US 5,674,350 AGranted

Label dispenser and applicator assembly

AssigneePerl Packaging Systems, L.L.C.

InventorDonald Jurgich

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A label dispensing and applicator assembly for use with a roll of backing tapes having labels with pressure-sensitive adhesives on the backside detachably adhering the labels to the backing tape, wherein the assembly includes a label dispensing unit having a label separator mechanism attached to the frame and positioned away from a dispensing strip take-up reel wherein the label separator peels the label from the backing tape as the backing tape moves forwardly over the label separator and abruptly changes direction and extends rearwardly beneath the bar such that the labels are stripped and move forwardly from the label separator. A pair of pinch rollers is rotatably supported by the frame away from the label separator and a pinch roller is positioned to removably receive the dispensing strip therethrough as the dispensing strip is pulled through the label dispensing unit. The pinch roller has a drive belt connected to a conveyor assembly that is positioned forward of the label separator unit. The conveyor assembly includes conveyor belts having a label pickup station adjacent to the label separator and a label dispensing station away from the label separator. The conveyor assembly has a length that allows labels to be picked off of the conveyor belt by hand. The conveyor assembly also includes a dispensing ramp that presents the label adhesive side out for adherence onto a package. A label applicator unit is positionable forward of the label dispensing unit and is adapted to move a container or a package past the dispensing end of the conveyor assembly to securely receive a label thereon.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A label dispenser for stripping adhesive backed labels from an elongated backing strip unwound from a roll of labels that includes a plurality of labels removably adhered to a backing strip that has a leading end and for dispensing the removed labels for adherence to predetermined units, comprising:

a frame
a take-up reel rotatable relative to said frame, said take-up reel securely retaining the leading end of said backing strip and being positioned to take-up portions of the backing strip;
a reel drive operatively connected to said take-up reel to rotate said take-up reel such that portions of the backing strip is taken up by said take-up reel;
a roll support attached to said frame away from said take-up reel with a length of backing strip extending therebetween along a strip pathway, said roll support shaped to securely retain the roll of labels thereon, said roll support and the roll of labels being rotatable as a unit relative to said frame, said roll support being rotated when said take-up reel is rotated and the backing snip is taken-up by said take-up reel;
a tensioning member connected to said roll support that resists rotation of said roll support and provides tension in the length of backing strip extending along the strip pathway;
a pinch roller rotatably connected to said frame away from said roll support, said pinch roller being positioned to receive thereon the portion of the backing strip extending along the strip path, said pinch roller being rotatable by the backing strip when the backing strip is moved along the strip pathway toward said take-up reel, said pinch roller having a drive belt receiving member thereon;
a label separator attached to said frame, said label separator having a stripping edge positioned to receive the backing strip and labels thereover when said take-up reel takes up the backing strip, and to strip the labels off the backing strip as each label passes over said stripping edge, said stripping edge being positioned away from said take-up reel such that the backing strip is pulled over said stripping edge;
a label conveyor having a pick-up station adjacent to said stripping edge of said label separator and a dispensing station away from said pick-up station, said label conveyor having an endless conveyor belt movable around first and second conveyor sheaves with a top portion of said conveyor being movable from said pick-up station toward said dispensing station, said label conveyor having drive belt receiving portions;
and
a drive belt extending between said drive belt receiving member of said pinch roller and said drive belt receiving portion of said label conveyor, said drive belt being movable upon rotation of said pinch roller by moving the backing strip over said pinch roller, thereby causing said drive belt to move said label conveyor.

7 more elements

A label dispenser for stripping labels from an elongated backing strip and dispensing the labels, comprising:

a frame;
a backing strip takeup member carried by said frame;
a reel drive operatively connected to said takeup member to move said takeup member relative to said frame;
a label separator attached to said frame and positioned away from said takeup member to receive the backing strip and labels and to cause the label to be peeled from the backing strip;
a pinch roller rotatably supported by said frame away from said label separator, said pinch roller being positioned to movably receive the backing strip thereon;
a roller support member carried by said frame and positioned to receive a roll of labels comprised of the elongated backing strip and a plurality of labels adhered thereto, said roll support providing adjustable resistance to movement of the backing strip and labels away from the roll of labels;
and
a conveyor assembly having a label pickup station adjacent to said label separator and a label dispensing station away from said label separator, said conveyor assembly having a conveyor extending between said pickup station and said dispensing station and being positioned to receive the labels thereon after the labels are stripped from the backing material, said conveyor assembly having a drive belt operatively connected to said conveyor and to said pinch roller to move said conveyor between said pickup and dispensing stations, said conveyor assembly having a label remover at said dispensing station adjacent to said conveyor, said label remover having a ramp portion extending upwardly away from said conveyor belt and being positioned to lift a lead portion of the label off of the conveyor and to direct the lead portion of the label away from said conveyor with a backside with an adhesive side of the label being exposed and presented for dispensing from said conveyor assembly.

5 more elements

A label dispensing machine for use with a roll of backing tape having labels with pressure sensitive adhesive on their backside detachably adhering to a release coating on the front side of the backing tape, said machine comprising:

a label releasing bar having a front edge;
a tape dispensing mechanism for moving tape from a said roll forwardly over said bar and then rearwardly beneath said bar so that labels on the tape are released therefrom at said front edge as the tape passes thereover, said tape dispensing mechanism including an upper take-off roller for holding a roll of tape, an intermediate pair of pinch rollers for guiding the tape from the take-off roller to the label releasing bar, and a powered take-up roller to the rear of the label releasing bar for advancing the tape by winding it on the take-up roller;
a conveyor forwardly of said bar and adjacent thereto for moving said labels forwardly in succession as they are released from the backing tape, said conveyor including laterally spaced narrow endless belts having a forwardly moving upper run for supporting the labels with the adhesive on the backside of the labels only slightly adhering to the belts, said upper run passing over front sheaves having annular grooves receiving said belts and annular cheeks at the sides of the grooves with rims of a material to which said adhesive has substantially no adherence, said rims extending above the level of the top of said upper run so that conveyed labels on said upper run are pushed by the belts over said rims as they advance thereby releasing the labels from said upper run and progressively exposing the backside of the labels forwardly of the front sheaves so that objects to be labelled can be wiped in succession upwardly into adhering engagement with the adhesive on the exposed backside of the labels as the labels progress over said rim, one of said pinch rollers having a belt drive to said conveyor, said pinch rollers being driven by engagement with the tape.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.