Application of human readable and machine readable labels

• US 3,989,929 A
• Filed: 04/30/1975
• Issued: 11/02/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hobart Corporation (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Treiber, Fritz F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Daryl W.
• Application Number:
  US05/573,595
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 235/151.33, 235/61.9 R, 235/61.6 R
• US Class Current: 235/432
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/42 Label feed control
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/46 Applying date marks, code marks, or the like, to the label during labelling manually-controlled or operable apparatus having printing equipment B65C11/02; ticket printing and issuing G07B1/00 ; apparatus for ticket validating or cancelling G07B11/00

Abstract

A system for weighing and labeling random weight packages of commodities includes a weighing scale, a price computer, and printers for printing both human readable and machine readable information. A commodity key includes a printing area for reproducing readable commodity identification and coded identification which is used to produce machine readable commodity identification. Entry of the key into the human readable printer also enters the coded identification. A second computer coacts with the machine readable label printer to produce a unique check character which is included in the printed information. Two labels are supplied, unique to each package, and are so presented from the printers that the label applicators guide the package to align the two labels on opposite sides of the package.

Claims

1. A label applicator for applying two labels bearing related information to opposite sides of random weight packages of a commodity, one of said labels having machine readable information thereon, comprising:

means for presenting a human readable first label for application to a predetermined region on a first side of the package, and

means for separately presenting a machine readable second label for application to a second side of said package at a point which has a predetermined positional relation to said first label whereby the first label can be utilized as a guide to locate the position of the second label as the package is manipulated with the second side away from the person subsequently handling the package for machine reading of the second label.

2. A label applicator for applying two labels bearing related information to opposite sides of random weight packages of a commodity, the second of said labels having machine readable information thereon, comprising:

means for presenting a human readable first label for application to a predetermined region on a first side of the package, and

means for separately presenting the second label for application to a second side of said package opposite the first side at a point which is along a line passing through said human readable label and directly through said package whereby the first label can subsequently be utilized as a guide to locate the position of the second label as the package is manipulated over a mechanical reading device with the second side away from the person handling the package.

3. A label applicator as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for presenting a first label includes a delivery chute of predetermined length at the end of which the first label is presented for attachement to a part of the package pressed against it, and

said means for presenting the second label includes a like delivery chute at the end of which the second label is presented,

whereby the package is similarly aligned but inverted during application of the second label.

4. Label preparing apparatus for weighed commodity packages comprising:

a weighing scale providing electrical weight signals responsive to commodity package weight;

means connected with said weighing scale for multiplying said electrical weight signals by price per unit weight signals to obtain total value signals;

means for supplying commodity identity information to the apparatus;

first printing means for printing, in human readable form, an indication of said total value signals and an indication of commodity identity according to said commodity identifying information on a first label;

second printing means for printing, in machine readable form, an indication of said total value signals and an indication of commodity identity according to said commodity identifying information on a second label; and

means connected to each of said printing means and operable to present the respective labels at predetermined locations and in predetermined positions such that the two labels can be applied to opposite sides of a package in alignment, whereby the first label can function on the package as a guide to the location of the second label on the opposite side of the package.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said means to present the labels includes separate label ejection chutes extending from each of said printing means, label applicators associated with each of said chutes and operable to receive labels from the respective chutes and to apply the first and second labels to the top and bottom, respectively of a package, and conveyor means constructed and arranged to move the packages past said label applicator.

6. A method of applying to opposite sides of a package a human readable label and a related machine readable label, comprising the steps of first applying one of said labels to a predetermined location on one side of the package and then applying the other of said labels to the package substantially opposite the one label such that the position of said human readable label provides an indication of the position of said machine readable label when said machine readable label is not visible to a person presenting the machine readable label on the package to a label scanning device.