LABELING APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

LABELING APPARATUS AND METHOD CUTS LABELS (25; 125) FROM A WEB (12; 112) OF LABEL MATERIAL AFTER ADHESIVE IS APPLIED TO THE WEB OF MATERIAL. UNDER ONE EMBODIMENT HEATED KNIVES (41) ARE CARRIED ON A VACUUM DRUM (40) WHICH COOPERATES WITH A ROLLER (42) FUNCTIONING AS AN ANVIL TO CUT THE WEB INTO LABELS (25) OF THE APPROPRIATE LENGTH. A SENSOR (22) READS A MARK OF THE INDICIA SIDE OF THE WEB AND CONTROLS MOVEMENT OF THE WEB TO ASSURE PROPER REGISTRATION. UNDER A SECOND EMBODIMENT, A ROTATABLE DRUM (140) HAVING A PLURALITY OF VACUUM PLATES (141) COOPERATES WITH A DIE CUTTING ROLLER (151) TO CUT LABELS (125) OF THE DESIRED SHAPE. THE CUT LABELS (125) ARE RETAINED ON THE VACUUM APPLICATOR PLATES (141) WHICH THEN ARE EXTENDED RADIALLY AS THEY ROTATE TO A POSITION TO APPLY THE LABEL TO A CONTAINER (C).