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US 5,304,264 AGranted
Item applicator and method
AssigneeAutomated Packaging Systems, Inc.
InventorRick S. Wehrmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An item applicator machine having an item support which reciprocates in reference to an applicator arm. The item support is reciprocated within an item supply strip loop. The supply strip is advanced as the item support moves under the applicator arm. The supply strip is locked as the item support moves away from the applicator arm causing an item support dispensing edge to peel an item from the supply strip. A vacuum head on the applicator arm engages the item just prior to the item support's movement away from the applicator arm and picks up the dispensed item and applies it to an object. Curved faces are provided on alternative vacuum heads which are easily interchangeable with the flat faced vacuum head.
Claims35
An applicator appartus for applying to products items such as tags and labels carried by an elongate flexible supply strip, the applicator comprising:
- a) an item support having a dispensing end portion and a trailing end portion, such supply strip when in use being supported by the item support and wrapped around the two end portions of the support;
- b) motion producing means operatively connected to the support for moving the support and causing relative motion of such strip at the trailing end portion thereby causing the items to individually peel off of such strip at the dispensing end portion;
- c) a moveable vacuum head for taking an item prior to and as such item is peeled off of such strip and applying such item to a product, the head being adapted to travel a path including at least a retracted position and a pick-up position;
- and,
- d) drive means for relatively moving a workpiece and the head to transfer a taken item from the head to such workpiece.
2 more elements
An applicator apparatus for applying to products items such as tags and labels carried by an elongate flexible supply strip, the applicator comprising:
- a) a reciprocating item support having a dispensing end portion and a trailing end portion, such supply strip when in use being supported by the item support and wrapped around the two end portions of the support;
- b) reciprocating means operatively connected to the support for reciprocating the support against such strip at the trailing end portion thereby causing the items to individually peel off of such strip at the dispensing end portion;
- c) a reciprocatable vacuum head for taking an item as such item is peeled off of such strip and applying such item to a product, the head being adapted to travel a path including at least a retracted position and a pick-up position;
- and,
- d) drive means for relatively moving a workpiece and the head to transfer a taken item from the head to such workpiece.
2 more elements
The method of applying items carried by supply strips such as tags or labels to products, comprising:
- a) moving the strip to register an item in a pick-up position, thereafter grasping the registered item with a vacuum head by moving the head from a retracted position to a pick-up position while the registered item is still mounted on the supply strip;
- b) dispensing the registered item from the item supply strip while so grasped by moving an item support between two portions of the item supply strip while restraining feed of the strip from a supply, the movement causing the registered item being dispensed to peel off of the supply strip at a dispensing end portion of the item support;
- and,
- c) applying the dispensed item to a product with the vacuum head.
1 more element
An applicator for applying items each having a surface bearing a pressure-sensitive adhesive comprising:
- a) a supply structure defining a supply station and including a supply support for a spool carrying a coil of item bearing strip;
- b) a take-up structure defining a take-up station and including a take-up for carrying a take-up spool to coil the strip after such items have been removed therefrom;
- c) a reciprocatable support including top and bottom surfaces delineating a section of a strip path of travel from the supply to a take-up station;
- d) path-delineating structure operably connected to the supply and take-up structures and cooperating with the support to define the path of travel wherein the strip is fed along a portion of the top surface, over a support beak, along the bottom surface, around an end portion of the support remote from the dispensing end portion and thence along another portion of the top surface;
- e) a moveable label-positioning head having head retracted, label pick-up and label-applying positions;
- f) a support drive means for advancing the support from a support retracted position to an item dispensing position when the head is in its head retracted position and for retracting the support from its transfer position to the support retracted position when the head is in its label pick-up position whereby to remove a positioned item from the strip and transfer it to the head.
3 more elements
In a machine having a mechanism for delivering workpieces to a workstation sequentially and one at a time, for applying pressure-sensitive items such as labels or hangers to such workpieces sequentially one at a time, an improved item applicator assembly comprising:
- a) housing and frame structure delineating supply and take-up stations, the supply and take-up stations respectively having supply and take-up spool supports for respectively supporting supply and take-up spools;
- b) the housing and frame structure including components delineating a path of strip travel from a supply spool on the supply spool support to a take-up spool on the take-up spool support;
- c) a reciprocatable strip support having an end portion which is projectable into and retractable from a dispensing position in a labeling station, the strip support including a beak forming a part of the end portion, and opposed supply and exit surfaces extending from the beak in a direction away from the labeling station, the exit surface extending from the beak to and around an opposed end portion of the strip support, the supply and exit surfaces and the beak delineating a section of such strip path of travel;
- d) a pick-up head including a perforate item-engaging surface and a communicating vacuum passage;
- e) a vacuum source coupled to the vacuum passage;
- f) a prime mover connected to the head to shift the head between retracted and label-applying positions, the head also having a pick-up position intermediate the retracted and label-applying positions;
- g) vacuum control means operably connected to the vacuum supply and vacuum passage for applying vacuum to the perforate portion at least from when the head is in its item pick-up position until the head has moved to its label applicating position;
- and
- h) strip feed control means operably connected to the supply and take-up stations to cause the feed of strip in coordination with the reciprocation of the strip support to its label-delivery position and to retard the feed of strip as the label supply structure is retracted from its delivery position.
6 more elements
A process of applying items having at least one pressure-sensitive adhesive-coated surface to workpieces comprising:
- a) feeding an elongated strip carrying an adhered to, longitudinally disposed set of items along a path of travel from a strip supply to position an item at a pick-up station;
- b) engaging the item positioned at the station with a pick-up head by moving the head from a retracted position to a pick-up position,
- c) interrupting and preventing the strip feed and while the strip feed is so interrupted, shifting a strip support away from the station while drawing a section of the strip around a support beak to separate the engaged item from the strip;
- d) bringing the separated item into engagement with a workpiece;
- and,
- e) thereafter releasing the separated item from the head.
3 more elements
An applicator for applying items each having a surface bearing a pressure-sensitive adhesive comprising:
- a) a supply structure defining a supply station and including a support for structure to carry a supply of item bearing strip;
- b) a take-up structure defining a take-up station and including structure to carry the strip after such items have been removed therefrom;
- c) a reciprocatable support including top and bottom surfaces delineating a section of a strip path of travel from the supply to a take-up station;
- d) path-delineating structure operably connected to the supply and take-up structures and cooperating with the support to define the path of travel wherein the strip is fed along a portion of the top surface, over a support beak, along the bottom surface, around an end portion of the support remote from the dispensing end portion and thence along another portion of the top surface;
- e) a moveable label-positioning head having head retracted, label pick-up and label-applying positions;
- f) a support drive means for advancing the support from a support retracted position to an item dispensing position when the head is in its head retracted position and for retracting the support from its transfer position to the support retracted position when the head is in its label pick-up position whereby to remove a positioned item from the strip and transfer it to the head.
3 more elements
In a machine having a mechanism for delivering workpieces to a workstation sequentially and one at a time, for applying pressure-sensitive items such as labels or hangers to such workpieces sequentially one at a time, an improved item applicator assembly comprising:
- a) housing and frame structure delineating supply and take-up stations;
- b) the housing and frame structure including components delineating a path of strip travel from a supply device at the supply station to a take-up device at the take-up station;
- c) a reciprocatable strip support having an end portion which is projectable into and retractable from a dispensing position in a labeling station, the strip support including a beak forming a part of the end portion, and opposed supply and exit surfaces extending from the beak in a direction away from the labeling station, the exit surface extending from the beak to and around an opposed end portion of the strip support, the supply and exit surfaces and the beak delineating a section of such strip path of travel;
- d) a pick-up head including a perforate item-engaging surface and a communicating vacuum passage;
- e) a vacuum source coupled to the vacuum passage;
- f) a prime mover connected to the head to shift the head between retracted and label-applying positions, the head also having a pick-up position intermediate the retracted and label-applying positions;
- g) vacuum control means operably connected to the vacuum supply and vacuum passage for applying vacuum to the perforate portion at least from when the head is in its item pick-up position until the head has moved to its label applicating position;
- and
- h) strip feed control means operably connected to the supply and take-up stations to cause the feed of strip in coordination with the reciprocation of the strip support to its label-delivery position and to retard the feed of strip as the label supply structure is retracted from its delivery position.
6 more elements
A process of dispensing items releasably adhered to a web from the web comprising;
- a) feeding the web along a web path from a supply around a first end of a reciprocatable support along a selected one of a top and a bottom surface of the support and thence around a second support end to a takeup;
- b) advancing the web to position an item in registration at a pick-up position;
- c) locking the feed of the web along the web path to prevent dispensing from the supply and feed to the take up;
- d) engaging a pick-up head with the positioned item by shifting the head from a retracted position along a head path of travel to a pick-up position;
- e) while the feed is so locked and the positioned item is engaged moving the support out of the head path of travel to cause the strip to feed around one of the ends which functions as a beak, thence along the selected surface and around the other of the ends thereby striping the positioned and engaged item from the web;
- f) moving the head further along the head path of travel to an application position;
- and
- g) applying the positioned, engaged and stripped item to an object.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.