WO2015140570A1

WO2015140570A1 - Labelling machine and method

Info

Publication number: WO2015140570A1
Application number: PCT/GB2015/050827
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Palmer; Samuel GRAINGER
Original assignee: Plf (Uk) Limited T/A Premier Labellers
Priority date: 2014-03-21
Filing date: 2015-03-20
Publication date: 2015-09-24
Also published as: GB201405120D0; GB2525495A; GB201504743D0; GB2525495B; EP3119682A1

Abstract

A labelling machine (10) for applying an elongate self-adhesive label (16) to a pack (14) so as to overlie the top, at least one side and optionally part of the underside of the pack (14), comprises a product feed conveyor (13) for the packs through a labelling station (15) and a label conveyor (26) for advancing a succession of labels to the labelling station, with a narrow edge of each label leading. The label conveyor extends at substantially 90° to the product feed conveyor and labels are transferred from the label conveyor to the top of a conveyed pack with at least one end portion of the label extending beyond the adjacent pack edge. The projecting end portion is urged on to the side face of the pack and optionally is wrapped on to the underside of the pack. A controller controls the advancement of the labels in an indexed relationship to the advancement of the packs and the transfer of the labels such that each label is applied to a respective pack thereof at a pre-set location along the length of a pack.

Description

LABELLING MACHINE AND METHOD

This invention relates to a labelling machine for applying an elongate self-adhesive label to a pack to overlie the top, at least one side and optionally at least part of the underside of the pack. When the self-adhesive label is applied to the top and is wrapped round the sides and on to the underside of the pack, it is usually referred to as a C-wrap label. The invention further relates to methods of applying elongate self-adhesive labels to a pack, primarily to achieve a C-wrap label on the pack but the methods can be modified to apply a self-adhesive label which is adhered to the top, at least one side and optionally part of the underside of the pack.

Though the labelling machine and methods of this invention may be used in many different industries, there is a particular demand for C-wrap labels in the food industry, where products are packed in trays or similar containers and are protected by a film or foil covering the products before being labelled with appropriate information, the label extending over the film or foil top, around the sides of the tray and then at least partially on the underside of the tray. For some products, the information carried by the labels is static for a succession of trays carrying those products, but for other products the information may be variable and specific to a particular pack.

For example, it is possible to cut food products such as cheese relatively accurately, so that each pack of a succession thereof carries essentially the same weight of cheese; such packs may be labelled to show the same weight for each pack and consequently also the same cost. Other products may require individual labelling, where the weight, and so the cost, cannot accurately be predicted - for example in the case of chicken pieces or other meat products. In this case, each pack must be weighed and then the appropriate weight and cost printed on a label specifically for a particular pack before that label is applied to that pack.

When the information to be printed is variable, there must be an indexed relationship between the feeding of the printed labels to a labelling station with the advancement of the packs through the labelling station. EP1 1 18542 describes a method for furnishing packs with C-wrap labels printed with variable information but, having regard to the length of the labels required to be wrapped in this format around a pack, the labels are fed to a product packaging station with a long edge of each label leading in the direction of advancement of the labels and also of the packs. This requires a backing web for the labels that is at least as wide as the long edges of the labels and in turn, this leads to significant handling difficulties for a rolled web of the labels. Moreover, the labelling machine becomes more complex and has to have a relatively great dimension in the direction transverse to the direction of advancement of the backing web, requiring relatively long guide and feed rollers. Any slippage of the web on the rollers can lead to a label being misapplied to a pack, or even to jams in the feed mechanisms.

In an attempt to address the known issues concerning labelling machines such as that described in EP1 1 18542, one aspect of this invention provides a labelling machine for applying an elongate self-adhesive label to a pack so as to overlie the top, at least one side and optionally part of the underside of the pack, the labelling machine comprising:

- a product feed conveyor for advancing a succession of packs through a labelling station;

- a label conveyor arranged to advance a succession of labels to the labelling station with a narrow edge of each label leading in the direction of advancement of the label conveyor and the wide opposed edges of each label lying substantially parallel to the direction of advancement, the label conveyor extending at substantially 90° to the product feedconveyor;

- a transfer assembly at the labelling station arranged to transfer a conveyed label on to the top of a conveyed pack with at least one end portion of the label adjacent the opposed narrow edges thereof extending beyond the adjacent pack edge;

- folding means arranged to urge said end portion on to the side face of the pack and optionally to wrap said end portion on to the underside of the pack; and

- control means to control the advancement of the succession of labels in an indexed relationship to the advancement of the succession of packs and the operation of the transfer assembly such that each label of the succession thereof is applied to a respective pack of the succession thereof at a pre-set location along the length of a pack and with at least one end portion of the label projecting beyond the adjacent side of the respective pack.

According to a second but closely related aspect of this invention there is provided a method of applying an elongate self-adhesive label to a pack so as to overlie the top, at least one side and optionally part of the underside of the pack, comprising the steps of:

- advancing a succession of packs through a labelling station;

- advancing a succession of labels to the labelling station with a narrow edge of each label leading in the direction of advancement thereof and the wide opposed edges of each label lying substantially parallel to the direction of advancement, the direction of advancement extending at substantially 90° to the direction of advancement of the packs;

- transferring at the labelling station a conveyed label on to the top of a conveyed pack such that at least one end portion of the label adjacent a narrow edge thereof extends beyond the pack edge;

- urging said end portion on to a side face of the pack and optionally wrapping said end portion on to the underside of the pack; and

- controlling the advancement of the succession of labels to be in an indexed relationship to the advancement of the succession of packs and controlling the transfer of each label of the succession thereof to a respective pack of the succession thereof at a pre-set location along the length of a pack and with an end portion of each label projecting beyond the side of the respective pack.

It will be appreciated that with the labelling machine and labelling method both of this invention, the labels are fed to the labelling station with the narrow edge of the labels leading. This allows the backing web supporting the labels to be no wider than the width of the labels, or perhaps only slightly wider. In order to allow the labels fed in this way to be applied to packs in a C-wrap or similar format, the labels are advanced at the labelling station in a direction which is at substantially 90° to the direction of advancement d the packs to be labelled. This facilitates handling of a roll of the web of labels, both off the labelling machine and also by the machine as the drive and guide mechanisms for the web can be smaller, simpler and so more reliable.

Most preferably, the labels are applied to a pack so that substantially equal length end portions of the label project beyond the sides of the pack, and each end portion is sufficiently long to extend down the side of the pack and to be wrapped on to the underside of the pack. It would however be possible for the method to be performed using a label of a suitable length and appropriately positioned on the pack so that only one end portion is wrapped on to the underside of the pack, or even so that only one end portion is wrapped on the side of the pack.

Preferably, the product feed conveyor comprises a belt conveyor arranged to support and convey the packs one at a time in a succession through the labelling station. Such packs are preferably generally rectangular and are advanced with the narrow edge of each pack leading such that a label applied to the pack will extend across the pack at substantially 90° to the length of the pack, to allow the label also to extend down the sides of the pack and at least partially on the underside of the pack.

A backing web supporting the labels may be driven around a stripping beak so as to free each label in turn from the backing web, the labels being transferred in turn to a label conveyor with the non-adhesive face bearing on the conveyor. Conveniently, the label conveyor comprises a vacuum conveyor arranged to hold the succession of labels thereto, with the non-adhesive sides of the labels facing the conveyor, and the adhesive side exposed, ready for application to a pack.

Preferably, the label conveyor is mounted on a sub-frame arranged for movement towards and away from the product feed conveyor with the plane of the labels carried by the label conveyor lying substantially parallel to the plane of the product feed conveyor. The sub-frame may have raised and lowered positions, and when in the lowered position a label advanced by the label conveyor is applied to and pressed down on to the top of a pack at the labelling station, to adhere thereto. The folding means may comprise a pair of blades arranged one to each side of the product feed conveyor and disposed to press (or wipe-down) the label end portions on to the two opposed sides of a pack upon the advancement thereof through the labelling station. Each blade may be in the form of a plough blade arranged progressively to fold down the projecting label end portion on to the side of a pack as the pack advances through the labelling station. Another possibility for use with relatively weak packs is for the folding means to comprise a pneumatic cylinder carrying a pressure plate which is moved so as reliably and consistently to fold down the end portions.

The labelling machine may include a product out-feed conveyor aligned with the product feed conveyor and on to which the products are transferred on passing through the labelling station. In this case, a gap may be provided between the feed and out-feed conveyors, that gap being smaller than the length of a pack, and a top-hold belt being arranged above the product feed and out-feed conveyors to bear on the top surface of a pack being advanced over the gap. The top-hold belt thus assists the driving of a pack through the labelling station, as well as assisting the transfer of the packs from the feed conveyor to the out-feed conveyor. Means may be provided to wrap on to the underside of the pack the end portions of the label projecting beyond the lower edges of the pack. Such means may comprise at least one folding member positioned in the gap between the product feed conveyor and the product out- feed conveyor, below the upper surfaces thereof, for folding the projecting label end portions on to the underside of a pack carrying an applied label.

Advantageously, the labels may be printed in-line with such variable information as may be required for the packs advanced by the feed conveyor to the labelling station. Thus, there may be provided a printer for printing variable information such as the weight of a pack and the corresponding cost on to each label of the succession thereof, related to the succession of packs advanced by the product feed conveyor.

The control means should be arranged to index or synchronise operation of the printer and the advancement of the succession of labels as well as the advancement of the succession of packs by the product feed conveyor thereby to ensure the label carrying the printed variable information for a specific pack is attached to that pack.

By way of example only, one specific embodiment of a labelling machine constructed and arranged in accordance with this invention and also a method for labelling in accordance with this invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which :-

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the embodiment of labelling machine;

Figure 2 is a further isometric view of the labelling machine of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is an end view on the machine of Figure 1 , with the label transfer device in a raised position;

Figure 4A and 4B are detail views on an enlarged scale respectively showing the transfer device in raised and lowered positions;

Figure 5 is a detail isometric view on an enlarged scale showing the fold- down ploughs;

Figures 6A and 6B are detail views on an enlarged scale showing the tuck under assembly respectively in first and second positions;

Figure 7 is an enlarged view taken along the length of the in-feed conveyor and partially in section, showing the labelling station; and

Figure 8 illustrates a fully labelled product exiting the labelling machine. Referring to the drawings, the labelling machine 10 comprises a main structure defining a cabinet 1 1 having a top surface 12 supporting the various components of the machine. An in-feed belt conveyor 13 is carried on the surface 12 and feeds packs 14 to a labelling station 15 whereat generally rectangular elongate self-adhesive labels 16 (see for example Figures 4A and 4B) are applied to the packs in a C-wrap format - that is to say, the label overlies the top of a pack, extends down the opposed sides of the pack and then the end portions of the label are tucked under the pack to lie against the underside thereof. Typically, such labels are applied to packaged foodstuffs carried within generally rectangular food trays fed to the labelling station 15 by the in-feed conveyor 13 with a narrow edge of the pack leading, as shown in Figure 1 . Before the pack is received on the in-feed conveyor for labelling, the tray is loaded with the foodstuff and a film may be applied thereover, ready to receive the label.

Though not shown in the drawings, prior to a pack being received on the in-feed conveyor, the pack may be weighed and the appropriate price for that pack calculated. That information, which is specific to a particular pack, is then printed on a label to be applied to that pack at the labelling station and so the advancement of the packs must be synchronised and indexed with the movement of the labels. The weighing of the packs and the printing of the labels form no part of this invention and so will not be described further, here.

A label supply and printing head 17 is slidably mounted on columns 18 upstanding from the top surface 12 of the cabinet 1 1 . The height of the head 17 may be adjusted relative to the top surface 12 by means of hand-wheel 19 connected to a lead screw 20, threaded into a mounting block 21 for the head. The head 17 carries a spool 22 for a roll of labels adhered in succession to a backing web 23 and also a take-up spool for the backing web following the stripping of labels therefrom.

The head further includes a printer 24 for printing information on each label as the label is advanced on the backing web from the spool 22 to the labelling station 15. The information to be printed may be both fixed and variable, and in the case of the latter, is specific to a particular pack being advanced to the labelling station. The printer forms no part of this invention and will not be described in further detail here. Below the printer 24, there is a stripping beak 25 of a kind well-known in the self-adhesive labelling art for stripping the labels one at a time from the backing web to allow the stripped label to be fed to the labelling station.

The labels are generally rectangular and are arranged on the web with a narrow edge of the label leading - that is to say with the long edges of the labels lying parallel to the direction of advancement of the web. As each label is stripped from the backing web by the beak 25, it is transferred to a vacuum conveyor 26 with the adhesive side facing the product feed conveyor and the non-adhesive side facing the label conveyor. The vacuum conveyor 26 comprises a plurality of parallel, relatively narrow endless belts 27 arranged closely adjacent each other and with fans disposed between the upper and lower runs of the belts to draw air upwardly between the lower runs of the belts. This upward flow of air lightly holds the non-adhesive faces of the labels to the lower runs of the belts. The vacuum conveyor 26 extends at substantially 90° to the line of the in-feed conveyor 13, as seen for example in Figures 1 and 2, and transports the labels one at a time over the path along which the packs are advanced.

The drawing of the web of labels from the supply spool, the printing of the labels and the feeding of the web to the stripping beak is controlled by appropriate drive rollers (not shown) in order that the labels will be received at the appropriate rate on the vacuum conveyor 26, indexed to the advancement of the packs along the in-feed conveyor 13. A control computer is housed within the cabinet 1 1 of the machine, to control the driving of the rollers and the printing of the required information, as well as controlling other functions of the labelling machine as will be described hereinafter.

The vacuum conveyor 26 is mounted on a sub-frame 28 supported by a pneumatic cylinder 29 carried on plate 30 having a mounting block 31 slidably mounted on columns 32 upstanding from the top surface 12 of the cabinet 1 1 such that the height of the sub-frame above the in-feed conveyor may be adjusted. A hand-wheel 32 is connected to a lead-screw threaded into the mounting block 31 such that turning of the hand-wheel effects the vertical adjustment of the plate 30. When the cylinder 29 is contracted, the sub-frame 28 is in a raised position (Figure 4A) but expansion of the cylinder drives the sub-frame to a lowered position nearer the in-feed conveyor, as shown in Figure 4B. The operation of the cylinder 29 is timed to the advancement of the packs along the in-feed conveyor and the advancement of the labels on by the vacuum conveyor such that when the area of a pack to be labelled is immediately below the sub-frame, the cylinder is expanded so that the adhesive face of a label carried by the conveyor is applied to the top surface of the pack, as shown in Figure 7. Subsequent contraction of the cylinder 29 to raise the sub-frame leaves the label adhered to the pack, as shown in Figures 4B, with the two end portions 34 of the label projecting beyond the respective sides of the pack.

The long edge of each label 16 is significantly greater than the width of a pack 13, such that the label end portions 34 extend beyond the side faces 35 of a pack being labelled, as best seen in Figures 4A, 4B and 5. To each side of a transported pack there is provided a respective plough folding blade 36 to press the label end portions 34 on to the respective side faces of the pack. The blades are carried on respective mechanical adjusters which allow for vertical and horizontal movement of the blades such that effective folding of the label end portions 34 on to the side faces of the pack can be achieved, as the pack is advanced by the in-feed conveyor.

The apparatus includes an out-feed conveyor 37 aligned with the in-feed conveyor 13 but with a gap 38 between the adjacent ends of the two conveyors. A central support rail 44 extends between the adjacent ends of the two conveyors so that a pack may be transferred from one conveyor to the other, bridging the gap. In order to assist this transfer and prevent the pack tipping and passing through the gap, a top-hold belt is disposed thereabove. This top- hold belt comprises a housing 39 supporting a driven endless belt (not shown in the drawings) arranged horizontally such that the lower run of the belt is at a suitable height above the in-feed and out-feed conveyors lightly to hold the top of each pack being advanced from the in-feed conveyor to the out-feed conveyor. The height of the housing is adjustable by means of a hand-wheel 40, lead-screw 41 and mounting block 42 slidably carried on columns 43 in a generally similar manner to the mounting of the plate 30.

In the gap 38, there are provided two tuck-under assemblies 45 (Figures

6A and 6B), there being one tuck-under assembly to each side of the in-feed conveyor. Each tuck-under assembly 45 is adapted to fold the end portion 34 of a label projecting downwardly below the bottom of a pack, so that those end portions contact the underside of a pack and are adhered thereto. Each tuck- under assembly has a pair of rails 46 supporting a carrier on which there is provided a pneumatic ram 48 coupled to a folding member 49 such that the member 49 may be moved transversely with respect to the direction of movement of a pack being transferred from the in-feed conveyor to the out-feed conveyor. Initially, as shown in Figure 6A, each folding member is retracted transversely away from the centre line of the conveyors but then, when a pack is advanced to the gap therebetween, the two members are moved towards the centre line (Figure 6B) so folding the projecting end portions of the label on to the underside of the pack and pressing those end portions on to the underside so as to adhere thereto. The members are then retracted again, ready for acting on the next pack.

The carriers for the tuck-under assemblies and the top-hold belt may be adjusted transversely to suit applications where a label is not applied centrally to a pack - for example when the label is applied off-centre to the top of a pack, and is folded down on one side only of the pack, and possibly also folded on to the underside from one side only.

It will be appreciated that the extent to which the end portions are adhered to the underside of the pack depends upon the overall length of the label in the direction of the long edges thereof, relative to the width of a pack being labelled. It would be possible to have labels which extend only down the side faces of a pack, with no tuck-under, or to have labels of a sufficient length to allow there to be only a minimal gap between the narrow ends of the labels on the underside of the pack, and so achieve substantially complete wrap- labelling. Redesign of the tuck-under assemblies and the timing of the operation thereof may allow label wrapping where the narrow ends of the labels actually overlap.

As previously discussed, the labelling machine could be set up to perform a method where the labels are applied to a pack so that substantially equal length end portions of the label project beyond the sides of the pack, and each end portion is sufficiently long to extend down the side of the pack and to be wrapped on to and adhere to the underside of the pack. It would however be possible for the method to be performed using a label of a suitable length and appropriately positioned on the pack so that the end portions are folded down on to the opposed sides of the pack but only one end portion is wrapped on to the underside of the pack. Yet another possibility is for only one end portion to project beyond the side of a pack, so that only that end portion is folded down on to the side of the pack. In this case, and depending on the length of the label between its narrow ends, that one end portion may be wrapped on to the underside of the pack, or not as the case may be.

Figure 8 shows a fully labelled pack 51 leaving the labelling machine on the out-feed conveyor 37, that pack carrying a label adhered to a film top 52, down the side faces 35 of the pack and wrapped on to the underside of the pack. As shown, the label 16 may be applied to the pack at any required location along the length of the pack and does not necessarily have to be disposed centrally. The precise location of the label may be set by controlling the timing of the in-feed conveyor 13 carrying a pack 14 in relation to the timing of the movement of the sub-frame 28 of the vacuum conveyor 26 to its lowered position, in conjunction with the advancement of a label 16 by the vacuum conveyor. Such timing is controlled by the computer running a suitable program and having an input/output device such as a touchscreen 53 (Figures 1 and 2) to allow adjustment of various parameters and operating characteristics of the labelling machine.

As mentioned above, packs 14 supplied to the in-feed conveyor 13 may be weighed by a so-called catch-weight device provided at or adjacent the input to the in-feed conveyor, the output of the catch-weight device being supplied to the computer which then drives the printer 24 on the head 17 with the required variable information from pack to pack, but also with any required static information. Each label printed with variable information is indexed to the pack to which that information relates such that the correct information on a label is applied to a specific pack, at the labelling station. Thus, the computer indexes the advancement of the labels and operation the vacuum conveyor with the advancement of the packs and the lowering of the sub-frame 28, all in a synchronised manner to apply each label to the required pack, in the pre-set location on the pack.

Claims

1 . A labelling machine for applying an elongate self-adhesive label to a pack so as to overlie the top, at least one side and optionally part of the underside of the pack, comprising:

2. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the product feed conveyor comprises a belt conveyor arranged to support the packs and convey the packs through the labelling station.

3. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the label conveyor comprises a vacuum conveyor arranged to hold the succession of labels thereto with the non-adhesive sides of the labels against the conveyor.

4. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein there is provided a means to support a roll of the labels carried on a backing web, and stripping means to separate the labels from the backing web and to transfer the labels to the vacuum conveyor.

5. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the stripping means includes a stripping beak around which the web is passed, the stripping beak being juxtaposed to the vacuum conveyor whereby the stripped labels are transferred in succession to the vacuum conveyor.

6. A labelling machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the transfer assembly includes a sub-frame, the label conveyor being mounted on the sub-frame, and the sub-frame is arranged for movement towards and away from the product feed conveyor with the plane of the labels carried by the label conveyor lying substantially parallel to the plane of the product feed conveyor.

7. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sub-frame has raised and lowered positions, and when in the lowered position a label advanced by the label conveyor is applied to the top of a pack at the labelling station.

8. A labelling machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the folding means comprises a pair of blades arranged one to each side of the product feed conveyor and disposed to press the label end portions of a label applied to a pack on to the two opposed sides of the pack upon the advancement thereof through the labelling station.

9. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein each blade is in the form of a plough blade configured progressively to fold down a projecting label end portion on to the side of the pack as the pack advances through the labelling station.

10. A labelling machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein there is provided a product out-feed conveyor aligned with the product feed conveyor, the products being transferred to the put-feed conveyor on passing through the labelling station.

1 1 . A labelling machine as claimed claim 10, wherein there is a gap between the product feed conveyor and the product out-feed conveyor, the gap being of a lesser size than the length of products being fed along the product feed conveyor.

12. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 10 or claim 1 1 , wherein there is provided a top-hold belt overlying at least the adjacent ends of the product feed and out-feed conveyors, the top-hold belt being arranged to bear on the top surfaces of the advancing packs and assist the driving thereof through the labelling station.

13. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 1 1 or 1 2, wherein there is provided means to wrap on to the underside of the pack the end portions of a label applied to a pack and projecting beyond the lower edges of the pack.

14. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein the underside wrapping means comprises at least one folding member positioned within the gap between the product feed conveyor and the product out-feed conveyor and below the upper surfaces thereof, for folding projecting label end portions on to the underside of a pack carrying the label.

15. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 14, wherein the or each folding member is mounted for movement between retracted and folding positions, means being provided to move the folding member between said positions in an indexed relationship to the advancement of a pack.

16. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein the means to move the or each folding member comprises at least one pneumatic ram.

17. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the control means controls the operation of the means to move the or each folding member.

18. A labelling machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein there is provided a printer for printing variable information on to each label of the succession thereof, related to the succession of packs advanced by the product feed conveyor.

19. A labelling machine as claimed in claim 18, wherein the control means is arranged to synchronise operation of the printer to the advancement of the succession of labels and also to synchronise the advancement of the labels to the advancement of the succession of packs by the product feed conveyor thereby to ensure a label carrying variable information for a specific pack is applied to that pack.

20. A method of applying an elongate self-adhesive label to a pack so as to overlie the top, at least one side and optionally part of the underside of the pack, comprising the steps of:

- advancing a succession of packs through a labelling station;

- transferring at the labelling station a conveyed label on to the top of a conveyed pack such that at least one end portion of the label adjacent a narrow edge thereof extendd beyond the pack edge;

- controlling the advancement of the succession of labels to be in an indexed relationship to the advancement of the succession of packs and controlling the transfer of each label of the succession thereof to a respective pack of the succession thereof at a predetermined location along the length of a pack and with an end portion of each label projecting beyond the side of the respective pack.

21 . A method as claimed in claim 20, in which the label is applied to a pack so that both opposed end portions of the label project beyond the respective pack edge, and said end portions are urged on to the opposed side faces of the pack.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21 , in which the label is applied to a pack to have substantially equal length end portions projecting beyond the pack side edges.

23. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 22, in which each pack of the succession thereof is substantially rectangular and is advanced with the narrow edge of the pack leading.

24. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 23, in which the labels are provided on a backing web with the narrow edge of each label adjacent the narrow edge of the next adjacent label on the web, and the long edges of the labels parallel to the length of the web.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, in which the labels are printed before application to a pack with variable information pertaining to individual packs being advanced to the labelling station, and the advancement of the labels is synchronised to and indexed with the advancement of the packs such that a label printed with variable information for a particular pack is applied to that pack at the labelling station.

26. A method as claimed in claim 24 or claim 25, in which the labels are stripped from the web and are transferred to a vacuum conveyor arranged to hold the non-adhesive face of the labels, and the labels are then transferred from the vacuum conveyor to the packs at the labelling station so as to adhere to the tops of the packs.