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US 4,046,613 AGranted
Matrix label applicator
AssigneeLabel-Aire Inc.
InventorsLeo Kucheck, Michael Crankshaw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A movable conveyor belt having first and second belt surfaces and an opening extending between the belt surfaces, a mechanism for depositing a label on the first belt surface at a first station, and a pressure source for blowing air under pressure through the opening to transfer the label from the belt at a second station to at least one object.
Claims27
A method of labeling articles comprising:
- moving a plurality of labels arranged in a row along a label path at a labeling station with the axes of the row and the label path being generally parallel;
- transporting articles nonparallel to the label path through the labeling station with the articles forming a column of articles at the labeling station and with the axis of the column being generally parallel to the axes of the row and the label path;
- carrying out said steps of moving and transporting until the labels of the row are in registry with the column of the articles at the labeling station;
- transferring the labels of said row to the articles of said column;
- and
- said step of moving includes providing a movable conveyor and using the conveyor to move the row of labels along the label path, and said method includes providing a single row of labels on a backing strip, removing the labels from the backing strip, transferring the labels to the conveyor, and spacing the labels on the conveyor further apart than the labels on the backing strip.
3 more elements
A method of labeling articles comprising:
- depositing labels on a conveyor surface;
- moving the conveyor surface unidirectionally through the labeling station to thereby move the labels along a substantially unidirectional label path at the labeling station with the labels being arranged in a row and with the axes of the row and the label path being generally parallel;
- transporting articles nonparallel to the label path through the labeling station with the articles forming a column of articles at the labeling station and with the axis of the column being generally parallel to the axes of the row and the label path;
- carrying out said steps of moving and transporting until the labels of the row are in registry with the column of the articles at the labeling station;
- and
- transferring the labels of said row to the articles of said column.
3 more elements
A label applicator comprising:
- a conveyor belt having first and second belt surfaces and opening means extending between said belt surfaces;
- means for mounting said belt for movement;
- means for moving the belt;
- means for depositing a label on the first belt surface of the belt at a first station;
- means for applying a differential fluid pressure to the label on the belt for retaining the label on the first belt surface whereby the label can be retained on the belt as the belt moves;
- and
- means for blowing air under pressure through said opening means to transfer the label from the belt at a second station to at least one object.
4 more elements
A label applicator comprising:
- conveying means to move labels along a label path away from a depositing station;
- means for depositing labels on said conveying means at said depositing station;
- said conveying means including first means for holding labels on said conveying means but permitting the labels on the conveying means to be shifted in position therealong;
- second means for engaging at least a first of the labels on the conveying means and restraining it from going past a first position on the label path at least while said conveying means continues to move;
- second means for engaging at least a second of the labels on the conveying means and restraining it from going past a second position on the label path at least while said conveying means continues to move, at least one of first and second positions being spaced from the depositing station;
- and
- means for separating the first and second labels from said conveying means.
4 more elements
A label applicator for applying labels to articles wherein the articles travel in multiple rows through a labeling station in a first direction with the articles forming at least one set of articles at the labeling station, said label applicator comprising:
- a supporting structure;
- conveying means for conveying labels in a row along a label path at the labeling station, the axes of said row and said label path being angularly related to the first direction whereby the labels can be brought into registry with the set of articles at the labeling station;
- means for transferring the labels from said conveying means to said set of articles at the labeling station;
- and
- said conveying means including means for sequentially feeding a plurality of labels on a backing strip to a depositing station, a conveyor movable past said depositing station, means for transferring said labels at said depositing station from said backing strip to said conveyor, and means for synchronizing said feeding means and said conveyor to cause the spacing of said labels on said conveyor to differ from the spacing of labels on said backing strip.
2 more elements
A label applicator comprising:
- a vacuum transport including a housing, a movable conveyor member having first and second surfaces and opening means extending between said surfaces, means for mounting said conveyor member for movement, and means for moving the conveyor member;
- means for depositing labels on the first surface at a first station;
- said vacuum transport including means for applying a differential fluid pressure to the labels on the conveyor member for retaining the labels on the first surface whereby the labels can be retained on the conveyor member as the conveyor member moves;
- and
- means at least partially within said housing and acting through said opening means for transferring the labels from the conveyor member to objects to be labeled.
2 more elements
A label applicator for applying labels to articles wherein the articles travel in multiple rows through a labeling station in a first direction with the articles forming at least one set of articles at the labeling station, said label applicator comprising:
- a supporting structure;
- conveying means for conveying labels in a row along a label path at the labeling station, the axes of said row and said label path being angularly related to the first direction whereby the labels can be brought into registry with the set of articles at the labeling station;
- means for transferring the labels from said conveying means to said set of articles at the labeling station;
- and
- said conveyor means including a plurality of spaced parallel conveyor belts and means for applying reduced air pressure intermediate said conveyor belts to retain the labels on the conveyor belts.
2 more elements
A label applicator for applying labels to articles wherein the articles travel in multiple rows through a labeling station in a first direction with the articles forming at least one set of articles at the labeling station, said label applicator comprising:
- a supporting structure;
- conveying means for conveying labels in a row along a label path at the labeling station, the axes of said row and said label path being angularly related to the first direction whereby the labels can be brought into registry with the set of articles at the labeling station;
- means for transferring the labels from said conveying means to said set of articles at the labeling station;
- and
- said conveying means including a conveyor belt extending between first and second stations, said conveyor belt having air passages extending between opposite first and second conveyor surfaces thereof, means for moving said conveyor belt between said first and second stations, means for applying labels to said first conveyor surface at said first station, and means for applying suction to at least a first of said air passages, thereby to enable said conveyor to transport said labels from said first station to said second station, and wherein said transferring means comprises means for blowing air under pressure through at least one of said air passages to cause the labels to be forcibly transferred from said conveyor belt to said set of articles.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.