Labelling system and cassette label applicator usable therewith
AssigneeCompac Corporation
InventorJohn B. French
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A labelling system for labelling articles comprising a cassette label applicator having a supply of labels and a conveyor for moving articles past the label applicator where the label applicator applies the label to the articles as they are moved past the label applicator and the conveyor is adapted so the cassette label applicator may be replaced with another cassette label applicator after the supply of labels of the original cassette label applicator becomes at least substantially exhausted.
Claims13
A labelling system comprising:
- a support;
- means for conveying articles along a first path to a labelling station;
- a label applicator for applying labels to the articles;
- first releasable means for releasably mounting said label applicator on said support at said labelling station whereby the label applicator can apply labels to the articles conveyed through the labelling station;
- said label applicator including a supporting structure and means for mounting a plurality of labels for movement along a second path relative to the supporting structure whereby the labels can be progressively moved through the labelling station and applied to the articles;
- a motor;
- means other than said label applicator for mounting the motor on said support;
- and
- second releasable means for drivingly interconnecting the motor and the labels so that the motor can move the labels along said second path, said first and second releasable means being releasable to allow replacement of the label applicator when its supply of labels is exhausted with a second label applicator having a supply of labels, said second label applicator being drivable by said motor through said second releasable means.
A labelling system comprising:
- a support;
- means for conveying articles to be labelled along a first path through a labelling station;
- a label applicator for applying labels to the articles;
- first releasable means for releasably mounting said label applicator on said support at said labelling station whereby the label applicator can apply labels to the articles conveyed through the labelling station, at least a substantial portion of said label applicator lying below said first path at said first path of the labelling station;
- said label applicator including a supporting structure and means for mounting a plurality of labels for movement along a second path relative to the supporting structure whereby the labels can be progressively moved through the labelling station;
- resilient rotatable means mounted above said labelling station for urging articles against the label applicator at said labelling station whereby the labels are applied to the articles;
- said first path extending between the resilient rotatable means and said substantial portion of the label applicator at the labelling station.
A cassette label applicator for applying labels to articles wherein the labels are supplied on a backing strip and the label applicator is drivingly connectable to a motor, said label applicator comprising:
- a supporting structure;
- a supply reel mounted for rotation on the supporting structure and adapted to have the backing strip wound thereon;
- a takeup reel mounted for rotation on the supporting structure, said backing strip adapted to extend from the supply reel to the takeup reel and to be wound on the takeup reel;
- drive means mounted on the supporting structure for movement relative thereto and cooperable with the backing strip to move the backing strip from the supply reel to the takeup reel;
- means for releasably drivingly connecting the driving means to the motor whereby the motor can drive the drive means;
- means for removing the labels from the backing strip as the backing strip moves between said reels;
- vacuum means for releasably retaining the removed labels at a preselected location, the articles being adapted to receive the labels from said preselected location whereby such articles are labelled;
- and
- means on said supporting structure for releasably mounting the cassette label applicator on a support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.