Apparatus and method for applying labels onto small cylindrical articles using wiper speed differential

An apparatus for applying a label to a cylindrical article while forming a high quality seam comprising

• a label transport drum having a substantially smooth surface and a plurality of substantially evenly spaced label retaining areas on the surface of the drum on which cut labels are retained as the drum rotates,
• means for rotating said drum,
• means for supplying a thin film label having a material thickness less than 0.0035 inches to the label retaining areas on the surface of said label transport drum,
• means for applying a cold adhesive onto an area adjacent the leading of a label moving with said drum,
• a rotary pad print head mounted adjacent said label transport drum, said print head having at least one outwardly extending and narrowly tapering, flexible wiper tip, said tip ending in one substantially pointed configuration having a tip width at any point substantially less than the tip length,
• means for rotating said rotary pad print head at a surface speed such that the wiper tip engages successive positions on the label retaining areas on the drum at a surface speed slower than the surface speed of the label transport drum,
• a gravure roll rotatably mounted adjacent said rotary pad print head,
• means for delivering solvent to said gravure roll,
• said rotary pad print head, gravure roll, and label transport drum being positioned and timed in rotation with each other such that as print head rotates, said wiper tip 1) engages said gravure roll and receives solvent thereon and 2) engages the area adjacent the trailing edge of the label moving with said dram so that the flexible and pointed tip is deflected and controllably wipes solvent onto the area adjacent the trailing edge of the label, and
• means for conveying cylindrical articles into tangential spinning engagement with said drum and into rotative engagement with adhesive positioned on the area adjacent the leading edge of the label whereby said label is transferred by wrapping onto said article after said label is moved into engagement with said rotating article to form a high quality seam at the overlap of leading and trailing edge portions.

A method of applying a small label onto a small cylindrical article such as a battery comprising,

• feeding a thin layer label onto a label transport drum having a substantially smooth surface and a plurality of substantially evenly spaced label retaining areas on the surface of the drum on which cut labels are retained as the drum rotates,
• 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 one narrowly tapering, flexible tip of a rotating wiper member against the area adjacent the trailing edge of the label, wherein the wiper member has a flexible and pointed tip with a tip width at any point substantially less than its length while rotating the wiper member so that the point of the wiper tip moves at a surface speed slower than the surface speed of the label transport drum wherein solvent contained on the tip is evenly applied onto an area adjacent the trailing edge of the label, and
• transferring the label onto a small cylindrical article by engaging the leading edge of the label with the article and subsequently wrapping the article wherein a high quality solvent seal seam is formed on overlapping leading and trailing edges, and then successively moving labels retained on the label retaining areas into a position such that the point of the wiper tip engages successive label retaining areas on the drum at a surface speed slower than the surface speed of the label transport drum so as to controllably wipe solvent on the area adjacent the trailing edge of successive labels.