Hand held automatic labelling machine

Claim 2

A hand held automatic label printing and applying machine comprising: a base frame including a pair of spaced parallel side plates, a feeder frame carrying a rotatable feed roller pivotally mounted between said side plates, a stationary idler roller extending between and journalled in said side plates in opposition to said feed roller, a printing head supporting frame pivotally mounted between said side plates and carrying a printing head adjacent one end and a clevis adjacent an opposite end thereof, means for rotating said feed roller in response to movement of said supporting frame, cam means projecting from said clevis to engage said feeder frame upon pivotal movement of said supporting frame, a handle fixed to said base frame, a double-acting piston and cylinder mechanism mounted in said handle, a piston rod extending from said piston and having an outer end thereof pivotally attached to said clevis, a valve member associated with said mechanism for alternately directing fluid under pressure to opposite sides of said piston, an applicator frame movably mounted on said base frame and carrying a rotatable applicator roll, and linkage means extending from said applicator frame to said valve member to control said piston and cylinder in response to movement of said applicator frame.

Claim 3

A portable label printing and applying machine for automatically printing and dispensing a printed label in response to contact of said machine with an article to be labelled comprising: a base frame including a pair of spaced side plates, a printing platen mounted between said side plates, a pair of spaced support arms pivotally attached intermediate their ends to said base frame, a printing head bearing printing indicia mounted between said support arms adjacent one of their ends for movement toward and away from said printing platen, an ink pad carriage carrying an ink pad pivotally attached to said base frame, spring means urging said ink pad and said carriage toward said indicia carried by said printing head, cam means carried by said printing head and engageable with portions of said carriage for pivoting said carriage out of the path of travel of said printing head as it moves toward said printing platen, a pair of cooperating feed rollers rotatably mounted between said side plates for engaging a strip of labels and drawing them through said machine over said platen, a pinion rotatably mounted between said side plates, a one way clutch interconnecting said pinion and one of said feed rollers to drive said one feed roller upon movement of said pinion in one direction only, a rack mounted on one of said support arms and engageable witH said pinion as said printing head is moved toward and away from said platen, a clevis attached to said support arms adjacent the ends thereof opposite said one end, a handle attached to said base frame, a double-acting piston and cylinder mechanism mounted in said handle and including a piston rod pivotally attached to said clevis, an applicator frame pivotally mounted on said base frame, an applicator roll journalled in said applicator frame, a valve member associated with said mechanism for alternately directing fluid under pressure to opposite sides of said piston, linkage means interconnecting said valve and said applicator frame to control said valve in response to contact of said applicator roll with an article to be labelled, and means cooperating with said drive rollers for indexing said labels through said machine.

Claim 4

A portable label printing and applying machine for automatically printing and dispensing a printed label in response to contact of said machine with an article to be labelled comprising: a base frame including a pair of spaced side plates, a printing platen mounted between said side plates, a pair of spaced support arms pivotally attached intermediate their ends to said base frame, a printing head bearing printing indicia mounted between said support arms adjacent one of their ends for movement toward and away from said printing platen, an ink pad carriage carrying an ink pad pivotally attached to said base frame, spring means urging said ink pad and said carriage toward said indicia carried by said printing head, cam means carried by said printing head and engageable with portions of said carriage for pivoting said carriage out of the path of travel of said printing head as it moves toward said printing platen, a pair of cooperating feed rollers rotatably mounted between said side plates for engaging a strip of labels and drawing them through said machine over said platen, a pinion rotatably mounted between said side plates, a one way clutch interconnecting said pinion and one of said feed rollers to drive said one feed roller upon movement of said pinion in one direction only, a rack mounted on one of said support arms and engageable witH said pinion as said printing head is moved toward and away from said platen, a clevis attached to said support arms adjacent the ends thereof opposite said one end, a handle attached to said base frame, a double-acting piston and cylinder mechanism mounted in said handle and including a piston rod pivotally attached to said clevis, an applicator frame pivotally mounted on said base frame, an applicator roll journalled in said applicator frame, a valve member associated with said mechanism for alternately directing fluid under pressure to opposite sides of said piston, linkage means interconnecting said valve and said applicator frame to control said valve in response to contact of said applicator roll with an article to be labelled, and means cooperating with said drive rollers for indexing said labels through said machine.

Claim 5

A hand held automatic labelling machine comprising: a base frame having a handle operatively associated therewith, an applicator mounted on said base frame for pressing pressure sensitive labels into contact with an article to be labelled, feed means mounted on said base frame for conveying labels from a source of supply thereof to a position adjacent said applicator, and means for actuating said feed means in response to application by said applicator of a label to an article to be labelled to cause an additional label to be conveyed from said source of supply to said position adjacent said applicator to replace the label just applied, wherein said actuating means includes an integrated doube-acting piston and cylinder mechanism and valve disposed at the handle, means defining inlet and outlet means into and from respectively, said cylinder and said valve, a moldable plastic material interconnecting said cylinder and said valve, and means defining a port through said moldable material from said outlet means to said inlet means.

Claim 6

A hand held automatic labelling machine comprising: a base frame having a handle operatively associated therewith, an applicator mounted on said base frame for pressing pressure sensitive labels into contact with an article to be labelled, feed means mounted on said base frame for conveying labels from a source of supply thereof to a position adjacent said applicator, and means for actuating said feed means in response to application by said applicator of a label to an article to be labelled to cause an additional label to be conveyed from said source of supply to said position adjacent said applicator to replace the label just applied, wherein said actuating means includes an integrated doube-acting piston and cylinder mechanism and valve disposed at the handle, means defining inlet and outlet means into and from respectively, said cylinder and said valve, a moldable plastic material interconnecting said cylinder and said valve, and means defining a port through said moldable material from said outlet means to said inlet means.

Claim 7

A hand held automatic labelling machine comprising: a base frame having a handle operatively associated therewith, an applicator mounted on said base frame for pressing pressure sensitive labels into contact with an article to be labelled, feed means mounted on said base frame for conveying labels from a source of supply thereof to a position adjacent said applicator, and means for actuating said feed means in response to application by said applicator of a label to an article to be labelled to cause an additional label to be conveyed from said source of supply to said position adjacent said applicator to replace the label just applied, wherein said actuating means includes an integrated double-acting piston and cylinder mechanism and valve disposed at the handle, and means defining inlet and outlet means into and from, respectively, said cylinder and said valve.

Claim 8

A hand held automatic labelling machine comprising: a base frame having a handle operatively associated therewith, an applicator mounted on said base frame for pressing pressure sensitive labels into contact with an article to be labelled, feed means mounted on said base frame for conveying labels from a source of supply thereof to a position adjacent said applicator, and means for actuating said feed means in response to application by said applicator of a label to an article to be labelled to cause an additional label to be conveyed from said source of supply to said position adjacent said applicator to replace the label just applied, wherein said actuating means includes an integrated double-acting piston and cylinder mechanism and valve disposed at the handle, and means defining inlet and outlet means into and from, respectively, said cylinder and said valve.

Claim 9

An automatic label printing and applying machine comprising: a base frame, a printing station including means for printing indicia on labels carried by said base frame, an applicator, a U-shaped frame pivotally mounted on said base frame with said applicator journaled intermediate the legs thereof, means carried by said base frame for feeding labels from a source of supply thereof through said printing station to said applicator, double-acting power means for driving said printing means and said feeding means, and means for controlling said driving means in response to movement of said applicator frame.

Claim 10

An automatic label printing and applying machine comprising: a base frame, a printing station including means for printing indicia on labels carried by said base frame, an applicator, a U-shaped frame pivotally mounted on said base frame with said applicator journaled intermediate the legs thereof, means carried by said base frame for feeding labels from a source of supply thereof through said printing station to said applicator, double-acting power means for driving said printing means and said feeding means, and means for controlling said driving means in response to movement of said applicator frame.

Claim 11

An automatic label printing and applying machine comprising: a base frame, a printing station including means for printing indicia on labels carried by said base frame, an applicator, an applicator frame carrying said applicator and movably mounted to said base frame, means carried by said base frame for feeding labels from a source of supply thereof through said printing station to said applicator, a double-acting piston and cylinder mechanism for driving said feeding means and said printing means, aNd a control valve controlling said double-acting piston and cylinder mechanism in response to movement of said applicator frame.

Claim 12

An automatic label printing and applying machine comprising: a base frame, a printing station including means for printing indicia on labels carried by said base frame, an applicator, an applicator frame carrying said applicator and movably mounted to said base frame, means carried by said base frame for feeding labels from a source of supply thereof through said printing station to said applicator, a double-acting piston and cylinder mechanism for driving said feeding means and said printing means, aNd a control valve controlling said double-acting piston and cylinder mechanism in response to movement of said applicator frame.

Claim 13

A hand held automatic label printing and applying machine, comprising: a base frame having a handle operatively associated therewith, a printing station on the base frame having means for printing on labels, a label applying station on the base frame at which a printed label can be applied to an article, means for feeding labels to the printing station and thereafter to the label applying station, means effective only during application of a label to the article for sensing pressure exerted on the machine, and double-acting power means connected to a single source of energy, controlled by the sensing means, and powered in one direction for operating the printing means in response to energy from the source and powered in another direction in response to energy from the source and the completion of the sensing of pressure by the sensing means for operating the feeding means.

Claim 14

A hand held automatic label printing and applying machine, comprising: a base frame having a handle operatively associated therewith, a printing station on the base frame having means for printing on labels, a label applying station on the base frame at which a printed label can be applied to an article, means for feeding labels to the printing station and thereafter to the label applying station, means effective only during application of a label to the article for sensing pressure exerted on the machine, and double-acting power means connected to a single source of energy, controlled by the sensing means, and powered in one direction for operating the printing means in response to energy from the source and powered in another direction in response to energy from the source and the completion of the sensing of pressure by the sensing means for operating the feeding means.

Claim 15

The machine of claim 7, wherein the single source of energy comprises a source of fluid under pressure.

Claim 16

The machine of claim 7, wherein the sensing means comprises an applicator disposed at the label applying station.

Claim 17

The machine of claim 7, wherein the double-acting power means comprises a double-acting piston and cylinder mechanism.

Claim 18

The machine of claim 7, wherein the frame includes a manually graspable handle, and the double-acting power means is disposed in the handle.