Method of printing and dispensing labels

Claim 1

A method of printing and dispensing pressure-sensitive adhesive labels maintained in spaced relation on a continuous label-bearing carrier strip and for applying said labels onto an elongated member, said method comprising the steps of: a. storing the unused portion of said label-bearing carrier strip on a supply reel for subsequent advancement toward said elongated member, while storing the used portion of said carrier strip on a take-up reel commonly supported with said supply reel and which is rollably engageable with said elongated member; b. passing the intermediate portion of said label-bearing carrier strip, lying between said supply reel and said take-up reel, through the nip of a back-up roll and a co-operating printing roll driven thereby, for frictionally engaging and rotating said back-up roll and thereby rotating said printing roll to successively print predetermined indicia on a label upon the advancement of said carrier strip; then c. passing the intermediate portion of said carrier strip having indicia printed on said labels over one side of a peel-off member so that advancement of said carrier strip from said supply reel and onto said take-up reel successively separates the spaced labels from the carrier strip and advances each successive label away from the carrier strip and onto the elongated member; d. moving said take-up reel and said elongated member relative to one another to rotate said take-up reel by an amount sufficient to print at least one intermediate label with indicia and to separate the leading label from said carrier strip by passage of the strip over said peel-off member and advance said leading label onto said elongated member; and e. rolling said separated label against said elongated member by a roll movable with said take-up reel to secure said label to said member.

Claim 2

A method of printing and dispensing pressure-sensitive adhesive labels maintained in spaced relation on a continuous label-bearing carrier strip and for applying said labels onto an elongated member, said method comprising the steps of: a. storing the unused portion of said label-bearing carrier strip on a supply reel for subsequent advancement toward said elongated member, while storing the used portion of said carrier strip on a take-up reel commonly supported with said supply reel and which is rollably engageable with said elongated member; b. passing the intermediate portion of said label-bearing carrier strip, lying between said supply reel and said take-up reel, through the nip of a back-up roll and a co-operating printing roll driven thereby, for frictionally engaging and rotating said back-up roll and thereby rotating said printing roll to successively print predetermined indicia on a label upon the advancement of said carrier strip; then c. passing the intermediate portion of said carrier strip having indicia printed on said labels over one side of a peel-off member so that advancement of said carrier strip from said supply reel and onto said take-up reel successively separates the spaced labels from the carrier strip and advances each successive label away from the carrier strip and onto the elongated member; d. moving said take-up reel and said elongated member relative to one another to rotate said take-up reel by an amount sufficient to print at least one intermediate label with indicia and to separate the leading label from said carrier strip by passage of the strip over said peel-off member and advance said leading label onto said elongated member; and e. rolling said separated label against said elongated member by a roll movable with said take-up reel to secure said label to said member.