Apparatus for in-mold labelling
AssigneeCCL Label, Inc.
InventorBarron G. McKillip
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for in-mold labelling in which labels are individually cut from a continuous web as demanded by the cycling of a mold. The web of labels is advanced through a die cutter which sequentially cuts individual labels from the web. A transfer device picks a freshly cut label from the die cutter and places the label within the cavity of a mold located in proximity to the die cutter. By individually cutting labels from a web at the time of use rather than loading a stack of precut labels in a magazine, the invention allows for the use of thinner, less expensive, and compatible plastic label material.
Claims13
An in-mold labelling apparatus comprising:
- a mold having a mold cavity;
- a cutting device in proximity to said mold for serially cutting individual labels from a continuous web in response to a molding cycle of said mold;
- means for advancing a continuous web of a series of individual labels through said cutting device, whereby individual labels are cut serially from said web;
- means for picking an individual cut label directly from said cutting device and placing said individual cut label directly into said mold cavity.
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said cutting device comprises a die cutter.
An apparatus for feeding in-mold labels to the cavity of a mold comprising:
- a cutting device disposed in proximity to the mold for sequentially cutting individual labels from a series of labels on a continuous web;
- means for advancing a continuous web of labels through said cutting device;
- means for sequentially and individually transferring cut labels from said cutting device directly to the cavity of the mold as required by each molding cycle of the mold, said means for transferring being in proximity to said cutting device and the mold such that the labels are transferred directly from said cutting device to the mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.