Jeffrey L Stover

US Patent:

52599132, Nov 9, 1993

Filed:

Oct 23, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/965184

Inventors:

Jeffrey D. Stover - Hamilton OH

Assignee:

Spear, Incorporated - Mason OH

International Classification:

B65C 900

US Classification:

156566

Abstract:

A rotary decorating machine for bottles having an alignment structure formed adjacent their bottom periphery, wherein the machine has at least one decorating station. A rotating table is provided with a plurality of independently rotatable bottle receiving cups spaced from one another adjacent the outer periphery of the table. The rotating table is driven by a first motor, and the bottle receiving cups are independently rotatable by pinion gears attached thereto for enabling planetary rotation of the bottles relative to the rotating table. A lower gear is provided with a second drive motor for rotation independent of the rotating table, and the pinion gears attached to individual bottle receiving cups are intermeshed with that gear. Rotation of the lower gear independently effects the rotation speed and direction of the bottle receiving cups independent of the planetary rotation resulting from movement of the rotating table. A control device is further provided for implementing instructions to the second drive motor to effectively control the rotation of the bottle receiving cup relative to the rotation of the rotating table during labeling operations.