Apparatus for applying thermoactivatable adhesive coated labels

Claim 2

In apparatus for applying to an article a label of the type having a thermoactivatable adhesive coated on one side thereof, the combination of: a first platen for supporting said article; a second platen; means having at least one of said platens; a label support disposed remote from said platens; a transfer arm adapted for movement from a position adjacent said label support to a position adjacent to said first platen; vacuum conduit means carried by said transfer arm for applying a vacuum to one area of a label; heating means carried by said transfer arm for heating a second area of said label remote from said first to thermally activate an area of said adhesive; means for shifting said transfer arm from a position in contact with a label on said support to bring said label into contact with an article on said first platen, whereby said label is tacked to said article; means for shifting said transfer arm away from said first platen; and means for forcing one of said platens against the other to apply heat and pressure to said label and article to effect a bond therebetween.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which said transfer arm is rotatable in a horizontal plane and shiftable in a vertical plane.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 in which said transfer arm is carried by a vertically disposed rotatable shaft and is pivotally secured thereto for vertical swinging movement; and said means for shifting said transfer arm comprises a first pneumatic cylinder assembly for rotating said shaft and a second pneumatic cylinder assembly carried by said shaft and connected to said arm for raising and lowering said arm.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 in which said transfer arm carries a pad adjacent to the free end of said arm, said pad having a plurality of spaced vacuum openings formed therein, and a heater element disposed remote from said openings.

Claim 6

In apparatus for applying to an article a label of the type having a thermoactivatable adhesive coated on one side thereof, the combination of: a lower platen for supporting said article; an upper platen; means heating at least one of said platens; a magazine for supporting a stack of labels in superposed relationship remote from said platens; a label support platform; picker means for serially removing said labels from said magazine and depositing them on said platform; a transfer arm adapted for movement from a position adjacent said label support platform to a position adjacent to said lower platen; vacuum conduit means carried by said transfer arm for applying a vacuum to one area of a label; heating means carried by said transfer arm for heating a second area of said label remote from said first to thermally activate an area of said adhesive; means for shifting said transfer arm from a position in contact with a label on said platform to bring said label into contact with an article on said lower platen, whereby said label is tacked to said article; means for shifting said transfer arm away from said lower platen; and means for forcing one of said platens against the other to apply heat and pressure to said label and article to effect a bond therebetween.

Claim 7

In apparatus for applying to an article a label of the type having a thermoactivatable adhesive coated on one side thereof, the combination of: a lower platen for supporting said article; an upper platen; means heating at least one of said platens; a magazine for supporting a stack of labels in superposed relationship remote from said platens; a label support platform; picker means for serially removing said labels from said magazine and depositing them on said platform; a transfer arm adapted for movement from a position adjacent said label support platform to a position adjacent to said lower platen; vacuum conduit means carried by said transfer arm for applying a vacuum to one area of a label; heating means carried by said transfer arm for heating a second area of said label remote from said first to thermally activate an area of said adhesive; means for shifting said transfer arm from a position in contact with a label on said platform to bring said label into contact with an article on said lower platen, whereby said label is tacked to said article; means for shifting said transfer arm away from said lower platen; and means for forcing one of said platens against the other to apply heat and pressure to said label and article to effect a bond therebetween.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 in which said transfer arm is rotatable in a horizontal plane and shiftable in a vertical plane.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 in which said transfer arm is carried by a vertically disposed rotatable shaft and is pivotally secured thereto for vertical swinging movement; and said means for shifting said transfer arm comprises a first pneumatic cylinder assembly for rotating said shaft and a second pneumatic cylinder assembly carried by said shaft and connected to said arm for raising and lowering said arm.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 5 in which said transfer arm carries a pad adjacent to the free end of said arm, said pad having a plurality of spaced vacuum openings formed therein, and a heater element disposed remote from said openings.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 5 in which said magazine is vertically disposed and is mounted above and spaced from said label support platform; and said picker means comprises a vacuum member effective to engage the lowermost label in said magazine and transfer said label onto said platform.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 9 in which said picker means is a vacuum tube, said platform including an opening receiving said tube, and said apparatus further comprises: means for reciprocating said tube between a position in which said tube engages the label in said magazine and a position in which the uppermost portion of said tube is retracted within the opening in said platform.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10 in which said magazine includes a discharge opening and two parallel spaced rollers adjacent said discharge opening, said rollers supporting the ends of the lowermost label in said magazine.