Model V Instructions

Model "V" Labeling Machine Instructions and Parts List

January 1953

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR MODEL "V" LABELERS

These instructions are for standard adjustable labeling machines and should be used accordingly. Special adjustable machines for bottles, jars, screw top cans, etc., always have special instructions for setting machine, each container having separate instructions. These should be read carefully, together with the general instructions before any adjustments are made.

TO SET MACHINE

See that machine is properly oiled. When starting a new machine check carefully before plugging it in to make sure it will run in the direction indicated by arrow on belt guard or pulley above the discharge chute. Clean machine thoroughly after each day's run and lubricate well. See that paste and gum pots have proper amount of adhesive.

1. DIAMETER ADJUSTMENT. Measure diameter of can to be labeled with scale on label shelf. Then loosen clamp nut on column under motor belt drive and turn diameter adjustment handle in direction necessary to bring diameter measured on scale in line with top of gauge block. Then tighten clamp. See instruction sheet 9V and 13V.

2. HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT Before making any height adjustments read the following instructions thoroughly. Be sure the pick-up gum is melted to liquid or soft enough to allow the gum pot driven shaft to be rotated by hand. Then connect it to the driving shaft. Note- if using the form H gum roll (see special instruction sheet 2EV), remove the gum roll until adjustment is made, then replace with proper roll to suit the height of can. Also, be sure to have the proper brush between the carrier frame, or remove it until the adjustment is made. When using form D rolls (see special instruction sheet 1EV), be sure to have the proper gum rolls in their respective places to suit the shorter or taller can before adjustment is made. When making any adjustments of any kind, be sure to have machine running since the outside gum rolls, can tracks, guide rails, and carrier frame are so constructed that all move in and out as one unit.

Now measure height of can. Loosen clamp on side of gauge in center of machine (see instruction sheet 14V) and turn height adjustment handles (see instruction sheets 9V and 10V) in direction necessary to bring height of can just measured to edge of hole through which the gauge passes. Then tighten clamp.

3. GUM POT ADJUSTMENT. Loosen clamp knob on right hand side of gum pot and turn left hand knob until brass pointer at right side of pot is in line with corresponding figures of the scale to mark diameter of the can. Note – this scale is direct reading in 32nds at the top edge and 16th at the bottom. As an example, a 3-1/4” diameter container requires the pointer to be set at 3-4/16” on the bottom of scale. Then tighten clamp. See special instruction sheet 3EV.

Note – when changing over from a large diameter can and hot pick-up gum is being used, it may be discovered that the smaller can is not picking up the labels as frequently as the larger diameter did. This may be because it was necessary to move the gum pot closer to the label bed and therefore the interval of time between pick up of the gum spot and pick up of the label has decreased so that the gum does not have time to cool down to the proper stickiness to pick properly. In that case it might be wise to give the can two revolutions between the gum pick up and the label pick up to give a longer interval of time between the two steps and therefore give the gum a chance to cool down a little bit more. However, if the can exceeds 2-1/2” diameter, this cannot be done. As an example, a can measuring 2-1/8” diameter multiplied by two would equal 4-1/4” which then would require the gum pot to be set at 4-4/16” to give two revolutions.

4. FEED AND DISCHARGE CHUTE ADJUSTMENT. Adjust feed chute guide strip on stationary guide side first. Set this strip in line with stationary guide rail of machine. Then adjust strip on flexible guide rail side to leave approximately 1/8” clearance for container to roll into machine. Discharge chute strips are to be adjusted so that container will roll out of machine freely.

5. SEAMING PAD. Sometimes dented cans will miss picking up the labels, because of improper application of gum on the dented surface. When the can rolls across the seaming pad it will deposit the gum, which in turn will stick to the labels on the cans following through. It will also be found that the pad will become moist and sticky from the constant seaming of the lap end of the labels which always occurs at the same point on the pad. The gum or paste, therefore, should be cleaned off at once. Some machines are provided with a movable pad and the pad can then be turned to a new position. Some machines are also provided with a removable rubber apron which can be easily removed and washed quickly. It is suggested that an extra apron be kept on hand in order that there may always be a clean one to slip in place of the soiled one. An easy way to keep the pad clean is to wet a heavy cloth large enough to cover the entire top of the pad and lay it over night. This will prevent the paste and gum from hardening and it can be wiped off easily.

6. CAN STOP MECHANISM. The cans feeding through the labeling machine can be stopped at a predetermined point through the use of the can stop rod which is operated by the label feed mechanism. It is ordinarily set at the factory to stop the flow of cans when approximately twenty labels remain in the label bed. It is therefore not necessary to stop the machine in order to replace labels, since the operator can easily put more labels in while the cans are being held by the stop rod and, as soon as the bed is full, can lower the stop rod allowing the cans to flow through the machine once more. The operation of the stop rod should be considered a warning that more labels are needed and under no conditions should the stop rod be lowered again before more labels had been put in since there is a danger that the label bed will harm the knives if the labels are allowed to be used up to the last one.

7. TO PUT LABELS IN MACHINE. Before placing labels in machine, see that center label plate, which is easily removed, is of proper width to receive pack of labels. The proper place should be from 1-1/4” to 1-3/4” narrower than labels. These limits should be adhered to. See instruction sheet 7V. Always see that labels are well separated before placing in machine, since they sometimes stick together because of varnish or printer’s ink. This is overcome by holding pack of labels tightly in center and roughing end thoroughly. If stuck together very badly, pound ends gently over edge of label shelf. If labels are not thoroughly separated as indicated above, the containers, in passing over labels, will pick up two or more, depending on quantity stuck together, and will then drop the surplus labels when half over the pack. The following container will then pick up the labels. However, these labels have no paste on the lap end.

Also see that labels are of proper dimension for the container to be labeled. All labels should be long enough to lap over from ½” to 5/8”. For cans, the label width should be at least 3/32” narrower than the distance between the beads. For glass, the label width should be at least ¼” less than the width of the straight section of the body of the bottle or jar. For first pack of labels have side label guides set from 1/8” to ¼” wider than the labels. This dimension can be gauged by placing labels on label bed and adjusting side guides in or out to the above approximate dimension.

Care should be taken so that ends of labels are pushed back evenly against end guides at pick up end of label bed. Then raise label bed until labels are approximately ¼” below top of side label guides. See instruction sheet 7V.

For final adjustment of guides, operator should look down through machine allowing himself a good view of top of labels and guides. Then adjust guides by turning outside knobs in just tight enough so that labels do not bulge in center. If guides are set too tight, this may interfere with picking up labels. If set too loose, paste will run over the edge of labels or cause containers to slip off edge of tracks. See special instruction sheet 7V.

Then adjust paste pot by loosening wing screw located back of adjusting knob (see special instruction sheet 6EV) and move pot until paste belt overlaps end of labels 3/16” minimum to ½” maximum. See D instruction sheet 6EV. Then be sure and tighten wing screw.

Now raise labels until the top of them is even with top edge of can tracks just at point where containers come in contact with pick up end of labels. See special instruction sheet 6EV.

When first starting to label, always inspect the containers following the first one, observing if the pick up end of label is evenly placed on container, and if the lap end of label is in line with the pick up end. If labels are straight on containers, machine is now ready for labeling. If not straight, see special instruction sheet 6EV.

LABEL BED

The model V series labelers can be equipped with either a small label bed or a “deep” label bed. The following instructions apply to either bed unless specifically stated otherwise.

The label bed includes, besides the various supports for holding the labels in place, several different elements such as springs, knives, paste tube and curling bar, each of which is for a specific purpose.

For care and adjustment of the label feed assembly on the small label bed, study carefully instruction sheets 11V and 12V and for the deep bed, study 5EV and 6EV.

1. Side retainer springs and center label retainer springs (NL-1117R, 1117L and 1118A on the small label bed and NLE-1117R, 1117L and 1118A on the deep bed) are used to assist the cans in rolling on top of the labels by holding the ends of the labels down and they also help in separating the labels if they have a tendency to stick at the end. These springs should extend approximately 3/16” over the end of the label and be bent so that they set 3/16” to ¼” above the labels in their free position, if they are down tight on the labels, the cans will not pick them up. See instruction sheet 8EV or instruction sheet 13 for older style machines.

2. Side knives NL-2121 at the pick up end of the labels are used to prevent the labels from pushing forward while the cans roll on them. They should extend 1/8” to 3/16” beyond the side guides and should be sharpened at least once or twice per week depending upon the amount of usage.

3. The angle blade NL-2120A at the lap end of the label bed mounted in a spring tension holder NLE-2118A is used to retain the lower labels in place while the can pulls the top label off the pack. They should be adjusted to extend 3/16” to ¼” over the edge of the labels. Note the angle of these blades has rounded edges and should be kept that way because if they have sharp edges or corners, they will tear the labels as they are pulled out from under the blades by cans passing through the machine. Older styles of machines do not have these angle knives.

4. The label curling bar which lays across the labels at the lap end is used to create a curl in the lap end of the label to conform to the body of the cans and also to hold the end down until the paste dries. In order to form this curl the spring tension should be set as tight as possible without tearing the labels. Note the springs must be adjusted evenly at both ends of the bar. See instruction sheet 6EV. This bar becomes very sticky from paste on the labels passing under it, therefore it should be washed off several times a day and also be sure to wash and clean it every night. If the machine runs idle or is stopped for any length of time, the top label may stick to the bar and tear off when the next can passes through. It is, therefore, advisable to run one can through the machine to observe if this happens before starting with the full run. This trouble can be prevented if the label bed is lowered when the machine is left idle. Refer to instruction sheet 12 for older machines.

5. Paste shield NLE-290A on the rear side is used to assist the belt in carrying the paste over the edges of the labels. This tube should work freely up and down in the slot. A few drops of oil once a day will keep it free. The shield should be removed from the machine and washed after each day’s run. When replacing it, be sure the crosswise slot slips over the extended tang of the curling bar arm NLE-287L. Older style machines have paste shield NL-290 on the front side of machine. Otherwise, the operation is the same.

6. The label feed should be adjusted so the labels will be automatically kept up even with the top edge of the can track for containers up to 3-3/16” diameter. For larger diameters 1/32” to1/16” above the can tracks. If machine feeds labels too high above the tracks at any time, the containers will push the labels ahead and cause three or more labels to be picked up at one time. If labels are below the top edge of the tracks, it will cause the container to miss picking the labels up. See instruction sheet 10 for the small label bed or 6EV for the deep bed.

7. For refills of similar size labels, no further adjustments are necessary as long as labels remain the same width and length. If longer or shorter labels are used but the same width is retained, paste pot only must be moved to correspond to the length of the labels. If wider labels or narrower labels are used but the same length is retained, guides only must be adjusted in or out to correspond to the width of the instruction sheets 11V and 12V and for the deep bed, study 5EV and 6EV.

8. The label feed equalizer is mounted on both label guides of the Models V6, V6s, VP, C10, C10s and PG labelers. Its purpose is to keep the automatic label feed equalized for any size container from a small diameter to a large diameter. For all containers up to and including 3-1/2” diameter keep the adjustment bar in under the equalizer block. For all larger containers slide the bar from beneath the equalizer block. See instruction sheet 15V. No adjustment is needed on the Model V4 or MH since they are self-adjusting.

CONTINOUS LABELING

If not familiar with labeling, it is advisable to use the standard label feed for a period of time to become thoroughly familiar with its operation. Study all the preceding information and sheets 5EV and 6EV. Then proceed to put labels in machine as follows.

1. Disengage the right hand clutch and turn right hand wheel in direction indicated by arrow until label plate carrier bar is on the outside at location “B”. Then disengage left hand clutch and lower standard feed bed. On the top of this feed bed, lay a continuous feed plate being sure this plate is pushed back square against the rear guide as shown on instruction sheet 6EV. On the top of this plate, stack evenly two one thousand, or four five hundred packs of labels, being sure that all the labels are stacked evenly on top of each other and pushed square against the end guide and the rear label guide as shown on instruction sheet 6EV. If this is not adhered to, it will cause very unsatisfactory labeling.

2. Now depress the bar at “A” to engage the label feed, then raise the label bed up by turning the left hand wheel until the labels are even with the top of the can tracks and engage the left hand clutch. See instruction sheet 6EV. Now release the can stop and let four or five cans roll through the machine, then stop them again to inspect the containers to see if they are labeled correctly. If not labeled correctly, correct the condition and start labeling.

3. Now while the machine is labeling, get more labels ready to insert into the machine without stopping it. Note – when inserting labels, never use more than a one thousand pack or two packs of five hundred each at a refill. Now proceed with the refill as follows. Turn the right hand wheel in direction indicated by arrow until the label plate carrier bar comes up under the angle of the continuous feed plate as location “E”. See instruction sheet 6EV. Turn this bar tight enough against the bottom of the continuous feed plate to relieve the pressure from the standard label feed bed and immediately engage the right hand clutch. Now disengage the left hand clutch and lower the standard feed bed. Lay on top of this bed another continuous feed plate and on top of this plate lay the readied pack of labels as mentioned above. Again raise the feed bed up until the labels push tight enough against the underside of the continuous feed plate to relieve the pressure on the continuous label plate carrier bars, and immediately engage the left hand clutch and disengage the right hand clutch. Note – never use the chains for feeding purpose any longer than the time required to insert more labels.

4. As we now have two continuous feed plates operating, one above the other, feeding up as fast as the cans remove the labels while rolling through the machine, the top plate must be pulled out immediately when it has moved to position “H” as shown on instruction sheet 6EV. To pull this plate out, turn the right hand wheel in direction of arrow, this will pull the plate out part way. Keep turning until carrier bar is back to position “B”, then finish pulling the plate out by hand as quickly as possible. Immediately repeat the refill instructions as mentioned above and be ready to pull out the next plate when it reaches location “H” as long as continuous labeling is desired. Occasionally labels will be used which tend to stick to the feed plates. Dusting both side with soap stone will generally eliminate this condition.

LABEL FEED ADJUSTMENTS WITH AND WITHOUT CONTINUOUS FEED

Read instruction sheets 5EV and 6EV. Note that clutches, drive chain and the hand wheel at discharge end of the label bed are only used on beds equipped for continuous labeling and does not interfere with the following instructions, but will be mentioned later on in these instructions.

1. To check if label feed is operating correctly before labeling, proceed as follows. Start the motor and let the machine run idle. Disengage the label feed and lower the standard feed bed as far as it will go. Then engage the feed again by pressing down on bar at “A” See instruction sheet 5EV. If this bar does not have enough downward motion to disengage the feed control pawl from notch “C” in feed control disc, turn the label feed control nut in opposite direction of arrow until it does disengage.

2. If label bed is equipped for continuous feed, engage the left hand clutch. Now use hand wheel on the left and hold it with one hand exerting a lot of pressure in direction for lowering as indicated by arrow. See instruction sheet 5EV. While exerting this pressure with one hand, take the other hand and depress the bar at “A”. Release the pressure on the bar and it will stop feeding.

3. This bar is actuated by the cans rolling over the control block regulator “F”. See instruction sheet 5EV. Depressing the bar quickly and releasing it instantly causes the bed to feed up one tooth at a time on the ratchet wheel until the labels reach a predetermined height. Therefore depressing the jar by hand quickly and releasing it instantly will cause the same action as cans. If the feed fails to operate as mentioned, stop the motor. Turn the label feed bed up about half way by hand and engage the feed pawls by depressing the bar at “A”.

4. If bed is equipped for continuous feeding, engage the left hand clutch. Then check the feed control pawl for wear or breakage. See instruction sheet 5EV. This pawl should slide freely in the support casting which has a spring and adjusting screw in top of it. This screw requires a 7/16 hollow set screw wrench for adjusting the tension on the spring and this screw should set approximately ¼” to 3/8” below the edge of the casting.

5. Now go to the rear side of the machine and pull the carrier belts in running direction until the eccentric drive turns to dead center on its up stroke. See instruction sheet 5EV. With the eccentric setting at this location, the feed control pawl should drop freely to the bottom of notch “D” in feed control disc. If it does not drop in place, try pressing down hard on top of label feed bed by hand to take up the slack in all moving parts of the label feed. If it does not enter, then loosen the lock nuts on top and bottom of the connecting rod and stick a pin in the hole on the rod and turn rod in direction required to allow the feed control pawl to drop freely in notch “D”. Then be sure and hold the rod in this position while tightening the lock nuts.

6. With this adjustment completed, proceed by adjusting the detent pawl with eccentric setting the same as it was for the above adjustment. See instruction sheet 5EV. This pawl is on an eccentric stud mounted in a hole in the label bed riser. Loosen the set screw that holds this stud and start turning the stud until the detent pawl just enters over the edge of a tooth in the ratchet wheel and tighten the set screw. Note- be sure the pawl just entered over the edge of the tooth. This is very essential because this pawl and the feed control pawl must have the same amount of clearance to engage at the proper amount when the eccentric drive passes over dead center of the up stroke. See instruction sheet 5EV. Once they are set evenly, the small amount of clearance required for them to enter their respective positions, can be attained by shortening the connection rod for more clearance or lengthening for less. See “S” on instruction sheet 5EV. This dimension was set correctly when the machine left the factory and will need only minor adjustments to compensate for wear or in case parts NLE-279 and NLE-282 need be rest after removal.

7. How to operate, adjust and keep continuous feed chains in alignment. The auxiliary chain feed is used to make it possible to insert more labels in the machine without stopping it. It should not be used for feeding any longer than the time required to insert more labels. See instruction sheet 6EV.

8. When labeling continuously, there will be between two and three thousand labels in the bed at all times. For good operation each pack of labels should match the preceding pack in length and width. With this quantity of labels in the label bed at one time, the pressure required by the knives to cut through to labels at the pick up end depends on the quality of the paper and the printing. They might fluff up 1/8” to ¼” at the lap end, causing too much tension on the curling bar and might also stop the paste belt causing torn labels.

9. To overcome this difference, lower the standard label feed bed at the lap end ¼” by adjusting screw “G”. See instruction sheet 5EV. After the above adjustment is made, the bed should just about line up even with the label plate carrier bars at the lap end. These bars are set at the factory 1/8” to ¼” low at the lap end and need no more adjusting unless the labels vary more than the average.

10. To adjust these bars, see instruction sheet 5EV and note H-J-K-L-M. To eliminate errors for this adjustment, make two strips of wood or steel ¼” x ½” x 12” long and proceed as follows. Stop the machine. Drop the standard label bed down and engage the left hand clutch and the feed pawls by depressing bar at “A”. Then turn the label plate carrier bars to inside of the label bed to position shown on end view of instruction sheet 5EV. Engage right hand clutch. Lay one of the strips as mentioned above on its edge crosswise of the label bed so it rests on both carrier bars, rear and operators side. See “L”. Then turn the left hand wheel in direction of arrow until the gauge strip touches the underside of both drive shafts, rear and operator side at the same time. If they don’t touch both sides, they are out of alignment crosswise of the label bed and must be adjusted by loosening the screw in the end of the rear drive shaft. See “M” on instruction sheet 5EV. Then pull the drive chain at this end by hand in direction required to bring both ends of the gauge strip against the underside of both top drive shafts and tighten the screw thoroughly. With this adjustment completed, lay the other gauge strip flat ways across the carrier cars at the feed end of the label bed. See “K” and loosen the screws in the end of the drive shaft “H” and “J”. See feed end view on instruction sheet 5EV. Then use a spanner wrench in the holes drilled for this purpose on the inside of the sprockets at this end of the machine and turn each sprocket until the gauge strip touches the underside of each top drive shaft. Be sure that gauge strip lays flat ways across the carrier bars. Then tighten the screws thoroughly. Now remove the gauge strips and the carrier bars will be setting ¼” low at the lap or discharge end of the bed. If a little more is required, we will say 1/8”, insert it under the gauge strip at “L” and again adjust this end to the ¼” gauge strip.