LINERLESS LABELS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

ETIQUETTES SANS DOUBLURE ET METHODE DE FABRICATION DE CES DERNIERES

English Abstract

There are disclosed linerless label webs and a method of making
linerless labels. A linerless label web has a face side and an underside.
The web has lateral perforations with cut edges and with through
openings at at least some of the perforations. There is a coating of
pressure sensitive adhesive on the underside of the web. A release
coating on the face side of the web preferably coats the entire face side
including fibers at the cut edges. The web is slit lengthwise into
narrow label webs which are wound into rolls.

French Abstract

L'invention porte sur des bandes continues d'étiquettes sans doublure et concerne une méthode de fabrication d'étiquettes sans doublure. Une bande continue d'étiquettes sans doublure comporte une face avant, un revers, des perforations latérales avec des bords coupés et des ouvertures à l'endroit d'au moins quelques perforations. Le revers de la bande est enduit d'un adhésif autocollant et la face avant, d'un revêtement anti-collant. De préférence, ce revêtement recouvre toute la face, y compris les fibres des bords coupés. La bande est coupée dans le sens de la longueur en étroites bandes d'étiquettes qui sont enroulées sous forme de rouleaux.

Claims

1. Method of making a roll of linerless labels, comprising the
steps of: providing a longitudinally extending web of label material
having a face side and an underside, perforating the web along
longitudinally spaced laterally extending lines across the web, wherein
the perforating step results in exposed cut edges and in through-openings
at at least some of the perforations, thereafter coating the face side of
the web including the exposed cut edges with a release coating,
thereafter coating the underside of the web with pressure sensitive
adhesive, thereafter winding the web into a roll having convolutions, and
wherein the adhesive on the underside of one convolution adheres
releasably to the release coating on the underlying convolution.
2. A roll of linerless labels, comprising: a longitudinally
extending web of label material having a face side and an underside,
longitudinally spaced laterally extending lines of perforations across the
web, wherein the perforations provide cut edges and through-openings at
at least some of the lines of perforations, a coating of pressure sensitive
adhesive on the underside of the web, a release coating on the face side
of the web and coating the cut edges, the web having been wound into a
roll having convolutions, and wherein the coating on the cut edges
enhances the release of one convolution from the underlying convolution
when the roll is being unwound.

Description

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I,INERLESS LABELS AND METE~OD OF MAKTNG SAME
Back~round of the Invention
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to linerless labels, and to methods of making
linerless labels.
Brief Description of the Prior Art
In a prior art method of making linerless labels a longitudinally
e~tending label web was perforated at longitudinally spaced transverse
lines to provide lines of perforations. The underside of the label web
was printed with registration marks. The underside was thereafter
coated with pressure sensitive adhesive. Thereafter, a release coating
such as silicone was applied to the face side of the label web. During the
manufacturing process especially when the label web was under tension,
the holes formed by the perforations would open up and the adhesive
would migrate from the underside through the holes and would adhere to

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the cut edges at the perforations. Following silicone coating, the label
web was slit into narrow label webs which were then wound into rolls.
When the label web was subsequently unwound from the roll, the
adhesive that migrated into the holes caused the web to unwind
unevenly, in a jerky manner, which affected print quality when the web
was printed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a feature of the invention to provide an improved linerless
label web and an improved method of making a linerless label web.
In accordance with a specific embodiment of a linerless label web
of the invention, there is provided a longitudinally extending web of
label material having a face side and an underside. There are
longitudinally spaced laterally or transversely extending lines of
perforations across the web, and the perforations have cut edges and
through-openings at at least some of the perforations. There is a coating
of pressure sensitive adhesive on the underside of the web. A release
coating on the face side of the web preferably coats the entire face side
including the fibers at the cut edges. After slitting the web into narrow
webs, the narrow webs are wound into rolls. As the web is subsequently
being used from the roll, typically in a printer, the convolutions of the
web are paid out from the roll. The adhesive on the underside of one
convolution adheres releasably to the release coating on the underlying
convolution. Because the cut edges of the web were coated with the
release coating and the adhesive was applied to the web after the
perforations were made, release of the web from the roll is enhanced.
Brief Description of the Drawin~s
FIGURE l is a side elevational view of a linerless label web in roll
form in accordance with the invention;

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FIGUR:E 2 is a diagrammatic side elevational view illustrating a
method according to the invention;
FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the label web along line 3--3 of
FIGURE 2;
FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the portion of the web shown in
F IGURE 3;
FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along 5--5 of FIGURE 2; and
FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken generally along line 6--6 of
I1 IGURE 2.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
With reference to the drawings, there is shown a roll R of a wound-
up web W of linerless labels L. As shown, the web W has wraps or
convolutions 9, one upon the other. The web W extends longitudinally
as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 for example and has a face side 10 and an
underside 11. There are longitudinally spaced laterally extending lines
of weakening caused by perforations 12 across the web. The
perforations 12 are preferably made by spaced knife cuts 13 separated by
uncut portions or lands 14. Thus, a label L can be manually torn from
the remainder of the web W. There is a coating of pressure sensitive
adhesive 15 on the underside 11 of the web W. The adhesive 15 is
preferably in a uniform coating, however, the coating l l can
alternatively be of the patterned type. There is a release coating C,
typically a silicone coating, on the face side 10 of the web W. There are
registration marks 16 printed directly on the underside of the web W.
The marks 16 are disposed between the web W and the adhesive 15. The
adhesive 15 is preferably transparent or at least translucent.
With reference to FIGURE 2, there is shown diagrammatically a
method by which the linerless web roll R of the invention is made. A
wide web W' of label material is fed between a printing roll 17 and a

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back-up roll 18. The printing roll 17 prints the registration marks 16 on
the underside 11 of the web W' in a longitudinal and transverse pattern.
From there, the web W' passes between a perforating roll 19 and a back-
up roll 20. The roll 19 makes the transverse lines of weakening,
specifically perforations, across the web W'. From there the web W'
passes between a release coating roll 21 and a back-up roll 22. The
release coating roll 21 applies the release coating C to the face side 10
of the web W'. From there, the web W' passes between an adhesive
coating roll 23 and a back-up roll 24. The adhesive 15 is thus applied to
the underside 11 of the web W', however, if desired the adhesive 15 can
be applied over the release coating C. From there, the web W' is slit
into narrow label webs W as the web W' passes between a slitting roll 25
and a back-up roll 26. From there the narrow webs W are wound into the
rolls R.
It is seen in FIGURE 5 that the perforating roll 19 makes spaced
apart cuts 13 in the web W'. In a typical production environment, the
depths and widths of the cuts can vary substantially. When the
perforations are being cut, as by the perforating roll 19, some of the cuts
13 may be completely through the web W to provide openings 10'. Other
cuts 13 may terminate short of the underside 11 and provide to a heavy
score, and even in this event the cuts 13 may open up to provide
openings 10' later in the production process due to web tension. In all
such cases, there are exposed uncoated fibers at the cut edges. In the
present invention, the release coating C covers the cut edges 27 and 28.
Adhesive "cold flow" can occur when the web W has been wound into
roll R. Such cold flow causes the adhesive 15 to flow into the cuts 13
including openings 10'. Because the cut edges 27 and 28 have been
coated with the release coating, the adhesive 15 on the underside of one
convolution of the web W releases more easily and smoothly from the

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cut edges of the underlying convolutions during unwinding of the roll R.
This is conducive to the web W unwinding smoothly from the roll R
during any subsequent processing and/or printing. A typical printer for
printing on the face side 10 of the web W is disclosed in U.S. patent
5,486,259, assigned to Monarch Marking Systems, Inc. By applying the
release coating C before the adhesive 15 is applied as depicted in
FIGURE 2, the adhesive 15 can only releasably adhere to the coated cut
edges 27 and 28.
Other embodiments and modifications of the invention will suggest
themselves to those skilled in the art, and all such of these as come
within the spirit of this invention are included within its scope as best
defined by the appended claims.

Representative Drawing