Precision label application

A label application system to precisely apply pressure sensitive adhesive labels to flat uniform articles comprising motor means, a main carriage, a free carriage, label delivery means, web handling means, article handling means, a follower member and electronic control means,

• said motor means being operatively connected to said main carriage,
• said main carriage including spaced apart first and second supports arranged for reciprocation by said motor means on guide rods between limits determined by said electronic control means,
• said free carriage being slidably carried on slide rods mounted to said main carriage parallel to said guide rods between said first and second supports,
• said label delivery means including a label platform defined by an entrance end and a tapered delivery end positioned substantially parallel to and below said slide rods, said label delivery means serving to position said labels as they travel in said system for application to said articles,
• said web handling means including rollers to pull a web carrying said labels spaced apart thereon from a supply source across said label platform and then to exit said system after removal of said labels from said web,
• said article handling means serving to move said articles in said system past said tapered delivery end of said label platform,
• said follower member being operatively connected to said free carriage for movement therewith and having an engagement portion to contact a portion of each of said labels passing in said system toward said tapered delivery end of said label platform and thereby control movement of said free carriage relative to said main carriage, and
• said electronic control means serving to control operation of said rollers of said web handling means in said pulling of said web.

A label application method to precisely apply pressure sensitive adhesive labels defined by a peripheral edge to flat uniform size articles comprising:

• delivering said labels carried from a supply source seriatim upon a continuous web along a first fixed path to a stripping station at which said labels are removed from said web, said first fixed path comprising a first straight terminal portion as it approaches said stripping station,
• moving said articles seriatim to said stripping station along a second fixed path to said stripping station, said second fixed path comprising a second straight terminal portion that parallels said first straight terminal portion as it approachs said stripping station,
• detecting forward motion of said peripheral edge of each said adhesive label as said label traverses said first fixed path, and
• controlling the movement of each said article as said article traverses said second fixed path by means of said detected forward motion of said peripheral edge of each said adhesive label.