EP0853005B1 - Method of producing forms and form obtained by this method - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of manufacturing labels with a basic information field, and a number of fields of fixed or variable data on peel-off labels involves preparing and printing a web of paper or similar material on one side with the basic information field (1), together with the variable elements for the label sheet (12a,13a) and for the separate labels (12b-12f,13b-13f), with a lateral gap between them for spacing on the web to give the sheets and labels. The other side of the web is covered by a layer of silicone (8) and at least one layer of adhesive (10) in place at the labels to be held at the web. One strip of the web is turned over to place the printed labels at the layers of silicone and adhesive. Also claimed is a label with a base sheet (2) to carry at least one variable description (12a,13a) and a cladding (9) over at least part of the sheet surface. At least one label (11a-11e) is held by a layer of silicone and adhesive, defined by cutting through the cladding, with further variable data labels (2b-2f,13b-13f) identical to the variable descriptions at the base sheet. The sheet and the cladding are from the same paper web.

Description

The present invention relates to the manufacture of forms consisting of a sheet and at least part peelable forming a self-adhesive label.

Frequently, we need to be able to identify objects for example by number, barcode or the like and to transfer this information to other documents allowing for example to perform tasks of management of objects like their shopping, their introduction into accounting, their assignment to a packing slip etc. Typically, the reporting of such information was handmade on the documents relating to the object, operation which was often subject to copy errors.

For some time now, we have been creating forms best suited with a basic sheet, to which is possibly associated with at least one other returned sheet detachable and on which several labels are provided easily peelable stickers. These labels bear each the same identifying information as a number in clear and / or barcode, information found also shown on the basic sheet. In these conditions, the basic sheet can be associated with the object and the labels serve as an element of identification of the object which can then be pasted on other documents used for example to manage the object in terms of storage and accounting.

Another application of such forms is use in a medical analysis laboratory, each sample from a patient identified by a form, to be broken down into multiple samples to examine that we can then identify precisely by associating with each sample a label from the same form.

Such a form may thus include various information, such as numbers, indications of company names, addresses, information identifying the objects on which they are glued etc. We can qualify this information or "mentions" of "fixed" and "variables". We call "mention fixes "information which in a given series of forms does not change from one form to another, while that a "variable statement" is different for each form in the same series.

These statements must be printed on both basic form sheet only on labels self-adhesive, and possibly also on others sheets, if it is a bundle form comprising several detachable complementary sheets.

According to an example of a common method of making these forms, we take a first strip of a silicone support material on which a glue and a second strip of paper. This complex of two bands with glue is then printed on the front and the back with fixed and / or variable mentions. If variable information should be printed on both the front and back side, two passes are required for printing separate printing. Then, to get self-adhesive labels, cut them out in the strip of paper. We can then define the forms relative to each other by perforation lines extending transversely to the bands superimposed and condition the product obtained by screen or on reel. When in use, the labels may thus be easily separated from the silicone support.

During the printing operation, it is important naturally that the variable mentions on the front coincide lengthwise with the same variable information printed on the back so that after the impression, we find on an area corresponding to a given form, the same variable information on all front and back elements of the form.

However, it turns out that the concordance of the mentions variables on the front and back of the wound complex or screen, requires constant verification during the second print pass. This verification work can only be done at a reasonable cost if the auditor only checks the start and end of the complex, the verification operation being extremely expensive, if the verifier has to check each complex form. However, mismatches of variable mentions can also occur between the beginning and end of it.

The invention aims to remedy the drawbacks mentioned in the prior art and to avoid any need to correct coincidence faults variable information on the different front and back elements back of forms.

• a) on prépare une nappe allongée d'un matériau en papier ou analogue,
• b) on imprime sur l'une des faces de cette nappe et dans chaque zone correspondant à un formulaire à la fois au moins la mention variable destinée audit feuillet de ce formulaire et au moins la mention variable destinée à ladite étiquette de ce formulaire, les deux mentions variables étant espacées dans le sens transversal de ladite nappe en matérialisant sur celle-ci deux bandes longitudinales affectées respectivement aux feuillets des formulaires et aux étiquettes de ceux-ci,
• c) on dépose sur la face de ladite nappe opposée à celle portant lesdites mentions variables au moins une couche de silicone et au moins une couche d'adhésif, à l'endroit où ladite étiquette doit être solidaire de ladite nappe,
• d) et on retourne l'une desdites bandes sur l'autre bande de manière à superposer la bande affectée auxdites étiquettes et lesdites couches en silicone et d'adhésif, les opérations a), b) et c) pouvant être réalisées dans un ordre quelconque.

The subject of the invention is therefore a method for manufacturing forms of the type comprising a basic sheet to which at least one peelable label is attached, by means of a layer of silicone and a layer of superposed adhesive, said layer sheet and said label being each provided with at least one so-called variable variable different from one form to another, this process being characterized in that

• a) an elongated sheet of paper or similar material is prepared,
• b) one prints on one of the faces of this sheet and in each zone corresponding to a form both at least the variable mention intended for said sheet of this form and at least the variable mention intended for said label of this form, the two variable indications being spaced in the transverse direction of said sheet by materializing thereon two longitudinal bands respectively assigned to the sheets of the forms and to the labels thereof,
• c) at least one layer of silicone and at least one layer of adhesive are deposited on the face of said sheet opposite to that carrying said variable indications, at the place where said label must be secured to said sheet,
• d) and one of said strips is turned over on the other strip so as to superimpose the strip assigned to said labels and said layers of silicone and of adhesive, operations a), b) and c) being able to be carried out in an order any.

Thanks to these features, the fact that printing variable mentions is made on the same sheet of paper and when flipping one of the strips longitudinal on the other longitudinal strip, these can be kept perfectly in register in the sense length, each form will always have identical variable information on the two bands. He ... not there may therefore be a lack of coincidence of these statements.

The invention also relates to a form obtained by the process as we have just defined it.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un formulaire réalisé à l'aide du procédé selon l'invention;
• la figure 2 est également une vue en perspective du formulaire selon l'invention, certains de ses éléments en étant détachés partiellement, tandis que d'autres sont visibles par un arrachement;
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe partielle d'un formulaire selon l'invention;
• la figure 4 illustre par une vue très schématique en perspective certaines opérations exécutées pendant la mise en oeuvre du procédé de fabrication selon l'invention;
• la figure 5 est une vue très schématique en élévation d'une installation pour la mise en oeuvre du procédé selon l'invention; et
• la figure 6 est une vue très schématique illustrant une variante de mise en oeuvre du procédé selon l'invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the description which follows, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a form produced using the method according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is also a perspective view of the form according to the invention, some of its elements being partially detached, while others are visible by a cutaway;
• Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of a form according to the invention;
• FIG. 4 illustrates by a very schematic perspective view certain operations carried out during the implementation of the manufacturing method according to the invention;
• Figure 5 is a very schematic elevational view of an installation for implementing the method according to the invention; and
• Figure 6 is a very schematic view illustrating an alternative implementation of the method according to the invention.

We will first describe Figures 1 to 3, which show as an example only a form that can be carried out using the manufacturing process according to the invention. It is designated by the general reference 1.

Form 1 first includes a base 2 which can be made from any material in tablecloth, like a mechanical paper of an appropriate grammage, a kraft paper or possibly a film plastic. On this basic sheet 2 can be reported additional sheets 3 and 4 mounted so detachable on base sheet 2 for example by their lateral edges, the sheet 4 constituting in this example the top of the form. Such additional sheets can also be provided under the other side of the form.

Margins 5a and 5b can receive perforations drive type 6 Carol, well known in this technique for transporting a series of forms attached to each other by lines of dashed 7 and separable along these lines of dotted.

The face of each turned sheet will be called front upwards in Figure 1 and reverse side opposite.

The back of base sheet 2 is divided in two zones 2a and 2b. The two zones 2a and 2b can carry printed indications formed by fixed indications and variables within the meaning of these terms explained above.

In zone 2a of the basic sheet, the back of it has a layer of silicone 8. In the example described, this area occupies a little less than a quarter of the total area of sheet 2. Note, however, that the dimension of the zone 2b compared to that of the whole form is not critical and is only imposed by necessity use of the form and by the fixed particulars and variables it should carry.

The silicone zone 2b is covered at least partially of a flap 9 bearing on its face facing sheet 2 a layer of adhesive 10 by means of which Part 9 adheres to base sheet 2. The area of this adhesive layer 10 is slightly higher than that of the silicone layer 8, this being furthermore divided into several regions 11a to 11e corresponding to cuts perimeter which in this example has a general shape rectangular. These regions each delimit a label peelable. By way of example only, there are of five. Of course, the arrangement of the layer of silicone, the adhesive layer as well as the cutouts can be reversed.

All slips of the form, including part 9, may bear a plurality of preprinted fixed terms in clear (not illustrated in the drawings) such as form fields, identification details, texts relating to the use of the form, a company name etc.

The form can also present various variable information differing from one form to another. A such mention can be first of all a serial number in clear (N ° 9 in the figures), possibly and preferably with a machine-readable coded identification, such as for example a barcode.

These variable mentions are worn several times on the form and with regard to the serial number and code, necessarily identical for the same form. In the example shown, we find these variable mentions at least on the basic sheet 2 in 12a (serial number in clear) and 13a (barcode) and on labels 11a to 11e respectively in 12b to 12f and in 13b to 13f.

In addition, the form includes references marked 14a to 14e which are in fact fixed mentions, since they are identical from one form to another, but differ in the same form. In the example shown, these fixed mentions representing n ° 1 to 5, are numbers order in the label form itself to distinguish them from each other.

Specialists in this technique will understand that in the context of the invention, a form may include numerous mentions, whether fixed or variables, depending on the requirements of the form. The invention is therefore in no way limited, nor by nature of these mentions, neither by their content, nor by their graphics, nor by other properties that they can possibly to exhibit.

It is important to note that form 1 according to the invention comprises a basic sheet 2 and a flap 9 which are made from the same characteristic material essential of the invention which will appear more clearly below on reading the description of the manufacturing according to the invention.

We will now describe an implementation mode preferred of this manufacturing process by referring more particularly in Figures 4 and 5.

A sheet 15 of material, such as paper, kraft or eventually plastic wrap is submitted while first to a printing process during which all the fixed and variable information on sheet 2 and part 9 are made with a single print pass on the same face of the tablecloth. This then has a corresponding width a little more than the sum of the width of sheet 2 and the part 9 of a form. This process can be implemented works using any known printing process, a rotary printing being preferred.

During this operation, each zone of the sheet 15 later corresponding to a form will include so side by side in the width direction the mentions of the front of sheet 2 and back side of flap 9.

While the tablecloth is printing, it can be wound on a reel 16 (figure 5) that we can transport or temporarily store pending further processing.

The coil 16 is placed in the installation for the implementation of the method of the invention where the sheet 15 preprinted will be rolled out. Downstream of the location of the coil 16, the web will receive on its face opposite to the face printed, first a layer of silicone (17, figure 4) which is brought to it by a nozzle 18 placed across the sheet 15 and having an outlet whose width corresponds to the width of labels 11a to 11e. It should be noted that according to a variant, the silicone layer 17 can be affixed before printing, during printing or as shown after printing.

Downstream of the nozzle 18 is placed a nozzle 19 by which a layer of adhesive 20 is deposited on the face of the sheet 15 on which we just deposited the layer of silicone 17. This nozzle 19 is also placed crosswise of the tablecloth, but its exit is offset transversely by relative to the outlet of the nozzle 18.

Then, the sheet passes through a folding station 21 equipped of three rollers 21a, 21b and 21c, for example, allowing fold the tablecloth lengthwise so that the layer adhesive 20 cover the silicone layer 17 thus forming a lateral fold 22 in the ply 15 (see also in FIG. 1, the dashed line part of the form 1).

To obtain satisfactory lengthwise folding of the tablecloth 15, it is important that it is properly stretched from coil 16. The installation includes for this purpose in paper calling device symbolized in 23 on the figure 5 and allowing to maintain the necessary tension in the tablecloth on the upstream side.

Downstream of the paper call station 23, the web is possibly with Carol 6 perforations on these two margins in a punching station symbolized at 24. For this which is from the margin where fold 22 is, this perforation is placed on the inside of a line of section 25 (see Figure 1) according to which the fold 22 will be removed of the tablecloth 15. The cutting can be carried out in a station 26 placed downstream of the perforation station 24.

Still further downstream, the process then consists in make a cut "half-fleshed" to delimit the regions 11a to 11e corresponding to the form labels 1. During this operation, the cutting knife will incise only the thickness of the flap 9 to the corresponding face of the sheet 15 (which in FIGS. 4 and 5 is the face top of the ply 15 folded lengthwise). The work of "half-flesh" cutting is carried out in a station 27. According to a variant in which the form contains only one single label, the incision operation is superfluous.

Then, in a post 28, additional sheets, such as sheets 3 and 4 shown in Figures 1 to 3 can be assembled to the tablecloth 15. This is then provided with transverse perforation lines extending between forms (the position is not shown on the figures), which can be detached from each other to be shipped in a pile or remain attached for be sent on a reel or in the form of a folding screen.

After the above detailed description, we understand that the variable mentions discussed above and which were printed in perfect coincidence longitudinal on the still unfolded tablecloth, will keep this longitudinal coincidence during all operations subsequent, firstly because the sheet 15 is of a single holding, then after separation of fold 22, because the two bands then distinct from the tablecloth will adhere one to the other. A shift of variable mentions in the direction of the length of the tablecloth is thus impossible, each form being thus always provided with its mentions correct variables.

Figure 6 shows an alternative implementation of the process of the invention which has the advantage of being able assembling the strip of the tablecloth intended to form the labels laterally anywhere on the other tablecloth strip.

FIG. 6 represents a sheet 15A preprinted on the face not visible in the figure, with fixed indications and variables as for tablecloth 15 in Figures 4 and 5. This tablecloth first undergoes a length cutting operation in a cutting station 30 through which an incision longitudinal 31 is made in the web 15A. We thus form a strip 15A-a intended to form the base sheets 2 forms 1 and a strip 15A-b which will form them flaps 9.

Upstream of the incision post 30, a layer of silicone 32 of a width corresponding to that of the labels is deposited on the part of the sheet subsequently forming the band 15A-a.

This passes through a flow control station 33, known per se after which a layer of adhesive 34 is deposited on the strip superimposed on the silicone layer 32.

The other strip 15A-b of the sheet 15A is brought into a turning station 35 in which this strip undergoes a flipping, the printed information being initially on the top face in FIG. 6, is finding at the exit of this post 35 on the top, the strip being positioned laterally so that it covers the adhesive layer 34 deposited on the strip 15A-a.

Station 15A-a allows you to compensate with precision, by somewhat delaying the 15A-a band relative to the band 15A-b, the delay that the latter takes in passing in the turning station 35.

Claims (13)

1. Process for manufacturing forms (1) of the type comprising a base sheet (2) to which is fastened at least one peelable label (11a to 11e), by means of a silicone layer (8) and of an adhesive layer (10), the said layers being superposed, the said sheet (2) and the said label (11a to 11e) being each provided with at least one so-called variable message (12a and 12b to 12f; 13a and 13b to 13f) which differs from one form to another, this process being characterized in that

   a) an elongate web (15, 15A) of paper or similar material is prepared;

   b) printed on one side of this web and in each region corresponding to a form (1) are both at least the variable message (12a, 13a) intended for the said sheet of this form and at least the variable message (12b to 12f and 13b to 13f) intended for the said label (11a to 11e) of this form, the two variable messages, being spaced apart in the transverse direction of the said web, two longitudinal strips (15a, 15b; 15A-a, 15A-b), assigned respectively to the sheets of the forms and to the labels of the latter, being materialized on the said web;

   c) at least one silicone layer (8; 32) and at least one adhesive layer (10; 34) are deposited on the side of the said web opposite that bearing the said variable messages at the place where the said label has to be fastened to the said web;

   d) and one of the said strips (15a, 15b; 15A-a, 15A-b) is turned over the other of the said strips so as to superpose the said strip assigned to the said labels and the said silicone and adhesive layers (8, 10; 32, 34), it being possible to carry out operations a), b) and c) in any order.
2. Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said superposition operation consists in folding one of the said longitudinal strips (15a, 15b) over the other of the said longitudinal strips along a longitudinal folding line (22).
3. Process according to Claim 2, characterized in that it furthermore consists in separating the folded edge (22) from the said web after the said folding operation.
4. Process according to Claim 2, characterized in that it consists in tensioning the said web (15) during the folding operation.
5. Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that it consists in making an incision (31) in the said web (15A) in order to form the said longitudinal strips (15A-a, 15A-b), in turning one of the said strips over the other of the said strips and in subsequently bringing them together by their facing sides.
6. Process according to Claim 5, characterized in that while the said strips (15A-a, 15A-b) are being brought together, one of them is positioned away from the edges of the other strip.
7. Process according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it also consists in attaching at least one additional web to the said web in order to provide each form with at least one additional sheet (3, 4).
8. Form manufactured by the process as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a base sheet (2) which includes at least one variable message (12a, 13a) specific to this form and a flap (9) superposed on this base sheet over at least part of its surface and attached to this base sheet by means of a silicone layer (8) and of an adhesive layer (10), the said layers being superposed, at least one label (11a to 11e) being delimited by cutting into the said flap and bearing a variable message (12b to 12f, 13b to 13f) which is identical to the variable message (12a, 13a) on the said base sheet (2), the material from which the said sheet is made and that from which the said flap (9) is made both coming from one and the same web of paper.
9. Form according to Claim 8, characterized in that several labels (11a to 11e) are delimited in the said flap (9) and in that each of the said labels bears a serial number (14a to 14e).
10. Form according to any one of Claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the said variable messages comprise an uncoded number (12a to 12f).
11. Form according to any one of Claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the said variable messages comprise bar codes (13a to 13f).
12. Form according to any one of Claims 7 to 11, characterized in that it also comprises fixed messages on the said sheet and/or the said flap (9).
13. Form according to any one of Claims 7 to 12, characterized in that it also comprises at least one additional sheet (3, 4) attached to the said base sheet on that side of the latter which is opposite the said flap.

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