Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BA~KGROUND AND SVMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hand
labelling apparatus which in a working cycle imprints
and dispenses pressure-sensitive labels adhering to a
carrier tape, comprising a feed means which under the
control of an operating lever pivotal between a rest
position and a working position draws the carrier tape
stepwise about a peel edge at which in each wor~ing
cycle a pressure-sensitive label on feeding in a forward
direction detaches from the carrier tape and moves into
a dispensing position, and a printlng mech~nism which
in each working cycle at a printing zone remote from
the peel edge oppositely to the forward direction produces
an imprint on a pressure-sensitive label.
In an apparatus of this type known from DE-PS
2,345,249 the imprinting of the pressure-sensitive labels
takes place in a printing zone which is tWG label lengths
away from t~e peel edge in a directicn opposite to the
forward direction of the carrier tape. This means that
the pressure~sensitive label which is brought in an
operating cycle into the dispensing position in which
it can be applied to an article has already been imprinted
in the previous operating cy.cle. Thus, after the appli-
cation of the label to an article, before the start of
the next operating cycle a label provided with an imprint
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is already present in the apparatus. If the imprint to be
applied is changed this label must be removed from the
apparatus so that only labels provided with the changed imprint
are applied to articles. Since the imprints on the labels are
usually sales prices the presence of a label with an old price
imprint is highly undesirable because articles can be marked
with the wrong price if the operator forgets to remove the
already imprinted label from the apparatus after a price change.
The objective of the present invention is to provide
an apparatus of the type outlined at the beginning which is
such that even with a relatively large distance between the
peel edge and the printing zone after completion of an operating
cycle there is no already imprinted but undispensed pressure-
sensitive label in the apparatus.
The invention provides a hand labelling apparatus for
printing and dispensing labels from a label strip including a
carrier tape and said labels adhered to said tape, said
apparatus comprising: a label strip supply roll; a peel edge
disposed downstream of said supply roll; a tape feed mechanism
disposed downstream of said peel edge and engaging said carrier
tape to stepwise feed the label strip in a forwara direc-tion to
said peel edge at which point the carrier tape is deflected
around the peel edge and the labels are substantially separated
from the carrier tape; a printing mechanism disposed upstream
of the peel edge having changeable type and movable from a non-
printing position to a printing zone for printing predetermined
information on successive labelsl the distance between the
printing zone and peel edge exceeding the length of each of
said labels so that one of said labels will be disposed between
the peel edge and the printing zone after each stepwise feeding
of- the label strip to said peel edge by the tape feeding
mechanism; return means for feeding the label strip in a return
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direction opposite to said forward direction; an operating
lever pivotable between a rest position ana a working position;
means for connecting said operating lever to said return means
and said tape feed and printing mechanisms so that (a) during
movement of the operating lever from the rest position to the
working position, said return means feeds said one label in
said return direction to said print zone, (b~ said one label is
then prin~ed by said printing mechanism, and (c) during movement
of the operating lever from its working position to its rest
posi-tion, the printed label is fed in the forward direction by
the tape feed means to the peel edge where it is substantially
separated from the carrier tape; return stop means for disabling
the return means for a predetermined portion o~ the movement oE
the operating lever between i-ts rest and working positions so
that the label strip movement in the forward direction in
response to movement of said operating lever from the working
position to the rest position exceeds that in the return direc
tion by an amount equal to the length of one label whereby in
response to the movement of the operating lever to its rest
position the last printed label is moved past said peel edge
and no printed labels remain in said labelling apparatus even
though the distance between said peel edge and the printing
zone exceeds the length of each label.
In the apparatus according to the invention
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the carrier tape with the pressure-sensitive labels
adhered thereto is moved in each operating cycle in
a so called pilgrim step movement which means that
the label disposed at the peel edge is first brou~ht
back to the printing zone, whereupon after the printing
operation it is again transported in the forward direction
to the peel edge and beyond into the dispensing position.
This means that in each operating cycle only one pressure-
sensitive label is imprinted which is then also the label
which is brought in the same operating cycle into the
dispensing position and can be,attached to an article.
If the imprint to be produced on the label is changed,
because of the construction of the hand labelling appara-
tus according to the invention the next label dispensed
already bears the new imprint. The removal of labels
already provided with the old imprint in previous oper-
ating cycles is thus not necessary and consequently there
is no danger of applying incorrectly imprinted labels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF_DRAWING_
Fig. 1 is a side view of the apparatus according to the
invention,
Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the drive members
essential to the transport of the carrier tape.in
the basic position,
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i Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. ~ but the drive members
are in the position immediately prior to start
of the synchronous carrier tape movement in the
return direction,
Fig. 4 is a section through the feed roll along the line
3-3 of Fig. 2,
Fig. 5 is a partially sectioned view of the feed roll
viewed as indicated by the arrows A and B in a
position of the feed roll as in Fig. 2 and
Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 4 but with the feed roll
assuming the position of Fig. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Fig. 1 illustrates a hand labelling apparatus 1
with the aid of which pressure-sensitive labels adhering
to a carrier tape can be imprinted and dispensed for
application to an article. The apparatus 1 comprises an
operating lever 2 which is pivotally mounted about a shaft 4
fixedly connected to the apparatus housing 3 between the
rest position illustrated in Fig. 1 and a working position
in which said lever is squeezed against the grip 5 fixed
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with respect to the housing.
A well 6 disposed at the housing upper side serves to
accommodate a carrier tape supply roll 7. From the supply roll
7 the carrier tape with its pressure-sensitive labels adhering
thereto passes to a peel edge which is at the bottom left in
the illustration of Figure 1 and at which in each operating
cycle, i.e. on pivoting the operating lever 2 from the rest
position to the working position and then back into the rest
position, a pressure-sensitive label detaches from the carrier
tape and moves into a dispensing position in which it can be
applied to an article. In Figure 1 a pressure-sensitive label
8 is illustrated in the dispensing position.
In Figure 2 the parts of the labelling apparatus 1
required for transport of the carrier tape 17 are shown
diagrammatically. Also illustrated diagramma-tically is the
operating lever 2 which is pivotal about the axis 4 and which
comprises a toothed segment 9 with the aid of which its pivot
movement can be utilised for the drive of the actual transport
members. The toothed segment 9 is in engagement with a pinion
10 which is non-rotatably mounted on a shaft 11. Also non-
rotatably connected to said shaft 11 is a toothed wheel 12 and
thus pinion 10, shaft 11 and toothed wheel 12 rotate as a
whole. Wheel 12 meshes with a toothed segment 14 rigidly con-
nected to the type wheel 13 of a rotary printing mechanism.
The type wheel 13 and the toothed segment 14 are pivotally
mounted about a shaft 14a.
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The type wheel 13 comprises a print segment
15 in which the print types axe disposed which are to
produce an imprint in a printing zone on a pressure-
sensitive label 8 on the carrier tape 17. The print
types may be numbers, letters, or, if a bar code is
to be printed, bar-like types of different width. The
type wheel 13 is composed of a plurality of discs
provided at their peripheral surface with print types.
By rotation of the individual discs about the axis 14a
the individual print types can be moved to the print
segment and consequently.at said print segment print
types of adjacent discs can be assembled in any des.ired
manner.
The carrier tape 17 with the pressure-sensitive
labels 8 adhering thereto is led from the supply roll 7
via a spring metal plate 18, which holds the carrier
tape 17 tight, to a roller 19 which presses said tape
under the action of a spring 20 against the peripheral
surace of the type wheel 13. In the region of the type
wheel periphery which adjoins the print segment 15 in
the anticlockwise direction a guard plate 21 is arranged
so -that the roller 19 does not press the carrier tape
17 with the pressure-sensitive labels 8 directly against
the type wheel peripheral surface but against the guard
plate 21 disposed at said region of said peripheral
surface~
The carrier tape 17 is led further between a
pressure roller 22 engaging the type wheel 13 via a tooth
connection and the type wheel 13 and then passes to a
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peel edge 23. When the carrier tape 17 is drawn about
the peel edge 23 in the forward direction inaicated by
the arrow 24 the pressure-sensitive labels 8 detach from
the carrier tape so that they move into the peel position.
A pressure-sensitive label 8 disposed in the peel position
is illustrated in Fig. 2 in dashed line.
I The carrier tape 17 then runs further to a
feed roll 25 about which it is led with a relatively large
wrap angle. The feed roll 25 is provided with~rojections
26 which engage in slit-like recesses in the carrier tape
17. The sli~ in the carrier tape 17 are arranged at a
distance apart which corresponds to the len~th of a pressure-
sènsitive label 8~ The projections 26 on the feed roll 25
are arranged exactly with the spacing of the slits in
the carrier tape 17 so that in the course of the individual
operating cycles of the apparatus the carrier tape 17
assumes an exactly defined position when the projections
26 are in engagement with the slits in the carrier tape 17.
To hold the carrier tape 17 reliably in engage-
ment with the peripheral surface of the feed roll 25 ~
springs 27 are provided which are led over rollers 28, 29,
30 and 31 and engage round the feed roll 25 as well as
the carrier tape 17. The carrier tape is thereby led
between the peripheral surface of the feed roll 25 and
the worm springs 27.
Associated with the feed roll 25 is a return
stop 32 which is fixedly connected to the apparatus housing
3 and which assumes the position illustrated in Figs. 2
and 3. The return stop 32 includes a return detent
mem~er 33 which consists of a spring-loaded ball. Said
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spring-loaded detent member 33 cooperates with detent
teeth 3~ which are disposed on an inwardly directed
peripheral surface of the feed roll 25. As is apparent,
the return stop 32 permits a rotation o the feed roll
~lockwise but because of the detent teeth 34 opposes
a rotation in the anticlockwise clirectior.. The feed roll 25
can only be rotated in the anticlockwise direction when the
spring force exerted on the return detent member 33 has
been overcome. The return detent member 33 then practically
jumps over the detent tooth 34 so that the feed roll 25
can further rotate freely until the next ~etent tooth 34
comes into engagement with the return detent member 33.
A drive wheel 36 is rotatably mounted on the
shaft 35 on which the feed roll 25 is ro~atably mounted
and is illustrated in Fig. 4. Remembering that in Figs.
2 and 3 the feed roll 25 is viewed in the direction of
the arrow 37 indicated in Fig. 4, then the drive wheel
36 in the illustrations of Figs. 2 and 3 is at the back
of the feed roll 25.
The drive wheel 36 can be rotated via the
tooth wheel 12 and the toothed segment 9 by pivoting the
operating lever 2. The connection between the drive
wheel 36 and the feed roll 25 is formed by a directional
ratchet mechanism which includes forward pawls 38 rigidly
connected to the drive wheel 36 and cooperating with
forward detent teeth 39 on the feed roll 25. This ratchet
mechanism permits the feed roll 25 when the drive wheel
36 is held stationary to rotate clockwise in the view of
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Figs. 2 and 3, preventing a rotation in the anticlockwise
direction. It should be noted that these rotational
directions are reversed in the views of Figs. 5 and 6
because in these Figures the feed roll is observed from
the back with respect to Figs. 2 and 3. Thus, in Figs.
5 and 6 the ratchet mechanism permits a relative rotation
of the feed roll 25 with respect to the drive wheel 36
in the couterclockwise direction but prevents a rotation
in the clockwise direction.
It is apparent from Figs. 5 and 6 that not only
the forward pawls 38 are rigidly connected to the drive
wheel but also a return pawl 40 which cooperates with
drive teeth 41 on an inner peripheral surface of the feed
roll 25. As apparent from Fig. 6 the feed roll 25 is
driven by means of the return pawl 40 in the clockwise
direction when in the course of the rotation of the driue
wheel 36 the return pawl 40 comes against a return drive
tooth 41.
According to Fig. 4 the feed roll 25 is ~lounted
between two walls 42 and 43 which are fixedly connected
to the apparatus housing 3. In the wall 42 an opening
44 is formed whose periphery is described by a circle round
the axis 35 of the feed roll 25 with the exception of
a limited peripheral region. As can be seen from Figs.
5 and 6 the periphery of the opening 44 differs in its
lower peripheral region from the circular form and forms
a control face 45 whose spacing from the axis 35 is less
than at the remaining regions of the opening periphery.
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The function of this control face ~5 is appaxent on
consideration of Fig. 4 in conju~ction with Figs. 5 and 6.
According to Fig. 4 the return pawl 40 projects
in the lateral direction from the right end face of the
feed roll 25. When the drive wheel 36 assumes the position
illustrated in Fig. 5 the portion of the return pawl 40
projecting at the end face of the feed roll 25 bears on
the ccntrol face 45 so that the return pawl ~0 cannot
come into engagement with a return drive tooth 41 on the
feed roll 25. Only when the drive wheel 36 and the
return pawl 40 rigidly connected thereto have rotated
to such an extent that the return pawl 40 is no longer
supported by the control face 45 can the return pawl 40
act on a drive tooth ~1 on the feed roll 2$. Such a
position of the drive wheel 36 is illustrated in Fig. 6.
On further rotation of the drive wheel 36 the return pawl
40, by acting on the return drive tooth 41, drives the
feed roll 25 in the clockwise direction in the illustration
of Fig. 6.
After this description of the drive components
necessary for the carrier belt movement, their respective
positions and their individual effects, the operations
will now be described which take place in the course of
an operating cycle, i.e. on pivoting of the operating
lever out of the rest position into the working position
and back again into the rest position.
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~ t the start of an operating cycle the drive
members assume the basic positions illustrated in Fig. 2.
The basic positions of the forward pawls 38 and the
return pawl 40 are shown in Fig. 5. As soon as the
operating lever 2 is squeezed against the grip S the
toothed segment 9 moves anticlockwise about the axis 4
so that the pinion 10, which is in en~agement with the
toothed segment 9, rotates in the clockwise direction
in the view of Fig. 2. In the same manner the toothed wheel
12 fixed in rotation with the shaft 11 of the pinion
rotates in the clockwise direction so that the type wheel
13 is thereby also rotated anticlockwise by means o the
toothed segment l4 ri~idly connected thereto.
The toothed wheel 12 also rotatec the drive
wheel 36 in the illustration of Fig. 2 anticlockwise
(clockwise in the illustration of Fig. 5) and as a result
the forward pawls 38 ln the illustration of Fig. 5 begin
to move away in the clockwise direction from the forward
detent teeth 39. Since due to the action between the
roller 19 and the guard plate 21 disposed at the type
wheel periphery the carrier tape is frictionally entrained
in the return direction, i.e. in the direction towards
the carrier tape supply roll 7, this tensile force also
moves the feed roll 25 anticlockwise in Fig. 2. This
means in practice that the feed roll 25 follows the
rotation of the drive wheel 36. The relative position
of the forward pawls 38 and of the drive wheel 36 with
respect to the feed roll 25 is thus not changed. The
feed roll 25 can however follow the movement of the drive
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wheel 36 only until the return detent member 33 comes
into engagement with the next detent tooth 34. In the
example of embodiment illusbated the rearwardly directed
movement of the carrier tape 17 ~ontinues until the leading
- considered n the return direction - edge 46 of the
pressure-sensitive label 8 adjoining the peel edge 23 has
been pulled back to the printing zone 16. With the
respective dimensions indicated in Fig. 2 the rearwardly
directed travel in this initial phase is about hal the
label length.
The type wheel 13 also rotates via a toothed
connection the pressure roller 22 which ~omprises a
peripheral portion 47 of larger radius and a peripheral
portion 48 of smaller radius. The larger radius is so
dimensioned that it is exactly equal to the distance of
the axis 49 of rotation of the pressure roller 22 from
the periphery of the type wheel. The shaft 49 of the
pressure roller 22 is biased in the direction towards the
type wheel by a spring which is not illustratPd when the
peripheral portion 47 is in engagement with the type wheel
periphery. The spring is however ineffective when the
peripheral portion ~8 with smaller radius is opposite the
type wheel 13 so that in this case the carrier tape 17
can move freely between the pressure roller 2~ and the
type wheel periphery. Fig. 2 shows that the carrier tape,
immediately after the start of the rotàtion of the type
wheel 13 anticlockwise and thus after the start of the
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rotation of the pressure roller 22 clockwise, can be
freely drawn between the pressure roller 22 and the
type wheel 13.
When the return detent member 33 has come into
engagement with the detent tooth 34 a further rotation
of the feed roll 25 is prevented. The entraining force
produced by friction between the roller 19, the carrier
tape 17 and the guard plate 21 at the type wheel 13,
which acts as pulling force on the carrier tap~ 17 in
the direction towards the carrier tape supply roll 7, is
not large enough to move the feed roll 25 past the detent
tooth 34, overcoming the detent force exerted by the
return detent member 33. Thus, on continued rotation
of the type wheel 13 a slipping occurs between the guard
~. ~1
plate ~ and the carrier tape 17 with the pressure-
sensitive labels 8 disposed thereon so that the carrier
tape is not pulled back any further.
In this operating phase, in which the carrler
tape is stationary due to the feed roll 25 held fixed
by the return detent member 32, the type wheel 13 and thus
a~o the pressure roller 22 driven thereby move further
into the positions illustrated in Fig. 3. The print
segment 15 reaches a position adjoining the priting zone
16 and the pressure roller 22 also starts to press the
carrier tape against the type wheel because its peripheral
~ortion 47 now comes into engagement with the type wheel.
In this operating phase the drive wheel 36 also moves
further so that the return pawl 40 moves into the position
illustrated in Fig. 6 relative~y to the stationary feed
roll 25. Fig. 6 shows the return pawl 40 in the position
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in which it just comes into engagement with the return
drive tooth 41. If the drive wheel 36 is now further
rotated (anticlockwise in Fig. 3 and clockwise in Fig. 6
by the toothed wheel 12 due to the further movement of
the operating lever 2 the feed roll 25 is further rotated
by the return pawl 40 due to the action thereof on the
return drive tooth 41, overcoming the detent force exerted
by the return detent member 33 on the detent tooth 34,
and as a result the carrier tape 17 can now again move
as in the initial phase .~n the return direction. At the
same time, the carrier tape 17 with the pressure-sensitive
label 8 disposed thereon is pressed by the per:ipheral
portion 47 of th e pressure roller 22 against the type
wheel 13 so that in the printing zone 16 the types present
in the printing segment 15 roll on the pressure-sensitive
label 8 to produce an imprint. ~ince the pressure roIer
22 i5 driven via a tooth connection by the type wheel 13
the movement of the carrier tape now taking place is in
the return direction exactly synchronously with the
movement of the type wheel l3 and of the pressure roller 22
because the carrier tape 17 is entrained during the rolllng
of the peripheral surfaces. From the start of the re-
newed transport of the carrier tape 17 in the return
direction onwards the carrier tape is further moved in
the return direction until the entire printing segment 15
has rolled over the pressure-sensitive label 8 in the
printing zone 16. The operating lever 2 has then reached
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its working position in which it is completely squeezed
against the grip 5. In the example of embodiment illu-
strated the carrier tape 17 has thus moved a total of
about one and a half label lengths in the return direction.
When the operating le~er 2 is now released and
again returns under the action of a spring between said
lever and the grip 5 into its rest position illustrated
in Fig. 1, the directions of rotation of all the drive
members described are reversed. To be exact, this means
that the toothed segment 9 now rotates clockwise about
the axis 4 which results in a rotation of the pinion 10
I and the toothed wheel 12 anticlockwise. Accordingly,
the type wheel 13 also moves clockwise and thus drives
the pressure roller 22 anticlockwise. The drive wheel
36 rotates in the illustration of Figs. 2 and 3 clockwise
and consequently due to the engagement of the forward
pawls 38 on the forward detent teeth 39 entraines the
feed roll 25. The return stop 32 presents no obstacle
to such a rotation of the feed roll 25 because the return
detent member 33 can readily overrun the detent teeth 34
in the case of this direction of rotation of the feed
roll 25.
At the start of the rotation of the type wheel
13 clockwise the printing segment 15 again rolls over the
pressure-sensitive label 8 since the latter again moves
between the type wheel 13 and the pressure roller 22.
The transmission ratios between the toothed
segment 9I the pinion 10, the toothed wheel 12 and the
drive wheel 36 are so chosen that during the return of
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the operating lever 2 from the working position to
the rest position the carrier tape 17 is moved in the
forward direction indicated by the arrow 24 through a
distance which is equal to the distance of the peel
edge 23 from the printing ~one 16 plus one label length.
Because of this dimensioning the label 8 which was
directly behind the peel edge 23 before the start of
the operating cycle assumes after completion of said
cycle the dispensing position defined by the label 8
indicated in dashed line in which it is detached from
the carrier tape 17 and can be applied to an article.
The differing travel in the return direction
and in the forward direction is achieved in that the
return ~eans slips in defined manner with respect to the
carrier tape so that not all the pivot movement of the
operating lever 2 from the rest pOSitiOIl to the working
position is converted into a travel of the carrier tape
in the return direction. The opposite direction of
movement of the operating lever 2 from the working position
to the rest position is however compl~tely converted to
a travel of the carrier tape in the forward direction.
To ensure that the difference between the travel in the
return direction and the travel in the forward direction
corresponds exactly to one label length, after the feed
roll 25 becomes stationary the drive wheel 36 is further
rotated relatively thereto until engagement of the return
pawl 40 on the return drive tooth 41 through an angle
which corresponds on the periphery of the feed roll 25
to an arc having the length of a pressure-sensitive label.
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The pressuxe-sensitive label 8 disposed directly
at the peel edge 23 in the basic position of the hand
labelling apparatus 1 illustrated in Fig. 2 is not
imprinted because, as apparent from the above outline
of the operating cycle, it is imprinted only in the course
of the rearwardly directed travel in an operating cycle
when it moves into the printing zone 16. The imprint
produced on the pressure-sensitive label 8 can thus
readily be changed without any danger of a label provided
with an unchanged imprint being applied to an article which
shoùld bear a label with the new imprint. It is thus not
possible with the apparatus described to dispense a
label bearing an imprint not corresponding to the print
types set at the printing segment of the type wheel.
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