Machine and method for high speed, precisely registered label application with sprockets for positioning the label on a transfer wheel

A method for applying a label to an advancing article comprising

• (i) supplying a label carrier tape from a carrier wheel to a label transfer wheel;
• (ii) engaging said label carrier tape on said label transfer wheel by sprockets on said label transfer wheel in precise registry of said label with a location for said label on said transfer wheel;
• (iii) removing a label from said carrier tape;
• (iv) holding said label by vacuum suction on said location for said label on said transfer wheel;
• (v) depositing glue on the surface of said article;
• (vi) aligning synchronously said label on said location for said label on said transfer wheel with a surface of said article as said article is advanced;
• (vii) applying pressure to a leading edge of said label upon placement of said label on said article to remove said label from said location for said label on said transfer wheel;
• (viii) applying pressure on said label tangentially across said transfer wheel;
• (ix) adhering said label to the surface of said article by means of the glue on said surface;
• and
• (x) continuously advancing said article.

A method for applying a label to an advancing article comprising

• (i) supplying a single sheet label tape wherein on a first surface, said label tape carries a label with label information and on a second surface said label tape carries a pressure sensitive adhesive, said label tape being advanced under constant tension, from a carrier wheel to a label transfer wheel;
• (ii) severing a label from said carrier tape, said label including on a first surface, label information, and on a second surface, a pressure sensitive adhesive, said first surface positioned adjacent to the label transfer wheel;
• (iii) engaging said label carrier tape on said label transfer wheel by sprockets on said wheel in precise registry with said label tape coincident to a location for said label on said transfer wheel;
• (iv) holding said label by vacuum suction on said location for said label on said transfer wheel;
• (v) aligning synchronously said label on said location for said label on said transfer wheel with a surface of said article as said article is advanced;
• (iv) applying pressure to a leading edge of said label upon placement of said label on said article to remove said label from said location for said label on said transfer wheel;
• (vii) continuously applying pressure tangentially across said label on said article;
• and
• (viii) continuously advancing said article.

A method for applying a label to an advancing article comprising

• (i) supplying a label carrier tape bearing pre-cut labels from a carrier wheel to a label transfer wheel;
• (ii) engaging said label carrier tape on said label transfer wheel by sprockets on said label transfer wheel in precise registry of said pre-cut label with a location for said precut label on said transfer wheel;
• (iii) removing a pre-cut label from said carrier tape;
• (iv) holding said pre-cut label by vacuum suction on said location for said pre-cut label on said transfer wheel;
• (v) aligning synchronously said pre-cut label on said location for said pre-cut label on said transfer wheel with a surface of said article as said article is advanced;
• (vi) applying pressure to a leading edge of said pre-cut label upon placement of said pre-cut label on said article to remove said pre-cut label from said location for said pre-cut label on said transfer wheel;
• (viii) continuously advancing said article.

A method for applying a label to an advancing article comprising

• (i) supplying a label carrier tape from a carrier wheel to a label transfer wheel;
• (ii) engaging said label carrier tape on said label transfer wheel by sprockets on said label transfer wheel in precise registry on said label with a location for said label on said transfer wheel;
• (iii) cutting a label from said carrier tape with a die cutter;
• (iv) holding said label by vacuum suction on said location for said label on said transfer wheel;
• (v) aligning synchronously said label on said location for said label on said transfer wheel with a surface of said article as said article is advanced;
• (vi) applying pressure to a leading edge of said label upon placement of said label on said article to remove said label from said location for said label on said transfer wheel;
• (vii) applying pressure on said label tangentially across said transfer wheel;
• and
• (vii) continuously advancing said article.

A machine for rapid application of labels from a label supply source, comprising

• (i) a label supply source for labels on a continuous tape;
• said continuous tape comprising a plurality of labels evenly spaced apart with a plurality of sprocket holes within said tape for each of said labels for aligning each of said labels;
• (ii) a rotational transfer means for said labels for transferring individual labels onto a container, including sprocket means for said rotational transfer means for engaging with said sprocket holes of said tape;
• (iii) means for guiding said tape, said means cooperating with a means for positioning said label and said sprocket means on said rotational transfer means;
• (iv) means for severing individual labels from said continuous tape before transferring said individual labels onto a container;
• (v) vacuum means within said rotational transfer means for precise registry of each individual label on a peripheral surface of said rotational transfer means for said label, said vacuum means applying negative pressure uniformly across said peripheral surface and on each label;
• (vi) means for synchronous, precisely spaced apart advancing of a container with respect to said rotational transfer means and a label for said container on said rotational transfer means;
• and
• (vii) means for applying positive pressure in both a cross-machine direction and tangential direction on said label for releasing said label from said peripheral surface of said rotational transfer means and placing said label on said container in precise registry therewith.

A machine for rapid application of labels from a label supply source, comprising

• (i) a label supply source for labels on a continuous tape;
• said continuous tape comprising a plurality of labels evenly spaced apart with a plurality of sprocket holes within said tape for each of said labels for aligning each of said labels;
• (ii) a rotational transfer means for said labels for transferring individual labels onto a container, including sprocket means for said rotational transfer means for engaging with said sprocket holes of said tape;
• (iii) means for guiding said tape, said means cooperating with a means for positioning said label and said sprocket means on said rotational transfer means;
• (iv) means for severing individual labels from said continuous tape before transferring said individual labels onto a container;
• (v) vacuum means within said rotational transfer means for precise registry of each individual label on a peripheral surface of said rotational transfer means for said label, said vacuum means applying negative pressure uniformly across said peripheral surface and on each label;
• (vi) means for synchronous, precisely spaced apart advancing of a container with respect to said rotational transfer means and a label for said container on said rotational transfer means;
• (vii) means for applying positive pressure in both a cross-machine direction and tangential direction on said label for releasing and placing said label on said container in precise registry therewith;
• and
• (viii) means for application of glue onto a surface of said container for application of a label on said glue.

A machine for rapid application of labels from a label supply source, comprising

• (i) a label supply source for labels on a continuous tape;
• said continuous tape comprising a plurality of labels evenly spaced apart with a plurality of sprocket holes within said tape for each of said labels for aligning each of said labels;
• (ii) a rotational transfer means for said labels for transferring individual labels onto a container, including sprocket means for said rotational transfer means for engaging with said sprocket holes of said tape;
• (iii) means for guiding said tape, said means cooperating with a means for positioning said label and said sprocket means on said rotational transfer means;
• (iv) means for severing individual labels from said continuous tape before transferring said individual labels onto a container;
• (v) vacuum means within said rotational transfer means for precise registry of each individual label on a peripheral surface of said rotational transfer means for said label, said vacuum means applying negative pressure uniformly across said peripheral surface and on each label;
• (vi) means for synchronous, precisely spaced apart advancing of a container with respect to said rotational transfer means and a label for said container on said rotational transfer means;
• and
• (vii) means for applying positive pressure in both a cross-machine direction and tangential direction on said label for releasing and placing said label on said container in precise registry therewith.
• wherein said means for applying positive pressure in both a cross-machine direction and tangential direction comprises pneumatic means within said rotational transfer means for exerting pressure on said label.

A machine for rapid application of labels from a label supply source, comprising

• (i) a label supply source for labels on a continuous tape;
• said continuous tape comprising a plurality of labels evenly spaced apart with a plurality of sprocket holes within said tape for each of said labels for aligning each of said labels;
• (ii) a rotational transfer means for said labels for transferring individual labels onto a container, including sprocket means for said rotational transfer means for engaging with said sprocket holes of said tape;
• (iii) means for guiding said tape, said means cooperating with a means for positioning said label and said sprocket means on said rotational transfer means;
• (iv) means for severing individual labels from said continuous tape before transferring said individual labels onto a container;
• (v) vacuum means within said rotational transfer means for precise registry of each individual label on a peripheral surface of said rotational transfer means for said label, said vacuum means applying negative pressure uniformly across said peripheral surface and on each label;
• (vi) means for synchronous, precisely spaced apart advancing of a container with respect to said rotational transfer means and a label for said container on said rotational transfer means;
• and
• (vii) means for applying positive pressure in both a cross-machine direction and tangential direction on said label for releasing and placing said label on said container in precise registry therewith;
• wherein said means for synchronous, precisely spaced apart advancing of a container comprises helix screw means.

A machine for rapid application of labels from a label supply source, comprising

• (i) a label supply source for partially pre-cut labels on a continuous tape;
• said continuous tape comprising a plurality of labels evenly spaced apart with a plurality of sprocket holes within said tape for each of said labels for aligning each of said labels;
• (ii) a rotational transfer means for said labels for transferring individual labels onto a container, including sprocket means for said rotational transfer means for engaging with said sprocket holes of said tape;
• (iii) means for guiding said tape, said means cooperating with a means for positioning said label and said sprocket means on said rotational transfer means;
• (iv) means for severing individual partially pre-cut labels from said continuous tape before transferring said individual labels onto a container, wherein said means is a wheel with a raised surface oversized with respect to said partially pre-cut label on said rotational transfer means for said label with respect to an individual label on said tape;
• (v) vacuum means within said rotational transfer means for precise registry of each individual label on a peripheral surface of said rotational transfer means for said label, said vacuum means applying negative pressure uniformly across said peripheral surface and on each label;
• (vi) means for synchronous, precisely spaced apart advancing of a container with respect to said rotational transfer means and a label for said container on said rotational transfer means;
• and
• (vii) means for applying positive pressure in both a cross-machine direction and tangential direction on said label for releasing and placing said label on said container in precise registry therewith.

A machine for rapid application of labels from a label supply source, comprising

• (i) a label supply source for labels on a continuous tape;
• said continuous tape comprising a plurality of labels evenly spaced apart with a plurality of sprocket holes within said tape for each of said labels for aligning each of said labels;
• (ii) a rotational transfer means for said labels for transferring individual labels onto a container, including sprocket means for said rotational transfer means for engaging with said sprocket holes of said tape;
• (iii) means for guiding said tape, said means cooperating with a means for positioning said label and said sprocket means on said rotational transfer means;
• (iv) means for severing individual labels from said continuous tape before transferring said individual labels onto a container;
• (v) vacuum means within said rotational transfer means for precise registry of each individual label on a peripheral surface of said rotational transfer means for said label, said vacuum means applying negative pressure uniformly across said peripheral surface and on each label;
• (vi) means for synchronous, precisely spaced apart advancing of a container with respect to said rotational transfer means and a label for said container on said rotational transfer means;
• (vii) means for applying positive pressure in both a cross-machine direction and tangential direction on said label for releasing and placing said label on said container in precise registry therewith;
• and
• (viii) means for removal of a labelless continuous tape from said rotational transfer means.

A machine for rapid application of labels from a label supply source, comprising

• (i) a label supply source for labels on a continuous tape;
• said continuous tape comprising a plurality of labels evenly spaced apart with a plurality of sprocket holes within said tape for each of said labels for aligning each of said labels;
• (ii) a rotational transfer means for said labels for transferring individual labels onto a container, including sprocket means for said rotational transfer means for engaging with said sprocket holes of said tape;
• (iii) means for guiding said tape, said means cooperating with a means for positioning said label and said sprocket means on said rotational transfer means;
• (iv) means for severing individual labels from said continuous tape before transferring said individual labels onto a container, comprising die means for cutting individual labels from said continuous tape operatively interconnected with said rotational transfer means;
• (v) vacuum means within said rotational transfer means for precise registry of each individual label on a peripheral surface of said rotational transfer means for said label, said vacuum means applying negative pressure uniformly across said peripheral surface and on each label;
• (vi) means for synchronous, precisely spaced apart advancing of a container with respect to said rotational transfer means and a label for said container on said rotational transfer means;
• and
• (vii) means for applying positive pressure in both a cross-machine direction and tangential direction on said label for releasing and placing said label on said container in precise registry therewith.

A machine for rapid application of labels from a label supply source, comprising

• (i) a label supply source for labels on a continuous tape;
• said continuous tape comprising a plurality of labels evenly spaced apart with a plurality of sprocket holes within said tape for each of said labels for aligning each of said labels;
• (ii) a rotational transfer means for said labels for transferring individual labels onto a container, including sprocket means for said rotational transfer means for engaging with said sprocket holes of said tape;
• (iii) means for guiding said tape, said means cooperating with a means for positioning said label and said sprocket means on said rotational transfer means;
• (iv) means for severing individual labels from said continuous tape before transferring said individual labels onto a container;
• (v) vacuum means within said rotational transfer means for precise registry of each individual label on a peripheral surface of said rotational transfer means for said label, said vacuum means applying negative pressure uniformly across said peripheral surface and on each label;
• (vi) means for synchronous, precisely spaced apart advancing of a container with respect to said rotational transfer means and a label for said container on said rotational transfer means;
• and
• (vii) means for applying positive pressure in both a cross-machine direction and tangential direction on said label for releasing and placing said label on said container in precise registry therewith;
• said sprocket holes on said continuous tape including tongue-shaped perforations for engaging with said sprocket means.