This invention relates to produce labelers and, in particular, to selectively labeling a wide variety of fresh produce by size or grade at high speed.
Within the fruit packing industry it has become common practice for fruit to be labeled in large quantities at high speed on sizing/grading equipment. The demand for labeling is driven mainly by the retail industry, requiring product to be identified by variety and/or source and furthermore by size and quality. As a consequence, packers are commonly required to apply a number of different labels to fresh produce during the grading and packing operation. This is generally achieved by installing multiple labeling stations in sequence over the grading conveyors. Two major drawbacks exist with this arrangement: (a) the extended space required to accommodate multiple labeling stations, and (b) the resulting higher costs attached to such installations.
For example, if peaches are to be labeled “small, medium or large,” the peaches typically pass through sizing equipment where three banks of labeling equipment are used to apply the appropriate size labels to the sized peaches. The 3 labeling stations (including rotary bellows, etc.) all take up space and are all relatively expensive.
There is a clear need for labeling equipment that is more efficient and versatile than the prior art systems that use separate labeling stations for each separate size or grade of produce.
The closest prior art known to applicant includes the use of dual cassettes as shown in Rietheimer U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,680 (see FIG. 6). However, Rietheimer has three major weaknesses. First, he uses a complex fixed cam surface housing (as opposed to rotary bellows). Secondly, his system uses conventional knife edge label stripping and is therefore limited to the use of relatively stiff labels. Thirdly, Rietheimer requires that the guide plate of each label cassette discharge each label tangentially to the rotary applicator and parallel to each transfer head as shown in FIG. 6 herein. This geometry limits the number of cassettes usable to two (see FIG. 6). The present invention is capable of using three or more label cassettes without the complex camming mechanism of Rietheimer. The present invention also uses thin and flexible labels, which are usable on more items than stiff labels.
The present invention provides, for the first time, a single automatic labeling station capable of applying 3 or more different labels to singulated produce passing through the station. The present invention also provides, for the first time, a single automatic labeling station wherein 3 or more label cassettes interact with a single rotary bellows applicator.
In the above example of “small, medium and large” peaches to be labeled, the present invention labels all 3 separate sizes in a single station with a single rotary bellows applicator. The invention reduces most of the prior art machinery required and the space necessary to house the machinery!
A primary object is to provide an automatic produce labeling apparatus capable of applying 3 or more different labels at a single labeling station and at high speed, i.e., more than 1000 labels per minute.
A further object is to provide an automatic labeling system which eliminates the need for multiple labeling stations otherwise required by the prior art in applying labels displaying different sizes or grades on produce.
A further object is to provide labeling apparatus wherein multiple label cassettes interact with a single rotary bellows applicator to apply multiple different labels to produce at speeds in excess of 1000 labels per minute.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and drawings wherein: