Method of printing a tag and attaching the tag to a bag

A method of printing a tag and attaching the tag to a bag comprising:

• providing a bag conveyor, a printer unit and a feeder assembly;
• feeding the tag into the printer unit;
• printing and severing a tag in the printer unit;
• dispensing the tag from the printer unit to the feeder assembly;
• feeding the tag to a sewing machine whereupon the tag is attached to a bag;
• further comprising an adjustable compressed air line for blowing compressed air onto the tag to hold the tag in position and flattening it as it is being staged awaiting a signal from a control unit, and
• further comprising a first guide plate attached adjacent to the exit port of the printer unit and a second guide plate adjustably overlapping the first guide plate with the compressed air line blowing compressed air onto the tag being dispensed along the first and second guide plates to prevent curling and jamming of the tag;
• further comprising horizontally adjusting the second guide plate relative to the first guide plate depending upon a desired width of the tag;
• further comprising a bag switch and a control unit and further wherein the movement of the bag is sensed by the control unit using the bag switch, thereby causing the tag to be moved from the printer unit to the feeder assembly and into contact with the bag whereupon the tag is picked up by the sewing machine and attached to the bag;
• further comprising a reed switch in communication with a mechanism for energizing the mechanism to move the tag from the printer unit to the feeder assembly, and
• wherein the bag switch is in communication with the reed switch and upon the bag tripping the bag switch the bag switch signals the reed switch which initiates the process of moving the tag from a staging area into the feeder assembly and also initiates printing of the next tag for processing.

A method of receiving a printed tag and staging the tag for on-demand dispensing to a feeder system, comprising the steps of:

• providing a printer unit and a feeder system, the feeder system including a support device to support the tag;
• dispensing the printed tag from the printer unit to the feeder system, while supporting the tag using a guide means,
• the guide means further comprising a first guide plate attached adjacent to the exit port of the printer unit and a second guide plate adjustably overlapping the first guide plate;
• further comprising horizontally adjusting the second guide plate relative to the first guide plate depending upon a desired width of the tag;
• further comprising a bag switch and a control unit and further wherein the movement of the bag is sensed by the control unit using the bag switch, thereby causing the tag to be moved from the printer unit to the feeder assembly and into contact with the bag whereupon the tag is picked up by the sewing machine and attached to the bag;
• further comprising a reed switch in communication with a mechanism for energizing the mechanism to move the tag from the printer unit to the feeder assembly, and
• wherein the bag switch is in communication with the reed switch and upon the bag tripping the bag switch the bag switch signals the reed switch which initiates the process of moving the tag from a staging area into the feeder assembly and also initiates printing of the next tag for processing .