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US 6,401,586 B1Granted
Tax stamp perforator and notcher
AssigneePhilip Morris Incorporated
InventorJohn P. Wood
Life of this patent
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AssigneePhilip Morris Incorporated
InventorJohn P. Wood
Estimating the term…
A tax stamp perforator and notcher applies a diagonal line of spaced apart perforations on a tax stamp for subsequent application to a cigarette pack. The stamp is glued or otherwise applied to the cigarette pack normally across the back of the pack and one of the sides thereof. When the cigarette pack is opened the tax stamp is torn along the line of perforations. In order to facilitate rapid application of tax stamps to a production line of cigarette packs, notches in the form of lines of increased densification are applied to each stamp in the area where the stamp is bent around the side of the cigarette pack. These lines of increased densification are arranged parallel to the edge of the cigarette pack, and preferably one of the lines lies along the edge of the cigarette pack to thereby reduce the ability of the tax stamp to spring back away from the pack when glued to the pack. This feature enables the stamps to be applied to the packs at high production rates.
A tax stamp perforator and notcher assembly comprising a drum constructed and arranged for rotary movement about an axis of rotation, the drum having an exterior cylindrical surface, a plurality of spaced apart cutter blades arranged along a curved diagonal on the exterior cylindrical surface, a plurality of spaced apart indenting blades on the cylindrical surface of the drum, each of the indenting blades having an orientation generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum, and an idler pressure roll engaging the exterior cylindrical surface of the drum and defining a roller nip with the drum, whereby blank tax stamps received within the roller nip are provided with a diagonal line of perforations by the cutter blades and spaced apart indentations in the form of lines of increased densification by the indenting blades.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.