Portable applicator

An applicator, comprising:

• a support,
• a driven applicator platen on the support, the platen being capable of being heated,
• a supply roll unwind on the support and capable of holding a supply roll of a composite web comprised of a carrier web and a plurality of transfers releasable adhered to the carrier web, the unwind being motor-driven continuously in a winding direction to tension the composite web, and
• a take-up roll rewind on the support to accumulate spent carrier web onto a take-up roll, the carrier web being movable in a travel direction with the composite web being unwound from the supply roll to pass into transfer-applying relationship with the applicator platen and onto the take-up roll, and the take-up roll being driven by the rewind only when required to advance the spent carrier web onto the take-up roll.

An applicator, comprising:

• a support,
• an actuator mounted to the support,
• an applicator platen movable by the actuator between a raised home position and a lowered transfer-applying position,
• a supply roll unwind on the support and capable of holding a supply roll of a composite web comprised of a carrier web and a series of transfers releasably adhered to the carrier web, the composite web being capable of being drawn from the supply roll to pass to beneath the applicator platen in its home position,
• the unwind including a motor to drive the supply roll continuously and in turn the supply roll in a wind direction to exert continuous tension of the composite web,
• and wherein the actuator is actuatable to cause the applicator platen to move toward the transfer-applying position and draw composite web from the supply roll.

Method of applying transfers, comprising:

• providing a pair of platens movable relative to each other, one of the platens being capable of supporting transfer-receptive material,
• providing a supply roll of a composite web comprised of a carrier web and a series of transfers releasably adhered to the carrier web, the carrier web being capable of passing from the supply roll to between the platens and to a take-up roll,
• continuously applying force to the supply roll tending to wind the composite web onto the supply roll to tension the carrier web,
• moving one of the platens relatively into cooperation with the other platen to apply a transfer from the composite web onto the transfer-receptive material while the movable platen pulls the composite web from the supply roll,
• and thereafter advancing the spent composite web to the take-up roll while overcoming the force exerted on the carrier web by the supply roll.

Method of applying transfers, comprising:

• providing a composite web comprised of a carrier web and a plurality of transfers releasable adhered to the carrier web,
• providing an applicator station where transfers are capable of being applied to transfer-receiving material during a transfer-applying cycle,
• positioning the composite web to pass along a travel path from upstream of the applicator station, through the applicator station add to downstream of the applicator station,
• continuously exerting a first pulling force in the upstream direction on the composite web,
• applying a transfer from the composite web to the transfer-receiving material at the transfer station during a transfer-applying cycle, and
• exerting a second pulling force greater than the first pulling force in the downstream direction on the carrier-web after a transfer has been applied during a cycle to advance the composite web to a position in which another transfer can be applied during the next cycle.

Method of applying transfers, comprising:

• providing a composite web comprised of a carrier web and a plurality of transfers releasable adhered to the carrier web,
• providing an applicator station where transfers are capable of being applied to transfer-receiving material during a transfer-applying cycle,
• positioning the composite web to pass along a travel path from upstream of the applicator station, through the applicator station and to downstream of the applicator station,
• continuously exerting a first pulling force in the upstream direction on the composite web,
• applying a transfer from the composite web to the transfer-receiving material at the applicator station during a transfer-applying cycle,
• energizing a motor to prevent the carrier web from advancing at least until a transfer has been applied, and
• thereafter energizing the motor to exert a second pulling force in the downstream direction greater than the first pulling force in the downstream direction on the carrier web to advance the composite web to a position in which another transfer can be applied during the next cycle.

Method of applying transfers, comprising:

• providing a movable transfer-applying platen,
• providing a supply roll of a composite web comprised of a carrier web and a series of transfers releasably-adhered to the carrier web,
• positioning the composite web in transfer-applying relationship to the platen,
• preventing the carrier web from advancing until after a transfer has been applied, and
• continuously driving the supply roll in a direction to attempt to wind the composite web onto the supply roll to maintain tension in the carrier web, and paying out the composite web under tension from the supply roll in response to movement of the platen to apply a transfer to transfer-receiving material.

An applicator, comprising:

• a support including an upstanding portion, the upstanding portion having a pair of spaced sheet metal side panels generally shaped like the letter C,
• a generally horizontal plate connecting the side panels at the upper part of the C,
• a piston-cylinder mechanism having a cylinder mounted to the horizontal plate, and a piston operating in a cylinder,
• an upper platen connected to the piston, and
• a lower platen at the lower part of the C and cooperable with the upper platen.

An applicator, comprising:

• a support having a central portion and side portions joining the central portion,
• an applicator station mounted by the support,
• a supply roll holder on the support and capable of holding a supply roll of a composite web comprised of a plurality of transfers releasably adhered to a carrier web, and
• a take-up roll holder on the support to accumulate spent carrier web onto a take-up roll.

A web registration sensing assembly, comprising:

• a holder,
• a plurality of different color light sources mounted on the holder and capable of illuminating a longitudinally extending moving web having registration marks of a plurality of different colors,
• a sensor capable of receiving light from more than one of the light sources to sense a registration mark, and
• the holder being adjustable to selectively illuminate the web with light from the light sources.

A method of applying a transfer, comprising:

• providing a composite web comprised of a carrier web and a plurality of transfers releasable adhered to the carrier web, the carrier web extending along a path between a supply roll and a take-up roll, the path crossing a platen,
• maintaining the take-up roll in a first position;
• urging the supply roll in a first rotational direction with a first force, the force being insufficient to change the position of the take-up roll;
• translating the platen from a first position to a second position, the translation causing the composite web to be unwound from the supply roll;
• translating the platen back toward the first position;
• and
• rotating the take-up roll in a second rotational direction, the rotating causing the carrier web to be wound onto the take-up roll.