Ultraviolet labeling apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A continuous method of applying individual stacked, plastic labels to containers including the sequential steps of:
- maintaining a stack of individual, stacked plastic labels in a dispensing magazine;
applying a UV curable adhesive to a transfer member;
causing said transfer member with the adhesive theron to engage an exposed, lower surface of a lowermost label in the stack to apply said UV curable adhesive to said lower surface and to remove the lowermost label from the stack and releasably secure said lowermost label to said transfer member for subsequent transport of the lowermost label throught a radiation cure station;
directing the label with the UV curable adhesive theron through a UV cure station for radiating the adhesive with UV radiation to increase the tackiness of the adhesive, and thereafter;
applying the label through the tacky adhesive component thereof to the outer surface of a container.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to a UV curable system of the type for continuously applying a UV curable adhesive to labels, at least partially curing the adhesive on the labels to render the adhesive tacky and thereafter applying the labels to discrete containers through the tacky adhesive layer. Most preferably the labels are cut and stack labels retained in a dispensing magazine prior to the application of the UV adhesive to the labels, and most preferably both the labels and the UV curable (and cured) adhesive are clear, and the clear labels with the clear tacky adhesive thereon preferably are adhered to clear glass containers, e.g. soda bottles, beer bottles and the like.
-
Citations
7 Claims
-
1. A continuous method of applying individual stacked, plastic labels to containers including the sequential steps of:
-
maintaining a stack of individual, stacked plastic labels in a dispensing magazine;
applying a UV curable adhesive to a transfer member;
causing said transfer member with the adhesive theron to engage an exposed, lower surface of a lowermost label in the stack to apply said UV curable adhesive to said lower surface and to remove the lowermost label from the stack and releasably secure said lowermost label to said transfer member for subsequent transport of the lowermost label throught a radiation cure station;
directing the label with the UV curable adhesive theron through a UV cure station for radiating the adhesive with UV radiation to increase the tackiness of the adhesive, and thereafter;
applying the label through the tacky adhesive component thereof to the outer surface of a container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
Specification