Positioning turntable mechanism and product labeling machine
By designing a positioning turntable mechanism, continuous processing of products is achieved at the clamping, labeling, missing label detection, and unloading stations, solving the problem of poor processing continuity in traditional labeling machines and improving processing efficiency and accuracy.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202423314849.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-31
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-21
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-12-31
AI Technical Summary
Traditional labeling machines have processing interruptions during product processing, resulting in poor processing continuity and affecting processing efficiency.
Design a positioning turntable mechanism, including a carrier plate, a drive mechanism, a rotating shaft, a turntable, and multiple positioning fixtures. The drive mechanism drives the rotating shaft to make the turntable rotate continuously, which drives the positioning fixtures to pass through the clamping, labeling, missing label detection, and unloading stations in sequence, so as to realize the continuous processing of products.
It achieves high continuity in product processing, improves labeling efficiency, avoids processing waiting intervals, and enhances the precision of station switching movements and alignment accuracy.
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Figure CN223574902U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of automatic labeling equipment, and in particular to a positioning turntable mechanism and a product labeling machine. BACKGROUND
[0002] A labeling machine is a device that pastes paper or metal foil labels in rolls on specified packaging containers or products. It sends a signal to the labeling machine through a sensor that the labeling object is ready to be labeled, drives the wheel to rotate, peels the label from the reel and pastes it to the designated position. The labeling machine usually has a label peeling mechanism that can automatically peel the label and complete the pasting work on the plane, cylindrical surface, concave and corner parts.
[0003] In the traditional technology, the product follows the clamp to move in the conveying line, and sequentially passes through the positioning station, the labeling station, etc. When all the stations are processed, the next product enters the conveying line to receive the labeling processing. There will inevitably be processing waiting intervals, poor processing continuity, and influence on the labeling processing effect. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL
[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a positioning turntable mechanism to solve the problems of processing waiting intervals, poor processing continuity, and influence on the labeling processing efficiency.
[0005] The first aspect of the present application provides a positioning turntable mechanism, which comprises:
[0006] a carrier plate;
[0007] a driving mechanism, which is installed on the carrier plate;
[0008] a rotating shaft, which is rotatably arranged on the carrier plate and is in transmission connection with the driving mechanism;
[0009] a turntable, which is connected with one end of the rotating shaft away from the carrier plate, and the outer periphery of the turntable is arranged with a clamping station, a labeling station, a label missing detection station and a discharging station along the rotation direction of the turntable; and
[0010] a plurality of positioning clamps, which are arranged on the turntable along the circumferential direction of the turntable, and each of the positioning clamps can sequentially pass through the clamping station, the labeling station, the label missing detection station and the discharging station.
[0011] The positioning turntable mechanism of the scheme works, the driving mechanism drives the rotation of the rotating shaft, so that the rotating shaft can drive the synchronous and uniform rotation of the turntable connected therewith. Since a plurality of positioning clamps will be installed in the circumferential direction of the turntable, with the continuous rotation of the turntable, each positioning clamp can sequentially and continuously pass through the material clamping station to complete product clamping, pass through the labeling station to complete product labeling processing, pass through the missing label detection station to complete product missing label detection, and pass through the discharging station to complete the release of the labeled product. In addition, the adjacent previous positioning clamp and the next positioning clamp can continuously and closely connect to enter each station, thereby meeting the continuous processing of different products, and the processing continuity is high, and the labeling processing efficiency is effectively improved.
[0012] The technical scheme of the present application is further described below:
[0013] In one embodiment, the length of the circular arc formed between any two adjacent positioning clamps is equal.
[0014] In one embodiment, the positioning clamp includes a mounting seat, a clamp driver, and a clamp unit. The mounting seat is mounted on the edge of the turntable, the clamp driver is installed on the mounting seat, and the clamp unit is drivingly connected to the clamp driver and can clamp or release products.
[0015] In one embodiment, the mounting seat is recessed to form a clamping groove towards the side surface of the turntable, and the clamping groove is clamped with the edge of the turntable.
[0016] In one embodiment, the positioning clamp further includes a positioning column, the positioning column is fixedly arranged on the mounting seat, and the positioning column abuts against the upper surface of the turntable.
[0017] In one embodiment, the clamp driver includes a first driving arm and a second driving arm, the clamp unit includes a first clamp body and a second clamp body, the first clamp body is connected to the first driving arm, the second clamp body is connected to the second driving arm, and the first clamp body and the second clamp body are spaced apart and can move towards or away from each other.
[0018] In one embodiment, the first clamp body is provided with a first anti-skid pad on the side surface facing the second clamp body; and / or, the second clamp body is provided with a second anti-skid pad on the side surface facing the first clamp body.
[0019] In one of the embodiments, the driving mechanism comprises a driving source, a first synchronous transmission wheel, a synchronous transmission member and a second synchronous transmission wheel, the first synchronous transmission wheel and the second synchronous transmission wheel are rotatably arranged on the lower surface of the carrier plate in parallel and at intervals, the synchronous transmission member is sleeved on the outside of the first synchronous transmission wheel and the second synchronous transmission wheel, the driving source is in driving connection with the first synchronous transmission wheel, the rotating shaft is coaxially connected with the second synchronous transmission wheel, and a rotating support seat is arranged at the connection position of the rotating shaft and the second synchronous transmission wheel, and the rotating support seat is connected with the carrier plate.
[0020] In one of the embodiments, the positioning turntable mechanism further comprises a stand, a slip ring module and an electric control module, the stand is vertically arranged on the upper surface of the carrier plate, the slip ring module is suspendedly arranged on the end of the stand away from the carrier plate, the slip ring module is in rotating cooperation with the turntable, and the electric control module is arranged on the turntable and is in electric connection with the slip ring module and the positioning clamp.
[0021] The second aspect of the present application further provides a product labeling machine comprising the positioning turntable mechanism as described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0022] The accompanying drawings which form a part of this application are intended to provide further understanding of the present application and are incorporated herewith for reference. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and the description thereof are used to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.
[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiment description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without any creative effort on the basis of these drawings.
[0024] Figure 1 The structural schematic diagram of the positioning turntable mechanism of an embodiment of the present application is shown.
[0025] Figure 2 The structural schematic diagram of the positioning turntable mechanism of an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 1 The partial enlarged structural schematic diagram of A in FIG. 4 is shown.
[0026] Figure 3 The structural schematic diagram of the positioning turntable mechanism of an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 1 The top view structural schematic diagram of the positioning turntable mechanism is shown.
[0027] EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS:
[0028] 100, positioning turntable mechanism; 10, carrier plate; 20, driving mechanism; 21, driving source; 22, synchronous transmission member; 23, second synchronous transmission wheel; 30, rotating shaft; 40, turntable; 41, clamping station; 42, labeling station; 43, missing label detection station; 44, material placing station; 50, positioning clamp; 51, mounting seat; 511, clamping groove; 52, clamp driver; 53, clamp unit; 531, first clamping body; 532, second clamping body; 533, first anti-skid pad; 534, second anti-skid pad; 54, positioning column; 60, stand; 70, slip ring module; 80, electric control module; 200, product. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] In order to make the above objectives, features and advantages of the present application more apparent, specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be practiced in a number of different ways beyond the specific embodiments described and it is therefore contemplated that there are many alternate embodiments that come within the scope of the present application. Accordingly, it is not intended that the present application be limited, in all respects, to the specific embodiments presented herein.
[0030] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that, if there are terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.
[0031] In addition, if the terms "first", "second" appear, these terms are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the number of the technical features referred to. Therefore, the features limited by "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, if the term "multiple" appears, the meaning of "multiple" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically limited.
[0032] In the present application, unless specifically defined otherwise, if there are terms such as "mount", "connect", "connect", "fix" and the like, these terms should be interpreted in a broad sense. For example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise specifically defined. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.
[0033] In the present application, unless specifically defined otherwise, if there are terms such as "mount", "connect", "connect", "fix" and the like, these terms should be interpreted in a broad sense. For example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise specifically defined. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.
[0034] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on another element or there can be a middle element. If an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to another element or there can be a middle element. If present, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "up", "down", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in the present application are for illustrative purposes only and are not the only embodiment.
[0035] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 3 A positioning turntable mechanism 100 is shown in an embodiment of the present application, which includes a carrier plate 10, a driving mechanism 20, a rotating shaft 30, a turntable 40, and a plurality of positioning clamps 50.
[0036] The driving mechanism 20 is mounted on the carrier plate 10; the rotating shaft 30 is rotatably disposed on the carrier plate 10 and in driving connection with the driving mechanism 20; the turntable 40 is connected to the end of the rotating shaft 30 away from the carrier plate 10, and the outer periphery of the turntable 40 is spaced apart along its rotation direction and arranged with a clamping station 41, a labeling station 42, a missing label detection station 43 and a discharging station 44; a plurality of positioning clamps 50 are arranged on the turntable 40 along the circumferential direction of the turntable 40, and each positioning clamp 50 can pass through the clamping station 41, the labeling station 42, the missing label detection station 43 and the discharging station 44 in turn.
[0037] In summary, the technical scheme of the embodiment has the following beneficial effects: when the positioning turntable mechanism 100 works, the driving mechanism 20 drives the rotating shaft 30 to rotate, so that the rotating shaft 30 can drive the turntable 40 connected thereto to rotate synchronously and uniformly. Since a plurality of positioning clamps 50 are installed in the circumferential direction of the turntable 40, with the continuous rotation of the turntable 40, each positioning clamp 50 can sequentially and continuously pass through the material clamping station 41 to complete the clamping of the product 200, pass through the labeling station 42 to complete the labeling of the product 200, pass through the missing label detection station 43 to complete the missing label detection of the product 200, and pass through the material releasing station 44 to complete the release of the labeled product 200. In addition, the adjacent previous positioning clamp 50 and the subsequent positioning clamp 50 can continuously and closely connect to each other to enter each station, thereby meeting the continuous processing of different products 200, and the processing continuity is high, and the labeling efficiency is effectively improved.
[0038] In the present application, the turntable 40 is a circular disc, which is simple in structure, convenient to process and form, and convenient for reasonable arrangement of the plurality of positioning clamps 50.
[0039] On the basis of the above embodiment, the lengths of the circular arcs formed between any two adjacent positioning clamps 50 are equal. That is, the plurality of positioning clamps 50 are arranged at equal angles in the circumferential direction of the turntable 40, which makes the driving mechanism 20 drive the rotating disc to rotate by a predetermined angle, so as to accurately switch each positioning clamp 50 from the current station to the next adjacent station, simplifies the movement mode, and improves the station switching movement precision and the positioning accuracy of the positioning clamp 50 and each station.
[0040] For example, the present application shows an embodiment in which ten positioning clamps 50 are installed on the turntable 40. At this time, the angle between any two adjacent positioning clamps 50 is 36°, and the positioning clamp 50 can be transferred between different stations once every 36° rotation of the turntable 40. Alternatively, when the angle between two adjacent stations is equal to a multiple of 36°, the positioning clamp 50 can also enter each station in an intermittent manner.
[0041] Further, a detection device is also installed in each of the material clamping station 41, the labeling station 42, the missing label detection station 43 and the material releasing station 44. When the detection device is not aligned with the positioning clamp 50, no stop rotation signal is generated, and the turntable 40 can rotate normally. When the positioning clamp 50 rotates into the station and is opposite to the detection device, the detection device immediately generates a stop rotation signal and transmits it to the controller of the product 200 labeling machine. The controller immediately controls the driving mechanism 20 to stop outputting power, so as to realize the positioning of the turntable 40 and ensure the reliability and accuracy of the subsequent material taking, labeling, missing label detection and material releasing operations.
[0042] Please continue to readFigure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, the positioning clamp 50 comprises a mounting base 51, a clamp driver 52 and a clamp unit 53, the mounting base 51 is mounted on the edge of the turntable 40, the clamp driver 52 is arranged on the mounting base 51, and the clamp unit 53 is drivingly connected with the clamp driver 52 and can clamp or release the product 200. The mounting base 51 is used for mounting and fixing the clamp driver 52 to the turntable 40, and the clamp driver 52 can control the clamp unit 53 to clamp or release the product 200 by drivingly connecting with the clamp unit 53.
[0043] Specifically, the mounting base 51 is recessed towards the side surface of the turntable 40 to form a clamping groove 511, and the clamping groove 511 is clamped with the edge of the turntable 40. It is easy to understand that the groove width of the clamping groove 511 is matched with the thickness of the edge of the turntable 40, so that the edge of the turntable 40 is clamped into the clamping groove 511 to form a tight fit structure, thereby ensuring that the mounting base 51 is clamped and mounted stably with the turntable 40. Compared with the mounting methods such as screwing, bonding and welding, it does not need to punch holes, and does not need to use adhesives, solder and other auxiliary materials, which has obvious advantages of cost reduction, convenient assembly and disassembly.
[0044] Please continue to refer to Figure 2 Further, the positioning clamp 50 further comprises a positioning column 54, the positioning column 54 is fixedly arranged on the mounting base 51, and the positioning column 54 abuts against the upper surface of the turntable 40. The positioning column 54 is arranged to position the axial position of the clamp driver 52.
[0045] For example, the positioning column 54 can adopt a magnetic attraction column. On the one hand, the positioning column 54 can be magnetically attracted and fixed with the turntable 40 made of metal material, and the magnetic attraction force and the clamping force are superimposed to improve the mounting strength of the mounting base 51 and the turntable 40. On the other hand, the positioning column 54 is buckled on the upper surface of the turntable 40, and the positioning column 54 and the upper surface form a large enough contact support area, thereby forming a better positioning effect and improving the stability of the overall installation of the positioning clamp 50.
[0046] In addition, on the basis of any of the above embodiments, the clamp driver 52 comprises a first driving arm and a second driving arm, the clamp unit 53 comprises a first clamp body 531 and a second clamp body 532, the first clamp body 531 is connected with the first driving arm, the second clamp body 532 is connected with the second driving arm, and the first clamp body 531 and the second clamp body 532 are spaced apart and can move close to or away from each other. The first driving arm and the second driving arm have the freedom of moving away from or close to each other, so that the first clamp body 531 and the second clamp body 532 can be synchronously driven to move close to each other to realize clamping and fixing of the product 200, or the first clamp body 531 and the second clamp body 532 can move away from each other to realize release of the product 200.
[0047] For example, the clamp driver 52 can be a bidirectional air cylinder, and the first driving arm and the second driving arm are the two piston rods of the bidirectional air cylinder. Alternatively, the clamp driver 52 is an integrated body of two air cylinder bodies, and the two air cylinders each have one piston rod, one of which is the first driving arm and the other of which is the second driving arm.
[0048] Please continue to refer to Figure 2. In order to improve the firmness of clamping the product 200 and avoid the product 200 from falling off during the conveying process, in an embodiment, the first clamping body 531 is provided with a first anti-skid pad 533 on the side facing the second clamping body 532; and / or, the second clamping body 532 is provided with a second anti-skid pad 534 on the side facing the first clamping body 531.
[0049] Preferably, the first clamping body 531 is provided with the first anti-skid pad 533 and the second clamping body 532 is provided with the second anti-skid pad 534 at the same time, and the first anti-skid pad 533 and the second anti-skid pad 534 are in contact with the product 200 at the same time, thereby increasing the friction and avoiding the product 200 from falling off due to insufficient friction.
[0050] For example, the first anti-skid pad 533 and the second anti-skid pad 534 are rubber pads.
[0051] Alternatively, in other optional embodiments, negative pressure suction holes can also be provided on the inner side of the first clamping body 531 and the inner side of the second clamping body 532 to generate negative pressure suction force to adsorb and fix the product 200, thereby providing clamping stability of the product 200.
[0052] Alternatively, support bosses can also be provided on the inner side of the first clamping body 531 and the inner side of the second clamping body 532, and the product 200 clamped between the first clamping body 531 and the second clamping body 532 is vertically lifted and supported by the support bosses to limit the degree of freedom of the product 200, thereby improving the clamping stability of the positioning clamp 50 on the product 200, etc.
[0053] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 In yet another embodiment, the driving mechanism 20 includes a driving source 21, a first synchronous transmission wheel, a synchronous transmission member 22, and a second synchronous transmission wheel 23. The first synchronous transmission wheel and the second synchronous transmission wheel 23 are rotatably arranged side by side and spaced apart on the lower surface of the carrier plate 10. The synchronous transmission member 22 is sleeved on the outside of the first synchronous transmission wheel and the second synchronous transmission wheel 23. The driving source 21 is in transmission connection with the first synchronous transmission wheel. The rotating shaft 30 is coaxially connected with the second synchronous transmission wheel 23. A rotating support seat is provided at the connection between the rotating shaft 30 and the second synchronous transmission wheel 23, and the rotating support seat is connected with the carrier plate 10.
[0054] The driving source 21 can be a driving motor. The rotating power output by the driving motor is transmitted to the rotating shaft 30 through the first synchronous transmission wheel, the synchronous transmission member 22 and the second synchronous transmission wheel 23, so that the rotating shaft 30 drives the rotating disc 40 and the positioning clamp 50 to rotate, realizing continuous processing of different products 200. In this process, the rotating support seat plays a rotating support role for the rotating shaft 30, and can provide support stability for the rotating of the rotating shaft 30.
[0055] For example, the first synchronous transmission wheel, the synchronous transmission member 22 and the second synchronous transmission wheel 23 can be matched to form any one of a synchronous belt wheel mechanism, a chain wheel mechanism and the like, which can be selected flexibly according to actual needs.
[0056] The rotating support seat can be, but is not limited to, a bearing seat.
[0057] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment, the positioning rotating disc mechanism 100 further includes a stand 60, a slip ring module 70 and an electric control module 80. The stand 60 is vertically arranged on the upper surface of the carrier plate 10. The slip ring module 70 is suspendedly arranged at the end of the stand 60 away from the carrier plate 10, and is in rotating cooperation with the rotating disc 40. The electric control module 80 is arranged on the rotating disc 40 and is electrically connected with the slip ring module 70 and the positioning clamp 50. The slip ring module 70 has cables, air pipes and the like arranged therethrough, allowing the rotating disc 40 to be electrically and pneumatically connected with the electric control module 80 and the positioning clamp 50 in a rotating state, so as to meet the normal working of the positioning clamp 50 while avoiding the cables, air pipes and the like from being twisted and wound due to the rotation of the rotating disc 40, thereby improving the working reliability of the positioning rotating disc mechanism 100.
[0058] In addition, the application also provides a product 200 labeling machine, which includes the positioning rotating disc mechanism 100 according to any one of the above embodiments.
[0059] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any manner. To make the description concise, all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are not described, but as long as the combinations of the technical features do not exist, they should be considered as the scope of the description.
[0060] The above embodiments only express several implementation manners of the application, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be understood as a limitation on the patent scope of the application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary skilled persons in the art, some modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of the application should be subject to the appended claims.
Claims
1. A positioning turntable mechanism, characterized in that, include: Carrier plate; A drive mechanism is mounted on the carrier plate; A rotating shaft is rotatably mounted on the carrier plate and is connected to the drive mechanism for transmission. A turntable, connected to the end of the rotating shaft away from the carrier plate, has at intervals along its outer periphery arranged a clamping station, a labeling station, a label leakage detection station, and a material unloading station; and Multiple positioning fixtures are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the turntable, and each positioning fixture can sequentially pass through the clamping station, the labeling station, the label leakage detection station, and the unloading station.
2. The positioning turntable mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lengths of the arcs formed between any two adjacent positioning fixtures are all equal.
3. The positioning turntable mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning fixture includes a mounting base, a fixture driver, and a fixture unit. The mounting base is installed on the edge of the turntable, the fixture driver is mounted on the mounting base, and the fixture unit is drivenly connected to the fixture driver and can clamp or release the product.
4. The positioning turntable mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The mounting base has a recessed groove on its side facing the turntable, and the groove engages with the edge of the turntable.
5. The positioning turntable mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The positioning fixture further includes a positioning post, which is fixed on the mounting base and abuts against the upper surface of the turntable.
6. The positioning turntable mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The clamp driver includes a first drive arm and a second drive arm, and the clamp unit includes a first clamp body and a second clamp body. The first clamp body is connected to the first drive arm, and the second clamp body is connected to the second drive arm. The first clamp body and the second clamp body are spaced apart from each other and can move closer to or further away from each other.
7. The positioning turntable mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first clamping body has a first anti-slip pad on the side facing the second clamping body; and / or, the second clamping body has a second anti-slip pad on the side facing the first clamping body.
8. The positioning turntable mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving mechanism includes a driving source, a first synchronous transmission wheel, a synchronous transmission component, and a second synchronous transmission wheel. The first and second synchronous transmission wheels are rotatably disposed side-by-side at intervals on the lower surface of the carrier plate. The synchronous transmission component is fitted onto the outside of the first and second synchronous transmission wheels. The driving source is connected to the first synchronous transmission wheel. The rotating shaft is coaxially connected to the second synchronous transmission wheel. A rotating support is provided at the connection between the rotating shaft and the second synchronous transmission wheel. The rotating support is connected to the carrier plate.
9. The positioning turntable mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning turntable mechanism also includes a stand, a slip ring module, and an electrical control module. The stand is vertically mounted on the upper surface of the carrier plate. The slip ring module is suspended at the end of the stand away from the carrier plate and rotates with the turntable. The electrical control module is mounted on the turntable and is electrically connected to the slip ring module and the positioning fixture.
10. A product labeling machine, characterized in that, Includes the positioning turntable mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.