Labeling apparatus and method employing radiation curable adhesive

An apparatus for applying plastic labels to containers, said apparatus including:

• a rotatable applicator roll for receiving a radiation curable adhesive on the outer surface thereof;
• a rotating transfer member including a plurality of transfer pads carried thereon, said transfer member being located to rotate the transfer pads in close proximity to the outer surface of the applicator roll, whereby adhesive from the roll is transferred to an outer surface of each of said pads;
• a dispensing magazine for retaining a plurality of individual labels in a stack, with the lowermost label in the stack being located in a downstream path of travel of the transfer pads after each of said transfer pads has engaged the outer surface of the applicator roll to receive adhesive thereon, each of said pads, with the adhesive thereon, being rotated into close proximity with the lower surface of the lowermost label in the magazine for selectively and sequentially applying the adhesive to the lowermost label in the stack and for removing said lowermost label from the stack through surface adhesion;
• an irradiating station adjacent the transfer member downstream of said dispensing magazine, said irradiating station including a rotatable member for receiving the individual labels with the adhesive thereon from the transfer pads, and directing the labels through an irradiating section to thereby at least partially cure the adhesive and render it sufficiently tacky to effectively adhere each of the individual labels to a container;
• a container handling device for receiving containers at an inlet;
• moving said containers through a label application section, and directing the containers with the labels applied thereon to an outlet;
• said irradiating station being positioned adjacent to the container handling device such that the individual labels with the at least partially cured adhesive thereon are directed sequentially into engagement with the periphery of discrete containers as the discrete containers are directed through the label application section to thereby effectively seal the labels to the containers.