GB2029368A - Label Device and Method of Labelling - Google Patents

Abstract

A label device for a billiard cue has a first part which is intended to carry a self-adhesive printed label and is stuck onto the butt end of a cue, and a second part which is a window and is snapped into the first part after the printed label has been stuck in the first part. The second part completely protects the printed label. The label is located in a recess 11 bounded by walls having undercuts 16 which receive projections on the second part. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Label Device and Method of Labelling This invention relates to a label device and to a method of labelling.

In one particular field, namely, that of labelling billiards cues, the manufacturer of the billiards cue is presented with a complex problem when it comes to labelling. A manufacturer may have for example two hundred retailers from whom orders will be received whenever the retailers' stocks reach a certain level and the retailers have their own designs of labels which must be applied to the cues when the orders are received. Therefore, there will be two hundred different kinds of labels which the manufacturer has to stock, and also the manufacturer must ensure that he carries an adequate quantity of the label of each retailer so that each order can be despatched promptly to the ordering retailer.

One popular form of label is produced by etching the requisite data in a strip of stainless steel. The labels are punched out of the strip when required and are affixed to the butt end of the cue. The accuracy of the punching out operation is a crucial factor because the legible data on the label must be correctly (viz. centrally) positioned within the label periphery. Experience has shown that the punching outstage is one which gives rise to waste of a relatively expensive item.

The manufacturer makes the billiards cues (for example, to provide ten different models) and they are placed into stock. When an order is received, the various quantities of the various models of cues are taken out of stock and, together with the label strip relating to the ordering retailer, are given to the labelling department. There, each cue is cut away at the butt end to provide a flat surface upon which the punched out label will eventually be mounted in such a manner as to be contained within the original outline of the cue. The labels are usually mounted in the cut away position by means of an adhesive and, if the standard of workmanship is less than high, labels may be applied croskedly or off-centre.If a label lies crookedly on the flat surface, one or the other (or even both) of two diagonally opposed corners of the label may need to be trimmed of whereas, if the label lies straight but in an off-centre position, one edge of the label may need to be trimmed off. These trimming operations not only increase overheads costs but also slow down the overall production rate; moreover, the polished butt of the cue may be damaged by the tool which is used to trim off the projecting portion of the label.

The principal object is to avoid all, or at least some, of the drawbacks which have been discussed above.

According to a first aspect, the present invention consists in a method of labelling a billiards cue, which method comprises the following steps, namely, removing a portion of the butt of the cue in order to provide a flat surface which extends longitudinally of the cue; mounting a first part of a label device on said flat surface by means of an adhesive; applying a preprinted flexible label to a recessed flat surface of said first part of the label device; bringing a transparent second part of the label device into register with the recess in said first part which gives rise to said recessed flat surface; and securing said first and second parts of the label device to one another by a snap-fit connection which is brought into play by pressing the second part into the first part.

According to a second aspect, the present invention consists in a label device which comprises a first part and a second part; said first part being formed to provide a flat-bottomed recess bounded by continuous interconnected wall portions; said second part being made of a transparent material and being of a shape and size exactly complementary to those of the recess; two opposed ones of said wall portions of said first part being provided with undercuts and two opposed edges of said second part being provided with projections, whereby the second part is securable to the first part by firstly placing the second part in vertical register with the recess in the first part and secondly pressing the second part into the recess so as to cause the projections on said edges to snap into the undercuts in the wall portions.

Preferably, the label device, in plan configuration, is trapezoidal, thereby conforming to the tapered shaping of the butt end of a billiards cue.

In a generally preferred embodiment of said label device, the first part will be moulded from a plastics material (for example, nylon of the 6 type) and the second part will be moulded from acetal resin material which is transparent.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the constituent parts of a label device in accordance with the above-mentioned second aspect of the invention and which is for use in carrying out the method in accordance with the above-mentioned first aspect of the invention.

Figures 1 to 3 illustrate a first part of a label device according to the present invention, Figure 1 being a top plan view thereof and Figures 2 and 3 being cross-sections taken on the lines Il-Il and Ill-Ill, respectively, in Figure 1. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate an end elevation and a top plan view, respectively, of a second part of the label device.

It will be seen that the first part is generally trapezoidal in plan configuration and is recessed at 10 to provide a flat bottom 1 The recess is bounded by wall portions 12, 13, 14, 15 which are interconnected. Undercuts 1 6 are formed in the opposed wall portions 12, 14. The wall portions are surrounded by a continuous channel 1 7 of which the bottom is zoomed to provide a succession of spaced projections 18 which can be of circular or any other plan configuration. The projections 18 are not shown in Figure 1 solely in order to simpli Fy the drawing and can constitute a decorative feature.However, the channel 1 7 renders the wall portions 12 to 1 5 flexible to a certain degree and this is of some importance because said first part of the label device will preferably be moulded from nylon 6 and the flexibility of the opposite wall portions 12, 14 enables the moulded first part to be stripped off the relevant part of the mould without the moulding becoming damaged.

The second part, moulded from transparent acetal resin, is also trapezoidal, each of the nonparallel edges being provided with a projection 1 9 which is triangular in section as can be clearly seen in Figure 4. Of course, the corners of the second part will be slightly rounded, and the second part will be an exact fit within the recess 10.

The space 20 between the bottom of the undercut 1 6 and the flat surface 11 is for the accommodation of a preprinted self-adhesive paper label (not illustrated) which is placed in the recess 10, said paper label thereafter being covered by the second part which therefore acts as a protective window which could only be removed with the greatest difficulty. The second part is placed in alignment with the recess 10 and is pressed downwardly to cause the projections 19 to slide downwardly over the wall portions 12, 14 (and, as a consequence, flexing said wall portions outwardly) until they snap into the undercuts 1 6.

By the use of the present invention, a billiards cue manufacturer can make the complete cue and can then immediately cut away the butt end to provide the flat surface on which the label device will be mounted. Thereafter, for each cue, a first part will be affixed to the butt end by securing said first part to the flat surface by an adhesive.

The cues can then be placed in stock. When an order is received, the cue is removed from stock, the appropriate preprinted label is placed on the bottom 11 of the recess 10 and the window is pressed into the recess until the snapping-in noise is heard. To all intents and purposes, the window is then permanently secured in the first part.

The chamfered edges 21, 22 of the first part follow the curvature of the periphery of the butt end of the cue and this feature provides a better finished appearance.

One major advantage from the manufacturers' point of view is that it is now possible to place cues which are virtually completely finished into stock; all that then remains to be done before despatch to a customer can be done by completely unskilled labour and can be done very quickly. In fact, the labelling job can now be done so quickly that labelling is only carried out immediately before the cue is due to be packed and despatched; until now, labelling was always completed in advance of the date for despatch and, as a result, diversion of part of an existing order from one customer to another in a case of urgency always necessitated removal of applied labels and application of different labels. This was a job which often gave rise to damage.

Another major advantage is that the actual labels can be very cheap and the ground of the label can be printed to resemble wood. Wastage of labels is no longer of importance and, if the label stock has mistakenly been allowed to fall to zero, a further supply of them can be arranged in much less time (a matter of hours) than was required by the makers of metal labels (a matter of weeks).

Claims (6)

Claims

1. A method of labelling a billiards cue, which method comprises the following steps, namely, removing a portion of the butt of the cue in order to provide a flat surface which extends longitudinally of the cue; mounting a first part of a label device on said flat surface by means of an adhesive; applying a preprinted flexible label to a recessed flat surface of said first part of the label device; bringing a transparent second part of the label device into register with the recess in said first part which gives rise to said recessed flat surface; and securing said first and second parts of the label device to one another by a snap-fit connection which is brought into play by pressing the second part into the first part.

2. A label device which comprises a first part and a second part; said first part being formed to provide a flat-bottomed recess bounded by continuous interconnected wall portions; said second part being made of a transparent material and being of a shape and size exactly complementary to those of the recess; two opposed ones of said wall portions of said first part being provided with undercuts and two opposed edges of said second part being provided with projections, whereby the second part is securable to the first part by firstly placing the second part in vertical register with the recess in the first part and secondiy pressing the second part into the recess so as to cause the projections on said edges to snap into the undercuts in the wail portions.

3. A label device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the label device, in plan configuration, is trapezoidal.

4. A label device as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the first part is moulded from a plastics material (for example, nylon or the 6 type) and the second part is moulded from acetal resin material which is transparent.

5. A method of labelling a billiards cue substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A label device constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.