US3692222A

US3692222A - Multiple label dispenser

Info

Publication number: US3692222A
Application number: US161783A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred H Pargeon
Original assignee: Globe Ticket Co
Current assignee: GLOBE DATA SYSTEMS Inc
Priority date: 1971-07-12
Filing date: 1971-07-12
Publication date: 1972-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-19

Abstract

In a label dispenser in which a key selection can be made of any one of a plurality of label rolls, at least one of the keys is adjustable in width whereby various combinations of roll widths can be accommodated.

Description

United States Patent Pargeon [451 Sept. 19, 1972 MULTIPLE LABEL DISPENSER [56] References Cited [72] Inventor: Fred H. Pargeon, Wayne, Pa. UNITED STATES PATENTS [731 Assignee 9' Ticket Cmlmy, Philadel- 2,641,470 6/1953 Friedl ..226/110 3,276,706 10/1966 House ..226/110 x [22] Filed: July 12, 1971 Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles 21 A l. N l6 1 pp 0 L783 Attorney-Smith, Harding, Earley & Follmer 52] US. Cl ..226/110, 226/179 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. ..B65h 17/22 58 Field 61 Search ..226/110, 176, 177,180,186, label dispenser in which a key Selection can be 226/179 made of any one of a plurality of label rolls, at least one of the keys is adjustable in width whereby various combinations of roll widths can be accommodated.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures.

PATENTEDSEP IB 3.692.222

sum 2 or 2 L...Q..T' J 84 5 1:

INVENTOR. FRED H. PARGEON ATTORNEYS MMWn MULTIPLE LABEL DISPENSER BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to label dispensers, and particularly to the type of dispenser comprising a continuously rotating drive roller, a plurality of elongated label-bearing carrier strips, and a plurality of finger-actuated keys selectively movable to press the carrier strips against the drive roller thereby effecting advancements of the carrier strips. A typical dispenser of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,933, issued on Nov. 3, 1970 to Clayton G. Severance.

Briefly, the label dispenser in the Severance patent comprises a plurality of glassine rolls carrying gummed labels. An electric motor rotates a main roller which advances a glassine strip upon selective pressure contact by a key-operated roller. A sharp angular turn in the track of the glassine strip detaches the labels carried thereby.

These multiple label dispensers are useful for dispensing pricing stamps for grocery stores and the like, and also have other applications, particularly industrial applications. In manufacturing, for example, the dispenser may be used to dispense model number labels for parts. Where several different models are being produced, each label roll in the dispenser might carry labels for one of the several kinds of parts.

'The dispenser constructed in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,933 is limited in the widths of the carrier rolls which it can accommodate and is accordingly limited in the sizes of the labels which it is capable of dispensing. I

The principal object of this invention is to provide a label dispenser unit that will handle carrier strips of various widths, thereby permitting a single dispenser unit to be loaded with labels of whatever width the user desires or with various combinations of label widths.

A further object of the invention is to maintain control of the carrier strip to maintain it in a straight condition.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention which will be apparent from the following description, are accomplished in accordance with the invention, by providing, for at least one of the carrier strips in the dispensing unit, a pair of rollers which are simultaneously operable by A key associated with that strip, and which are adjustable with respect to their axial spacing so that they can be positioned respectively to engage the strip at or near its edges. In this way, the carrier strip is fed by the drive roller and the two key operated rollers at its edges. This manner of feeding the carrier strip prevents its movement out of alignment with the key-operated rollers.

Preferably, the key-operated rollers of a pair are rotatably mounted on the respective parts of a two-part key, the parts of the key being adjustable with respect to each other substantially in the direction of the axis of rotation of the drive roller. Thus, within certain limits, the keys need take up no more space than necessitated by the width of the carrier strip. Therefore, a dispenser unit is capable of accommodating a maximum number of carrier rolls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing unit in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on the plane 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an adjustable key in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the adjustable key of FIG. 3 as viewed from the bottom of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on the plane 5-5 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIGS. 1 and 2 show a dispenser unit 10 comprising a chassis 12 having vertical sidewalls l4 and 16.

On a shaft 18 mounted, between the sidewalls, there are rotatably mounted a plurality of carrier rolls indicated at 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28. Each of these rolls is preferably an elongated glassine carrier strip carrying gummed labels uniformly spaced one from another.

Labels

30 and 32 are shown on the carrier strip 34 of roll 20.

As Show most clearly in FIG. 2, carrier strip 34 extends from roll 20, passes underneath rod 36, and over the upper edge 38 of a sloping member 40, which extends between the vertical sidewalls. From edge 38, strip 34 extends downwardly and then to the front of the machine over a rubber-covered drive roller 42 which also extends between the sidewalls and which is driven by motor 44 (FIG. 1) in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2.

Strip 34 is advanced by roller 42 when it is pressed against roller 42 by key-operated rollers which will be described subsequently with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 2 shows a key 46 mounted frictionally by means of grommet 48 on an elongated bar 50 which extends between the sidewalls of the unit substantially in parallel relation to the axis of roller 42.

Adjacent pairs of carrier rolls are separated from each other by barriers, an example of which is barrier 52 (FIG. 2). Barrier 52 is mounted on rod 36 and on a similar rod 54 extending between the sidewalls. Other similar barriers hold the other rolls in place and prevent the adjacent carrier strips from contacting each other.

Key 46 is shown in much greater detail in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. It is made up of two

elements

66 and 68, both of which are frictionally mounted on bar 50 by means of horse-shoe shaped grommets mounted in cut-outs in the

vertical sidewalls

70 and 72 of element 66 and in vertical sidewalls 74 and 76 of element 68. One such grommet is indicated at 78 in FIGS. 3 and 5. Because of the frictional mounting of these key elements on bar 50 they may be fixedly positioned in any chosen one of a plurality of spacings with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of drive roller 42. In the preferred embodiment shown, the spacing is continuously adjustable. However, it will be apparent that other mounting means may be provided which allows for a limited number of possible spacings.

While the grommets impede translation of the key elements along bar 50, they readily allow rotation of the key elements about bar 50. The

vertical sidewalls

70 and 72 of element 66 are provided with

bearings

80 and 82 for mounting a first roller 84 rotatably. Element 68 is similarly provided with

bearings

86 and 88 for mounting a second, shorter, roller 90 rotatably. The axes of these rollers are parallel to each other when the elements are mounted on bar 50 and they are parallel to the axis of rotation of drive roller 42.

As best shown in FIG. 4, key element 68 of key 46 is provided with a horizontally extending manually actuable tab 92 which overlaps part of the'upwardly facing surface of key element 66. Tab 92 is adapted to be pushed downwardly by the operators finger, and its operation effects a downward movement of both

rollers

84 and 90 toward drive roller 42.

Key element 66 is provided with an opening 94 in its upwardly facing surface and with an opening 96 in its sidewall 72, the latter opening 96 being connected to opening 94 to provide a space for the downward passage of the carrier strip through the key to the keyoperated roller. Element 68 is similarly provided with

openings

98 and 100 which are in register with

openings

94 and 96 to provide space for downward passage of the carrier strip through the key.

Element 66 can be used by itself when narrower carrier strips are used, in which case a gate 102 pivoted at 104 in sidewall 72 is positioned across opening 96 with slot 106 in its end engaging pin 108 in sidewall 72. This gate then provides guidance for the strip.

When the two-element key is usedfor wider carrier strips, the gate is opened and rests on pin 1 extending from sidewall 72.

FIG. 1 illustrates how various different sizes of carrier strips can be accommodated by a dispensing unit in accordance with the invention.

Assume, for example, that roll consists of a strip 1% inches wide, roll 22 consists of a strip 1% inches wide, roll 24 consists of a strip one inch wide, and rolls 26 and 28 both consist of rolls which are one-half inch in width.

The strip 34 from roll 20 passes downwardly through the openings in two-element key 46 comprising

elements

66 and 68. The strip 116 from roll 22 passes downwardly through a two-element key comprising elements 118 and l20.'The strip from roll 24 likewise passes downwardly through a two-element

key comprising elements

121 and 122. The remaining strips pass down respectively through

single elements

124 and 126 each corresponding to element 66 (FIG 3), and each having its gate closed.

Any one of the strips can be advanced by applying downward pressure to the appropriate key to issue labels therefrom. If it is desired to issue a different combination of sizes of labels from the unit, the carrier rolls can be replaced by others of different sizes, the barriers positioned to prevent lateral translation of the rolls and strips, and the keys being either two-element or singleelement keys, depending on strip size. Where two-element keys are used, the spacing between the elements thereof is preferably adjusted so that the rollers engage the edges of the strip when the elements are depressed. Assuming the unit shown in FIG. 1 to have 6 inches of available space for carrier strips (the space between the sidewalls l4 and 16 has to be slightly wider to accommodate the barriers), the barriers and keys could be rearranged, for example, to accommodate three 2 inch strips, four 1% inch strips, six 1 inch strips, or various combinations of strips, the widths of which add up to approximately 6 inches. Of course, the number of narrow strips is limited by the number of single-element keys which the machine will accommodate.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention greatly increases the flexibility of a multiple label dispensing unit over what was available in the prior art, by allowing within certain limits, a larger number of label-carrying strips to be accommodated when narrower strips are used.

I claim:

1. A dispensing device comprising:

means for mounting a plurality of elongated strips;

a drive roller for effecting advancement of said strips;

means for rotating said drive roller;

at least two manually operable keys;

roller means associated with each of said keys and operable by actuation of the key to press one of said strips against said drive roller to effect advancement of said one of said strips;

the roller means associated with at least one of said keys comprising first and second rollers, and means for fixedly mounting said rollers in any chosen one of a plurality of spacings with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said drive roller; and

means connecting said one of said keys to both of said first and second rollers whereby actuation of said key moves both of the rollers of said pair toward said drive roller.

2. A dispensing device in accordance with claim 1 in which the axial spacing of said rollers is continuously adjustable.

3. A dispensing device in accordance with claim 1 in which said means for mounting said rollers includes first bearing means for rotatably mounting said first roller and second bearing means for rotatably mounting said second roller, an elongated bar arranged substantially in parallel with the axis of rotation of said drive roller, and means for frictionally fastening said first and second bearing means at any chosen locations along said bar and thereby providing for continuous adjustment of the said spacing between said rollers.

4. A dispensing device comprising:

means for mounting a plurality of elongated strips;

a drive roller for effecting advancement of said strips;

means for rotating said drive roller;

at least two manually operable keys;

at least one of said keys comprising first and second elements, the roller means associated with said one of said keys comprising a pair of rollers each mounted on one of said elements;

means for fixedly mounting said elements in any chosen one of a plurality of spacings with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said drive roller, whereby the axial spacing of said roller means associated with said elements can be selected from a plurality of possible spacings; and

means interconnecting the two elements of said one of said keys whereby manual actuation of one of said elements moves both of the rollers of said pair toward said drive roller.

5. A dispensing device in accordance with claim 4 in which said interconnecting means comprises a manually actuable tab fastened to one of said elements and extending over the top of the other of said elements.

6. A dispensing device in accordance with claim 4 in which the spacing between said first and second elements is continuously adjustable.

7. A dispensing device in accordance with claim 4 in ments, and in which the spacing between said first and second elements is continuously adjustable.

Claims

1. A dispensing device comprising: means for mounting a plurality of elongated strips; a drive roller for effecting advancement of said strips; means for rotating said drive roller; at least two manually operable keys; roller means associated with each of said keys and operable by actuation of the key to press one of said strips against said drive roller to effect advancement of said one of said strips; the roller means associated with at least one of said keys comprising first and second rollers, and means for fixedly mounting said rollers in any chosen one of a plurality of spacings with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said drive roller; and means connecting said one of said keys to both of said first and second rollers whereby actuation of said key moves both of the rollers of said pair toward said drive roller.

4. A dispensing device comprising: means for mounting a plurality of elongated strips; a drive roller for effecting advancement of said strips; means for rotating said drive roller; at least two manually operable keys; roller means associated with each of said keys and operable by actuation of the key to press one of said strips against said drive roller to effect advancement of said one of said strips; at least one of said keys comprising first and second elements, the roller means associated with said one of said keys comprising a pair of rollers each mounted on one of said elements; means for fixedly mounting said elements in any chosen one of a plurality of spacings with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said drive roller, whereby the axial spacing of said roller means associated with said elements can be selected from a plurality of possible spacings; and means interconnecting the two elements of said one of said keys whereby manual actuation of one of said elements moves both of the rollers of said pair toward said drive roller.

7. A dispensing device in accordance with claim 4 in which said interconnecting means comprises a manually actuable tab fastened to one of said elements and extending over the top of the other of said elements, and in which the spacing between said first and second elements is continuously adjustable.