Label applicator

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A LABEL TO A STATIONARY PACKAGE WHEREIN THE LABEL HAS INDICIA ON ONE FACE THEREOF AND AN UNACTIVATED ADHESIVE ON THE OTHER FACE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING (A) A FIRST SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID PACKAGE, (B) A SECOND SUPPORT MEANS LOCATED IN A PLANE ABOVE SAID PACKAGE FOR RECEIVING A LABEL AND SUPPORTING IT AND MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATION BETWEEN AN AT-REST, LABEL-RECEIVING POSITION ABOVE THE PACKAGE AND AT ONE SIDE OF THE CENTER LINE THEREOF AND A LABEL-DELIVERING POSITION ON THE PACKAGE LATERALLY OF SAID LABELRECEIVING POSITION, (C) VACUUM MEANS FOR PRODUCING A VACUOUS CONDITION BETWEEN SAID LABEL AND SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEANS, THEREBY TO HOLD SAID LABEL ON SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEANS DURING MOVEMENT THEREOF TOWARD SAID PACKAGE, (D) MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEANS FOR ACTIVATING SAID ADHESIVE WHILE THE LABEL IS SUBJECT TO SAID VACUOUS CONDITION, (E) MEANS FOR IMPARTING TO SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEANS WITH THE LABEL THEREON AN INITIAL MOVEMENT FROM SAID AT-REST, LABEL-RECEIVING POSITION TO ANOTHER POSITION WHICH POSITIONS THE LABEL ABOVE THE STATIONARY PACKAGE, (F) MEANS FOR IMPARTING TO SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEANS WITH THE LABEL THEREON WITH THE ADHESIVE FACE POSITIONED AWAY THEREFROM, A SECOND MOVEMENT WHICH IS INDEPENDENT OF SAID INITIAL MOVEMENT AND THE PATH OF WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PATH OF SAID INITIAL MOVEMENT, SAID PATH BEING FROM SAID OTHER POSITION ABOVE THE PACKAGE IN A DIRECTION DOWNWARDLY TOWARD SAID STATIONARY PACKAGE AND INTO CONTACT THEREWITH, AND MEANS TO AUTOMATICALLY REGULATE THE EXTENT OF SAID SECOND MOVEMENT TO ACCOMMODATE PACKAGES OF VARIOUS HEIGHTS, AND (G) MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID VACUOUS CONDITION AFTER THE LABEL HAS BEEN MOVED INTO CONTACT WITH SAID PACKAGE, WHEREBY THE LABEL IS ADHESIVELY TRANSFERRED THERETO.