Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – With work feeding or handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-30
2001-05-15
Osele, Mark A. (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
With work feeding or handling means
C156S574000, C156S579000, C156S541000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230780
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to apparatus for applying labels to articles whether stationary or in motion, and more particularly to an improved hand-held labeller and label applicator mechanism that provides for low cost, improved application, and electronic-controlled delivery of individual labels to individual articles being labelled.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hand labellers have been used for years by merchants to apply labels to articles or goods. One such recently improved labeller is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,206, and is directed to a complicated and expensive hand-held labeller that prints and applies labels to articles. However, such labeller is manufactured with costly components, significantly limiting the market potential for such device.
There exists a need for improvements that facilitate relatively low cost and portable application of labels dispensed from a backing carrier, or web, onto individual articles such as fruits, vegetables, or consumer articles. Such need is in the nature of an improvement over prior art hand labellers in that the ready application of labels is obtained by delivering labels having desired label information in a lightweight, compact, low-cost and portable device. Instead of relying on a highly complicated, costly, and heavy device, the essential features of the present invention contemplate a relatively simple and lightweight hand-held unit that reduces adhesive gumming of an applicator mechanism, improves label delivery from a carrier web to an article, enhances controlled application of labels from a label applicator, accurately delivers labels with a relatively low cost delivery device, has an improved operating mode that prevents immediately-successive inadvertent label applications, and has an improved applicator comprising a label transfer mechanism that improves label delivery to articles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus and method for delivering adhesive articles such as labels and security tags to articles includes several features. According to a general aspect of the invention, a hand-held labeller includes a housing having a handle and a label reel support member. The label reel support member is supported by the housing and is operative to carry a reel of labels, including labels releasably carried by a carrier web. The labeller further includes a peel plate assembly pivotally carried by the housing and operative to deliver labels to articles brought into contact therewith by separating labels from a carrier web there along. A spring is provided on the labeller for biasing the peel plate assembly for presentment with an article being labelled. The labeller further includes a drive roll carried by the housing downstream of the peel plate assembly and operative to deliver the carrier web and labels to the peel plate assembly. The labeller further includes a take-up roll carried by the housing downstream of the peel plate assembly and operative to deliver and store the carrier web. The labeller further includes a microswitch provided in the housing that is operative to detect pivotal movement of the peel plate assembly when engaging/disengaging with an article during application of a label. A stepper motor is carried by the labeller housing and is coupled to drive the drive roll and take-up roll so as to advance delivery of labels for application to articles by the peel plate assembly. Additionally, control circuitry is coupled with the stepper motor and the microswitch. The control circuitry receives a feedback signal from the microswitch indicative of pivotal movement of the peel plate assembly responsive to “engagement with an article” or “release from an article”. The control circuitry is operative to send a drive signal to the stepper motor responsive to the feed signal, directing feeding of another label for presentment by the peel plate assembly and application to a subsequent article. A method for delivery labels to articles is also provided.
According to another aspect of the invention, a label applicator mechanism includes a support member and a guide member. The support member is configured to carry a carrier web containing a plurality of sequentially supported labels for delivery to individual articles. The guide member is supported by the support member. The guide member has an application edge over which the carrier web is folded so as to separate individual labels from the carrier web as the carrier web is moved under tension over the application edge. The guide member has a coefficient of friction with the carrier web which is less than the coefficient of friction of the support member.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a hand-held labelling machine includes a housing, a label delivery apparatus supported by the housing, and a label applicator supported by the housing. The housing is configured to carry a label reel including a carrier web containing a plurality of labels. The label delivery apparatus is supported by the housing and is configured to move the carrier web and the labels for delivery to individual articles. The label applicator is supported by the housing and is configured to separate and deliver the labels from the carrier web to individual articles. The label applicator has a support member and a guide member operative to deliver and separate the labels from the carrier web. The guide member has a coefficient of friction with the carrier web which is less than the coefficient of friction of the support member.
According to even another aspect of the invention, a label applicator mechanism includes a support member, a guide member carried by the support member, and a guide roller carried by the support member. The support member is configured to support a carrier web containing a plurality of adhesive-backed labels for delivery to articles. The guide member has an application edge over which the carrier web is drawn under tension to separate individual labels therefrom. The guide roller is carried by the support member adjacent to the guide member. The label and the carrier web are configured to be received between the guide roller and the guide member upstream of the application edge. The labels tend to eject adhesive onto the carrier web during storage and delivery. The guide member has a lower coefficient of contact friction with the carrier web than the support member in order to reduce adhesive gumming-up of the applicator mechanism.
According to another aspect of the invention, a label applicator mechanism includes a label applicator, an application roller supported by the label applicator, and a label delivery shelf supported by the label applicator. The label applicator includes a label guide and an application edge. The label delivery shelf is supported adjacent and in spaced-apart relation with the application edge, and is configured to receive a label from a carrier web. The application roller and the label delivery shelf cooperate to support a label for delivery to an article following separation of the label from the carrier web along the application edge.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a label delivery control apparatus and method are provided for separating labels from a carrier web and delivering such labels to a delivery shelf. Control circuitry is configured to move the carrier web and labels such that individual labels are deposited onto the delivery shelf. An operator then applies the labels from the delivery shelf onto individual articles. A method according to such apparatus is also taught.
Objects, features and advantages of this invention are to provide a lightweight, low cost, and electronic hand-held labeller which is easily and economically produced for applying individual labels to articles such as fruit and vegetables, can provide delivery of various sized labels via a simplified reconfiguration of the delivery characteristics for the labeller, is relatively lightweight and has a separate, detachable battery pack, can be operated with a recharger, has a stepper delivery motor with a feedback sensor for imple
Automated Systems Technology, L.L.C.
Osele Mark A.
Wells, St. John, Roberts Gregory & Matkin P.S.
LandOfFree
Label applicator mechanism and hand-held labeller does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Label applicator mechanism and hand-held labeller, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Label applicator mechanism and hand-held labeller will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2567547