Abstract A transfer wheel with a radially extended land portion for transferring address-bearing labels or the address information therefrom onto articles being labeled. The transfer wheel land includes a series of thin slot-like vacuum holddown grooves extending along the periphery thereof in the plane of transfer wheel rotation. An individual vacuum admission port is provided for each holddown groove adjacent the leading end thereof, the ports being normally open to the atmosphere and serving to initially attract and attach the leading end of the labels thereto. The arrangement is such that direct communication of the supply ports with the atmosphere is first closed off by the label itself, thereby enhancing the vacuum pull-down effect within the holddown grooves to progressively cause the remainder of the label to be attached to the surface of the transfer wheel land in a sort of rolling action so that free spots or buckling of the label is avoided. As a further modification, in heat transfer applications, the surface of the land consists of a resistor type heating material alongside and between the vacuum holddown grooves to heat the label prior to transfer.
A label heat transfer wheel comprising: a disc-like member adapted to be rotatably mounted and having at least one radially projecting land portion for temporarily supporting individual ones of said labels thereon while said member turns and said land moves from a label receiving position to a label discharge position, said transfer wheel land having at least two relatively narrow vacuum holddown grooves in the surface thereof and extending therealong in the plane of said transfer wheel, the length of said grooves being sufficient to enable individual labels to be vacuum attached thereto throughout substantially their entire length, means for communicating said grooves with a vacuum source, and label heating means disposed on the surface of said land to provide direct heating of the labels attached thereto preparatory to label transfer, said label heating means comprising an electrically conductive material which functions as a resistor type heater means on passage of electric current therethrough.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
154 words
A label heat transfer wheel comprising: a disc-like member adapted to be rotatably mounted and having at least one radially projecting land portion for temporarily supporting individual ones of said labels thereon while said member turns and said land moves from a label receiving position to a label discharge position, said transfer wheel land having at least two relatively narrow vacuum holddown grooves in the surface thereof and extending therealong in the plane of said transfer wheel, the length of said grooves being sufficient to enable individual labels to be vacuum attached thereto throughout substantially their entire length, means for communicating said grooves with a vacuum source, and label heating means disposed on the surface of said land to provide direct heating of the labels attached thereto preparatory to label transfer, said label heating means comprising an electrically conductive material which functions as a resistor type heater means on passage of electric current therethrough.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The transfer wheel according to claim 1 in which the remainder of said land comprises an electrically insulating material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The transfer wheel according to claim 1 in which said heating means comprises at least one strip-like electrical resistor heater on the periphery of said land and extending therealong in a direction paralleling said grooves, and means to electrically insulate said heater from said land.