US 5,853,117 AGranted

Separator for linerless labels

AssigneeMoore Business Forms, Inc.

InventorJohn E. Traise

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Abstract

Linerless labels are cut or burst from a web by passing the web through infeed and outfeed pairs of rolls with a separator device located therebetween. Each roll pair includes a friction surface for engaging the slick smooth surface of the web and another roll with a silicone elastomeric or plasma-coated surface for engaging substantially without gripping the exposed adhesive side of the linerless label web. In the cutting mode, a rotary blade severs the web against a fixed blade to form the label. The infeed rolls are backed up after each cut to break the adhesive bond between the web and the fixed blade and then reverse to advance the web through the cutting position and into the outfeed rolls for a subsequent cutting operation. The outfeed rolls continue to advance the cut linerless label to a receiving station. In a bursting mode, the web is perforated and a roller breaker bar is disposed between the infeed and outfeed rolls to break the web along the perforations to form the linerless label.

Claims13

Dependent claims

In a separator having a pair of infeed rolls with a nip therebetween, a pair of outfeed rolls with a nip therebetween and located downstream of the pair of infeed rolls in a direction of travel of a web through the nips of said pairs of infeed and outfeed rolls, and a separating member downstream of said pair of infeed rolls and upstream of said pair of outfeed rolls, method of separating linerless labels forming said web wherein the web has a first surface that will not readily adhere to adhesive on a second surface thereof, comprising the steps of:

(a) advancing a leading portion of the web of linerless labels with the first surface not readily adherent to adhesive and said second surface having adhesive thereon on opposite sides of the web, through the nips of the infeed and outfeed pairs of rolls in a first downstream direction and past the separating member with the second surface having adhesive thereon facing away from the separating member as the web moves in the first downstream direction;
(b) sensing timing marks on the web disposed along one of said surfaces thereof;
and
(c) sequentially separating the web into linerless labels by moving the separating member to engage the web in response to periodically sensing the timing marks.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.