US 12,234,051 B1Granted

Device for applying labels to containers

OwnerLawrence Naslundinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A label applicator apparatus for applying an adhesive-backed label to a container is disclosed herein. The label is applied accurately at a desired height and positioned to be perfectly horizontal. The apparatus comprises a cradle comprising a headboard, a footboard, and two adjustable parallel rails forming a carriage for the container. The apparatus also includes an adjustable horizontal label stop that has a curved flange curving across the adjustable carriage and an adjustable bottle stop that can slide forwards and backwards. The adjustable bottle stop is positioned to apply the label to the container at a desired height, the container is placed on the carriage, the adjustable horizontal label stop is closed over the container, and the label is applied by aligning the label horizontally such that it touches the label stop at two contact points.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An apparatus for applying an adhesive-backed label to a first container, the apparatus comprising:

a cradle configured to hold the first container, the cradle including:
a headboard forming a top wall of the cradle,
a footboard forming a bottom wall of the cradle,
an adjustable left rail forming a left wall of the cradle, and
an adjustable right rail forming a right wall of the cradle,
wherein the adjustable left rail and the adjustable right rail are positioned parallel to each other and together form an adjustable carriage for the first container to rest upon, and
wherein, in a first configuration of the adjustable carriage, a plane containing the left wall of the cradle and a plane containing the right wall of the cradle are each perpendicular to a horizontal plane, and
wherein, in a second configuration of the adjustable carriage, a plane containing the left wall of the cradle and a plane containing the right wall of the cradle are each inclined with reference to a horizontal plane;
an adjustable horizontal label stop disposed between the footboard and the headboard and including a curved flange curving across the adjustable carriage;
a horizontal label stop adjustment knob mounted in a longitudinal routed slot on the adjustable horizontal label stop;
an adjustable bottle stop disposed in a longitudinal slot disposed in an inner side of a rail of the cradle and configured to slide forwards and backwards within the longitudinal slot,
wherein the rail of the cradle into which the longitudinal slot is disposed is the right rail or the left rail;
and
a bottle stop adjustment knob mounted in the longitudinal slot on an outer side of the rail.

11 more elements

A system for applying a first adhesive-backed label to a first container, the system comprising:

a cradle configured to hold the first container, the cradle including:
a headboard forming a top wall of the cradle;
a footboard forming a bottom wall of the cradle;
an adjustable left rail forming a left wall of the cradle;
and
an adjustable right rail forming a right wall of the cradle,
wherein the adjustable left rail and the adjustable right rail are positioned parallel to each other and together form an adjustable carriage for the first container to rest upon,
wherein, in a first configuration of the adjustable carriage, a plane containing the left wall of the cradle and a plane containing the right wall of the cradle are each perpendicular to a horizontal plane, and
wherein, in a second configuration of the adjustable carriage, a plane containing the left wall of the cradle and a plane containing the right wall of the cradle are each inclined with reference to a horizontal plane;
an adjustable horizontal label stop disposed between the footboard and the headboard and including a curved flange curving across the adjustable carriage;
a horizontal label stop adjustment knob mounted in a longitudinal routed slot on the adjustable horizontal label stop;
an adjustable bottle stop disposed in a longitudinal slot disposed in an inner side of a rail of the cradle and configured to slide forwards and backwards within the longitudinal slot,
wherein the rail of the cradle into which the longitudinal slot is disposed is the right rail or the left rail;
and
a bottle stop adjustment knob mounted in the longitudinal slot on an outer side of the rail.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.