GB2345685A

GB2345685A - Roll of linerless adhesive labels

Info

Publication number: GB2345685A
Application number: GB9900658A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Roman; Richard Ing
Original assignee: SOVEREIGN LABELLING SYS Ltd
Current assignee: SOVEREIGN LABELLING SYS Ltd
Priority date: 1999-01-14
Filing date: 1999-01-14
Publication date: 2000-07-19

Abstract

A label supply roll for an automatic labelling machine comprises a single continuous web 10 upon which a continuous succession of labels 16 is printed. Two or more bands of adhesive 18a, 18b, 18c are arranged on the underside of the web 10, the bands of adhesive extending parallel to the length of the web and being spaced from one another across the width of the web. Two or more spaced bands 14a, 14b, 14c of release coating are arranged on the other side of the web 10 in alignment with the bands of adhesive on the underside to permit coils of the web to separate from one another readily when the web is wound onto a roll. The web may be of natural or synthetic paper to which the adhesive and release coating are applied by a printing process. Adhesive may be applied only in selected regions of the bands and may be omitted at the join between adjacent labels. The bands of release coating may be entirely coated and wider than the bands of adhesive.

Description

LABELS The present invention relates to labels and in particular to a continuous label supply roll for use in an automatic labelling machine.

Automatic label machines are known for applying selfadhesive printed labels to articles, such as bottles, carried on a conveyor belt. The printed labels are first placed on a transport pad from a label supply roll with the adhesive side facing away from the pad and they are then transported by the pad and applied to the article.

Conventionally, the printed labels are formed as individual labels supported on a continuous web that has a release coating, normally made of a silicone. At the station of the machine where the label is placed on the transport pad, the carrier web is folded backwards and pulled over a sharp edge. This causes the individual labels to separate from the carrier web so that they may be transferred to the transport pad.

An important disadvantage of such a label supply roll is that the use of a carrier web makes it costly and the process is wasteful in as much as the carrier web must be discarded once it has been used. Additionally, the supply roll is rendered unnecessarily bulky and special steps must be taken in the label loading station to take up the carrier web. A still further disadvantage is that care must be taken when handling the supply rolls to stop them from telescoping, that is to say to stop the centres of the rolls moving axially to turn the rolls from cylinders into cones.

With a view to mitigating at least some of the foregoing disadvantages, the present invention provides a label supply roll comprising a single continuous web upon which a continuous succession of labels is printed, two or more bands of adhesive arranged on a first side of the web, the bands of adhesive extending parallel to the length of the web and being spaced from one another across the width of the web, and two or more spaced bands of release coating arranged on the other side of the web in alignment with the bands of adhesive on the first side to permit coils of the web to separate from one ar. other readily when the web is wound onto a roll.

It is essential to the present invention that the bands of adhesive on the first side of the web and the bands of release coating on its other side do not cover the entre width of the web. There are several advantages that result from this selective application of the adhesive and the release coating which will now be discussed.

First, there is a significant cost saving in that both the adhesive and the release coating are expensive and the invention avoids their unnecessary wastage. Second, it is possible to achieve a neater application of the labels to the articles as bubbles caused by trapped air or liquid can be avoided by the spaces between the bands of adhesive.

Third, it remains possible to print on the labels as they are being applied to the articles on a conveyor belt in the spaces between the bands of release coating. This makes it possible to add sell-by or use-by dates to the labels, which would not be the case if the labels were completely covered with a release coating. Fourth, the spaced between the bands in which the web is exposed from both sides allows the web to be gripped between drive rollers to pull it off the supply roll. This makes it easier tu lande the individual labels after they have been severed from the web as the drive rolls have no tendency to stick to the first side nor to slip on the second side of the labels.

The web may be formed or natural or synthetic paper, the material being chosen to suit the articles to which the labels are to be applied. In the case of milk bottles, for example, it is preferred to use a synthetic paper based on polyethylene or polypropylene, that can remain strong when wet.

A conventional printing process can be used not only to print ink onto the web but also to apply the adhesive and the release coating. As an alternative, the adhesive and the release coating, which may for example be silicone based, can be sprayed onto the web. All three coatings, namely ink, adhesive and release material, can be applied to the web in immediate succession, thereby allowing a supply roll to be formed from a blank in one continuous process.

The adhesive may totally cover each band but as a further cost saving it is possible to apply the adhesive only in selected regions, such as along a thin sinuous path, entirely contained with the bands. It is also advantageous not to apply adhesive at the join between adjacent labels so that no adhesive should adhere to the cutter used to sever the individual labels from the supply roll. The bands of release coating on the other hand should be entirely coated with the release material and should preferably be wider than the bands of adhesive so allow for misalignment during the coiling of the web into a supply roll.

In the invention, the coils of the supply roll will, of course, lightly adhere to one another and the tendency to telescope will therefore be much reduced.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 is a view from its top side of a web drawn from a supply roll of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a view of the underside of the web shown in Figure 1.

The web 10 in the drawings is formed of real or synthetic paper. On its underside or first side shown in Figure 2, the web is coated with three lor. gitudinally extending stripes of adhesive 18a, 18b and 18c that are spaced apart from one another across the width of the web 10. The stripes 18a to 18c have discontinuities 20 at the join between individual labels so that a cutter used to sever labels from the continuous web should not be soiled by the adhesive.

On its top side, or second side, shown in Figure 1, the web carries the printed subject matter 12 of the label which may be applied in a conventional manner either in monochrome or in colour. After the ink printing, three stripes 14a, 14b and 14c of a release coating are applied to the web 10 in alignment with the adhesives stripes 18a, 18b and 18c, respectively, on its underside. The release coating stripes are wider by for example 50% to 100% than the stripes of adhesive to allow for misaiignment of the coils when the web 10 is wound onto a roll. Though shaded in the drawing so that they may be identified, the stripes of release coating are in fact transparent and do not mar the appearance of the label. 3etween the stripes 14a, 14b and 14c, there are exposed areas of the web which can be used on its top side to carry markings 16 printed while the labels are being applied to the articles to indicate for example a sell-by date. The same exposed areas of the web, in conjunction with the exposed areas on the underside of the web 10 between the stripes 18a, 18b and 18c of adhesive, can be gripped by rollers to advance the web 10 or individual labels after they have been severed from the web.

Though the adhesive has been shown as applied in elongate stripes, it can be formed as a zig-zag or sinuous path provided always that it lies w-thin the bands defined by the release coating or. the top side of the web so that the adhesive should not come into contact with any region of the web not protected by a release coating when the web is wound onto a roll.

The adhesive and the release material may be sprayed onto the web but it is preferred to use conventional printing techniques, thereby allowing the manufacture of the supply roll to be integrated in a single manufacturing process.

It will be seen that the invention allows the manufacture of a more compact label supply roll that can be handled more easily and reduced the complexity of the station in a labelling machine at which labels are loaded onto a transport pad. Furthermore, the label supply can be significantly less expensive as it dispenses with the cost of a carrier web and reduces the quantity of adhesive and release material used in its manufacture.

Claims

1. A label supply roll comprising a single continuous web upon which a continuous succession of labels is printed, two or more bands of adhesive arranged on a first side of the web, the bands of adhesive extending parallel to the length of the web and being spaced from one another across the width of the web, and two or more spaced bands of release coating arranged on the other side of the web in alignment with the bands of adhesive on the first side to permit coils of the web to separate from one another readily when the web is wound onto a roll.

2. A label supply roll as claimed in claim 1, wherein the web of formed of a natural paper.

3. A label supply roll as claimed in claim 1, wherein the web of formed of a synthetic paper.

4. A label supply roll as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the adhesive and the release coating are applied to the web by means of a printing process.

5. A label supply roll as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the adhesive is applied only in selected regions entirely contained with the bands.

6. A label supply roll as claimed in any preceding claim, in which no adhesive is applied at the join between adjacent labels.

7. A label supply roll as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein bands of release coating are entirely coated with a release material and are wider than the bands of adhesive.

8. A label supply roll for an automatic labelling machine, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.