Apparatus for producing labels from a web and for applying such labels to objects
AssigneeGreydon W. Nedblake
InventorsGreydon W. Nedblake, John Garbe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Label-forming and applying apparatus is provided which dispenses a web of label material presenting individual labels with respective boundaries, and individually cuts such labels using one or more laser beams. The laser unit is equipped with a controller having an electronic memory which stores information about the label boundaries, so that the laser unit can be precisely controlled in order to successively cut labels from the web. An applicator assembly is also provided which picks up the cut labels and transfers the labels to an application station where they are applied to respective articles.
Claims12
Apparatus for producing labels, comprising:
- a laser unit capable of producing a laser beam;
- a dispenser operable to continuously dispense an elongated web of label material past said laser beam, said web at the region of said laser beam being without a carrier sheet and presenting a plurality of labels surrounded by respective label boundaries,
- a laser controller coupled with said laser unit in order to control the laser beam to successively cut each of the label boundaries as the web passes the laser beam, whereby each of the labels is successively separated from the web, and
- said controller having an electronic memory which stores information about said label boundaries and operable to retrieve and use said information to cause the laser unit to cut completely around each said label along its boundary before cutting the boundary of a successive label.
Apparatus for labeling objects, comprising:
- a laser unit capable of producing a laser beam,
- a dispenser operable to continuously dispense an elongated web of label material past said laser beam, said web at the region of said laser beam being without a carrier sheet and presenting a plurality of labels surrounded by respective label boundaries,
- a laser controller coupled with said laser unit in order to control the laser beam to successively cut each of the label boundaries as the web passes the laser beam, whereby each of the labels is successively separated from the web,
- said controller having an electronic memory which stores information about said label boundaries and operable to retrieve and use said information to cause the laser unit to cut completely around each label along its boundary before cutting the boundary of a successive label, and
- a label applicator assembly located to receive said labels as they are separated from the web and including a labeling station where a label is applied to a respective object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.