Automatic labeling apparatus

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LABELS TO CONTAINERS, A CONVEYOR FOR ADVANCING SUCCESSIVE CONTAINERS TO AND PAST A LABELING STATION, A LABEL SUPPLY IN THE FORM OF A CONTINUOUS RIBBON COMPRISING LABELS SEPARABLY ARRANGED END TO END, MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY ADVANCING SAID RIBBON TO BRING THE ENDMOST LABEL TO THE LABELING STATION, AN APPLICATOR MOUNTED IN A NORMAL REST POSITION AND MOVABLE TO ENGAGE SAID ENDMOST LABEL AND APPLY IT TO A CONTAINER MOVING THROUGH THE LABELING STATION, SAID APPLICATOR COMPRISING A PAIR OF SUPERPOSED FINGERS SPACED APART WHEN SAID APPLICATOR IS IN ITS NORMAL REST POSITION WHEREBY THE ENDMOST LABEL MAY BE ADVANCED BETWEEN THEM AND SAID FINGERS COMING TOGETHER UPON BEING MOVED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LABEL SO AS TO GRASP THE LATTER BETWEEN THEM, ACTIVATABLE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID APPLICATOR, AND CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE MOVEMENT OF CONTAINERS PAST IT FOR ACTIVATING SAID ACTIVATABLE MEANS ONLY WHEN A CONTAINER IS IN A LABEL-RECEPTIVE POSITION.