Claims
- 1. Apparatus for applying a label to an item surface comprising in combination:
- a label applying head including: a hollow chamber, a label applying surface, orifice means coupling said surface to said chamber, and an additional opening;
- plug means comprising one portion forming a gastight fit with said additional opening and another portion forming a non-gastight fit with said additional opening, positioned in said additional opening normally biased into a gastight fit therein;
- means coupling a source of vacuum to said head whereby when said plug means is biased into said gastight fit, a label on said head surface will be held in place by said vacuum; and
- means coupled to said plug means for moving the same and for thereby moving said head with said label on said surface to said item for applying mechanical pressure on said label to apply the same to said item, said plug means being arranged to automatically move to said non-gastight position upon the contact of said label with said item to reduce said vacuum and thus reduce the attraction of said label to said head.
- 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 further including means for causing overtravel of said plug beyond the distance required for contact between said label and said item, said plug thereby occupying said non-gastight position.
- 3. The combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein said moving means is arranged to move said label applying head along said item as said overtravel is occurring.
- 4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein aid item surface may be at an angle relative to a given plane wherein said label head includes means permitting it to tilt relative to said plug, when in said non-gastight position, to be parallel to and in contact with said item surface.
- 5. Labeling apparatus for applying a label to a surface of an item which surface desirably lies along a given plane, but which may lie at some angle relative to said given plane comprising in combination:
- a first element including: a surface on which said label may be placed for application to said item surface, a hollow chamber, orifice means coupling said chamber to said surface, and an additional opening to said chamber;
- a second element located in said additional opening having one portion which is a gastight fit in said additional opening and having another portion which is not a gastight fit;
- bias means interposed between said first and second elements for biasing said second element into said gastight position in said first element and for permitting said first element to pivot about said second element when in the non-gastight relationship;
- means coupling said chamber to a source of vacuum; and
- means coupled to said second element for moving said first and said second elements and said bias means with a label on the surface of said first element covering said orifice means whereby said vacuum maintains said label in place, toward said plane and arranged to overtravel so that said first element constrained by said item moves relative to said second element causing said second element to occupy said non-gastight position, said first element surface thereby being arranged to contact said item surface irrespective of any tilt thereof whereby gas enters said chamber reducing said vacuum therein, said label being thereby free to be attached to said item surface.
- 6. The combination as set forth in claim 5, wherein said moving means is arranged to move said label applying head along said item as said overtravel is occurring.
Government Interests
The invention herein described was made in the course of or under a contract with the United States Postal Service.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3236715 |
Gunderson |
Feb 1966 |
|