sides of cheeses, said apparatus comprising an object conveyor (1) and a label-dispensing unit (2) arranged above the object conveyor, said label-dispensing unit (2) comprising a label-stack holder (3), a label conveyor (4), and a label-feeding face (5) arranged downstream of and in line with the label conveyor (4), above which label-feeding face (5) a feed-through roller (6) is arranged, characterized in that the label-dispensing unit (2) comprises a glue-applying roller (7) arranged adjacent and downstream of a dispensing end (5a) of the label-feeding face (5), the label-dispensing unit (2) also comprising a glue reservoir (8), at least one take-off element (9), and a scraper (10), the glue-applying roller (7) extending, at least at a bottom side thereof, into the glue reservoir (8), and the at least one take-off element (9) being intended for removing a label (E) from the glue-applying roller (7).

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that grooves (11) are provided in the outer surface (7a) of the glue-applying roller (7), said grooves (11) extending in the circumferential direction of the glue-applying roller (7), the take-off elements (9) being designed as a number of disks (9) mounted on a common shaft (12), said shaft (12) extending parallel to the rotation axis (13) of the glue-applying roller (7) and being arranged downstream of the glue-applying roller (7), the disks (9) extending at least partially into the grooves (11) of the glue-applying roller (7).

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the disks (9) are provided, at the circumferential edge thereof, with notches (14) for enhanced engagement with a leading edge (ER) of a label (E) located on the glue-applying roller (7).

4. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the label-feeding face (5) at the location of the dispensing end (5a) thereof and the outer surface (7a) of the glue-applying roller (7) at the location of said dispensing end (5a) enclose an angle (α).

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that above the dispensing end (5a) of the label-feeding face (5), a deflecting element (15) is disposed, said deflecting element (15) being located directly above the angle (α) enclosed between the label-feeding face (5) and the outer surface (7a) of the glue-applying roller (7), so that a passing label (E) is forced to make a buckle or bend.

6. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the scraper (10) is arranged before the dispensing end (5a) of the label-feeding face (5), viewed in rotational sense (R) of the glue-applying roller (7).

7. An apparatus according to at least claim 2, characterized in that in each groove (11) of the glue-applying roller (7), a glue-applying spatula (16) extends at least from a point (A) which, viewed in rotational sense (R) of the glue-applying roller (7), lies before the dispensing end (5a), to a point (B) which, viewed in rotational sense (R) of the glue-applying roller (7), lies between the dispensing end (5a) of the label-feeding face (5) and the take-off element (9), the glue-applying spatula (16) having a free end (16a) located in the relevant groove (11) substantially at the level of the outer surface (7a) of the glue-applying roller (7).

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the point (A) from which said glue-applying spatula (16) extends, lies before the scraper (10), viewed in rotational sense (R) of the glue-applying roller (7).

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the glue-applying spatula (16) is designed as a leaf spring.

10. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the label-dispensing unit (2) is height-adjustable relative to the object conveyor (1).

Drawing