Conveyor

Abstract

To provide a carrying device capable of carrying two or more kinds of articles, even without exchanging components.SOLUTION: A carrying device comprises: a guide extending in a carrying direction of articles; and holding units which each hold the article between the guide and the holding unit, and moves in the carrying direction. The holding unit comprises a plurality of roller units. In each roller unit, a plurality of rollers including a first roller, and a second roller larger in a diameter than the first roller, are aligned along one axial direction. The holding units can move in the axial direction. The roller abutting on the article switches among the plurality of rollers, by movement of the holding unit in the axial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a transport device. [Background technology]

[0002] A conveying device for conveying an article is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The conveying device includes a plurality of wheels. A recess for accommodating an article is formed on the outer circumferential edge of each wheel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4249969 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The shape of the recess is designed according to the article to be transported. When the article to be transported is changed, the transport wheels and the like must be replaced with ones that are compatible with the new article. In one aspect of the present disclosure, it is desirable to provide a conveying apparatus that is capable of conveying more than one type of article without necessarily having to interchange parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a conveying device configured to convey an article, the conveying device including a guide extending in a conveying direction of the article, and a holding unit configured to hold the article between the guide and move in the conveying direction.

[0006] The holding unit includes a plurality of roller units in which a plurality of rollers, including a first roller and a second roller having a diameter larger than that of the first roller, are arranged along one axial direction. The holding unit is configured to be movable in the axial direction. When the holding unit moves in the axial direction, the roller that contacts the article is switched among the plurality of rollers.

[0007] A conveying device that is one aspect of the present disclosure is capable of conveying two or more types of articles without necessarily having to replace parts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a label sticking system 1. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of a transport device 5. [Diagram 3] 2 is a side view showing a portion of the conveying device 5 on the direction F side. [Figure 4] 2 is a side view showing a portion of the conveying device 5 on the direction B side. FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a side view showing the configuration of a rail unit 21 and a holding unit 23. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a side view showing the configuration of a rail unit 21 and a holding unit 23. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configurations of a rail unit 21, a holding unit 23, and a guide 25. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which container 101 is held by lower rollers 59A and 59B and guide 25. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a container 101 is held by upper rollers 57A and 57B and a guide 25. FIG. [Figure 10] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a route switching rail 37. FIG. [Figure 11] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a route switching rail 39. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of a guide 25. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. First Embodiment 1. Configuration of Labeling System 1 The configuration of the labeling system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The labeling system 1 is a system that sticks labels to containers. The containers correspond to objects. The rightward direction in Fig. 1 is direction R, the leftward direction in Fig. 1 is direction L, the downward direction in Fig. 1 is direction F, the upward direction in Fig. 1 is direction B, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in Fig. 1 and heading towards the viewer is direction U, and the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in Fig. 1 and heading towards the viewer is direction D. Direction U is vertically upward. Direction D is vertically downward.

[0010] The labeling system 1 includes a container introducing device 3, a conveying device 5, a labeling device 7, and an article selecting device 9. The container introduction device 3 includes a horizontal supply conveyor 11 and two robots 13. An operator places containers onto which labels have not yet been affixed onto the horizontal supply conveyor 11. The horizontal supply conveyor 11 sends the containers in a direction F. At the end of the horizontal supply conveyor 11 on the direction F side, ten containers are lined up in a row along the directions R and L. The robot 13 introduces ten containers at a time into an introduction position 15 in the transport device 5.

[0011] The conveying device 5 conveys the containers from the introduction position 15 in the direction R. The labeling device 7 affixes labels to the conveyed containers. The conveying device 5 further conveys the containers in the direction R after the labeling process has been completed (hereinafter, referred to as labeled containers).

[0012] The article sorting device 9 sorts the transported labeled containers into good products and defective products. Good products are containers to which the labels have been properly affixed. Defective products are containers to which the labels have not been properly affixed. The article sorting device 9 sends the defective products to a defective product passage 17. The article sorting device 9 sends the good products onto a good product stand 19.

[0013] 2. Configuration of the conveying device 5 The configuration of the transport device 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 12. The transport device 5 includes a rail unit 21, a plurality of holding units 23, and a guide 25.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, when viewed from the side in the direction U, the rail unit 21 has a ring-shaped shape that is long in the directions R and L. 3 and 4, the rail unit 21 includes an upper rail 27, a lower rail 29, an upper chain 31, and a lower chain 33. The upper rail 27, the lower rail 29, the upper chain 31, and the lower chain 33 each extend along the circumferential direction of the annular rail unit 21. The upper rail 27, the lower rail 29, the upper chain 31, and the lower chain 33 each extend in the horizontal direction.

[0015] The upper chain 31 is located closest to the direction U side of the rail unit 21. The upper rail 27 is located closer to the direction D side than the upper chain 31. The lower rail 29 is located closer to the direction D side than the upper rail 27. The lower chain 33 is located closer to the direction D side than the lower rail 29.

[0016] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, upper rail 27 has a concave groove 35 on the outer periphery. The outer periphery is the direction away from the center of annular rail unit 21 when viewed from the perspective of direction U as shown in Figure 2. Groove 35 extends along the longitudinal direction of upper rail 27. Like upper rail 27, lower rail 29 also has groove 35.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 4, path-switching rails 37, 39 are provided on the direction B side of rail unit 21. The path-switching rails 37, 39 connect upper rail 27 and lower rail 29. The path-switching rail 37 is inclined so as to advance in direction D as it advances in direction L. The path-switching rail 39 is inclined so as to advance in direction U as it advances in direction L.

[0018] 10, the path-switching rail 37 has a groove 35, similar to the upper rail 27 and the lower rail 29. The groove 35 is on the outer periphery of the path-switching rail 37. The groove 35 extends along the longitudinal direction of the path-switching rail 37.

[0019] An air cylinder 41 is provided near the intersection of the path-switching rail 37 and the upper rail 27. An air cylinder 43 is provided near the intersection of the path-switching rail 37 and the lower rail 29. The air cylinder 41 can move a triangular stopper 45. The position of the stopper 45 is either a position where the groove 35 of the upper rail 27 is closed and the groove 35 of the path-switching rail 37 is opened, or a position where the groove 35 of the path-switching rail 37 is closed and the groove 35 of the upper rail 27 is opened.

[0020] The air cylinder 43 can move a triangular stopper 45. The position of the stopper 45 is either a position where the groove 35 of the lower rail 29 is closed and the groove 35 of the path-switching rail 37 is opened, or a position where the groove 35 of the path-switching rail 37 is closed and the groove 35 of the lower rail 29 is opened.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 11, the path-switching rail 39 has a groove 35, similar to the upper rail 27 and the lower rail 29. The groove 35 is on the outer periphery of the path-switching rail 39. The groove 35 extends along the longitudinal direction of the path-switching rail 39. under rail 29 An air cylinder 47 is provided near the intersection of the path switching rail 39 and above rail 27 An air cylinder 49 is provided near the intersection of

[0022] The air cylinder 47 can move the triangular stopper 45. The position of the stopper 45 is as follows: under rail 29 a position where the groove 35 of the path switching rail 39 is closed and the groove 35 of the path switching rail 39 is opened; under rail 29 or a position in which the groove 35 is opened.

[0023] The air cylinder 49 can move the triangular stopper 45. The position of the stopper 45 is as follows: above rail 27 a position where the groove 35 of the path switching rail 39 is closed and the groove 35 of the path switching rail 39 is opened; above rail 27 or a position in which the groove 35 is opened.

[0024] The upper chain 31 and the lower chain 33 rotate in the X direction shown in Fig. 3 by the driving force of a driving source (not shown). In the portion of the rail unit 21 on the direction F side, the upper chain 31 and the lower chain 33 move in the direction R. The direction R corresponds to the conveying direction. The speed of the upper chain 31 and the lower chain 33 are the same.

[0025] 5 and 6, the holding unit 23 includes two shafts 51, a slide portion 53, a roller support portion 55, upper rollers 57A and 57B, lower rollers 59A and 59B, and a cam follower 61. The upper rollers 57A and 57B correspond to first rollers, and the lower rollers 59A and 59B correspond to second rollers.

[0026] The two shafts 51 are aligned at an interval along the X direction. The axial directions of the two shafts 51 are parallel to the directions U and D. The upper ends of the two shafts 51 are fixed to the upper chain 31. The lower ends of the two shafts 51 are fixed to the lower chain 33. When the upper chain 31 and the lower chain 33 rotate in the X direction, the two shafts 51 move in the X direction.

[0027] The slide portion 53 has two through holes extending parallel to the directions U and D. A shaft 51 is inserted into each through hole. A bush is attached inside the through hole. The bush is extrapolated onto the shaft 51. The inner circumferential surface of the bush slides against the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 51, allowing the slide portion 53 to move in the directions U and D.

[0028] The roller support part 55 is fixed to the outer circumferential side of the slide part 53. The outer circumferential side is the direction away from the center of the annular rail unit 21 when viewed from the viewpoint of the direction U side as shown in Fig. 2. The roller support part 55 includes support plates 63, 65 that protrude toward the outer circumferential side. The support plate 65 is located on the downward direction D side of the support plate 63.

[0029] Roller shafts 65A and 65B extend downward in the direction D from the lower surface of the support plate 63. The roller shafts 65A and 65B are aligned along the X direction. Roller shafts 67A and 67B extend downward in the direction D from the lower surface of the support plate 65. The roller shafts 67A and 67B are aligned along the X direction. The roller shafts 65A and 67A are aligned in a straight line. The roller shafts 65B and 67B are aligned in a straight line.

[0030] The upper roller 57A is rotatably attached to the roller shaft 65A. The axial direction of the upper roller 57A is parallel to the directions U and D. The upper roller 57B is rotatably attached to the roller shaft 65B. The axial direction of the upper roller 57B is parallel to the directions U and D. The upper rollers 57A, 57B are arranged at a distance from each other along the X direction. The positions of the upper rollers 57A, 57B in the directions U and D are the same. The shapes of the upper rollers 57A, 57B are cylindrical. The diameters of the upper rollers 57A, 57B are the same. The lengths of the upper rollers 57A, 57B in the axial direction are the same.

[0031] The lower roller 59A is rotatably attached to the roller shaft 67A. The axial direction of the lower roller 59A is parallel to the directions U and D. The lower roller 59B is rotatably attached to the roller shaft 67B. The axial direction of the lower roller 59B is parallel to the directions U and D. The lower rollers 59A, 59B are arranged at intervals along the X direction. The positions of the lower rollers 59A, 59B in the directions U and D are the same. The lower rollers 59A, 59B are cylindrical in shape. The lower rollers 59A, 59B have the same diameter. The lengths of the lower rollers 59A, 59B in the axial direction are the same.

[0032] The lower roller 59A is located on the lower side of the upper roller 57A in the direction D. The rotation axis of the lower roller 59A and the rotation axis of the upper roller 57A are aligned on a straight line. The upper roller 57A and the lower roller 59A are aligned along one axial direction parallel to the directions U and D. This axial direction is perpendicular to the direction R. The upper roller 57A and the lower roller 59A correspond to a roller unit. The diameter of the lower roller 59A is larger than the diameter of the upper roller 57A.

[0033] The lower roller 59B is located on the lower side of the upper roller 57B in the direction D. The rotation axis of the lower roller 59B and the rotation axis of the upper roller 57B are aligned on a straight line. The upper roller 57B and the lower roller 59B are aligned along one axial direction parallel to the directions U and D. This axial direction is perpendicular to the direction R. The upper roller 57B and the lower roller 59B correspond to a roller unit. Thus, the holding unit 23 includes a roller unit consisting of the upper roller 57A and the lower roller 59A, and a roller unit consisting of the upper roller 57B and the lower roller 59B. The diameter of the lower roller 59B is larger than the diameter of the upper roller 57B.

[0034] 5 and 6, the cam follower 61 is attached to an inner peripheral portion of the slide portion 53. The inner peripheral side is the direction toward the center of the annular rail unit 21 when viewed from the perspective of the direction U side as shown in FIG. 2. The cam follower 61 protrudes toward the inner peripheral side beyond the slide portion 53. The cam follower 61 is inserted into the groove 35 of the upper rail 27 or the groove 35 of the lower rail 29.

[0035] When the upper chain 31 and the lower chain 33 rotate in the X direction, the holding unit 23 moves in the X direction. The holding unit 23 can make one revolution around the annular rail unit 21. The inner circumferential surface of a bush provided in the slide portion 53 slides against the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 51, whereby the holding unit 23 can move in directions U and D. The directions U and D are parallel to the axial directions of the upper rollers 57A, 57B and the lower rollers 59A, 59B.

[0036] However, when the cam follower 61 is inserted into the groove 35 of the upper rail 27, the position of the holding unit 23 in the directions U and D is determined by the upper rail 27. When the cam follower 61 is inserted into the groove 35 of the lower rail 29, the position of the holding unit 23 in the directions U and D is determined by the lower rail 29.

[0037] In the following, a state in which the cam follower 61 is inserted into the groove 35 of the upper rail 27 is referred to as an upward displacement state. Also, a state in which the cam follower 61 is inserted into the groove 35 of the lower rail 29 is referred to as a downward displacement state. In the upward displacement state, the holding unit 23 is located closer to the direction U side than in the downward displacement state.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 1, the guide 25 is an elongated member extending parallel to the directions L and R. As shown in Figs. 1 and 7, the guide 25 is located on the direction F side of the rail unit 21 and the holding unit 23. As shown in Fig. 7, when viewed from the perspective of the direction R side, the guide 25 has an L-shape composed of a side plate 25A and a bottom plate 25B. The side plate 25A extends parallel to the directions U and D. The bottom plate 25B extends in the direction B from the lower end of the side plate 25A.

[0039] 7, in the upward displacement state, the lower rollers 59A, 59B face the guide 25. In the downward displacement state, the upper rollers 57A, 57B face the guide 25. That is, as the holding unit 23 moves in the directions U and D, the rollers facing the guide 25 are switched between the upper rollers 57A, 57B and the lower rollers 59A, 59B.

[0040] The rotation axis of upper roller 57A and the rotation axis of lower roller 59A are both parallel to directions U and D and on a straight line. The diameter of lower roller 59A is larger than the diameter of upper roller 57A. In addition, the rotation axis of upper roller 57B and the rotation axis of lower roller 59B are both parallel to directions U and D and on a straight line. The diameter of lower roller 59B is larger than the diameter of upper roller 57B.

[0041] Therefore, the distance between guide 25 and lower rollers 59A, 59B in the upward displacement state is smaller than the distance between guide 25 and upper rollers 57A, 57B in the downward displacement state. 12, the guide 25 can move in directions F and B. The further the guide 25 moves in direction F, the further away the guide 25 is from the upper rollers 57A, 57B or the lower rollers 59A, 59B. For example, the larger the diameter of the container to be transported, the more the position of the guide 25 can be moved toward direction F.

[0042] 3. Processing performed by the transport device 5 The process executed by the conveying device 5 will be described. The container introduction device 3 introduces a container 101 to an introduction position 15 in the conveying device 5. The container 101 has, for example, a cylindrical body. The introduction position 15 is a position on the conveying device 5, which is on the direction F side and on the direction L side. At the introduction position 15, the holding unit 23 holds one container 101 between itself and the guide 25, as shown in FIG. 7.

[0043] When in the upwardly displaced state, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, container 101 is held by lower rollers 59A, 59B and guide 25. Lower rollers 59A, 59B abut against the side of container 101. Side plate 25A of guide 25 abuts against the side of container 101, and bottom plate 25B supports the bottom surface of container 101 from below. Lower rollers 59A, 59B and side plate 25A sandwich container 101 from both sides. Lower rollers 59A, 59B and guide 25 hold, for example, a cylindrical body portion of container 101.

[0044] When in the downward displacement state, as shown in Fig. 9, the container 101 is held by the upper rollers 57A, 57B and the guide 25. The upper rollers 57A, 57B abut against the side surface of the container 101. The side plate 25A of the guide 25 abuts against the side surface of the container 101, and the bottom plate 25B supports the bottom surface of the container 101 from below. The upper rollers 57A, 57B and the side plate 25A sandwich the container 101 from both sides. The upper rollers 57A, 57B and the guide 25 hold, for example, a cylindrical body portion of the container 101.

[0045] As described above, by moving the holding unit 23 in the directions U and D, the rollers that come into contact with the container 101 are switched between the upper rollers 57A, 57B and the lower rollers 59A, 59B. Holding unit 23 moves in direction R while holding container 101. Container 101 moves in direction R while sliding along the surface of guide 25. Through the above process, conveying device 5 conveys container 101 in direction R. The conveying direction of container 101 is along a straight line.

[0046] The conveyor device 5 can be switched from the upward displacement state to the downward displacement state as follows. In the upward displacement state, the cam follower 61 is inserted into the groove 35 of the upper rail 27. The position of the stopper 45 of the air cylinder 41 shown in FIG. 10 is set to a position where the groove 35 of the upper rail 27 is blocked and the groove 35 of the path switching rail 37 is opened. The position of the stopper 45 of the air cylinder 43 is set to a position where the groove 35 of the lower rail 29 is blocked and the groove 35 of the path switching rail 37 is opened. The cam follower 61 advances from the upper rail 27 to the lower rail 29 via the path switching rail 37. As a result, the upward displacement state is switched to the downward displacement state.

[0047] 10 is set to a position that opens the groove 35 of the upper rail 27 and blocks the groove 35 of the path-switching rail 37. Also, the position of the stopper 45 of the air cylinder 43 is set to a position that opens the groove 35 of the lower rail 29 and blocks the groove 35 of the path-switching rail 37. The cam follower 61 does not enter the path-switching rail 37 and maintains a state inserted in the groove 35 of the upper rail 27.

[0048] The conveyor device 5 can be switched from the downward displacement state to the upward displacement state as follows. In the downward displacement state, the cam follower 61 is inserted into the groove 35 of the lower rail 29. The position of the stopper 45 of the air cylinder 47 shown in FIG. 11 is set to a position where the groove 35 of the lower rail 29 is blocked and the groove 35 of the path switching rail 39 is opened. The position of the stopper 45 of the air cylinder 49 is set to a position where the groove 35 of the upper rail 27 is blocked and the groove 35 of the path switching rail 39 is opened. The cam follower 61 advances from the lower rail 29 through the path switching rail 39 to the upper rail 27. As a result, the downward displacement state is switched to the upward displacement state.

[0049] In addition, when maintaining the downward displacement state, the position of the stopper 45 of the air cylinder 47 shown in Fig. 11 is set to a position that opens the groove 35 of the lower rail 29 and blocks the groove 35 of the path-switching rail 39. In addition, the position of the stopper 45 of the air cylinder 49 is set to a position that opens the groove 35 of the upper rail 27 and blocks the groove 35 of the path-switching rail 39. The cam follower 61 does not enter the path-switching rail 39, and maintains a state in which it is inserted into the groove 35 of the lower rail 29.

[0050] 4. Effects of the conveying device 5 (1A) The conveyor 5 can be in an upward displacement state and a downward displacement state. The distance between the guide 25 and the lower rollers 59A, 59B in the upward displacement state is smaller than the distance between the guide 25 and the upper rollers 57A, 57B in the downward displacement state.

[0051] For example, when the container to be transported is large, the transport device 5 can be in a downward displacement state and the distance between the guide 25 and the upper rollers 57A, 57B can be increased. Also, when the container to be transported is small, the transport device 5 can be in an upward displacement state and the distance between the guide 25 and the lower rollers 59A, 59B can be decreased. Therefore, the transport device 5 can transport two or more types of containers without necessarily replacing parts.

[0052] (1B) The holding unit 23 can move in directions U and D. The transport device 5 transports containers in direction R. Thus, the holding unit 23 can move in a direction perpendicular to the container transport direction. Therefore, the transport device 5 can efficiently switch from an upward displacement state to a downward displacement state and from the downward displacement state to the upward displacement state.

[0053] (1C) The guide 25 is movable in a direction approaching the holding unit 23 or in a direction away from the holding unit 23. By moving the guide 25, the conveying device 5 can adjust the distance between the guide 25 and the holding unit 23 according to the container to be conveyed.

[0054] (1D) The conveying direction in which the conveying device 5 conveys the containers is a straight line, so that the conveying device 5 can convey the containers efficiently. (1E) The conveying device 5 is part of the labeling system 1. Therefore, the labeling system 1 can convey two or more types of containers without necessarily replacing parts. <Other embodiments> Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be implemented in various modified forms.

[0055] (1) The conveying device 5 may be a device that conveys items other than containers. (2) The conveying device 5 may be part of a system other than the label application system 1 . (3) The holding unit 23 may include a roller unit in which three or more rollers are arranged in one axial direction. The three or more rollers may have different diameters, for example. The number of rollers arranged in one axial direction may be, for example, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc.

[0056] (4) In the first embodiment, the holding unit 23 includes two roller units. The number of roller units included in the holding unit 23 may be three or more. (5) The conveying device 5 may convey the containers along a conveying path that is partially or entirely curved.

[0057] (6) The diameter of the upper rollers 57A, 57B may be larger than the diameter of the lower rollers 59A, 59B. (7) The function of one component in each of the above embodiments may be shared by multiple components, or the functions of multiple components may be performed by one component. Also, part of the configuration of each of the above embodiments may be omitted. Also, at least part of the configuration of each of the above embodiments may be added to or substituted for the configuration of another of the above embodiments.

[0058] (8) In addition to the conveying device described above, the present disclosure can also be realized in various forms, such as a system including the conveying device as a component, a program for causing a computer to function as the conveying device, a non-transient tangible recording medium such as a semiconductor memory on which the program is recorded, and a method for conveying items. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1...Labeling system, 3...Container introduction device, 5...Conveyor device, 7...Labeling device, 9...Item sorting device, 11...Horizontal supply conveyor, 13...Robot, 17...Defective product passage, 19...Good product stand, 21...Rail unit, 23...Holding unit, 25...Guide, 25A...Side plate, 25B...Bottom plate, 27...Upper rail, 29...Lower rail, 31...Upper chain, 33...Lower chain, 35...Groove, 37, 39...Path switching rail, 41, 43, 47, 49...Air cylinder, 45...Stopper, 51...Shaft, 53...Slide portion, 55...Roller support portion, 57A, 57B...Upper roller, 59A, 59B...Lower roller, 61...Cam follower, 63, 65...Support plate, 65A, 65B, 67A, 67B...Roller shaft, 101...Container

Claims

1. 1. A conveying apparatus configured to convey an article, comprising: A guide extending in a conveying direction of the article; a holding unit configured to hold the article between itself and the guide and move in the conveying direction; Equipped with The holding unit includes a plurality of roller units in which a plurality of rollers, including a first roller and a second roller having a diameter larger than that of the first roller, are arranged along one axial direction; The holding unit is configured to be movable in the axial direction, The roller that contacts the article is switched among the plurality of rollers by moving the holding unit in the axial direction. Conveying device.

2. 2. The conveying device according to claim 1, The axial direction is perpendicular to the conveying direction. Conveying device.

3. 3. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, The guide is configured to be movable in a direction toward the holding unit or in a direction away from the holding unit. Conveying device.

4. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, In at least a part of the transport path of the article, the transport direction is a direction along a straight line. Conveying device.

5. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the article is a container; the conveying device being part of a labelling system for applying labels to the containers; Conveying device.

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