Claims
- 1. In an apparatus for applying a label having one adherent surface to the bottom of a package and including:
- conveyor means for moving a package into proper position over an aperture,
- sensing means responsive to proper package position,
- printer means for printing and ejecting a label,
- catcher means for holding each label after ejection,
- applicator means for conveying said label from said catcher means through said aperture to the bottom of said package,
- an improved catcher means comprising:
- opposed guide walls separated by a distance slightly greater than the width of a label, the inner surfaces of said guide walls being slightly tapered converging toward the bottom of said guide walls,
- opposed label support means located beneath said guide walls and forming two knife edge surfaces adjacent said guide walls and spaced closer than said guide walls for supporting an ejected label received between said guide walls, and
- stop means for terminating ejection travel of said label in said catcher over said support means and said applicator means.
- 2. In a label application system wherein a printed label having one side coated with pressure sensitive adhesive is provided by a printer with the adhesive coated side facing upwardly and wherein said label is applied through an aperture in a conveyor line to the bottom of a package on said conveyor line by an applicator, an intermediate label catcher for positioning and holding said label beneath said aperture after said label is ejected from said printer until said label is picked up by said applicator; comprising
- spaced apart guide wall means separated by a distance slightly greater than the width of a label and aligned with said printer for guiding a label between said guide wall means as said label is ejected from said printer,
- label stop means positioned at the end of said guide wall means for preventing an ejected label from moving beyond said guide wall means, and
- label support means positioned beneath and slightly inward of said guide wall means for supporting said label near its periphery until said label is picked up by said applicator, said label support means defining an opening through which said applicator moves to pick up said label as said applicator extends to apply said label to a package through said aperture.
- 3. Apparatus for applying different but related adhesive coated labels to the top and bottom of a package comprising:
- conveyer means for moving a package into first and second positions for application of the labels, said conveyer means having an aperture over which a package is located when in said second position,
- position sensing means for determining when said package is properly positioned in said second position,
- printer means for printing and ejecting the labels,
- applicator means taking said labels from said printer means and applying one label to the top of the package and the related label to the bottom of said package through said aperture,
- said applicator means being responsive to said position sensing means to permit application of a label through said aperture when a package is properly located at said second position.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to copending application Ser. No. 573,594 and Ser. No. 573,595, all filed on the same date as this application and assigned to the same assignee.
US Referenced Citations (5)