| 摘要 |
<p>Apparatus for the high speed labeling of objects including fruits and the like in which the object is brought to a labeling station by an endless conveyor. The labels are releasably mounted on a carrier tape which is stored on a supply reel. The tape is pulled from the supply reel by a knurled roller which impresses a pattern on the outer surface of each label in order to allow it to more readily conform to nonplanar surface portions of the object to be labeled. A feed storage loop is formed in the tape by an oscillatable tension regulating arm which controls actuation and deactuation of the knurled roller, dependent upon the position of the arm. The tape then forms an indexing segment which passes through a transfer station, and as each label centers an indexing block in the transfer station, its presence is sensed by suitable label detecting means. Indexing movement of the tape through the indexing block is initiated by object detecting means located in a predetermined position relative to the conveyor to sense the presence of an object thereon to be labeled. When the object detecting means is actuated by the presence of the object, the tape is indexed, i.e., moved forward and around a sharp bend to strip a detected label from the tape and cause it to be located in a label holding frame. As this occurs, a label transfer wheel is rotated past the label holding frame, and a suction cup that moves in timed relation with the detected object on the conveyor, passes closely adjacent to the label. At this point, a vacuum is applied to the suction cup, which causes it to grip the imprinted surface of the label and carry it from the holding frame as the transfer wheel rotates. The timed movement of the suction cup, and the indicated object on the conveyor causes the two to come together with the label to be pressed against a surface of the object, at which time the vacuum is released. Substantially simultaneously, a thin lip of the suction cup is deformed by reaction to pressing against the object, thereby connecting the cup interior with the atmosphere and insuring release of the label from the cup. After the labels have been removed from the tape, the tape passes into a take-up storage loop formed by a second oscillatable tension regulating arm which controls the intermittent actuation of a motor driven take-up reel.</p> |
