Claims
- 1. An apparatus for transferring a label with adhesive and printed sides from a label printer to each of a plurality of articles being conveyed, comprising:
- a) a printer for printing a plurality of pressure sensitive adhesive labels, each label having an adhesive side and a side for printed matter to be applied thereto by the printer, each of the labels having a release liner backing on the adhesive side, the printer having means for stripping the backing from the labels as they are printed;
- b) an output port on the printer for discharging labels in sequence as each label has been printed, and after its backing has been stripped;
- c) a label transfer mechanism for transferring labels from the output port to a pick-up point on the transfer mechanism, the transfer mechanism having a transfer surface for moving labels thereon, the surface having means for holding the adhesive side of the label during said transfer so that the printed side can be engaged by a label pick-up pad;
- d) label discharge means for helping remove the label from the transfer surface at the pick-up point;
- e) pick-up means for lifting a label free from contact with the pick-up point, comprising a moving pick-up pad member having a label holding pad with a plurality of openings over the surface of the pad, wherein the pad surface is freely movable between the pick-up point and the article when the pad is holding the label;
- f) vacuum means for applying a vacuum to the pad surface via the openings at a timed sequence when the pick-up means is positioned to receive a label from the label discharge means;
- g) sensor means comprising in part an electric eye for producing a signal when a label reaches the pick-up point;
- h) control means for using the signal produced by the sensor means to coordinate timing of the label printer, transfer mechanism, the label discharge means, the pick-up means, and the vacuum source so that a label will be grabbed and picked up by the pick-up means and pressed on to an article being conveyed on the conveyor after the article engages the electric eye.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor means comprises in part an electric eye that can detect the presence of an article to be labeled.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the sensor means comprises in part a fiber optic cable.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conveyor is a conveyor belt.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the belt is plastic.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the printer has means for stripping the release liner from the label prior to a discharge of the label from the printer.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the label applicator is movable between the pick up position and the labeling position.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the timing means simultaneously activates the air jets and the vacuum source.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the label applicator comprises in part a pair of plates that move between extended and retracted positions.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the label applicator has a resilient pad surface with an array of openings on its pad surface and the vacuum source communicates with the array of openings.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control means includes sensors for determining when a printed label is at the pick up point on the conveyor means.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control means includes sensors that return the label applicator to the pick up point when the printed label is at the pick up point on the conveyor means.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control means includes sensors that signal for the label applicator to move to the package and press the label against the package when the package reaches a preselected position.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control means includes sensors that determine when the label has been pressed against the article by the label applicator, and responsive thereto, move the label applicator away from the article.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the label pick-up means comprises in part air jet means for directing one or more jets of air at the adhesive side of the label and in a direction that forces the label away from the transfer surface.
- 16. A method of applying a printed label to each article in a stream of conveyed articles comprising the steps of:
- a) generating a plurality of labels with a label printer, each label having an adhesive face;
- b) printing printed matter on a face of each of the labels opposite the adhesive face;
- c) discharging the labels in sequence from an output port of the printer after printing the label with the printer;
- d) placing each label that is discharged from the output port on a transfer surface adjacent the output port that defines a pickup point;
- e) moving the label from the output port to the pick up point wherein the adhesive side of the label engages the transfer surface and the printed side of the label faces away from the transfer surface;
- f) picking up the label from the pick up point with a moving label applicator that moves from a position spaced away form the pick up point to a position adjacent the pick up point and wherein the label applicator has a pick up pad with a pick up surface that is generally sized and shaped to conform the size and shape of the label and that engages the printed side of the label;
- g) using a source of vacuum within the label applicator to hold the printed side of the label to the label applicator;
- h) moving the label applicator and the label picked up to a position adjacent an article travelling on a moving conveyor;
- i) contacting the article with the adhesive side of the label and the label applicator by engaging the article with the pick up surface of the pad and the attached label;
- j) returning the pick up surface of the label applicator to the pick up position when the next label is transferred from the printer output port to the pick up position.
- 17. The method of claim 16 wherein each label has a release liner covering the adhesive face and in step "c" the release liner is stripped away before the label is discharged from the output port.
- 18. The method of claim 16 wherein in step "d" the conveyor comprises a conveyor belt.
- 19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step between steps "e" and "f" of directing one or more jets of air to the adhesive side of the label.
- 20. The method of claim 16 wherein in step "h" the article is moving on a conveyor belt.
- 21. The method of claim 16 wherein in step "d" the conveyor is of a plastic material.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the pair of plates are generally parallel.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the plates are each rectangular.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising spring means positioned between the plates for biasing the plates to the extended position.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising sensor means for sensing when the plates have moved together toward the retracted position.
- 26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the sensor means defines a switch for returning the pickup pad to the label pickup point.
- 27. The method of claim 16 wherein the step "f" comprises picking up the label from the pick up point with a moving label applicator that moves from a position spaced away form the pick up point to a position adjacent the pick up point and wherein the label applicator has a pick up pad with a pick up surface that is generally sized and shaped to conform the size and shape of the label and that engages the printed side of the label, the pickup pad including a pair of plates that are movable between extended and contracted positions.
- 28. The method of claim 27 further comprising the steps of:
- forcing the two plates toward the retracted position when a label is applied to an article;
- sensing a movement of the plates toward each other with a sensor; and
- using the sensor to initiate a return of the label holding pad to the label pickup point.
- 29. The method of claim 28 further comprising the step of using a spring means to bias the plates to the extended position.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/772,485, filed on Oct. 7, 1991, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (20)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
772485 |
Oct 1991 |
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