Apparatus for attaching adhesive labels

Claim 2

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said holding means includes an inner elastic lining for resiliently supporting the object, and wherein said opening is formed in said holding dish and in said elastic lining.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising supporting frame means having guide slots, and wherein said label-attaching means has parts guided in said guide slots for movement at an angle to a vertical direction between said inoperative and label-attaching positions.

Claim 4

Apparatus for attaching adhesive labels, comprising holding means having an opening adapted to be covered by a surface portion of an object in said holding means; label-attaching means having a supporting portion located opposite and aligned with said opening; stepwise movable label-depositing means for successively depositing labels having adhesive surfaces on said supporting portion in a position in which the adhesive surface of the Label on said supporting portion confronts said opening; mounting means for mounting said label-attaching means for movement toward and away from said holding means between an inoperative position and a label-attaching position, and for mounting said holding means for movement toward and away from said supporting portion between an inoperative position, and an operative position in which said supporting portion of said label-attaching means in said label-attaching position is located in said opening for pressing said label against said object; and operating means including biassing means for urging said holding means and label-attaching means to said inoperative positions, said operating means operatively connecting said holding means with said label-attaching means and with said label-depositing means so that upon movement of said holding means with the object thereon to said operative position against said biassing means said label-attaching means is moved to said label-attaching position so that a label is attached to the object by said supporting portion, while upon removal of the object from said holding means, said biassing means actuate said label-depositing means to deposit a label on said supporting portion, and also return said operating means and label-attaching means to said inoperative positions thereof.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said operating means include control switch means actuated by said holding means in said operative position, first drive means for moving said label-attaching means between said inoperative and label-attaching positions, and second drive means for moving said label-depositing means stepwise, said first and second drive means including first and second electric means, respectively, electrically connected with said switch means and actuated by the actuated switch means.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said first and second electric means are first and second electromagnetic means; wherein said first drive means include a first spring for moving said label-attaching means to said label-attaching position; wherein said first electromagnetic means hold said label-attaching means in said inoperative position until deenergized by said actuated control switch means; and wherein said second electromagnetic means is energized by said switch means and moves said web one step when said label-attaching means is in said inoperative position and said first electromagnetic means is energized by said switch means.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 comprising an upper chute and a lower chute between which said holding means is located so that objects move from said upper chute to said holding means and move the same to said operative position whereupon said objects move down the lower chute after attachment of said labels, respectively.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 including presser means for pressing an object on said holding means against the same; and electromagnetic means controlled by said switch means for actuating said presser means.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said depositing means includes guide means for guiding a web and said labels adhesively attached to said web along a path, and deflector means located adjacent said supporting portion in said inoperative position for deflecting successive portions of said web so that the label on the deflected portion is deposited on said supporting portion.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 comprising a supporting frame means; wherein said operating means include a support lever mounted on said supporting frame means for angular movement and supporting said label-attaching means, said support lever having a free portion engaged by said holding means in said operative position for moving said label-attaching means to said label-attaching position; wherein said operating means include transporting means for stepwise transporting said web, linkage means connecting said holding means with said transporting means and including a spring so tHat said web is transported one step by said spring when said holding means moves to said inoperative position, and spring means acting on said label-attaching means for urging the same to said inoperative position when said holding means is moved to said inoperative position thereof by said biassing means.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said transporting means include a transporting slide having clamping means operative in a transporting direction for clamping said web, and being inoperative in the opposite direction; wherein said holding means includes two posts guided in said supporting frame means for guiding said holding means between said inoperative and operative positions, and a bar connecting said post; and wherein said linkage means includes a lever mounted on said supporting frame means and having at one end a slot in which said bar is located and at the other end a stud; and wherein said slide has a portion formed with a slanted slot in which said stud is located.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said supporting frame means include a movable housing portion on which said slide is mounted; and wherein said slanted slot in said slide is open at one end so that said stud moves out of said slot when said housing portion is moved to an open position.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 including means for guiding said holding means and said label-attaching means along an upright path having a slanted end portion toward and away from each other so that said holding means moves between a higher inoperative position and a lower operative position; wherein the top face of said supporting portion supporting a label is located slightly below said deflector means and leads the same in said transporting direction; wherein said operating means include a support lever having a roller engaging a bottom face of said label-attaching means, and being displaced by said holding means in said operative position for moving said label-attaching means along said upright path to said label-attaching position and along said slanted end portion of said path in the region of said deflector means.

Claim 14

Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said supporting portion is an elastic cushion, and wherein said cushion includes an abutment bar on the side of said cushion remote from said deflector means for stopping a label on said cushion.

Claim 15

Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said elastic cushion has a resilient lip projecting from said cushion on said remote side.

Claim 16

Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said deflector means deflect said web an angle of substantially 180* so that a portion of said web moves the labels toward said supporting portion and another portion without labels moves away from said supporting portion substantially parallel to the top face of the same.

Claim 17

Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 comprising a guiding device including guide members movable between a first position located above said supporting portion closely spaced from each other for guiding a label from said deflecting means onto said supporting surface, and a second position located out of the path of movement of said supporting portion, and spring means urging the same to said first position; and wherein said holding means during movement to said operative position moves said guide members to said second position.

Claim 18

Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein said guide members include wings, respectively having slanted guide edges for engaging edges of a label separating from the web; and wherein said guide members have manually operable portions.