Label printer and applicator
AssigneeHellermannTyton Corporation
InventorsTodd Fries, Edward P. Dyer, William K. Lueschen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for printing and wrapping adhesive backed labels around elongate articles such as electrical wires, including a rotatable puck assembly having an interrupted circumferential surface defining an opening for receiving an elongate object to be labeled and wing members for applying said label during rotation.
Claims23
An apparatus for printing labels and for applying said printed labels to elongate articles, said apparatus comprising:
- a structural support member;
- a material supply assembly coupled to said support member;
- a print head coupled to said support member;
- a label conveyer coupled to said support member;
- a pair of gripping members movably coupled to said support member;
- a first puck, rotatably coupled to said support member, having an interrupted circumferential surface, said interrupted surface defining an opening adapted to receive an elongate article;
- and
- a drive assembly coupled to said support member and further operatively coupled to said material supply assembly, said print head, said label conveyer, said gripping members and said first puck.
An apparatus for supplying labels, marking said labels, wrapping elongate articles with said labels, and capable of handling elongate articles for wrapping labels thereabout, said labels having an adhesively coated side, said elongate articles each having a peripheral surface, said apparatus comprising:
- a structural support member;
- a label supply roller, coupled to said support member, for supplying labels to said apparatus;
- a first rotatable puck mechanism rotatably coupled to said support member, said first puck mechanism having an interrupted circumferential surface defining an opening, said opening adapted to receive a predetermined elongate article;
- means, coupled to said support member, for rotating said first puck mechanism;
- means, coupled to said support member, for marking said labels with predetermined indicia;
- means, coupled to said support member, for transporting at least one of said labels toward said opening of said first puck mechanism;
- and
- means, coupled to said support member, for transporting said peripheral surface of said elongate article toward said opening of said first puck mechanism.
A label applicator apparatus for receiving a label from a roll, marking said label with predetermined indicia, and applying said label to an elongate article, said label having a first side and a second side, said second side being at least partially coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, said apparatus comprising:
- a structural support member;
- a label supply roller, coupled to said support member, for supplying labels to said apparatus;
- an assembly, coupled to said support member, for supplying image transfer media;
- a print head, coupled to said support member, for marking said predetermined indicia on at least one of said labels;
- at least one gripper element, coupled to said support member, for grasping and moving said elongate article;
- means, coupled to said support member, for driving said gripper element;
- a puck mechanism rotatably coupled to said support member, said puck mechanism having an interrupted circumferential surface defining an opening for receiving said elongate object;
- and
- means, coupled to said support member, for rotating said puck mechanism.
A labeling apparatus in which pressure sensitive adhesively backed labels which are releasably adhered to a backing strip are each respectively marked with indicia and attached to an elongate object, said apparatus comprising:
- a structural support member;
- a label supply roller, coupled to said support member, for supplying said labels and adhered backing strip to said apparatus;
- label guide means for moving said labels through said apparatus;
- a label print station, coupled to said support member, for marking indicia on said labels;
- a label peeler, coupled to said support member, for removing said labels from said backing strip;
- a puck assembly rotatably coupled to said support member, said puck assembly including a puck member having an interrupted circumferential surface defining an opening;
- a gripper assembly, coupled to said support member, for grasping and moving said elongate object relative to said opening;
- and
- a take-up roll, rotatably coupled to said support member, for receiving said backing strip.
A method of attaching a printed label to an elongate object, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one label having an adhesive backing and liner;
- printing predetermined indicia onto said label;
- removing said liner from said label so as to expose said label adhesive backing;
- providing an elongate article to be labeled;
- conveying said label with exposed adhesive backing in a first direction;
- moving said elongate article, in a second direction, toward said exposed portion of said label adhesive backing;
- engaging a surface of said elongate article with said exposed portion of said label adhesive backing;
- providing a puck assembly having a cavity, said cavity including a pair of wing members, said wing members being normally biased towards one another;
- moving said engaged surface of said elongate article and attached label into said puck cavity and between said normally biased wing members;
- rotating said puck assembly and wing members around said elongate article and attached label, thereby securing said label entirely around said diameter of said elongate article;
- and
- removing said elongate article and secured label from said puck cavity.
A puck assembly for use in a label applicator apparatus, said puck assembly comprising:
- a puck element having an interrupted circumferential surface and an outer edge;
- a puck flange, said puck flange being mounted to said puck element on said outer edge;
- and
- a puck plate, said puck plate defining a relatively flat planar surface having a first side and a second side and oppositely disposed arm portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.