Apparatus and method for applying labels onto small cylindrical articles using static wipers

An apparatus for applying a thin film heat shrinkable polymer label onto small cylindrical articles comprising

• a label transport drum having a substantially smooth surface, and defining smooth label retention areas on which a cut label is positioned and including vacuum orifices positioned on said smooth label retention areas and means for drawing a vacuum therethrough for retaining a cut label onto the smooth label retention areas as said drum rotates,
• means for rotating said drum,
• means positioned adjacent said drum for cutting a strip of label material into cut labels,
• means for feeding the thin film, heat shrinkable, polymer label to the surface of said label transport drum, onto a label retention area that has moved opposite the cutting means,
• means for applying an adhesive onto an area adjacent the leading edge of said label while said label with moving with said drum,
• first wiper means for wiping label reactive solvent onto the area adjacent the trailing edge of the label in an amount sufficient for cleaning and softening the area adjacent the trailing edge without dissolving of the label and,
• second wiper means for wiping a label reactive solvent onto the area adjacent the trailing edge of the label in an amount substantially greater than applied by said first wiping means for dissolving the label and forming a tacky quality thereto, said wiper means having an outwardly extending wiper tip positioned adjacent the peripheral surface of said drum,
• means for applying solvent to said wiper tips,
• a narrow width plunger extending into the drum surface at said label retention area where the trailing edge of a label is positioned, said plunger having a length which extends across the width of the label retention area so as to engage substantially the full width of the trailing edge of the label, wherein the length of the plunger across the width of the label retention area is substantially greater than the width of the plunger,
• means for biasing said plunger outward from the drum surface so as to extend a narrow part of the label defined by its trailing edge outward from the label retention area, wherein said plunger extends the leading edge of the label a distance outward from the drum surface sufficient so that the trailing edge of the label engages a wiper tip, and wherein said plunger is retractable into said drum and said biasing means exerts such force so that as an article engages the trailing edge of the label at an article wrapping position, the article pushes the trailing edge downward into a plane coextensive with the peripheral surface of said drum so that said article rolls on a smooth surface during wrapping.

A method of applying a heat shrinkable film polymer label into a small cylindrical article

• cutting a strip of label material into labels, and feeding the cut heat shrinkable, thin film polymer labels onto the surface of a rotating label transport drum having a substantially smooth surface, and defining smooth label retention areas on which a cut label is positioned, while maintaining the label on the drum by drawing a vacuum through vacuum orifices positioned at the label retention areas,
• printing a cold adhesive onto an area adjacent the leading edge of the label, and
• applying solvent onto the area adjacent by trailing edge of the label by:
• 1) biasing the trailing edge of the label outward from the periphery of the label transport drum, by moving outward form the drum surface a narrow width plunger that extends into the drum surface at the label retention area where the trailing edge of a label is positioned, the plunger having a length which extends across the width of the label retention area which is substantially greater than the width of the plunger, wherein the narrow part of the label defined by its trailing edge is engaged by the plunger,
• 2) rotating the drum while moving the outwardly biased trailing edge of the label into engagement with a wiper tip spaced outward from the drum periphery and on which solvent has been applied, and
• 3) conveying small cylindrical articles into tangential spinning engagement with the surface of the drum and into rotative engagement with the leading edge of the label as the label is moved into engagement with the rotating article so that the label wraps about the article and a solvent-seal bond is created, wherein the article pushes the trailing edge downward into a plane coextensive with the drum surface.