Importance

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Abstract

A banding machine applies labels to the top of containers and has a frame with a turret plate rotatably mounted thereon and driven by a drive mechanism. Band holders are positioned on the turret plate and receive cut film sleeves having spaced indicia thereon in an unopened, flattened condition. The band holders open the band into a circular sleeve, and then hold and move the band onto the top of a vertically oriented container advancing into a banding position as the turret plate rotates. A registration sensor senses film indicia before label cutting and generates a signal indicative of the sensed registration. A controller stops film advancement upon the sensor's detection of film indicia so as to initiate film cutting and initiate film feeding again to advance film a predetermined amount for a newly cut label. The feed roller is initiated for feeding film upon rotation of the turret plate and movement of a band holder into an indexed position. The feed roller initiator mechanism includes a sensor mounted on the frame for selective movement in an arcuate arc adjacent the circular arc defined by the band holders as the turret plate rotates so that the sensed position of the band holder relative to the cutting motion of the blade can be varied to ensure feeding of film during a noncutting sequence. In another aspect of the invention, the registration sensor is movable linearly in the direction of film feed so as to adjust the stopping and cutting of film at a predetermined film location corresponding to a desired film indicia.

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First Claim