GB2248051A

GB2248051A - Apparatus for printing and applying labels

Info

Publication number: GB2248051A
Application number: GB9020386A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Buckby
Original assignee: Prestek Ltd
Current assignee: Markem Imaje Industries Ltd
Priority date: 1990-09-18
Filing date: 1990-09-18
Publication date: 1992-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 2010-09-18
Also published as: GB9020386D0; DE69105425D1; EP0476447A1; EP0476447B1; DE69105425T2; GB2248051B

Description

Title: Apparatus for printing and applying labels Descrintion of Invention

This invention relates to an apparatus for printing and applying labels and more particularly but not exclusively to an apparatus for printing and applying self adhesive labels.

Particularly where labels are to be applied to each article of a succession of articles, and the articles require different information to be printed onto the labels therefor, the speed at which the labels can be applied is limited by the speed at which labels can be printed i.e. it is not possible to apply labels faster than the labels can be printed.

It has been proposed to sense a parameter of an article upstream of the position where the labels are to be printed and applied, and to store the labels on their backing medium in the form of a loop, to await the arrival of the corresponding article so as to achieve the minimum delay time between printing labels. As an article arrives at the label applying station, the appropriate label is removed from its backing medium, and positioned ready to be applied to the article as the article moves past the label applying station.

It is however complicated to ensure that the correct label is applied to the correct article particularly in-the event of an apparatus break down when the synchronism between the printer and the label applier is disturbed.

Other arrangements are known which provide for each label to be printed and applied to the relevant article prior to the next label being printed. Whilst such arrangements tend to be more reliable than arrangements 2 which utilise a loop in ensuring that the correct label is applied to the correct article, such arrangements are slow.

According to a first aspect of the invention we provide a label printing and applying apparatus for printing and applying a label to each article of a succession of articles, the apparatus comprising means to feed labels severally to a printing means which is arranged to print information on the labels, a label holding means to receive a label from the printing means and to hold the label, means to move each printed label away from the label holding means to a label applying station thus freeing the label holding means to receive a further label from the printing means.

The labels are preferably self adhesive labels which are releasably adhered to a backing medium, the labels and backing medium being provided in the form of a roll. Means may be provided to remove each label from the backing medium after printing so that the label only is held by the label holding means.

The means to remove the labels from the backing medium may comprise a beak positioned immediately after the printing means and before the label holding means.

The label holding means may hold the label by suction, the label holding means comprising a pad surface in which one or more apertures are provided, the apertures being connectable to a source of vacuum. Preferably the label is held by suction with the printed side facing the pad surface, when all of the apertures of the pad surface are closed by the label.

The means which move each label away from the label holding means to the label applying station may comprise a pad surface having one or more apertures which are connectable to a source of vacuum so that the labels are held by the pad surface with the printed side facing the pad surface, by suction, the or each aperture, or a 3 different aperture or apertures in the pad surface, being connectable to a source of pressurised air (as herein defined) at the label applying station whereby the labels are each propelled by a blast of air from the pad surface towards a respective article to which the labels are to be applied.

Thus the means which move each label away from the label holding means may comprise a label applying means.

By pressurised 'lair" we mean any pressurised gas.

It will be appreciated that as soon as a label is moved away from the label holding means, the label holding means will be free to receive a further label from the printing means. Thus printing of the next label can at least begin prior to the previous label having been applied to its respective article.

The pad surface of the label holding means may comprise two parts separated by a space, each part having apertures therein which are connectable to a. source of vacuum, at least whilst the label is being held by the label holding means. A pad surface of the label applying means may be configured to be received in the space between the two parts of the pad surf ace of the label holding means in a f irst position, and pivoted to a second position comprising the label applying station. Alternatively, the label applying means may be pivotably andlor otherwise movable to bring the label on the pad surf ace thereof to the label applying station.

If desired, the label holding means may be movable from a position where the label holding means receives the labels from the printing means relatively away from the pad surface of the label applying means to a release position to release the label f rom the label holding means and to ensure that the label is properly held by the pad surface of the label applying means.

4 Means may be provided to release the suction of the pad surface of the label holding means as the label holding means moves to its release position.

The label applying means may retain the label at the label applying station until a corresponding article is fed to the label applying station. The articles of the succession of articles may be fed to the label applying station successively, for example on a suitable conveyor.

Whilst the label is being retained at the label applying station, a further label nay be at least partially printed. As soon as the label held at the label applying station is applied to the relevant article, the label applying means may be moved back to its first position into the space between the two pad parts of the label holding means and printing of the further label may, where appropriate, be completed, whereby the label applying means may engage the further printed label by suction and then move the further label away from the label holding means to the label applying station, whilst a yet further label may be at least partially printed.

The apparatus may comprise a control means including first sensing means to sense a parameter of each article of a succession of articles upstream of the label applying station, the control means providing an appropriate signal to the printing means to print information relevant to the parameter sensed, for each article, on a corresponding label, the control means, immediately the label applying means has applied a previous label to a previous article, causing the label applying means to move the corresponding label away from the label holding means to the label applying station to await the arrival of its corresponding article, and to cause the label applying means to apply the label to the article as the article moves past the label applying station.

The control means may also control movement of the label holding means between its receive and release positions, and the communication of the apertures of the various pad surfaces with sources of vacuum or pressurised air as appropriate, although these latter functions may at least partially be achieved by mechanical means if required.

According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a method of applying a label to each article of a succession of articles utilising the apparatus of a first aspect of the invention, the method comprising sensing a parameter of a first article by a first sensing means at a position upstream of the label applying station, providing a signal to the printing means to print information appropriate to the parameter sensed of the first article on a label, receiving the label for the first article by the label holding means, sensing a parameter of the next article of the succession of articles, and providing a signal to the printing means to print information relevant to the parameter sensed of the next article, on a further label, moving the first label for the first article away from the label holding means to a label applying station, retaining the label at the label applying station until the arrival of the first article whilst the printing means prints the further label for the next article of the succession of articles, sensing the arrival of the first article at the label applying station and applying the label to the first article.

Preferably the method includes the step of removing the label for the first article from a backing medium thereof, prior to receiving the label by the label holding means.

The succession of articles may be moved past the label applying station on a conveyor, and the articles may be stationary at the label applying station whilst the 6 relevant labels are applied, but preferably each label is applied whilst its respective article continues to move past the label applying station.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of part of a label printing and applying apparatus in accordance with the invention, FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view taken on the arrow II of Figure 1, FIGURE 3 is a purely illustrative diagram showing operation of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, a label printing and applying apparatus comprises a label feed means 10 for feeding self adhesive labels 11 from storage roll 12 where the labels 11 are stored on a backing medium 13 such as waxed paper to which the labels 11 are releasably adhered, towards a printing means 14, by means of drive rollers D.

Subsequent to each label 11 being printed, and/or during the printing process, the label 11 is stripped from the backing medium 13 by a beak 15 and the hacking medium 13 is collected on a collection roll 16.

Printed labels 11 are received by a label holding means 17 to be described in more detail below, where the labels 11 are held until a label applying means 18 moves the label 11 to a label applying station 20 where the labels are each retained until a corresponding article 21 to which each label 11 is to be applied arrives at the label applying station 20, when the label applying means 18 will apply the labels to articles 21.

The apparatus further comprises a first sensing means 22 which senses a parameter of each article 21 of the succession of articles indicated at 21a to 21d, the parameter being for example weight, size, colour or type. The printing means 14 is instructed by a control means 23 7 to print information relating to the sensed parameter for each article 21- a-21-d onto a corresponding label 11, which labels 11 are then applied to appropriate articles 21a to 21d.

The apparatus f urther comprises a second sensing means 24 which senses the arrival of the relevant article 21a to 21d at the label applying station 20.

The control means 23 and sensor means 22/24 may simply correlate the number of articles 21 since any particular article sensed so that the sensing means 24 knows that an article arriving at the label applying station 20 is the applicable article for a label 11 which is waiting at the label applying station 20 to be applied to the article. Alternatively, the sensing means 24 may check that the parameter sensed by the first sensing means 22 is present on an article arriving at the label applying station 20 whereby the second sensing means 24 and control means 23 can check that the article arriving is that expected for the waiting label 11.

In the present case, the articles 21a to 21d are conveyed on a roller conveyor 25 past the label applying station 20 although any other appropriate means to convey the articles 11 past the label applying station 20 may be used.

In the present case, the operation of the conveyor is controlled via the control means 23, a transmission 26 of the conveyor 25 being disengaged when the control means 23 needs to stop movement of the articles 21, if this becomes necessary, for example if the articles are too close together and moving too fast for the printing means 14 to keep up.

The label applying means 18 is of the so called "blower" type and comprises a pad surface 28 which has a plurality of small apertures, some of which are indicated at 29, which apertures 29 can alternatively be connected to 8 a source of vacuum 30 or a source of pressurised air 31. The label applicator means 18 is movable from a f irst position which is shown in dotted lines in f igure 1 when the apertures 29 will be connected to the source of vacuum 30 'so that the labels 11 can be held on the pad surface 28 with the printed sides of the labels 11 facing the pad 28, to a second position at the label applying station 20 where under the control of the control means 23, the apertures 29 can be connected to a source of pressurised air 31 so that a label 11 held thereby is propelled by a blast of air in the direction of arrow 35 in figure 1 towards and into engagement with the article 21.

It will be appreciated that each label 11 would be retained at the label applying station 20 by the vacuum at the pad surface 28 of the label applying means 18 until the appropriate article 21a to 21d arrives at the label applying station 20 when the vacuum can be replaced or overcome by the pressurised air. Respective control valves 36, 37, may be provided which under the control of the control means 23 arrange for the apertures 29 to be connected alternatively to the vacuum source 30 or the pressurised air 31.

The label holding means 17 which receives the labels 11 during and/or after printing also comprises a pad surface 39 at which suction can be applied to hold the labels. The pad surface 39 comprises two parts 40,41, separated by a space 42, and connected by a bridging part 43, each part 40,41, having a plurality of apertures 44.

Thus the pad surface 39 is in the form of an inverted U. As the labels 11 pass from the printing means 14 in the direction of arrow B in Figure 2, they are each generally received on the pad surface 39 each label slides relative to the pad surface 39 until all of the apertures 44 are covered by the label 11, the printed side of the label facing the pad surface 39.

9 Apertures 44 are also connected to the vacuum source 30 via a control valve 45 and are arranged so that only when all of the apertures 44 are covered by the label 11 is the label 11 held by the label holding means 17 by suction.

The label applying means 18 is configured so that the pad surface 28 thereof, which in the present example is rectangular, is received in the space 42 between the two parts 40,41, of the pad surface 49 when the label applying means 18 is in its f irst position, to enable the pad surface 28 to pick up a label 11 held by the label holding means 17, and to move the label away f rom the label holding means 17 to the label applying station 20, thus freeing the label holding means 17 to receive a further label from the printing means 14.

To assist the transfer of the labels from the label holding means 17 to the label applying means 18, the label holding means 17 is movable from a receive position which is shown in full lines in figure 1 to a release position shown in dotted lines, in the direction of arrow 46, by any suitable motive means 47 under the control of the control means 23. Preferably as the label holding means 17 moves to its release position, suction of the label 11 at the pad surface 39 is discontinued either by the control means closing valve 45, or by there being a mechanical means to disconnect the apertures 44 from the vacuum source 30. In either case, as the label holding means 17 is moved to its release position, the label is transferred to the pad surface 28 of the label applying means 18.

Movement of the label applying means 18 from its first to its second position can be achieved with a stepper motor for example or any other motive means 48 under the control of the control means 23, which causes the label applying means 18 to pivot about an axis 49, the pad surface 28 of the label applying means 18 being connected to its motive means 48 by an arm 50.

Immediately the label applying means 18 is moved away from its first position, the control means 23 causes the label holding means 17 to return to its receive position ready to receive the next label from the printing means 14.

Operation of the apparatus will now be described.

As a succession of articles 21a to 21d are conveyed on the conveyor 25, the first sensing means 22 senses a desired parameter of each article 21a to 21d. In the present example, as shown in figure 3, the second sensing means 22 is sensing a parameter of article 21b, and the sensing means 22 sends an appropriate signal to the control means 23 which is stored. Once labels have been printed for all of the preceding articles 21c,21d, etc. the control means 23 will signal the label feed means 10 to feed a label to the printing means 14 and will signal the printing means 14 to print appropriate information on the label for article 21b. For example, the printing means 14 may print a description of the article 21a, details of its weight or its price, or a code such as a bar code, depending on the particular parameter sensed by the first sensing means 22.

During this time, the article 21b will continue to be moved closer to the label applying station 20 by the conveyor 25.

During label printing, the label 11 is received by the label holding means 17 as it passes out of the printing means 14, with vacuum applied to the apertures 44 of the pad surface 39 by the control means 23 signalling the valve 45 to open. When the label 11 covers all of the apertures 44 of the pad surface 39, the label 11 will be held by the label holding means 17 by suction.

As soon as the label applying means 18 has applied the preceding label to article 21c the label applying means 11 18 will be moved by the control means 23 to its first position and vacuum will be applied at the pad surface 28 by the control means 23 actuating valves 36 and 37 appropriately.

The label holding means 17 is then moved by the control means 23 to its release position when suction at the pad surface 39 thereof will be discontinued, so that the label 11 for article 21b will be transferred to and retained by the pad surface 18 of the label applying means 18.

The control means 23 will then move the label applying means 18 by actuating the motive means 48 thereof, to the label applying station 20 where the label will be retained until the second sensing means 24 senses that the article 21b has arrived at the label applying station 20.

The control means 23 will then close valve 36 and open valve 37 so that the label is propelled onto the article 21a by a blast of pressurised air.

As soon as the label applying means 18 has moved the label for article 21b, from the label holding means 17, the label for the next article 21a can be printed by the printing means 14, even before the label for article 21b has been applied to the article.

In the event that any article is too close to the preceding article for the printing means 14 to keep up, the control means 23 can temporarily halt the conveyor 25 by disengaging transmission 26 thereof.

It will further be appreciated that particularly if the labels 11 are significantly bigger than the pad surface 39 of the label holding means 17, a label could foul the label applying means 18 as it returns to its first position. Thus if necessary a label may be arranged only to be partially printed by the printing means 14 until the label applying means 18 is in its first position, when printing of the label can be completed. This can be 12 achieved by the control means 23 providing suitable signals to the label feeding means 10 and the printing means 14.

Various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

It is envisaged that the control valve 45 for the apertures 44 of the pad surface 39 may not be required where connection of the apertures 44 to the vacuum source 30 is controlled by a mechanical means actuated by movement of the label holding means 17 from its receive to its release position.

Instead of providing a control valve 36 so that the suction of the pad surface 28 can be discontinued when it is desired to propel a label 11 onto an article 21, if desired the blast of air provided from the source of pressurised air 31 may simply be sufficient to overcome the vacuum provided by the vacuum source 30.

The mechanical arrangements of the label applying means 18 and the label holding means 17 need not be exactly as described, but may be modified in many ways. For example, movement of the label applying means 18 to the label applying station 20 may be achieved by an alternative to purely pivotal movement as described.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description or the accompanying drawing, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

13

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A label printing and applying apparatus for printing and applying a label to each article of a succession of articles, comprising means to feed labels severally to a printing means which is arranged to print information on the labels, a label holding means to receive a label f rom the printing means and to hold the label, means to move each printed label away from the label holding means to a label applying station thus freeing the label holding means to receive a further label from the printing means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the labels are self adhesive labels which are releasably adhered to a backing medium, the labels and backing medium being provided in the form of a roll, means being provided to remove each label f rom the bapking medium after printing so that the label only is held by the label holding means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the means to remove the labels from the backing medium comprise a beak positioned immediately after the printing means and before the label holding means.

4. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the label holding means holds the label by suction, the label holding means comprising a pad surface in which one or more apertures are provided, the apertures being connectable to a source of vacuum.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the label is held by suction with the printed side f acing the pad 14 surface, when the or all of the apertures of the pad surface are closed by the label.

6.. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the means which move each label away from the label holding means to the label applying station comprise a pad surface having one or more apertures which are connectable to a source of vacuum so that the labels are held by the pad surface with the printed side facing the pad surface, by suction, the or each aperture, or a different aperture or apertures in the pad surface, being connectable to a source of pressurised air (as herein defined) at the label applying station whereby the labels are each propelled by a blast of air from the pad surface towards a respective article to which the labels are to be applied.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the means which move each label away from the label holding means comprise a label applying means.

8. An apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7 where appendent to claim 4 wherein the pad surface of the label holding means comprises two parts separated by a space, each part having apertures therein which are connectable to a source of vacuum, at least while the label is being held by the label holding means.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 where appendent to claim 6 wherein the pad surface of the label applying means is configured to be received in the space between the two parts of the pad surface of the label holding means in a first position, and pivoted to a second position comprising the label applying station.

is

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein, the label holding means is movable from a position where the label holding means receives the labels from the printing means relatively away from the pad surface of the label applying means to a release position to release the label from the label holding means and to ensure that the label is properly held by the pad surface of the label applying means.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein means are provided to release the suction of the pad surface of the label holding means as the label holding means moves to its release position.

12. An apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 12 where appendent to claim 6 wherein the label applying means retains the label at the label applying station until a corresponding article is fed to the label applyi ng station.

13. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the articles of the succession of articles are fed to the label applying station successively.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the articles are fed to the label applying station on a conveyor.

15. An apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 14 where appendent to claim 12 wherein whilst the label is being retained at the label applying station, a further label is being at least partially printed.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 where appendent to claim 10 wherein as soon as the label held at the label 16 applying station is applied to the relevant article, the label applying means is moved back to its f irst position into the space between the two pad parts of the label holding means and printing of the further label is completed, whereby the label applying means engages the further printed label by suction and then moves the further label away from the label holding means to the label applying station, whilst a yet further label is at least partially printed.

17. An apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 16 where appendent to claim 7 wherein the apparatus comprises a control means including first sensing means to sense a parameter of each article of a succession of articles upstream of the label applying station, the control means providing an appropriate signal to the printing means to print information relevant to the parameter sensed, for each article, on a corresponding label, the control means, immediately the label applying means has applied a previous label to a previous article, causing the label applying means to move the corresponding label away from the label holding means to the label applying station to await the arrival of its corresponding article, and to cause the label applying means to apply the label to the article as the article moves past the label applying station.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17 where appendent to claim 10 wherein the control means also controls movement of the label holding means between its receive and release positions, and the communication of the apertures of the various pad surfaces with sources of vacuum or pressurised air as appropriate.

17

19. A label printing and applying apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

20. A method of applying a label to each article of a succession of articles utilising an apparatus in accordance with any one claims 1 to 19 the method comprising sensing parameter of a first article by a first sensing means at position upstream of the label applying station, providing a signal to the printing means to print information appropriate to the parameter sensed of the first article on a label, receiving the label for the first article by the label holding means, sensing a parameter of the next article of the succession of articles, and providing a signal to the printing means to print information relevant to the parameter sensed of the next article, on a further label, moving the first label for the first article away from the label holding means to a label applying station, retaining the label at the label applying station until the arrival of the first article whilst the printing means prints the further label for the next article of the succession of articles, sensing the arrival of the f irst article at the label applying station and applying the label to the first article.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein the method includes the step of removing the label for the first article from a backing medium, prior to receiving the label by the label holding means.

22. A method according to claim 20 or claim 21 wherein the succession of articles are moved past the label applying station on a conveyor, and the articles are 18 stationary at the label applying station whilst the relevant labels are applied.

23. A method according to claim 21 or claim 22 wherein the succession of articles are moved passed label applying station on a conveyor each label being applied whilst its respective article continues to move past the label applying station.

24. A method of applying a label substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings

25. Any novel feature or novel combination of features as disclosed in or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Published 1992 at The Patent Office, Concept House, Cardiff Road. Newport. Gwent NP9 I RH. Further copies may be obtained from Sales Branch. Unit 6. Nine Mile Point. Cwrnfelinfach. Cross Keys. Newport, NP I 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd. St Mary Cray. Kent.