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US 5,487,807 AGranted
System for producing labels from a web
AssigneeGreydon W. Nedblake
InventorsGraydon W. Nedblake, John Garber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A labelling system dispenses a web of label material having a coating of non-tacky adhesive, subsequently activates the adhesive, cuts the web using a laser beam to produce labels therefrom, and then applies the labels to respective packages. In another embodiment, a carrier sheet is separated from an adhered web whereupon the web is then cut using a laser beam to form labels and a waste matrix. The labels are then rejoined to the carrier sheet.
Claims24
An apparatus for labeling objects comprising:
- dispensing means for continuously dispensing an elongated web of label material without a carrier sheet from a supply thereof, said web presenting a plurality of label bodies surrounded by respective label boundaries;
- a laser unit including laser means for producing a plurality of laser beams for cutting through said web, and
- control means for controlling said laser beams so that said laser beams cut through said web along divergent paths of each of said label boundaries for separating said label bodies from said web in continuous succession;
- and
- an application assembly including support means other than said web for supporting said label bodies before and after separation from said web,
- transport means for transporting said label bodies away from said web in continuous succession toward objects to be labeled, and
- applying means for applying said labels in continuous succession to a respective plurality of the objects thereby labeling the objects.
4 more elements
An apparatus for producing labels comprising:
- dispensing means for dispensing an elongated web of label material from a supply thereof, said web presenting a plurality of label portions distributed along the length of said web and surrounded by respective label boundaries;
- and
- a laser unit including laser means for producing a plurality of laser beams for cutting through said web, said dispensing means including means for passing said label portions in succession in the path of said laser beams, said laser unit further including control means for controlling said laser beams, said control means including electronic memory means for storing information representative of said boundaries, and
- a controller for retrieving said information from said memory means and for controlling said laser beams in accordance with said information so that, for each of said label portions, said laser beams cut completely around said label portion along said boundary thereof before cutting the boundary of a successive label portion and so that said laser beams cut through said web along divergent paths of each of said label boundaries for separating said label portions from said web to produce corresponding labels in succession and a web matrix.
1 more element
An apparatus for producing labels comprising:
- dispensing means for dispensing an elongated web of label material from a supply thereof, said web presenting a plurality of label portions longitudinally distributed along said web, said label portions being surrounded by respective label boundaries;
- and
- a laser unit including laser means for producing a laser beam for cutting through said web,
- said dispensing means including means for passing said label portions successively in the path of said laser beam,
- said laser unit further including control means for controlling said laser beam, said control means including
- electronic memory means for storing information representative of said boundaries, and
- a controller for retrieving said information from said memory means and for controlling said laser beam in accordance with said information so that, for each of said label portions, said laser beam cuts completely around said label portion along said boundary thereof before cutting the boundary of a successive label portion.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.