Apparatus and method for applying labels onto small cylindrical articles using pressure applicator to prevent label mismatching

An apparatus for applying thin film polymer labels to small cylindrical articles comprising:

• a label transport drum;
• means for rotating said drum along an article conveying direction;
• means for supplying a label to the surface of said label transport drum;
• means for applying an adhesive onto an area adjacent the leading edge of said label while said label is moving with said drum,
• a wiper member having a flexible solvent application tip positioned adjacent said label transport drum and engaging the trailing edge of a label while said label is moving with said drum so as to apply a predetermined amount of solvent onto the area adjacent the trailing edge of said label,
• means for conveying cylindrically configured articles into tangential spinning engagement with said drum so that the axis of the cylindrically-configured articles is substantially perpendicular to the article conveying direction, and into rotative engagement with said label and adhesive positioned thereon so as to transfer said label onto said article as said label moves with said drum and into engagement with said rotating article said cylindrically-configured articles including opposing ends and a cylindrical surface forming a side with side surface portions adjacent the ends thereof,
• a pressure plate mounted adjacent the surface of said label transport drum and having an article engaging surface positioned adjacent the surface of said drum and side portions which engage the side surface areas of the article adjacent its ends for engaging and applying pressure to the articles as they are wrapped with the label, and
• including means for varying the camber of said pressure plate relative to articles conveyed on the surface of said drum so that as pressure is increased on a site portion of the article adjacent one end thereof, pressure is decreased on the opposite side portion adjacent the other end wherein a differential pressure is imparted against the areas of the article adjacent the ends of the article to prevent mismatching of the label ends as the label wraps around the article,

An apparatus for applying thin film polymer labels to small cylindrical articles comprising:

• a frame,
• a label transport drum rotatably mounted on said frame,
• means for rotating said drum along an article conveying direction,
• means for supplying a label to the surface of said label transport drum,
• means for applying an adhesive onto an area adjacent the leading edge of said label while said label is moving with said drum,
• means for applying a solvent onto an area adjacent the trailing edge of said label while said label is moving with said drum,
• means for conveying cylindrically-configured articles into tangential spinning engagement with said drum so that the axis of the cylindrically-configured articles is substantially perpendicular to the article conveying direction, and into rotative engagement with said adhesive positioned on an area adjacent the leading edge of said label so as to transfer said label onto the article as said label is moved into engagement with said rotating article said cylindrically configured articles including opposing ends and a cylindrical surface forming a side with side surface portions adjacent the ends thereof,
• a support plate mounted for movement on said frame toward and away from said drum,
• a pressure plate carried by and spaced from said support plate, said pressure plate having an accurate article engaging surface and side positions which engage the side surface areas of the article adjacent its ends for engaging articles fed to the surface of said label transport drum, and including means for varying the camber of said pressure plate relative to articles conveyed on the surface of said drum so that as pressure is increased on a side portion of the article adjacent one end thereof, pressure is decreased on the opposite side portion adjacent the other end wherein a differential pressure is imparted against the areas of the article adjacent the ends of the article to prevent mismatching of the label ends as the label wraps around the article.

A method of applying thin film polymer labels onto small cylindrical articles comprising,

• feeding a thin film polymer label onto a label transport drum,
• applying an adhesive onto an area adjacent the leading edge of the label,
• applying a predetermined amount of solvent onto an area adjacent to the trailing edge of the label,
• conveying small cylindrical articles into engagement,
• transferring the label onto the conveyed small cylindrical article by moving the leading edge of the label into engagement with the article so that the adhesive adheres the leading edge of the label to the article, and then
• wrapping the article with the label so that the trailing edge of the label overlaps the leading edge, while also biasing a pressure plate into engagement with the article wherein the pressure plate is mounted adjacent the surface of the label transport drum and has an article engaging surface positioned adjacent the surface of said drum and side portions which engage the said surface areas of the article adjacent its ends, and
• varying the camber of the pressure plate relative to articles conveyed on the surface of the drum so that as pressure is increased on a side portion of the article adjacent one end thereof, pressure is decreased on the opposite side portion adjacent the other end wherein a differential pressure is imparted against areas of the article adjacent the ends of the article to prevent mismatching of the label ends as the label wraps around the article.

A method of applying thin film polymer labels onto small cylindrical articles comprising,

• feeding a thin film polymer label onto a label transport drum,
• applying an adhesive onto an area adjacent the leading edge of the label,
• applying a predetermined amount of solvent onto an area adjacent the trailing edge of the label by deflecting a flexible tip of a rotating solvent wiper member against the area adjacent the trailing edge of the label while rotating the wiper member so that the tip moves at a surface speed different from the surface speed of the label transport drum,
• transferring the label onto a small cylindrical article by rolling the article into engagement with the adhesive on the leading edge of the label so that the adhesive adheres the leading edge of the label to the article, and then
• wrapping the article with the label so that the trailing edge overlaps the leading edge while also
• biasing a pressure plate into engagement with the article, wherein the pressure plate is mounted adjacent the surface of the label transport drum and has an article engaging surface positioned adjacent the surface of said drum and side portions which engage the side surface area of the article adjacent it sends, and
• varying the camber of the pressure plate relative to articles conveyed on the surface of the drum so that as pressure is increased on a side portion of the article adjacent one end thereof, pressure is decreased on the opposite side portion adjacent the other end wherein a differential pressure is imparted against areas of the article adjacent the ends of the article to prevent mismatching of the label ends as the label wraps around the article.