Labels and manufacture thereof

Claim 1

A label for affixing to a container comprising a longitudinal strip (2) divided into a series of panels (10, 12, 14, 16) by a plurality of transverse fold lines (4, 6, 8,), the first two panels (10, 12) forming a front cover and a back cover respectively for enveloping the remaining panel or panels (14, 16) of the strip when folded, the transverse fold lines (4, 6, 8) being spaced along the strip (2) so that upon folding of the strip (2) the said remaining panel or panels (14, 16) is or are folded to lie over the back cover (12) and is or are in turn covered by folding of the front cover (10) about the fold line (4) between the front (10) and back (12) covers; a support web to which the said back cover (12) is adhered, the support web (18) being dimensioned so that at least one region thereof extends laterally at least beyond the edge of the back cover (12) which occurs at the fold line (16) between the back cover (12) and the remaining panel or panels (14, 16); and a layer of pressure-sensitive self-adhesive material (30) which is adhered by the self-adhesive surface thereof over some or all of the front cover panel (10), the self-adhesive material (30) extending at least beyond the free outer edge (28) of the front cover panel (10), which free outer edge (28) is opposite the fold line (4) between the front (10) and back (12) cover panels, and the self-adhesive material (30) having at least one portion (34, 36) thereof which can be adhered by the self-adhesive surface thereof to the region, or a respective one of the regions, thereby to secure the front cover panel (10) in a closed condition and can be pulled away from the support web (18) thereby to open the front cover panel (10) and give access to the interior of the folded strip (2).

Claim 8

A method of producing a succession of self-adhesive labels carried on a backing of release material, the method comprising the steps of:- (a) providing a laminar material (60) comprising a support web (18) coated on its reverse side with a pressure-sensitive adhesive and having a backing of a release material (61); (b) applying a layer of adhesive to a succession of particular areas along the length of the support web (18); (c) providing a plurality of folded longitudinal strips (72), each longitudinal strip being divided into a series of panels (10, 12, 14, 16) by a plurality of transverse fold lines (4, 6, 8), the first two panels (10, 12) forming a front cover and a back cover respectively for enveloping the remaining panel or panels (14, 16) of the strip when folded, the transverse fold lines (4, 6, 8) being spaced along the strip so that upon folding of the strip the said remaining panel or panels (14, 16) is or are folded to lie over the back cover (12) and is or are in turn covered by folding of the front cover (10) about the fold line (4) between the front (10) and back (12) covers; (d) applying individual folded longitudinal strips (72) to respective successive areas of adhesive so that the back cover (12) of each folded strip covers a respective area of the support web (18) to which adhesive has been applied; (e) adhering a web of a pressure-sensitive self-adhesive material (104) over the support web (18) and the folded strips (72); (f) cutting the web of self-adhesive material (104) and all of the layers of the laminar material (60) other than the backing layer (61) so as to cut a succession of labels (56) on the backing layer (61), each label having one of the folded strips (72) adhered to a respective part of the support web (18) and each said part of the support web (18) being dimensioned so that at least one region thereof extends laterally at least beyond the edge of the back cover (12) which occurs at the fold line (6) between the back cover (12) and the remaining panel or panels (14, 16); and (g) cutting, either before, after or simultaneously with cutting step (f), a succession of elongate cuts (32) or weakened tear lines through the self-adhesive material (104) so that in each resultant label (56) the respective cut (32) or weakened tear line separates the self-adhesive material (104), there being in each resultant label (56) at least one portion (34, 36) of the self-adhesive material (104) which, or each of which, can be adhered by the self-adhesive surface thereof to the region, or a respective one of the regions, of the support,web (18) thereby to secure the front cover panel (10) in a closed condition, and can be pulled away from the support web (18) thereby to open the front cover (10) and give access to the interior of the folded strip (72).

Claim 9

A method of producing a succession of self-adhesive labels carried on a backing of release material, the method comprising the steps of:- (a) providing a laminar material (60) comprising a support web (18) coated on its reverse side with a pressure-sensitive adhesive and having a backing of a release material (61); (b) applying a layer of adhesive to a succession of particular areas along the length of the support web (18); (c) providing a plurality of folded longitudinal strips (72), each longitudinal strip being divided into a series of panels (10, 12, 14, 16) by a plurality of transverse fold lines (4, 6, 8), the first two panels (10, 12) forming a front cover and a back cover respectively for enveloping the remaining panel or panels (14, 16) of the strip when folded, the transverse fold lines (4, 6, 8) being spaced along the strip so that upon folding of the strip the said remaining panel or panels (14, 16) is or are folded to lie over the back cover (12) and is or are in turn covered by folding of the front cover (10) about the fold line (4) between the front (10) and back (12) covers; (d) applying individual folded longitudinal strips (72) to respective successive areas of adhesive so that the back cover (12) of each folded strip covers a respective area of the support web (18) to which adhesive has been applied; (e) adhering a web of a pressure-sensitive self-adhesive material (104) over the support web (18) and the folded strips (72); (f) cutting the web of self-adhesive material (104) and all of the layers of the laminar material (60) other than the backing layer (61) so as to cut a succession of labels (56) on the backing layer (61), each label having one of the folded strips (72) adhered to a respective part of the support web (18) and each said part of the support web (18) being dimensioned so that at least one region thereof extends laterally at least beyond the edge of the back cover (12) which occurs at the fold line (6) between the back cover (12) and the remaining panel or panels (14, 16); and (g) cutting, either before, after or simultaneously with cutting step (f), a succession of elongate cuts (32) or weakened tear lines through the self-adhesive material (104) so that in each resultant label (56) the respective cut (32) or weakened tear line separates the self-adhesive material (104), there being in each resultant label (56) at least one portion (34, 36) of the self-adhesive material (104) which, or each of which, can be adhered by the self-adhesive surface thereof to the region, or a respective one of the regions, of the support,web (18) thereby to secure the front cover panel (10) in a closed condition, and can be pulled away from the support web (18) thereby to open the front cover (10) and give access to the interior of the folded strip (72).