U.S. patent number 3,835,897 [Application Number 05/190,210] was granted by the patent office on 1974-09-17 for apparatus for filling and labeling containers.
Invention is credited to Larry C. Gess.
United States Patent |
3,835,897 |
Gess |
September 17, 1974 |
APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND LABELING CONTAINERS
Abstract
This invention relates to apparatus for filling and labeling
medicinal syringes. The apparatus includes a pump arrangement for
filling individual syringes automatically and includes a mechanical
adjustment for easily changing the amount of medicinal liquid fed
to each syringe. The individual syringes are then labeled with
appropriate indicia showing the contents. The labels are printed at
the same time with the same apparatus to assure that the proper
labels are applied to the proper syringes. The labels are fed into
the path of the syringes and wrap around the syringe barrels with
the free ends of the labels then pressed together behind the
syringes.
Inventors: |
Gess; Larry C. (1255 Fir Dr.,
MI) |
Family
ID: |
22700442 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/190,210 |
Filed: |
October 18, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
141/98; 141/165;
141/171; 53/137.2; 141/170 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65C
3/08 (20130101); B65B 3/12 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65B
3/10 (20060101); B65B 3/12 (20060101); B65C
3/08 (20060101); B65C 3/00 (20060101); B65b
003/12 (); B65b 043/50 (); B65c 003/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;141/18,98,165,170,171,151 ;53/139.3 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Morse, Jr.; Wayne A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Gutchess, Jr.; Allen D.
Claims
I claim:
1. Apparatus for filling and labeling syringes having narrow necks,
said apparatus comprising a turntable having circumferentially
spaced openings to hold the syringes with the narrow necks
extending upwardly and to carry the syringes sequentially to
additional stations from a first station at which the syringes are
received, the additional stations including a station at which the
syringes are filled with liquid and a station at which the syringes
are labeled, means at the filling station comprising an elongate
hollow member for supplying liquid through the narrow necks of the
syringes, means for supplying predetermined quantities of liquid
sequentially to the hollow member, said supplying means comprising
a cylinder, a plunger in said cylinder, and means for incrementally
advancing said plunger predetermined distances into said cylinder,
and feed means at the labeling station for feeding labels to the
labeling station.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized by means for moving
said elongate hollow member axially toward and away from the narrow
necks, and means responsive to the existence of one of the syringes
at the filling station to operate said moving means to move said
member toward and into the neck of the syringe at the filling
station.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2 characterized by sensing means
for actuating said supplying means to supply one predetermined
quantity to said hollow member when said hollow member is in the
neck of the syringe to be filled.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized by said turntable
comprising an upper disc, a lower disc having a planar upper
surface facing toward said upper disc, said upper and lower discs
having aligned notches therein to receive spaced portions of
barrels of the syringes, and resilient means associated with said
lower disc for engaging flanges of the syringes and urging them
against said planar surface of said lower disc.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized by said advancing
means comprises a gear rack connected to said plunger, a pinion
gear meshing with said gear rack, and means for rotating said
pinion gear through a predetermined angle to incrementally advance
said plunger a predetermined distance in said container.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized by an arm rotatable
with said pinion gear, and adjustable means for limiting the extent
of angular movement of said arm to limit the rotatable movement of
said pinion gear.
7. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized by a drive shaft,
and a one-way clutch mounting said pinion gear on said drive shaft
to enable said pinion gear to rotate with said shaft in only one
direction effective to move said plunger into the supply
container.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized by drive means
including an electromagnetic clutch for rotating said shaft, and
means for energizing said electromagnetic clutch for a
predetermined period of time when one of the medicinal containers
is to be filled.
9. Apparatus for filling and labeling syringes having narrow necks,
said apparatus comprising a turntable having circumferentially
spaced openings to hold the syringes with the narrow necks
extending upwardly and to carry the syringes sequentially to
additional stations from a first station at which the syringes are
received, the additional stations including a station at which the
syringes are filled with liquid and a station at which the syringes
are labeled, means at the filling station comprising an elongate,
hollow member for supplying liquid through the narrow necks of the
syringes, means for supplying predetermined quantities of liquid
sequentially to the hollow member, said supplying means including a
pump cylinder, a plunger in said pump cylinder, means for
incrementally moving the plunger into the pump cylinder, a supply
container, valve means enabling said pump cylinder to alternately
communicate with said supply container and said elongate, hollow
member, and feed means at the labeling station for feeding labels
to the labeling station.
10. Apparatus according to claim 9 characterized by means for
withdrawing said plunger from said pump cylinder when said pump
cylinder is in communication with said supply container.
11. Apparatus according to claim 9 characterized by means for
printing the labels prior to the labels being fed by said feed
means to the labeling station with indicia indicating the nature of
the liquid in said supply container.
12. Apparatus for filling and labeling syringes comprising a
turntable having circumferentially spaced openings to receive and
hold the syringes and to carry them sequentially through additional
stations from a first station at which the syringes are received,
the additional stations including a station at which the syringes
are filled with liquid and a station at which labels are applied to
the syringes, feed means for feeding labels having adhesive
surfaces into a position for contact with the syringes at the
labeling station, said feed means including a pair of feed rollers,
at least one of which is driven, one of said feed rollers being
movably mounted for movement toward and away from the other of said
feed rollers, means engageable by a syringe for moving said one
roller away from the other when the syringe reaches the labeling
station, means for directing the labels between said feed rollers,
means for stopping rotation of said feed rollers while a portion of
each label is at the labeling station and another portion is still
engaged by said feed rollers, whereby the label is positioned by
the feed rollers across the path established by the movement of the
syringes from station to station with end portions of the labels
extending outwardly beyond both sides of the path of the syringes,
and means for imprinting indicia on the labels prior to feeding
them into position for contact with the syringes.
Description
This invention relates to apparatus for filling and labeling
containers and specifically medicinal syringes.
Disposable syringes are more and more commonly used in hospitals, a
principal advantage being the added assurance against infection.
Commonly syringes are manually filled from a supply container
having a rubber diaphragm through which the syringe needle is
projected into the container. Such containers are relatively small,
being capable of only supplying doses for eight or 10 syringes.
Otherwise, too many holes result in the diaphragm as the result of
the needles, and the contents can be exposed to the air and
contaminated. Additionally, the needles of the syringes have a
greater chance of being contaminated by this supply technique. The
relatively small supply containers are also uneconomical and
present a handling and storage problem. Particularly in larger
hospitals using large numbers of syringes daily, the manual filling
of each represents many costly man-hours on the part of nurses or
doctors who are already overworked.
The present invention provides a machine for filling a number of
syringes automatically and for labeling them at the same time. This
assures that the proper label is applied to the proper medicine to
reduce the possiblity of errors. Further, a larger container of the
medicine can be used, if desired, for greater economy, as well as
to reduce handling and storage problems. The syringes can be filled
without the needles thereon with the needles being applied later,
to further reduce the possibility of contamination.
The new machine is also compact, reliable, and can be used by an
unskilled operator. It also employs relatively inexpensive and
simplified mechanical components to reduce the overall cost and
maintenance requirements.
The new machine has a four-station indexing wheel or turntable. The
syringe is fed by hand or by suitable automatic supply means to a
first station of the turntable with a narrow neck to receive the
needle extending upwardly. The lower end of the syringe has a
plunger previously inserted into the barrel thereof to seal that
end of the syringe. The syringe is then moved to a second station
at which a predetermined amount of medicinal liquid is supplied
through the narrow neck of the syringe in a predetermined,
changeable amount. The syringe intercepts a printed label at the
third station which wraps around the syringe barrel and is adhered
together at the back. The syringe is then automatically removed
from the indexing wheel to a discharge trough at the fourth
station. A removable cap can then be placed over the narrow neck of
the syringe and the filled syringe stored until ready for use. At
that time, the cap can be removed and a sterilized needle applied
to the narrow neck, with a plunger rod inserted into the plunger
located in the syringe barrel.
The labels preferably are of a pressure-sensitive type supplied in
longitudinally spaced relationship on a tape. Indicia is printed on
the labels when on the tape by printing apparatus located adjacent
the third station. After printing, the tape and labels are
separated, with the labels then moved into the path of the syringe
barrels. Even with four stations, including the filling apparatus
and the label printing and applying apparatus, the entire machine
is very compact, being less than about sixteen inches wide and
twenty inches long.
It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a
machine for automatically filling and labeling syringes.
Another object of the invention is to provide a machine for filling
and labeling syringes which is compact in size, reliable, and low
in cost.
A further object of the invention is to provide simplified means
for applying printed labels to syringe barrels.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a
container-filling machine with accurate and easily adjustable means
for changing the quantity of medicinal liquid supplied to the
container.
Many other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment
thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is an overall view in perspective from above of a machine
for filling and labeling syringes according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in perspective of the label-applying
components of the machine of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in perspective, taken from the opposite
direction, of indexing means for a turntable and of apparatus for
filling syringes with predetermined, changeable amounts of
medicinal liquid;
FIG. 4 is a view in perspective, with parts broken away and with
parts in section, of drive means for certain components of the
machine and particularly the filling apparatus; and
FIG. 5 is another view in perspective, with parts broken away and
with parts in cross section, of drive means for operating certain
other components of the machine.
Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, an overall
syringe filling and labeling machine embodying the invention is
indicated at 10 and includes a base 12 containing the drive system
and controls for the machine. The overall machine is compact, being
only about 16 inches wide and 20 inches long, so that space
requirements are kept to a minimum. The machine is also relatively
light in weight, less than about 100 pounds, to provide portability
so that the machine can be positioned in the most efficient or
needed location. However, the machine is commonly used in a
sanitary hood which supplies filtered, germ-free air over the
apparatus to prevent possible contamination by air-borne
bacteria.
Syringes handled by the machine 10 are indicated at 14. These
preferably are of the disposable type which can be readily
commerically obtained in several different styles. As shown in FIG.
2, the cyringe 14 includes a main barrel 16 containing the usual
graduations and an upper neck 18 over which can be fitted a
suitable cap when the syringe is filled. The cap can subsequently
be removed and a needle placed on the neck 18. At the lower end of
the syringe 14 is an annular flange 20 for fingers, used in
combination with the thumb on a plunger rod, to push the plunger
rod into the syringe and move a plunger 22 through the barrel 16
toward the neck 18 to dispense the contents. The plunger 22 is
placed in the barrel 16 before the syringe 14 is placed in the
machine. Commonly, the syringes 14 including the plungers 22 are
purchased assembled and in a sterilized condition from the
manufacturer.
The syringes 14 are moved from a suitable supply source
sequentially to an indexing wheel or turntable 24. The turntable 24
includes an upper disc 26 and a spaced, lower disc 28 connected
together by a central hub (not shown). Referring particularly to
FIG. 2, the upper disc 26 includes a notch 30 which positions an
upper portion of the syringe barrel 16. The lower disc 28 has a
horizontally extending peripheral lip 32, above which is a thin
metal plate 34 of smaller diameter, with a space indicated at 36
between the lower disc and the plate. A notch 38 is formed in the
plate 34 to receive a lower portion of the barrel 16, the notches
30 and 38 being in alignment, there being four of each of the
notches for the four stations of the turntable 24. A chamfer 40 is
formed around the lower notch 38 at the bottom surface of the plate
34. The flange 20 of the syringe 14 is inserted in the space 36 and
is held between the disc 28 and the plate 34, the latter being
somewhat resilient to firmly engage the flange.
The syringes 14 are loaded at a first station indicated at 42 and
are then carried by the turntable to a second station indicated at
44 when the turntable is indexed in a clockwise direction through
90.degree. increments or steps. At the second station 44, the
syringes 14 receive a predetermined quantity of a medicinal liquid
from filling apparatus indicated at 46. The syringes 14 are then
transferred to a third station, indicated at 48, where labels 50
carrying appropriate indicia designating the medicine in the
syringes are applied. The syringes then move to a fourth station 52
and are stripped from the turntable and specifically from the
notches 30 and 38 as they move beyond the station 52. This is
accomplished by a side wall 54 of a discharge chute or trough
indicated at 56, the side wall extending into the space between the
discs 26 and 28 to engage and push outwardly that portion of the
barrel 16 between the discs.
The turntable is driven through a central shaft 58 and an
electromagnetic clutch C1 by means to be discussed subsequently.
The table is precisely indexed to each of the four stations by
means of four recesses 60 located on the lower surface of the lower
disc 38 at the four notch positions of the turntable. A detent 62
(FIG. 3) extends upwardly through a platform 64 of the machine base
12 and has a downwardly extending rod 66 therebelow which is
spring-loaded in the upward direction by a coil spring 68. The rod
66 extends into a solenoid 70 and is pulled downwardly when the
solenoid is actuated. The solenoid 70 is supported by a mounting
plate 72 extending from a depending wall 74 of the base 12.
When a new syringe is placed at the first station 42 of the
turntable 24, and the turntable is to be indexed, a start switch,
whether hand- or foot-operated, is closed. A timer is then actuated
which actuates the solenoid 70 to move the detent 62 out of the
recess 60 for a very short period of time. The clutch C1 is also
energized, enabling the turntable to be indexed to the next
station. When the detent is released, the spring 68 moves it up
against the lower surface of the disc 28 again where it can enter
the next one of the recesses 60 when the turntable completes its
90.degree. movement to the next station. When the detent has so
indexed, and the detent 62 has moved into the next recess 60, an
arm 76 extending outwardly from a collar 78 of the rod 66 operates
a limit switch designated LS1 which de-energizes the clutch C1 and
stops the drive for the turntable.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the filling apparatus 46 at the second
station 44 includes a vertically reciprocable member 80 slidably
mounted on two vertical posts or guides 82 and 84. The member 80
has ears 86 pivotally connected by a pin 88 to a crank arm 90 which
is driven in a manner to be subsequently discussed. The arm moves
the member 80 with a vertical reciprocating motion over a
predetermined distance. The member 80 also includes an outwardly
extending flange 92 supporting a supply needle or elongate hollow
member 94 which extends downwardly and is in alignment with the
neck 18 of the syringe 14 when at the second station 44.
The supply needle 94 is connected through a flexible supply tube 96
to a neck 98 of a pump cylinder 100. The cylinder 100 is held in a
fixed position in a recess 102 of a stand 104 by means of a
clamping bar 106 held in clamping engagement through a pin 108 and
a thumbscrew 110. A pump plunger 112 is located within the cylinder
100 and is connected to a plunger rod 114 extending downwardly to
an end flange 116, which is held by means of clamping plates 118,
screws 120, and springs 122 on a back-up plate 124. The plate 124,
in turn, is affixed to the upper end of a gear rack 126 which is
reciprocably guided in a groove or gib 128 in the side of the stand
104.
When the rack 126 is moved up a predetermined distance, it moves
the plunger 112 accordingly and dispenses a predetermined quantity
of medicinal liquid form the from 100 through the tube 96 and the
needle 94 into the syringe 14. The cylinder 100 contains a
relatively large amount of the medicinal liquid so that the plunger
112 can be moved upwardly incrementally a number of times to fill a
corresponding number of the syringes 14 before the cylinder 100 is
empty. When the cylinder is empty, it can be removed and replaced
by a full one or it can be filled in place with the apparatus shown
in FIG. 3. In this instance, when the cylinder 100 is empty, a
three-way valve 130 is turned to enable the cylinder 100 to
communicate with an upwardly-extending neck 132 of the valve 130
rather than with the line 96. The neck 132 is connected through a
needle 134 with the interior of a medicinal supply container 136,
the needle 134 projecting through a rubber diaphragm 138 on top of
the container. When the rack 126 is then moved downwardly to
retract the plunger 112, it draws a new supply of medicinal liquid
from the container 136 into the cylinder 100 without removing the
cylinder. The valve 130 can then be turned back to connect the
cylinder with the line 96 and the operation can begin again. With
the relatively small medicinal supply containers now commercially
available, several may be needed to fill the cylinder 100. However,
the machine according to the invention will make larger supply
containers possible and practical since the diaphragm is pierced
only once, by the needle 134, rather than by a multiplicity of
syringe needles.
The plunger 112 is moved incrementally upwardly in the cylinder 100
through a unique, variable drive arrangement. Accordingly, the rack
126 projects through an opening 140 in the platform 64 of the base
12 and is backed up by a lower wall 142. A pinion 144 meshes with
the rack 126 and is connected through a commercially-available
one-way clutch 146 with a drive shaft 148. The clutch 146 is
designed so that when the shaft 148 rotates in a clockwise
direction, as viewed in FIG. 3, it accordingly rotates the pinion
144 which moves the rack 126 and the plunger 112 upwardly. When the
shaft 148 is moved in a counterclockwise direction, however, the
pinion 144 remains stationary. Rather than the clutch 146, the
shaft 146 can be in two parts and connected by an
electromagnetically-operated clutch which can be selectively
operated.
A travel control arm 150 is affixed to the shaft 148 and moves in
an arcuate manner as the shaft rotates in eithe direction. When the
shaft 148 is driven, and the arm 150 is in the position shown in
FIG. 3, the shaft rotates until the arm 150 moves downwardly to a
position in which an end 152 engages a positive stop in the form of
an adjusting block 154. The block 154, in turn, is connected
through a slot 156 of a vertical bar 158 to an indicator block 160
by means of an adjusting thumbscrew 162. When the screw 162 is
loosened, the indicator block 160 and the stop block 154 can be
moved up and down to any predetermined position. The position is
shown by a pointer 164 on the block 160 associated with indicia
indicated at 166 located on a side wall 168 of the base 12. When
the shaft 148 is disengaged from the drive, the arm 150 is then
moved back to its original position by a spring 169 connected
between the arm and the platform 64. The original position of the
arm 150 is determined by a fixed stop 170 extending inwardly from
the bar 158.
From the above, it will be seen that when the shaft 148 is driven
in a clockwise direction, it similarly moves the plunger 112 and
causes liquid to be dispensed from the cylinder 100 through the
tube 96 to the syringe 14, until the arm 150 moves into contact
with the stop block 154. When the drive for the shaft 148 is
disengaged, the spring 169 returns the arm 150 to the upper
position against the stop 170. During this counterclockwise
movement of the arm 150, the shaft 148 is similarly rotated, but
the pinion 144 remains stationary and so does the rack 126 and the
plunger 112. Consequently, through each reciprocatory motion of the
arm 150 and each incremental drive of the shaft 148, the plunger
112 moves upwardly a predetermined distance in the cylinder 100 and
dispenses a predetermined amount of medicinal liquid to the syringe
aligned with the needle 94. The dispensing of the liquid through
the needle 94 only occurs when the needle is in the syringe and the
member 80 is in the lower position.
When the cylinder 100 is empty and is to be refilled, the plunger
rod 114 is retracted to its lowest position to draw a fresh supply
of liquid into the cylinder. To accomplish this, the shaft 148 is
moved inwardly toward the right, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, to move
the pinion 144 out of engagement with the rack 126 so that the rack
can be pushed downwardly. This can be accomplished by a suitable
handle 171 of FIG. 4 which is pushed in by the operator. When the
handle is released, a spring 172 of FIG. 3 moves the shaft 148 and
the pinion 144 back to the original position with the pinion and
the rack 126 again engaged.
The filling operation of the syringe begins when one of the
syringes 14 moves into the filling position at the station 44. At
that time, a feeler arm of a limit switch LS2 engages the syringe
barrel 16 and closes the switch. The limit switch causes a pulse to
be fed to a solenoid SOL.1 (FIG. 4) which retracts a dog 174 from
an offset 176 in a control disc 178. The release of the dog 174
from the offset 176 causes a commercially available wrap spring
clutch 180 to engage and connects a drive shaft 182 with a drive
train, to be discussed subsequently. The shaft 182 is then driven
through an angle of 180.degree. until the dog 174, which was
immediately released after being retracted, contacts another offset
diametrically opposite the offset 176 in the control disc 178. This
accordingly stops the shaft 182.
During this movement, the crank arm 90, connected to a cam 184 on
the shaft 182, moves the reciprocable member 80 downwardly to move
the needle 94 into the syringe 14 at the station 44. In this
position, a control arm 186 on the shaft 182 contacts a feeler arm
of a limit switch LS3 which closes to energize an electromagnetic
clutch C2 to engage the drive train with the shaft 148. At the same
time, the limit switch LS3 energizes a timer which, when timed out,
de-energizes the clutch C2. The time that the clutch is energized,
however, is sufficient for the shaft 148 to be driven to the extent
that the arm 150 moves a distance sufficient for the end 152 to
contact the stop block 154 where it remains until the timer times
out and the clutch C2 is dis-engaged. At that time, the spring 169
returns the arm 150 and the shaft 148 to the original position,
ready for the next reciprocatory filling motion.
When the timer which dis-engages the clutch C2 times out, it also
pulses the solenoid SOL.1 again to temporarily retract the dog 174
and to enable the shaft 182 to again rotate 180.degree. and raise
the supply needle 94 from the syringe 14 at the station 44. At this
time, the control arm 186 contacts a fourth limit switch LS4 which
readies the machine for another cycle. The turntable control is in
series with the limit switch LS4 to prevent indexing unless the
switch LS4 is closed. This prevents possible indexing when the
supply needle 94 is in one of the syringes 14.
Referring now to the labeling operation, the labels 50 which are
applied to the syringes 14 at the station 48 preferably are of the
pressure-sensitive type and are supplied longitudinally on a tape
188, from which they can be readily peeled. The tape 188 is
supplied from a reel 190 (FIG. 1) located on a hub 192 which is
rotatably carried on a spindle 194 mounted on the platform 64. The
tape 188 with the labels 50 thereon is pulled past a spring-loaded
tension arm 196 which urges the tape and labels against a guide
post 198, thereby maintaining a constant tension on the tape beyond
the post 198. From here, the tape and labels move past the printing
apparatus 200, to be discussed subsequently, where suitable indica
is applied to the labels 50 to indicate the nature of the medicinal
liquid supplied to the syringes through the needle 94. The tape is
then pulled past a directional roller 202 and then sharply around a
separating bar 204 (FIG. 2) having a relatively sharp or abrupt
edge 205 at a corner thereof. This edge causes the labels 50 to
separate from the tape as the tape is pulled in a sharply divergent
direction at an angle of substantially 90.degree. to the labels.
The tape is pulled around a post 206 by a driven, knurled roller
208 (FIG. 1) against which the tape is urged by a rubber pressure
roller 210 having an adjustment 212.
The label 50 continues in a substantially straight direction from
the separating bar 204 and is engaged by a pressure feed roller 214
(also FIG. 2) and a driven feed roller 216 having annular V-shaped
ridges 217 thereon to prevent excessive contact with the adhesive
side of the label 50. The pressure roller 214 is mounted on a
movable arm 218 which is pivoted on the platform 64 and is urged
toward the label 50 being fed by a spring 220. The arm 218 carries
a supporting block 222 from a corner of which depends a knurled
applicator roller 224, rotatably supported by a pin 226. The roller
224 is positioned at the same level as the labels 50 being fed
between the rollers 214 and 216 and is on the printed side thereof.
The roller 224 is also located partially in the path of the syringe
14 and presses the label 50 against the syringe barrel 16 as the
syringe moves past the roller 224. The roller 224 yieldably moves
in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, the
spring-loaded end of the arm 218 swinging out under the path of the
tape 188 and urged in a clockwise direction by the spring 220.
A second, knurled applicator roller 228 is located on the opposite
side of the path of the syringe 14 and is also positioned at the
level of the label 50 which is moved across the syringe path. The
roller 228 is rotatably mounted by a pin or axle 230 between ears
232 and 234. The ears project from an offset extension 236 which is
integral with and extends from the side wall 54 of the discharge
trough or chute 56, with the extension extending between the upper
disc 26 and the plate 40 of the turntable 24. When the syringe 14
contacts that portion of the label 50 located between the
applicator rollers 224 and 228, the rollers help press the label
around the barrel 16 as the syringe moves between them.
As the syringe 14 moves between the stations 48 and 52, the label
is partially affixed thereto with free ends thereof extending
rearwardly, the label assuming a U-shape configuration, as viewed
from above. Between the stations are two additional knurled
applicator rollers 238 and 240 which are normally positioned in
contact with one another at the center of the path of the syringe.
The outer roller 238 is rotatably supported from an arm 242 by a
pin or axle 244, with the arm 242 being pivotally mounted on a post
245 and urged toward the roller 240 by an outer spring 246.
The roller 240 is rotatably supported from an arm 248 by a pin or
axle 249. The arm is pivoted by a pin 250 on the extension 236 and
is urged toward the roller 238 by a spring 252. The rollers contact
the syringe barrel 16 at the level of the label 50 and additionally
help to press the label thereon, with the rollers then moving
inwardly as the barrel 16 passes them to engage and press together
the free ends of the label. This securely holds the label thereon
enabling it to be read more easily than if it were wound completely
around the barrel.
In the operation of the labeling mechanism, when the syringe 14 at
the station 44 moves away from the feeler arm of the limit switch
LS2, and the feeler arm resumes its outer position, it starts the
feed for the tape drive roller 208 and the label drive roller 216.
This is accomplished by energization of an electromagnetic clutch
C3 (FIG. 5) which causes rotation of a drive shaft 254 for the
label drive roller 216 and, through spur gears 256 and 258, drives
a drive shaft 260 for the tape drive roller 208. An electromagnetic
brake B on the shaft 254 is simultaneously de-energized to enable
rotation of the shaft. At the same time that the outer movement of
the feeler arm of the limit switch LS2 energizes the clutch C3 and
de-energizes the brake B, it also de-energizes the electromagnetic
clutch C1 for the turntable shaft 58 temporarily. This causes the
indexing of the turntable 24 to hesitate when one of the syringes
14 is between the stations 44 and 48 to assure that the label 50
fed between the rollers 214 and 216 has moved into the proper
position in the path of the syringe 14 by the time the syringe
reaches the station 48. This hesitation is not necessary, of
course, if the turntable indexing speed is sufficiently slow in
relation to the lineal speed of the label 50. The drive rollers 208
and 216 continue to be driven until the trailing edge of the label
50 moves beyond the path of an electric eye established between
sending and receiving units 262 and 264. These then de-energize the
clutch C3 and again energize the brake B to assure precise stopping
of the labels. The electric eye units 262 and 264 also energize the
clutch C1 again to complete the indexing of the table 24. The
trailing end of the label 50 is held between the rollers 214 and
216 until the syringe reaches the station 48. At this time, the
syringe will have started to engage the applicator roller 224 to
move the arm 218 and the roller 214 away from the roller 216
thereby releasing the label.
The printing apparatus 200 is similar to that disclosed in my
copending application, Ser. No. 95,204, entitled "Apparatus for
Labeling Containers," and will not be discussed in detail here.
Similar printing apparatus is also disclosed in my co-pending
application, Ser. No. 25,925, entitled "Apparatus for Filling,
Closing, and Labeling Containers."
The apparatus 200 (FIG. 1) includes a pressure plate 266 in front
of which the tape 188 and the labels 50 pass, with the labels
facing outwardly. Printing type is set up in a type holder or chase
(not shown) to provide the desired indicia for the labels, the
holder being of any suitable type known in the printing art. The
holder is clamped in a printing head 268 which is moved back and
forth in a lineal path on a guide block 270 slidably supported on
gibs or ways 272.
An inking plate 274 includes an inking pad on the lower face
thereof to provide a fresh supply of ink for the type after each
printing operation on one of the labels 50. The plate 274 is
affixed to a shaft 276 which is supported by columns 278 and 280
with a pinion gear 282 affixed to the shaft 276 at one side of the
plate 274. The gear 282 meshes with a gear rack 284 which is
affixed to the head 268 and rotates the shaft 276 and the inking
plate 274 when the head 268 and the rack 284 are reciprocated. When
the printing head 268 is retracted, the inking pad of the plate 276
will be in contact with the type, and when the printing head 268
moves forward toward the pressure plate 266, the plate 274 is moved
to an upper, out-of-the-way position.
The printing head 268 is driven through a link 286 connected to a
crank arm 288 which is rotated by a shaft 290. Referring to FIG. 5,
the shaft 290 is driven through a wrap spring clutch 292 which
rotates the shaft through one revolution by means of a dog and a
single offset of a control plate, the dog position being controlled
by a solenoid SOL.2. This arrangement is not shown in detail in
FIG. 5 since it operates the same as the components 174-180 of FIG.
4, except that in this instance, the shaft 190 drives through one
full revolution. During this revolution, the printing head 268
moves to the forward position to print a label and then to the
retracted position to be inked.
When the end of one of the labels 50 passes the sending and
receiving units 262 and 264, the solenoid SOL.2 is also temporarily
pulsed to retract the dog and enable the full revolution of the
shaft 290 to occur. At this time, of course, the labels and the
tape 188 are stationary.
The drive trains for the various components of the machine 10 will
now be discussed. For the indexing, labeling, and printing
components, a suitable motor 294 drives a shaft 296 which turns a
drive sprocket 298 and, through a chain 300, turns a driven
sprocket 302. The sprocket 302 is rotatably mounted on the shaft
254 where it is connected with an intermediate sprocket 304 which,
through a chain 306, drives a driven sprocket 308. This rotates the
shaft 58 to index the turntable 24 when the clutch C1 is energized,
the sprocket 308 otherwise freely rotating on the shaft 58. The
clutch C1 is held in a fixed position by a fork 310 engaging a pin
312.
The sprockets 302 and 304 also are effective to rotate the shaft
254 when the clutch C3 is energized, this clutch also being held
stationary by a fork 314 engaging a pin 316 depending from the
platform 64. When the shaft 254 is rotated, it also rotates the
spur gear 256, which is affixed thereto, and the spur gear 258,
causing both of the drive rollers 208 and 216 to rotate.
The drive shaft 296 for the motor 294 also has a second drive
sprocket 318 which, through a chain 320, drives a driven sprocket
322. The sprocket 322 drives the shaft 290 when the dog for the
wrap spring clutch 292 is retracted by the solenoid SOL.2, to cause
the printing head to reciprocate through one complete cycle.
The drive train for the filling apparatus 46 will now be discussed.
Referring to FIG. 4, a motor 324 has a drive shaft 326 which,
through a drive sprocket 328, a chain 330, and a driven sprocket
332, rotates an intermediate shaft 334. This rotates an
intermediate sprocket 336 which, through a chain 338, drives a
sprocket 340 which drives the shaft 182 through each of its
180.degree. movements when the dog 174 is released and the clutch
180 is engaged.
A drive sprocket 342 on the intermediate shaft 334, through a chain
344, drives a sprocket 346 located on a second intermediate shaft
348. A drive sprocket 350 affixed to the shaft 348 then drives,
through a chain 352, a sprocket 354 which is rotatably mounted on
the shaft 148. When the clutch C2 is engaged, the sprocket 354
drives the shaft 148 and the pinion 144 until the arm end 152
contacts the stop block 154. The clutch C2 then simply slips until
it is de-energized.
Various modifications of the above described embodiment of the
invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is to
be understood that such modifications can be made without departing
from the scope of the invention, if they are within the spirit and
the tenor of the accompanying claims.
* * * * *