Claims
- 1. An apparatus for transferring a series of labels each with opposing adhesive and printed sides to discrete locations on a preselected surface of each of a plurality of articles being conveyed along a conveyer path, comprising:
- a) a printer for printing in sequence a plurality of pressure sensitive adhesive labels, each label having an adhesive side and a printed side with printed matter thereon, each of the labels having a release liner backing on the adhesive side, the printer having means for striping at least a portion of 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 at least a portion of its backing has been stripped;
- c) label transfer means for transferring labels from the output port to a pickup point, the transfer means including a transfer surface with means thereon for contacting without substantial adhesion thereto, the adhesive side of the label;
- d) label pickup pad means that includes a label holding pad with a pad surface for lifting a label free from contact with the pickup point by engaging the printed side of the label;
- e) vacuum means for applying a vacuum to the pad surface when the label holding the pad is positioned to receive a label from the label transfer means, the label holding pad being moveably supported by the frame to move sequentially between the pickup point and the articles as the articles are conveyed along the conveyer path;
- i) control means for controlling the timing of the transfer of labels from the printer to the pickup point and the travel of the pad between the pickup point and each of the conveyed articles;
- g) computer means for controlling said apparatus for moving said label holding pad between the pickup point and the articles, said computer being programmable to control said apparatus to a selected horizontal or vertical side of the article upon which the label is to be affixed; and
- (h) means for applying the labels on the articles at a location, including means for varying the location on the articles at which the labels are applied by programming location coordinates into a computer controlling the apparatus for moving said label holding pad between the pickup point and the articles, said computer being programmable to control said apparatus to pre-programmed X and Y coordinates of the surface of the article upon which the label is to be affixed.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pickup pad means comprises:
- (i) a moving pickup pad member that includes a pair of spaced apart mounting plates that are movable relative to one another between extended and retracted positions, said plates being supported at a desired known fixed distance apart in said extended position, one of the plates carrying said label holding pad;
- (ii) a plurality of openings spaced over the surface of the label holding pad;
- (iii) spacer means for holding the mounting plates apart said fixed distance, said spacer means allowing the plates to move toward one another responsive to compression applied to one of said mounting plates such as when the label holding pad member applies a label to one of the articles when a label has been deposited on the tray; and
- (iv) spring means for urging the plates into said extended position.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising sensor means for indicating when the plates are compressed together.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the spacer means comprises a plurality of telescoping posts extending between the plates.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the printer has means for stripping at least a portion of the release liner backing from the label prior to a discharge of the label from the printer.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the label applicator means includes a sensor that enables the applicator means to reverse directions upon contacting one of the objects to be labeled.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the label applicator means includes touch sensitive means for halting movement of the applicator means when it contacts one of the objects to be labeled.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 2 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.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a suction cup on the pad surface spaced from the array of openings.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control means includes sensors for determining when a printed label is at the pickup point.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control means includes sensors that return the label applicator to the pickup point when a printed label has been placed at the pickup point.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the control means includes sensors that determine when the label has been pressed against the article by the label applicator, and responsive thereto, moves the label applicator away from the article.
- 13. A label applicator apparatus for applying printed labels having an adhesive backing at a discrete location on an article surface to each of a stream of articles being conveyed along a path, comprising:
- a) printer means for printing a stream of successive printed labels, each label having a printed side and an adhesive side;
- b) transfer means for sequentially positioning each label adjacent the printer means;
- c) a machine frame positioned adjacent the printer means;
- d) a label pickup pad that is moveably supported by the frame between a first pickup position and multiple selected applicator positions;
- e) the combination of the printer means and the transfer means defining means for positioning the label with the adhesive surface facing the label pickup pad when the pickup pad is in the first pickup position;
- f) the pad having means for sensing when the pad and an attached label have engaged an article;
- g) control means for moving said label holding pad between the pickup point and a selected horizontal or vertical side of the article upon which the label is to be affixed, the selected horizontal or vertical sides being programmable into the control means via a computer; and
- h) control means for moving the pad between the pickup position and the multiple applicator positions, the multiple applicator positions being programmable into the control means in relation to selected X and Y coordinates of the surface of the article via a computer.
- 14. The label applicator apparatus of claim 13 further comprising blow-off means carried by the pad for aiding in a transfer of the label from the label pickup pad to one of the articles being conveyed, said blow-off means including at least one air jet for discharging air between the label and the label pickup pad.
- 15. The label applicator apparatus of claim 13 further comprising air jet means associated with the transfer means for forming a layer of air in between the label and transfer means after the label has been discharged from the printer and before the label has been picked up by the label pickup pad.
- 16. A method of applying a printed label to discrete locations on a preselected surface of each article in a stream of conveyed articles traveling on a conveyor path 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 the label opposite the adhesive face;
- c) discharging 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 at a pickup point, wherein the label adhesive surface faces the transfer surface when the label is on the transfer surface;
- e) picking up the label from the pickup point with a moving label applicator that moves between the pickup point and a label application position spaced away from the pickup point and wherein the label applicator has a pickup pad with a pad surface that is generally sized and shaped to conform to the size and shape of the label;
- f) using a source of vacuum associated with the label applicator to hold the printed side of the label to the label applicator so that the adhesive side of the label does not adhere to the label applicator;
- g) moving the label applicator and the label picked up to a position adjacent a selected horizontal or vertical side of one of a series of articles to be labeled and traveling on the conveyor path;
- h) selectively applying the label to a selected location on the article corresponding to the X and Y coordinates of the article surface to which the label is to be applied, the selected location being selectable by programming said location X and Y coordinates into a computer controlling movement of the pad surface by contacting the article with the label applicator and the adhesive side of the label by engaging the article with the pad surface; and
- i) returning the pad surface of the label applicator to the pickup point when the next label is transferred from the printer output port to the pickup position.
- 17. The method of claim 16 wherein each label has a release liner covering the adhesive face and in step "c" at least a portion of the release liner is stripped away before the label is discharged from the output port.
- 18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step between steps "h" and "i" of initiating a return of the label applicator by compressing the label applicator upon engagement of the article.
- 19. The method of claim 16 wherein step "a" comprises the step of generating a plurality of labels in sequence, each with a printed surface, an opposed adhesive surface and a release liner covering the adhesive surface.
- 20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step between steps "c" and "d" of stripping at least a portion of the release liner from the adhesive side of the liner.
- 21. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of blowing air against the adhesive side of the label after the label is placed on the transfer surface.
- 22. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of blowing air against the printed side of the label as the label is applied to each article.
- 23. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of determining with a sensor when the transfer surface has a label.
- 24. A method of applying a printed label having an adhesive surface on an adhesive side and having a printed side to discrete locations on a preselected surface of each article in a stream of conveyed articles traveling on a moving conveyor along a conveyor path comprising the steps of:
- a) placing each label in sequence on a transfer surface that has a pickup point, wherein the label adhesive surface faces the transfer surface;
- b) picking up the label from the pickup point with a moving label applicator that moves between the pickup point and a label application position spaced away form the pickup point and wherein the label applicator has a pickup pad with a pickup surface that is generally sized and shaped to conform to the side and shape of the label;
- c) using a source of vacuum associated with the label applicator to hold the printed side of the label to the label applicator so that the adhesive side of the label does not adhere to the label applicator;
- d) moving the label applicator and the label picked up to a position adjacent a selected horizontal or vertical side of one of a series of articles to be labeled and traveling on the moving conveyor;
- e) selectively applying the label to a selected location on the article corresponding to the X and Y coordinates of the article surface to which the label is to be applied, the selected location being selectable by programming location coordinates into a computer controlling movement on the pickup surface by contacting the article with the label applicator and the adhesive side of the label by engaging the article with the pickup surface of the pad; and
- f) returning the pickup surface of the label applicator to the pickup point when the next label is transferred from the printer output port to the pickup position.
- 25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step generating a plurality of printed labels in sequence, each with a printed surface that includes a bar code and an opposed adhesive surface.
SPECIFICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/328,445, filed Oct. 25, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,795, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/161,686, filed Dec. 2, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,862, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/772,485, filed Oct. 7, 1991, now abandoned, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
772485 |
Oct 1991 |
|
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
328445 |
Oct 1994 |
|
Parent |
161686 |
Dec 1993 |
|