Hand-held electrically selectable labeler

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, a label applicator mounted on the housing, the housing having label roll mounting means, electrically selectable printing elements disposed in the housing, means for advancing the carrier web, a keyboard disposed on the housing, a visual display disposed adjacent the keyboard for displaying data entered into the keyboard, a control circuit for the print head and the display, means including a circuit board for the control circuit disposed adjacent and in generally parallel relationship to the keyboard, and means electrically connecting the control circuit with the keyboard, and means electrically connecting the control circuit with the keyboard, the printing elements and the display.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing including a handle, means on the housing for carrying a label roll of pressure sensitive labels, means for printing on the labels, the printing means including an electrically selectable print head having thermographic printing elements and a platen in printing cooperation with the line of printing elements, means for delaminating printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, means for mounting the printing elements essentially stationarily during printing, means defining a path for guiding the web from the label roll to between the line of thermographic printing elements and the platen to enable printing as the printing elements are selectably energized while the web is being advanced passed the line of stationary printing elements, to the delaminating means, and to the web advancing means, and means for spacing the printing elements of the print head from the platen at all times to prevent damage to the printing elements in the event of absence of the carrier web between the printing elements and the platen.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, means on the housing for carrying a label roll of pressure sensitive labels, means for printing on the labels, the printing means
• including an electrically selectable print head having a line of thermographic printing elements and a platen in printing cooperation with the line of printing elements, means for delaminating printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, means for mounting the printing elements essentially stationarily during printing, means defining a path for guiding the web from the label roll to between the line of thermographic printing elements and the platen to enable printing as the printing elements are selectably energized while the web is being advanced passed the line of stationary printing elements, to the delaminating means, and to the web advancing means, and means for skewing the mounting means and the platen relative to each other to promote uniform printing by the printing elements on the labels.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, means on the housing for carrying a label roll of pressure sensitive labels, means for printing on the labels,
• the printing means including an electrically selectable print head having a line of thermographic printing elements and a platen in printing cooperation with the line of thermographic printing elements, means for delaminating printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, means for mounting the printing elements essentially stationarily during printing, means defining a path for guiding the web from the label roll to between the line of thermographic printing elements and the platen to enable printing as the printing elements are selectably energized while the web is being advanced passed the line of stationary printing elements, to the delaminating means, and to the web advancing means, and means for selectably positioning the printing elements to promote uniform printing by the printing elements on the labels.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, means on the housing for carrying a label roll of pressure sensitive labels, means for printing on the labels, the printing means
• including an electrically selectable print head having a line of thermographic printing elements and a platen in printing cooperation with the line of printing elements, means for delaminating printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, means for mounting the printing elements initially stationarily during printing, means defining a path for guiding the web from the label roll to between the line of thermographic printing elements and the platen to enable printing as the printing elements are selectably energized while the web is being advanced passed the line of stationary printing elements, to the delaminating means, and to the web advancing means, a support for the print head, means for pivotally mounting the print head support, means for skewing the print head support relative to the platen to promote uniform printing by the printing elements on the labels, and wherein the skewing means includes a pair of individual adjusting devices for adjusting the pressure contact at the line by printing elements to promote uniform printing.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, means on the housing for carrying a label roll of pressure sensitive labels, means for printing on labels, the printing means including an electrically selectable print head having a line of thermographic printing elements and a platen in printing cooperation with the line of printing elements, means for delaminating printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, means for mounting the printing elements essentially stationarily during printing, means defining a path for guiding the web from the label roll to between the line of thermographic printing elements and the platen to enable printing as the printing elements are selectably energized while the web is being advanced passed the line of stationary printing elements, to the delaminating means, and to the web advancing means, the housing having opening means, and means projecting through the opening means for moving the print head and the platen relatively away from each other to facilitate threading of the labeler.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, means on the housing for carrying a label roll of pressure sensitive labels, means for printing on the labels, the printing means including an electrically selectable print head having a line of thermographic printing elements and a platen in printing cooperation with the printing elements, means for delaminating printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, means defining a path for guiding the web from the label roll to between the line of thermographic printing elements and the platen to enable printing as the printing elements are selectably energized while the web is being advanced passed the line of stationary printing elements, to the delaminating means, and to the web advancing means, a support for the print head, spring means for biasing the support and the printing elements which it supports relatively toward the platen to effect pressure contact of the printing elements against the label, and manually movable means for overcoming the biasing force of the spring means to move the printing elements relatively apart from the platen to facilitate threading of the labeler.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, means in the housing for carrying a label roll of pressure sensitive labels, means for printing on the labels, the printing means
• including an electrically selectable print head having a line of thermographic printing elements and a platen in printing cooperation with the line of printing elements, means for delaminating printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, means defining a path for guiding the web from the label roll to between the line of thermographic printing elements and the platen to enable printing as the printing elements are selectably energized while the web is being advanced passed the line of stationary printing elements, to the delaminating means, and to the web advancing means, a support for the print head, and spring means for urging the print head support and the platen relatively toward each other to provide continuous pressure contact between the printing elements and the label.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, means on the housing for carrying a label roll of pressure sensitive labels, means for printing on the labels, the printing means including an electrically selectable print head having a line of thermographic printing elements and a platen in printing cooperation with the line of printing elements, means for delaminating printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, means defining a path for guiding the web from the label roll to between the line of thermographic printing elements and the platen to enable printing as the printing elements are selectably energized while the web is being advanced passed the line of stationary printing elements, to the delaminating means, and to the web advancing means, a support for the print head, spring means for urging the support and the platen relatively toward each other, and means for limiting the relative movement of the print head toward the platen so that absent a carrier web between the printing elements and the platen the printing elements will remain spaced from the platen.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, means on the housing for carrying a label roll of pressure sensitive labels, means for printing on the labels, the printing means including an electrically selectable print head having a line of thermographic printing elements and a platen in printing cooperation with the line of printing elements, means for delaminating printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, means defining a path for guiding the web from the label roll to between the line of thermographic printing elements and the platen to enable printing as the printing elements are selectably energized while the web is being advanced passed the line of stationary printing elements, to the delaminating means, and to the web advancing means, a support for the print head, and wherein the support is composed of metal.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, means on the housing for carrying a label roll of pressure sensitive labels, means for printing on the labels, the printing means including an electrically selectable print head having a line of thermographic printing elements and a platen in printing cooperation with the line of printing elements, means for delaminating printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, means defining a path for guiding the web from the label roll to between the line of thermographic printing elements and the platen to enable printing as the printing elements are selectably energized while the web is being advanced passed the line of stationary printing elements, to the delaminating means, and to the web advancing means, a support for the print head, and a deflector on the support for deflecting the printed labels into label applying relationship with the label applying means.

A hand-held labeler including an applicator for printing and applying labels releasably adhered to a carrier web by pressure sensitive adhesive, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, means for holding a label roll, means including a print head having electrically selectable printing elements for printing on the labels, a control circuit for the print head, means for delaminating printed labels from the web, means for applying printed labels including an applicator, means for advancing the carrier web, the housing having a movably mounted section, means including a keyboard mounted on the movably mounted section, means including a circuit board for the control circuit disposed adjacent to the keyboard, means electrically connecting the control circuit with the keyboard and the printing elements, wherein the applicator comprises a, and means for pivotally mounting the movably mounted section and the applicator on the same axis.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing, means for supporting a label supply roll on the housing, means for printing on labels, means for delaminating printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, wherein the printing means includes thermographic printing elements, wherein the housing includes a portion providing a manually engageable handle, the handle including a rechargeable battery for powering the thermographic printing elements, and means for releasably connecting the handle with its rechargeable battery to the remainder of the housing.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, the housing having a front portion, a rear portion, and a top portion, the handle depending in a downward direction, a label applicator mounted on the front portion, label roll mounting means disposed at the rear portion, electrically selectable printing elements disposed in the housing, means for advancing the carrier web, a keyboard disposed at the top portion of the labeler, a visual display disposed adjacent the keyboard for displaying data entered into the keyboard, a control circuit for the print head and the display, means including a circuit board for the control circuit disposed adjacent and in underlying relationship to the keyboard, means electrically connecting the control circuit with the keyboard, the printing elements and the display, wherein the advancing means includes a motor mounted to the housing, a speed reducer driven by the motor, and a feed wheel driven by the speed reducer.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, a label applicator mounted on the housing, the housing having label roll mounting means, electrically selectable printing elements disposed in the housing, means for advancing the carrier web, a keyboard disposed on the housing, a visual display disposed adjacent the keyboard for displaying data entered into the keyboard, a control circuit for the print head and the display, means including a circuit board for the control circuit disposed adjacent and in generally parallel relationship to the keyboard, means electrically connecting the control circuit with the keyboard, the printing elements and the display, wherein the advancing means includes a motor mounted to the housing, a speed reducer driven by the motor, and a feed wheel driven by the speed reducer.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, means for supporting a label supply roll on the housing, means for printing on labels, means for delaminating printed labels, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, wherein the printing means includes thermographic printing elements, wherein the label supply roll has a central hole adapted to receive a battery, and electrical contacts for contacting the battery and electrically connected to the thermographic printing elements.

A hand-held labeler adapted to print and apply pressure sensitive labels releasably secured to a carrier web, comprising:

• a housing having a handle and means for mounting a label roll, a print head having electrically selectable printing elements, means for delaminating printed labels from the carrier web, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the web, the label roll having a central hole adapted to receive a battery, and a pair of electrical contacts for contacting the terminals of the battery.

The combination of a label roll having a carrier web and a series of labels releasably secured by pressure sensitive labels to a carrier web, the label roll having a central hole, and a battery disposed in the central hole.

A hand-held labeler for printing and applying labels releasably adhered to a carrier web by pressure sensitive adhesive, comprising:

• a housing having a handle, means for holding a label roll, means including a print head having electrically selectable printing elements for printing on the labels, a control circuit for the print head, means for delaminating printed labels from the web, means for applying printed labels, means for advancing the carrier web, the housing having a movably mounted section which is movable between a closed position and an open position to provide access to the inside of the hoousing, means including a keyboard mounted on the movably mounted section, means including a circuit board for the control circuit disposed in the housing adjacent to the keyboard, and means electrically connecting the control circuit with the keyboard and the printing elements.