Label positioning mechanism for a label printing machine

A label strip positioning mechanism for use with a label printing machine, wherein said label printing machine comprises:

• a machine body;
• a feed wheel mounted rotatably in said machine body and having a periphery comprised of a label advancing surface which is engageable with the label strip for advancing the label strip in a preset direction as said feel wheel is rotated;
• means for rotating said feed wheel in the preset direction;
• said label strip positioning mechanism comprising:
• a label strip positioning member supported in said machine body and shaped to have a surface that cooperates with said feed wheel periphery, when said positioning member is at a first position close to said feed wheel periphery, to define a first clearance between said positioning member surface and said feed wheel periphery, said clearance having a spacing approximating the thickness of a label strip to be advanced by said feed wheel;
• said positioning member having a second position further from said feed wheel where a larger second clearance is defined between said feed wheel periphery and said positioning member surface;
• an operating shaft rotatably mounted to said machine body;
• an arm mechanism having one portion fixed to said shaft and having a second portion, spaced from said first portion, and attached to said positioning member at a first loction on said positioning member;
• said positioning member being pivotally attached to said machine body at a second location on said positioning member which is spaced from said first location thereon, whereby said positioning member is pivoted between its said positions;
• said positioning member first location being upstream in the preset direction of rotation of said feed wheel from said positioning member second location;
• said arm mechanism being movable by rotation of said shaft for moving said positioning member to said first position close to said feed wheel and for also moving said positioning member to said second position
• a pressure tongue which is spaced from and generally upstream of said positioning member surface with respect to said feed wheel preset direction when said positioning member is in said second position thereof and which is near to said feed wheel for defining an entrance for a label strip toward said feed wheel between said pressure tongue and said feed wheel;
• said pressure tongue being so shaped and extending near to said feed wheel as to guide a label strip in the preset direction and to generally obstruct movement of a label strip counter to the preset direction.