EP0015985B1 - Label applicators - Google Patents
Label applicators Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0015985B1 EP0015985B1 EP19790900498 EP79900498A EP0015985B1 EP 0015985 B1 EP0015985 B1 EP 0015985B1 EP 19790900498 EP19790900498 EP 19790900498 EP 79900498 A EP79900498 A EP 79900498A EP 0015985 B1 EP0015985 B1 EP 0015985B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- trigger
- bell
- head
- pivoted
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41K—STAMPS; STAMPING OR NUMBERING APPARATUS OR DEVICES
- B41K5/00—Plier-like tools for stamping, or stamping and delivering, tickets or the like
- B41K5/003—Inking devices therefor
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41K—STAMPS; STAMPING OR NUMBERING APPARATUS OR DEVICES
- B41K5/00—Plier-like tools for stamping, or stamping and delivering, tickets or the like
- B41K5/02—Plier-like tools for stamping, or stamping and delivering, tickets or the like with means for varying the image stamped
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
- B65C11/00—Manually-controlled or manually-operable label dispensers, e.g. modified for the application of labels to articles
- B65C11/02—Manually-controlled or manually-operable label dispensers, e.g. modified for the application of labels to articles having printing equipment
- B65C11/0205—Manually-controlled or manually-operable label dispensers, e.g. modified for the application of labels to articles having printing equipment modified for the application of labels to articles
- B65C11/021—Manually-controlled or manually-operable label dispensers, e.g. modified for the application of labels to articles having printing equipment modified for the application of labels to articles label feeding from strips
- B65C11/0215—Labels being adhered to a web
- B65C11/0268—Advancing the web by winding it up
- B65C11/0278—Advancing the web by winding it up by actuating a handle manually
Definitions
- This invention relates to hand-held printing apparatus for printing and dispensing labels comprising a manually-operable trigger, a print head and a toggle linkage operable by the trigger to actuate the print-head to print a label.
- Labels of the kind suitable for use in such apparatus coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, but may also be coated with a heat-sensitive or other adhesive and in the limit may even be in the form of a ticket having no adhesive coating.
- stamp impression print-heads have the disadvantage that the intensity of the impression formed on the labels depends to some extent upon the force applied by the operator when actuating the apparatus unless the apparatus incorporates adequate mechanical safeguards. For this reason rotary print-heads have been proposed but they tend to complexity of construction and the safeguards proposed or used for stamp impression print-heads sometimes require that a high actuating force should be applied by.the operator as well as necessitating additional complexity. In the Fatter apparatus, despite the safeguards, improper inking may result from fatigue in the operator who fails to apply sufficient pressure to the actuating member to ensure the desired intensity of the print impression.
- United States patent specification 2,122,412 discloses a tag remarker which is intended only to mark price tags and the like with fresh information and there is no question of the tags being dispensed from the remarker.
- a toggle linkage is incorporated in the print-head actuating mechanism, this mechanism also includes a stop which limits the toggle action with the result that the print impression will be governed by the stop rather than the toggle linkage. It follows that any variation in the thickness of the tag will cause a variation in the intensity of print impression.
- United States patent specification 3,024,724 also illustrates a tag remarker by which tags are remarked with fresh price and/or other information. No dispensing is provided. Again a toggle linkage is incorporated but the linkage details are such that at the instant of printing the linkage components have not even substantially completed their relative movements so that the print impression will be dependant upon the force applied to the actuating trigger.
- the problem to be solved by the present invention is the provision of a label dispensing and printing apparatus in which the print impression is substantially constant irrespective of the force applied to the actuating mechanism but the construction of the apparatus is nevertheless simple.
- the toggle linkage comprises an actuating trigger of the apparatus pivoted at one end to the body of the apparatus, a link pivoted at one of its ends to the end of the trigger remote from the pivot point on the body, and a bell-crank lever pivoted by one of its arms to the body and pivoted to the end of the link remote from its pivot point on the trigger, the other arm of the bell-crank lever serving pivotally to support the print-head, the components of the linkage being so arranged that at the configuration corresponding to the forming of the print impression by the print-head they exert a constant maximum force possible with a given toggle linkage substantially irrespective of the force applied to the actuating trigger.
- the hand-held apparatus comprises a body 10 arranged to carry a reel 12 of pressure-sensitive adhesive labels mounted on a backing strip and during use the web is indexed through the apparatus by a feed mechanism, not shown in detail.
- the body 10 includes a handle 14 rigid therewith which carries at the end remote from the reel 12 a trigger or other actuating member 16 pivoted at 18 to the handle and this trigger member 16 has an upwards extension 20 to which a return spring 22 is attached at point 24.
- the trigger member 16 includes a surface which can be conveniently engaged by the fingers of one hand of an operator and includes a finger guard 26, a part of which in the position shown in Figure 1, is approximately aligned with the lower wall (as shown) of the body 10.
- the trigger member 16 pivotally carries at pivots 27 two short links 28 (only one shown) which are also pivotally connected at 29 to a respective one of two bell-crank levers 30 which are pivotally connected at one end of one arm of each lever 32 to the body 10 and at the other end are spanned by a print-head 34 of generally conventional form in hand-held labelling apparatus.
- the print-head 34 may be of the fixed type (as shown) or may be capable of swinging in order to effect the printing operation on a label about to be dispensed at a printing platen 36.
- the print head is mounted between the two levers 30.
- the applicator includes a feed mechanism 39 (shown only in outline) which may be, for example, as illustrated and claimed in our co-pending European application No. 79900138.3 and this includes a take-up reel 38 for spent backing strip.
- the spent backing strip reel is mounted wholly within the body and below (as illustrated) the reel of fresh web 12.
- an applicator roller 40 is provided at the end of the body 10 remote from the handle and the operative facets of the print head 34 are arranged to contact during the operational cycle immediately before printing an inking roller 42 disposed immediately above the applicator roller 40.
- the trigger member 16 is squeezed and the link 28 provides a toggle action so that at the overcentre position with the pivots 18, 27, 29 substantially aligned the bell-crank levers 30 swing and cause the print head 34 to move, contact the inking roller 42 and subsequently apply a print impression to a label on the platen 36 which also forms a guide for the label web both before and after a label has been dispensed from the backing.
- the amount of force applied to the label will be independent of the squeezing pressure applied to the trigger member 16 and by appropriate design of the bell crank lever 30 and of the link 28, the amount of pressure applied can be multiplied substantially beyond the pressure applied to the trigger member itself. This will avoid fatigue of the operator as well as ensuring that the print impression is maintained substantially constant irrespective of the pressure applied to the trigger member.
- toggle action linkage is applied as hereinbefore described to apparatus operated by a squeeze action trigger, it is applicable to other apparatus such as disclosed in our co-pending European application No. 79900138.3.
- the apparatus could, with appropriate modification be used with heat-sensitive adhesive labels.
- the apparatus could also be used for a web of non- adhesive labels or tickets, and the term "label" as used herein is intended to cover tickets without any adhesive coating.
Landscapes
- Labeling Devices (AREA)
- Printers Characterized By Their Purpose (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to hand-held printing apparatus for printing and dispensing labels comprising a manually-operable trigger, a print head and a toggle linkage operable by the trigger to actuate the print-head to print a label.
- Labels of the kind suitable for use in such apparatus coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, but may also be coated with a heat-sensitive or other adhesive and in the limit may even be in the form of a ticket having no adhesive coating.
- Such apparatus has already been proposed and brought into use and includes printing means which may operate on the stamp principle or may make use of rotary or pivotal print-heads. The stamp impression print-heads have the disadvantage that the intensity of the impression formed on the labels depends to some extent upon the force applied by the operator when actuating the apparatus unless the apparatus incorporates adequate mechanical safeguards. For this reason rotary print-heads have been proposed but they tend to complexity of construction and the safeguards proposed or used for stamp impression print-heads sometimes require that a high actuating force should be applied by.the operator as well as necessitating additional complexity. In the Fatter apparatus, despite the safeguards, improper inking may result from fatigue in the operator who fails to apply sufficient pressure to the actuating member to ensure the desired intensity of the print impression.
- It is well known to be desirable to construct label printing and dispensing apparatus which produces the same degree of print intensity substantially irrespective of the force applied to the trigger or other actuating member and one such apparatus is described in British patent specification 1 477 743. The mechanism of this apparatus incorporates two springs so arranged that when a certain point is reached in the operating cycle, the force of one spring overcomes the force of the other and printing then takes place by the spring force differential, which, when the springs are new will be a constant force. However, it is well known that over a period of time the spring forces will vary and hence the differential force will also vary with a consequent change in the intensity of print impression.
- United States patent specification 2,122,412 discloses a tag remarker which is intended only to mark price tags and the like with fresh information and there is no question of the tags being dispensed from the remarker. Although a toggle linkage is incorporated in the print-head actuating mechanism, this mechanism also includes a stop which limits the toggle action with the result that the print impression will be governed by the stop rather than the toggle linkage. It follows that any variation in the thickness of the tag will cause a variation in the intensity of print impression.
- United States patent specification 3,024,724 also illustrates a tag remarker by which tags are remarked with fresh price and/or other information. No dispensing is provided. Again a toggle linkage is incorporated but the linkage details are such that at the instant of printing the linkage components have not even substantially completed their relative movements so that the print impression will be dependant upon the force applied to the actuating trigger.
- The problem to be solved by the present invention is the provision of a label dispensing and printing apparatus in which the print impression is substantially constant irrespective of the force applied to the actuating mechanism but the construction of the apparatus is nevertheless simple.
- According to the present invention this problem is solved in that the toggle linkage comprises an actuating trigger of the apparatus pivoted at one end to the body of the apparatus, a link pivoted at one of its ends to the end of the trigger remote from the pivot point on the body, and a bell-crank lever pivoted by one of its arms to the body and pivoted to the end of the link remote from its pivot point on the trigger, the other arm of the bell-crank lever serving pivotally to support the print-head, the components of the linkage being so arranged that at the configuration corresponding to the forming of the print impression by the print-head they exert a constant maximum force possible with a given toggle linkage substantially irrespective of the force applied to the actuating trigger.
- Apparatus embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus in a rest configuration; and
- Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Figure 1 in an operative position.
- Referring now to the drawings, the hand-held apparatus comprises a
body 10 arranged to carry areel 12 of pressure-sensitive adhesive labels mounted on a backing strip and during use the web is indexed through the apparatus by a feed mechanism, not shown in detail. Such webs are well-known in the art. Thebody 10 includes ahandle 14 rigid therewith which carries at the end remote from the reel 12 a trigger or other actuatingmember 16 pivoted at 18 to the handle and thistrigger member 16 has anupwards extension 20 to which areturn spring 22 is attached atpoint 24. - The
trigger member 16 includes a surface which can be conveniently engaged by the fingers of one hand of an operator and includes afinger guard 26, a part of which in the position shown in Figure 1, is approximately aligned with the lower wall (as shown) of thebody 10. - At the end remote from the
projection 20, thetrigger member 16 pivotally carries atpivots 27 two short links 28 (only one shown) which are also pivotally connected at 29 to a respective one of two bell-crank levers 30 which are pivotally connected at one end of one arm of eachlever 32 to thebody 10 and at the other end are spanned by a print-head 34 of generally conventional form in hand-held labelling apparatus. The print-head 34 may be of the fixed type (as shown) or may be capable of swinging in order to effect the printing operation on a label about to be dispensed at aprinting platen 36. The print head is mounted between the twolevers 30. - The applicator, as is conventional, includes a feed mechanism 39 (shown only in outline) which may be, for example, as illustrated and claimed in our co-pending European application No. 79900138.3 and this includes a take-
up reel 38 for spent backing strip. The spent backing strip reel is mounted wholly within the body and below (as illustrated) the reel offresh web 12. At the end of thebody 10 remote from the handle anapplicator roller 40 is provided and the operative facets of theprint head 34 are arranged to contact during the operational cycle immediately before printing aninking roller 42 disposed immediately above theapplicator roller 40. - In operation, the
trigger member 16 is squeezed and thelink 28 provides a toggle action so that at the overcentre position with thepivots print head 34 to move, contact the inkingroller 42 and subsequently apply a print impression to a label on theplaten 36 which also forms a guide for the label web both before and after a label has been dispensed from the backing. As will be apparent the amount of force applied to the label will be independent of the squeezing pressure applied to thetrigger member 16 and by appropriate design of thebell crank lever 30 and of thelink 28, the amount of pressure applied can be multiplied substantially beyond the pressure applied to the trigger member itself. This will avoid fatigue of the operator as well as ensuring that the print impression is maintained substantially constant irrespective of the pressure applied to the trigger member. - It will be understood that although the toggle action linkage is applied as hereinbefore described to apparatus operated by a squeeze action trigger, it is applicable to other apparatus such as disclosed in our co-pending European application No. 79900138.3.
- Although the apparatus hereinbefore described is intended for manual operation it is also possible to operate the apparatus electrically. Clearly fatigue of the operator will be of less importance, but lower power consumption will be of advantage if the apparatus is battery- powered.
- Although primarily intended for use with a web comprising a backing strip and pressure-sensitive adhesive coated labels, the apparatus could, with appropriate modification be used with heat-sensitive adhesive labels. The apparatus could also be used for a web of non- adhesive labels or tickets, and the term "label" as used herein is intended to cover tickets without any adhesive coating.
Claims (2)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB2142978A GB1597017A (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1978-05-23 | Apparatus for printing and dispensing labels |
GB2142978 | 1978-05-23 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0015985A1 EP0015985A1 (en) | 1980-10-01 |
EP0015985B1 true EP0015985B1 (en) | 1982-05-12 |
Family
ID=10162814
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19790900498 Expired EP0015985B1 (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1979-12-17 | Label applicators |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0015985B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JPS55500297A (en) |
CH (1) | CH644075A5 (en) |
DE (1) | DE2962785D1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB1597017A (en) |
WO (1) | WO1979001108A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2237534A (en) * | 1989-11-03 | 1991-05-08 | Martyn James Stuart Townley | Printing machine |
GB2301556A (en) * | 1995-05-13 | 1996-12-11 | Michael John Franklin | Improvements in printing on to tape-like material as it is dispensed |
JP3822934B2 (en) * | 1996-07-10 | 2006-09-20 | 株式会社新盛インダストリーズ | Handler Beller |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2122412A (en) * | 1937-02-15 | 1938-07-05 | Dennison Mfg Co | Tag remarker |
US3024724A (en) * | 1959-07-28 | 1962-03-13 | A Kimball Co | Hand remarkers |
AT337218B (en) * | 1973-09-07 | 1977-06-27 | Dymo Industries Inc | DEVICE FOR PRINTING AND DISPENSING LABELS OF A STEP-BY-STEP TAPE OF LABELS |
-
1978
- 1978-05-23 GB GB2142978A patent/GB1597017A/en not_active Expired
-
1979
- 1979-05-23 WO PCT/GB1979/000074 patent/WO1979001108A1/en unknown
- 1979-05-23 JP JP50077379A patent/JPS55500297A/ja active Pending
- 1979-05-23 CH CH46780A patent/CH644075A5/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1979-05-23 DE DE7979900498T patent/DE2962785D1/en not_active Expired
- 1979-12-17 EP EP19790900498 patent/EP0015985B1/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP0015985A1 (en) | 1980-10-01 |
CH644075A5 (en) | 1984-07-13 |
DE2962785D1 (en) | 1982-07-01 |
WO1979001108A1 (en) | 1979-12-13 |
GB1597017A (en) | 1981-09-03 |
JPS55500297A (en) | 1980-05-22 |
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