US3044535A

US3044535A - Label dispenser

Info

Publication number: US3044535A
Application number: US14133A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfred P Krueger
Original assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: 3M Co
Priority date: 1960-03-10
Filing date: 1960-03-10
Publication date: 1962-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 1979-07-17
Also published as: GB910036A

Description

July 17, 1962 A. P. KRUEGER 3,044,535

LABEL DISPENSER Filed March 10, 1960 TNV EN TOR ATTORNEYS d ta s This invention relates to label dispensers and more particularly to dispensing labels supplied in strip form and mounted upon a backing strip to which the labels lightly adhere, the labels being provided with pressuresensitive material on the side adjacent the backing strip.

In dispensing labels of this character the backing strip is drawn from the dispenser and bent sharply over a projecting edge in order to strip the labels themselves from the backing strip, the labels tending to issue from the machine in the direction in which they are presented to the edge over which the backing strip is bent.

As illustrated, the backing strip is drawn from the machine by the user who grasps the end of the strip and draws it from the device around the stripping edge. When a label has been stripped from the material, the operator grasps it with his fingers and applies it to the article or package to be labeled. It will be understood, however, that the invention is applicable to a device wherein rollers or other feeding means may be provided to draw the backing strip with the labels adhering thereto from the machine.

In devices of this kind where the backing strip is bent or turned over a sharp edge, some inconvenience is usual- 1y encountered in threading the strip through the machine. It is contemplated by the present invention to provide means for guiding the backing strip over the edge around which it is bent, which means may be displaced or moved to an out-of-the-way position so that the strip may be readily threaded through the machine so as to occupy an operative position readily and conveniently, and thereafter this guiding means may be moved to the position which it occupies during operation of the device.

One object of the present invention is to provide'a new and improved label dispenser for dispensing labels mounted upon a backing strip.

A further object of the invention is to provide a label dispenser of the character described which shall be of very simple construction and wherein the backing strip together with the strip of labels thereon may be readily and conveniently threaded through the machine.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a I label dispenser of the character described having means for mounting a supply roll of labels mounted upon a backing strip and wherein the backing strip may be readily threaded through the machine when a new supply of labels has been placed therein, the machine itself being of simple and inexpensive character.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a label dispense embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a front plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device;

FIG. 4 is a partial top plan view of the front portion of the dispenser showing the guiding spring in the position occupied when the backing strip and labels are being threaded through the machine; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

To illustrate one embodiment of my invention I have shown in the drawings a label dispenser comprising a "the frame which consists of a base member 10 having a hollow casing upstanding therefrom to receive the supply of labels. This casing comprises front and rear walls 11 and 12 and side walls '13 and 14.

Upon the rear wall 12 of the device are provided a plurality of spaced ribs 15 and likewise upon the front wall are provided a similar number of spaced ribs 16. A plate-like partition 17 of sheet metal or similar material is mounted in the casing, the front and rear edges of which are disposed within the spaces between the ribs 15 and 16 so that this member may be adjusted laterally of the casing as required by the width of the labels on the supply roll. When it is desired to adjust the partition, it will be Withdrawn from the casing and again inserted in a different position. Ribs 18and 19 may project inwardly from'each of the side walls13 and 14 so as to locate the supply roll of labels in the proper position.

The plate '17 is provided with a projecting pin20 upon which may be suspended a supply roll of labels mounted upon a backing strip, the roll being designated at 21, the backing strip at 22, and the labels at 23, the latter adhering lightly to the upper surface of the backing strip.

As illustrated, the forward portion 25 of the casing projects upwardly from the remainder thereof, and adjacent its upper end a shaft or arbor Z6 is secured in the Walls 13 and. A roller 27 is rotatably mounted upon this shaft in a position so that its surface will be spaced slightly from the inner surface of the front wall 11, as shown in FIG. 5, and as will be apparent from FIGS. 1 and 5 the backing strip and labels pass below the roller 27 and between the latter and the adjacent surface of the front wall 11 of the casing, the'backing strip being turned downwardly with a sharp bend over the upper edge 30 of the wall 11 so that the labels willbe stripped therefrom.

In order to provide for the sharp bending of the backing strip over the edge 30 as the backing strip is drawn from the machine, it is desirable to provide guiding means forwardly of the front wall 11 of the casing so as to hold the strip in close juxtaposition to the outer surface of this wall. For this purpose a coil spring 31 is provided, and the ends of this spring are secured at 32 and 33 to the shaft or arbor 26 externally of the

Walls

13 and 14. The spring 31 is normally lightly stretched between the two points of securement and thus maintains the backing strip 22 close to the outer surface of the wall 11.

A shelf-like member 34 may be provided on the wall 11, as shown more particularly in FIGS. 1 and 5, so that the backing strip 22 will be held in a position spaced from this wall in order that it may be readily grasped by the fingers of the operator to be pulled from the supply roll 21.

In the use of the device, when it is desired to place a roll of labels in the machine the roll-supporting member or partition 17 is withdrawn from the casing and the supply roll placed upon the pin 20. To permit this to be done the upper front edge of the member 17 may be beveled or cut away, as shown at 35. The member 17 is then replaced in proper position in the casing and the end of the backing strip and strip of labels is passed below the roller 27 and between it and the front wall 11 of the casing. Prior to this the guide spring 31 has been moved from its full-line position shown in FIG. 5 to the dotted-line position shown in this figure (which is the fullline position of the spring shown in FIG. 4) which, as the spring may be easily stretched, may be readily done and the backing strip and label strip pulled upwardly above the edge 30 of the wall 11.

The spring 31 is now pulled over the edge 30 and replaced in its full-line position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.

This draws the free end of the supply strip downwardly,

3 bending it sharply over the edge 30, to a position forwardly of the wall 11.

If the backing strip 22 is'now drawn from the machine, the labels will be stripped therefrom and extend in an upward position, as shown at 23 in FIGS. 1 and 2, where they may be readily grasped for application to the package or other article to be labeled. If the label 23 is en- 4. A label-dispensing machine for dispensing labels tirely stripped from the backing strip, it may fall forwardly to the position shown at 213*- in FIG; 5 Whereit will rest upon the spring 30 and be prevented thereby from again adhering to the backing strip.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to b limited to all of the details shown, but i capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A label-dispensing machine for dispensing labels mounted on and adhering to a backing strip by the sharp bending of the backing strip, said machine comprising a frame, means thereon for supporting a'supply roll of labels adhering to a backing strip, a member having a projecting edge over which the strip may be bent to strip the labels therefrom, guide members on each side of said member adjacent the edge thereof to effect bending of the strip about said edge as it is drawn from the roll, one of said guide members being movably. supported from the frame, the last-mentioned member being movable to an out-of-the-w'ay position to facilitate threading of the strip through the machine.

-2. A label-dispensing machine for dispensing labels mounted on and adhering to a backing strip by the sharp bending of the backing strip, said machine comprising a frame, means thereon for supporting a supply roll of labels adhering to a backing strip, a member having a projecting edge over which the strip may be bent to strip the labels therefrom, guide members on each side of said member adjacent the edge thereof to effect bending of the strip about said edge as it is drawn from the'roll, the guide member on the side of said first-named member opposite the supply roll being swingably supported from the frame, the last-mentioned guide member being swingable over said projecting edge to facilitate threading of the strip through the machine.

and the guide member on theside of said first-named member opposite the supply roll comprising a coiled spring secured at its ends to said first-named member and being movable over the projecting, edge to an out-of-theway position to facilitate the threading of the strip through they machine.

comprising a frame, means thereon for supporting a supply roll of labels adhering to a backing strip, a member having a projecting edge over which the strip may be bent to strip the labels therefrom, a roller positioned adjacent said member and spaced inwardly from the edge thereof to hold the strip against said member, a coiled spring upon the other side of said member to hold the strip adjacent that side of the member and effect the bending of the strip about said edge as it is drawn from the roll, and said spring being swingably supported from the frame and movable over the edge of said member to a position adjacent said roller to facilitate threading the strip through the machine.

5. A label-dispensing machine as in claim 4 wherein said roller is rotatably mounted on a shaft secured in the frame and the ends of said spring are secured to said shaft. 7

6. A label dispenser for dispensing labels mounted on and adhering to a backing strip, said dispenser comprising a hollow casing open at the top and adapted to support therein a supply roll of labels mounted on the backing strip, said casing having a front Wall providing an upwardly projecting edge over which the backing strip may be bent, a guide roller rotatably mounted in the casing adjacent said Wall and at a position below said edge thereof to guide the backing strip in a path closely adjacent the inner face of said wall, a coiled spring mounted at the outer face of said wall to hold the backing strip closely thereto after it has been bent over said edge, and said spring being movable over said edge to a position adjacent said roller to facilitate threading the backing strip through the machine.

7. A label dispenser comprising a casing having front and rear Walls provided with laterally spaced vertical ribs on theirv inner surfaces, the frame having a forward label exit portion and having rearwardly extending spaced side walls providing therebetween a chamber for the receipt of a supply roll of labels, said ribs on the front wall being in opposing relation to the ribs on the rear wall, the ribs on the walls forming vertical spaces therebetween, the frame having means on the frontand rear ends underlying said spaces to provide an abutment and rest for a roll support extending between the front and rear walls, and an upwardly removable plate-like roll support selectively received in opposing ones of said spaces between the ribs to tend to center the roll with respect to said exit portion in accordance with the width of the labels, the roll support having laterally projecting means thereon to support the supply roll in close proximity to one planar face of the support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,473,376 Langenzen Nov. 6, 1923 2,747,807 Hummel May 29, 1956 j 2,912,140

Cole Nov. 10,1959