Carousel labeling machine

1 . A carousel labeling machine, comprising: a carousel for conveying containers to be labeled and at least one carriage, the carousel being provided with a frame which supports, at a peripheral region thereof, at least one attachment point, which is configured to be engaged detachably by said carriage for supporting a labeling station, and which is provided with locking means adapted to cooperate with engagement means supported by said carriage in order to perform a locking of said carriage to said frame in a position adapted to allow application of the labels on the containers that are present on said carousel by the labeling station mounted on said carriage, wherein said engagement means comprise at least one coupling device supported by said carriage, said locking means comprising at least one pair of retention elements, which are configured to move with respect to each other in order to effect a clamping of said at least one coupling device between said retention elements, means being provided for centering said at least one coupling device with respect to said retention elements;

wherein said at least one pair of retention elements comprise an upper retention element, which is fixed to said frame and is arranged at a preset height with respect to an upper edge of said frame, and a lower retention element, which faces said upper retention element and can be actuated in motion, by electromechanical movement means, with respect to said upper retention element, along a substantially vertical direction.

2 . The machine according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one coupling device comprises a substantially horizontal engagement plate which protrudes from a side of said carriage that is designed to be directed toward said frame, said engagement plate being insertable between said retention elements.

3 . The machine according to claim 2 , wherein said centering means comprise substantially vertical locator pins which are supported by said frame and are laterally mutually spaced apart, said engagement plate being shaped in a front region so as to define at least one pair of protrusions which are configured to be inserted between said locator pins.

4 . The machine according to claim 3 , wherein said protrusions are separated by at least one recess which is designed to accommodate at least one of said locator pins.

5 . The machine according to claim 2 , wherein said carriage comprises a pair of engagement pins which are fixed to said engagement plate and are arranged mutually substantially coaxially along a direction that is substantially transverse to said carriage, said engagement pins protruding laterally on mutually opposite sides with respect to said engagement plate, said at least one pair of retention elements defining, for each one of said engagement pins, a respective correspondingly-shaped accommodation seat.

6 . The machine according to claim 5 , wherein each respective correspondingly-shaped accommodation seat is, at least partly, defined on one of said at least one pair of retention elements and, at least partly, on another one of said at least one pair of retention elements.

7 . The machine according to claim 2 , wherein that said carriage comprises at least one pair of locator tabs, which protrude substantially at right angles from a face of said substantially horizontal engagement plate and are configured to be inserted in respective engagement seats, which are correspondingly defined on one of said at least one pair of retention elements.

8 . The machine according to claim 1 , wherein said electromechanical movement means comprise an electric motor which actuates at least one worm screw which is engaged by a respective female thread which is integral with said lower retention element.

9 . The machine according to claim 8 , wherein said electric motor is a motor of the brushless type.

10 . The machine according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one pair of retention elements are contained within an external perimeter of said frame.

11 . A carousel labeling machine, comprising:

a carousel for conveying containers to be labeled; and

at least one carriage including a labeling station mounted thereon;

wherein said carousel includes a frame with a peripheral region which supports at least one attachment point that is configured to be engaged detachably by said carriage, wherein said peripheral region includes locking means adapted to cooperate with engagement means supported by said carriage in order to perform a locking of said carriage to said frame in a position adapted to allow application of labels on the containers that are present on said carousel by the labeling station mounted on said carriage;

wherein said engagement means comprise at least one coupling device supported by said carriage;

wherein said locking means comprise an upper retention element, which is fixed to said frame and is arranged at a preset height with respect to an upper edge of said frame, and a lower retention element, which faces said upper retention element and can be actuated in motion, by electromechanical movement means along a substantially vertical direction between an open position and a clamping position relative to said upper retention element;

wherein said at least one coupling device comprises a substantially horizontal engagement plate which protrudes from a side of said carriage that is designed to be directed toward said frame, said engagement plate carrying a pair of engagement pins that are fixed to said engagement plate and that extend from opposite sides of said engagement plate and that are arranged mutually substantially coaxially along a direction that is substantially transverse to said carriage, both said engagement plate and said engagement pins being insertable between said upper retention element and said lower retention element when said lower retention element is in the open position;

wherein said upper and lower retention elements are configured to engage and clamp both the said engagement plate and said engagement pins when said lower retention element moves vertically upward into the clamping position.

12 . The carousel labeling machine of claim 11 , wherein said upper and lower retention elements are configured to define, for each one of said engagement pins, a respective correspondingly-shaped accommodation seat for clamping said engagement pins when said lower retention element is in the clamping position.

13 . The machine according to claim 11 , wherein that said carriage comprises at least one pair of locator tabs, which protrude substantially at right angles from a face of said substantially horizontal engagement plate and are configured to be inserted in respective engagement seats, which are correspondingly defined on one of said upper and lower retention elements.

14 . The machine according to 13 , further comprising:

substantially vertical locator pins which are supported by said frame, between said upper retention element and said lower retention element, and are laterally spaced apart, said engagement plate being shaped in a front region so as to define at least one pair of distal end protrusions which are configured to be inserted between said locator pins for centering of said at least one coupling device with respect to said upper and lower retention elements.