Label applicator
AssigneeNortek Automation, Inc.
InventorsJeff McKenney, Steve Ogren, Sebastian Gex-Collet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A label applicator for dispensing and applying labels to articles includes a label leading edge indicating sensor and an adjustable peel bar held at a pickup position. A label support may be used with larger labels that have been partially peeled from a backing strip and remain at the pickup position. Printed labels to be applied to an article have a portion of the surface area of an adhesive side removed from the backing strip before the label is taken by a label pick-up-and-applicating device. A print head may be included in the label applicator between the indicating sensor and the adjustable peel bar. A number of labels may be picked-up simultaneously from the backing strip by a number of pick-up heads to be applied to a number of separate articles.
Claims18
A method of accurately applying printed labels to specific locations on a plurality of articles, comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of die cut labels on a backing strip, each label having an adhesive face secured to the backing strip;
- partially peeling the plurality of die cut labels in sequence from the backing strip by an adjustable peel bar assembly having a fixed inner plate and an adjustable outer plate for different size labels;
- and
- picking up the partially peeled labels from the backing strip at a pickup position with a moving label applicator that moves between the pickup position and a label application position, spaced away from the pickup position.
A label applicator apparatus for applying printed labels having an adhesive backing at a specific location on an article surface to each of a plurality of articles, comprising:
- sensing means for sensing a leading edge of successive labels on a backing strip prior to taking the successive labels from the backing strip;
- each label having a printed side and an adhesive side;
- means cooperating with the sensing means for sequentially positioning one or more labels into a pickup position;
- an adjustable peel bar assembly having a fixed inner plate and an adjustable outer plate for guiding different size labels to the pickup position for sequentially partially peeling one or more labels from the backing strip into the pickup position;
- and
- label pickup means for removing partially peeled labels from the backing strip at the pickup position and delivering them to an applicator position.
A label applicator for applying printed labels having an adhesive backing at a specific location on an article surface to each of a plurality of articles, comprising:
- a sensor for sensing a leading edge of successive labels on a backing strip, prior to printing;
- a printer for printing on one side of a stream of successive labels adhesively held on the backing strip;
- each label having a printed side and an adhesive side adhered to the backing strip;
- means for sequentially moving labels through the printer and over an adjustable peel bar assembly having a fixed inner plate and an adjustable outer plate for different size labels;
- each label, after passing over the adjustable outer plate, being partially retained on the backing strip at a pickup position by its adhesive side surface area;
- and
- a label pickup moveable between the pickup position where it picks up the labels partially retained on the backing strip and an applicator position where it applies the labels to articles surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.