Abstract Disclosed are a method of making composite label webs and also composite webs made by practicing the method. The disclosed method includes the steps of providing a relatively wide composite web having a web of pressure-sensitive label material releasably adhered to a web of supporting material, slitting the label material longitudinally, removing the label material between closely spaced-apart slits formed by the slitting and between the slits at the marginal side edges of the composite web and the respective side edges of the composite web to form a plurality of closely spaced-apart narrow label webs on the web of supporting material and thus leaving longitudinally extending zones of exposed supporting material, and cutting holes at longitudinally spaced-apart locations through at least one marginal side edge of each narrow label web and through the underlying supporting material and through the supporting material in the adjacent zone. The narrow label webs are either partially or completely severed transversely at longitudinally spaced apart locations along lines extending through the holes to form the label webs into labels. In some embodiments, the supporting material is slit between the narrow label webs through the holes to provide narrow label webs having a narrow strip of supporting material exposed at least at its one marginal side edge. In another embodiment, instead of slitting the supporting material between the narrow label webs, the supporting material is partially severed between the narrow label webs; the labels of this embodiment can be printed by feeding the composite web through a high speed printer.
A COMPOSITE WEB OF PRESSURE-SENSITIVE LABELS, COMPRISING, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING WIDE COMPOSITE WEB INCLUDING A WEB OF SUPPORTING MATERIAL AND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING NARROW WEBS OF PRESSURE-SENSITIVE LABEL MATERIAL HAVING A FULL-GUM COATING OF PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE AND BEING RELEASABLY ADHERED TO THE SUPPORTING MATERIAL, THE LABEL MATERIAL WEBS BEING CLOSELY TRANSVERSELY SPACED-APART TO EXPOSE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ZONES OF THE SUPPORTING MATERIAL WEB, FIRST HOLES THROUGH THE WIDE COMPOSITE WEB AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED-APART LOCATIONS ALONG AT LEAST SOME OF THE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ZONES, EACH FIRST HOLE EXTENDING THROUGH A MARGINAL SIDE EDGE OF ONE OF THE NARROW LABEL WEBS AND THE UNDERLYING SUPPORTING MATERIAL AND THROUGH THE SUPPORTING MATERIAL IN THE ADJACENT ZONE, THE SUPPORTING MATERIAL EXTENDING BEYONG THE SIDE EDGES OF THE NARROW LABEL WEBS AT THE RESPECTIVE SIDES OF THE WIDE COMPOSITE WEB TO PROVIDE FEED STRIPS LONGITUDINALLY SPACED-APART SECOND HOLES IN THE EED STRIPS TO FACILITATE FEEDING OF THE COMPOSITE WEB, THE LABEL MATERIAL WEBS BEING AT LEAST PARTIALLY SEVERED TRANSVERSELY INTO
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
163 words
A COMPOSITE WEB OF PRESSURE-SENSITIVE LABELS, COMPRISING, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING WIDE COMPOSITE WEB INCLUDING A WEB OF SUPPORTING MATERIAL AND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING NARROW WEBS OF PRESSURE-SENSITIVE LABEL MATERIAL HAVING A FULL-GUM COATING OF PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE AND BEING RELEASABLY ADHERED TO THE SUPPORTING MATERIAL, THE LABEL MATERIAL WEBS BEING CLOSELY TRANSVERSELY SPACED-APART TO EXPOSE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ZONES OF THE SUPPORTING MATERIAL WEB, FIRST HOLES THROUGH THE WIDE COMPOSITE WEB AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED-APART LOCATIONS ALONG AT LEAST SOME OF THE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ZONES, EACH FIRST HOLE EXTENDING THROUGH A MARGINAL SIDE EDGE OF ONE OF THE NARROW LABEL WEBS AND THE UNDERLYING SUPPORTING MATERIAL AND THROUGH THE SUPPORTING MATERIAL IN THE ADJACENT ZONE, THE SUPPORTING MATERIAL EXTENDING BEYONG THE SIDE EDGES OF THE NARROW LABEL WEBS AT THE RESPECTIVE SIDES OF THE WIDE COMPOSITE WEB TO PROVIDE FEED STRIPS LONGITUDINALLY SPACED-APART SECOND HOLES IN THE EED STRIPS TO FACILITATE FEEDING OF THE COMPOSITE WEB, THE LABEL MATERIAL WEBS BEING AT LEAST PARTIALLY SEVERED TRANSVERSELY INTO