Claims
- 1. A method for applying adhesive to a label comprising the following steps:moving a label past an adhesive station along a label path; moving an adhesive shield, comprising a moving window surrounded by a heated overspray-intercepting surface, between a heated adhesive sprayer and the label path; spraying heated adhesive through the moving window and onto the label by the adhesive sprayer; intercepting adhesive overspray by the heated overspray-intercepting surface; and collecting said adhesive overspray from the adhesive shield.
- 2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said label moving step comprises the step of continuously moving the label past the adhesive station.
- 3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:removing a length of label material from a source of label material; and forming a series of labels from the length of label material.
- 4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said adhesive shield encircles said heated adhesive sprayer and said step of spraying comprises spraying said heated adhesive outwardly through said moving window.
- 5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the removing step is carried out using a roll of label material as the source of label material.
- 6. The method according to claim 3 wherein the forming step is carried out using a rotary die cutter element and an opposed rotary anvil.
- 7. The method according to claim 6 further comprising the step of removing scrap label material following the forming step.
- 8. The method according to claim 6 wherein the scrap material removing step comprises the step of temporarily applying a vacuum to portions of said rotary die cutter element so to pull said scrap label material away from said labels.
- 9. The method according to claim 3 wherein the forming step is carried out by directing said label material against a label material-supporting surface and moving a blade along said label material-supporting surface so to cut said label material into labels.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/024,886, filed Feb. 17, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,616, titled “Adhesive Station and Labeling Machine”, which claims the benefit of the following Provisional Patent Applications: application Ser. No. 60/039,555, filed Feb. 25, 1997, titled “Labeling Machine”; application Ser. No. 60/040,544, filed Mar. 12, 1997, titled “Labeling Machine with Label Transport Turret”; and application Ser. No. 60/046,699, filed May 14, 1997, titled “Labeling Machine and Method”. The disclosure of each is incorporated by reference.
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DE |
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Provisional Applications (3)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/039555 |
Feb 1997 |
US |
|
60/040544 |
Mar 1997 |
US |
|
60/046699 |
May 1997 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/024886 |
Feb 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/301955 |
|
US |