US4574020A — Apparatus and method for wrapping a plastic label…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 323 words

In apparatus for wrapping a plastic label about a bottle and adhering the label to the bottle, where the label is a composite sheet of a solid polymer layer and foam polymer layer with the foam layer being applied to the bottle surface, the improvement comprising, just before wrapping, means for applying a solvent for the polymer of the foam polymer layer to at least two finite areas of the surface of the foam layer with one area adjacent the leading edge of the label and the other area constituting a full height strip along the trailing edge of the label the solvent dissolving the polymer of the foam layer rapidly to form a momentary tacky bond at the finite areas of the leading edge sufficient to tack the label to the container, the leading edge bond becoming weaker and weaker as the solvent evaporates, and means for rolling a bottle along the solvent treated label with the leading edge momentarily tacked to the bottle and the trailing edge bonding to itself to form an overlapping seam in which the trailing edge finite area bond becomes stronger and stronger, wherein said means for applying a solvent to the label comprises a rotating gravure roll having at least two areas of indentation in its surface, with each area being circumferentially spaced from the other a distance slightly less than the full length of a label, means for moving the foam surface of the label into engagement with the gravure roll, and means engaging the gravure roll surface for applying the solvent to the areas of indentation in said gravure roll, said solvent supplying means further comprises an elevated container for said solvent, means for cooling the solvent in said container, means connecting the bottom of said solvent container to the bottom of said fountain and means connected to the top of said fountain for returning excess solvent from said fountain to said elevated container.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 323 words

In apparatus for wrapping a plastic label about a bottle and adhering the label to the bottle, where the label is a composite sheet of a solid polymer layer and foam polymer layer with the foam layer being applied to the bottle surface, the improvement comprising, just before wrapping, means for applying a solvent for the polymer of the foam polymer layer to at least two finite areas of the surface of the foam layer with one area adjacent the leading edge of the label and the other area constituting a full height strip along the trailing edge of the label the solvent dissolving the polymer of the foam layer rapidly to form a momentary tacky bond at the finite areas of the leading edge sufficient to tack the label to the container, the leading edge bond becoming weaker and weaker as the solvent evaporates, and means for rolling a bottle along the solvent treated label with the leading edge momentarily tacked to the bottle and the trailing edge bonding to itself to form an overlapping seam in which the trailing edge finite area bond becomes stronger and stronger, wherein said means for applying a solvent to the label comprises a rotating gravure roll having at least two areas of indentation in its surface, with each area being circumferentially spaced from the other a distance slightly less than the full length of a label, means for moving the foam surface of the label into engagement with the gravure roll, and means engaging the gravure roll surface for applying the solvent to the areas of indentation in said gravure roll, said solvent supplying means further comprises an elevated container for said solvent, means for cooling the solvent in said container, means connecting the bottom of said solvent container to the bottom of said fountain and means connected to the top of said fountain for returning excess solvent from said fountain to said elevated container.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 302 words

In apparatus for applying labels to the cylindrical body of containers wherein the labels are individually cut from a moving web of a film-foam laminate of a thermoplastic polymer and carried by a vacuum drum from the cutting zone to a label applying zone, the improvement comprising means for applying a solvent for the polymer to at least two finite areas of the foam side of the label as it is being carried on the drum with the two areas being spaced apart such that one is adjacent the leading edge of the label and the other is a strip covering the trailing edge the solvent dissolving the polymer of the foam layer rapidly to form a momentary tacky bond at the finite areas of the leading edge sufficient to tack the label to the container, the leading edge bond becoming weaker and weaker as the solvent evaporates, there being means to wrap the label around the container while the leading edge bond is tacky enough to secure the label to the container sufficiently to anchor the leading edge thereto for wrapping, the bond formed by the tacky solution of the polymer in the solvent in the wrapped overlapped ends becoming stronger and stronger after wrapping, wherein said means for applying solvent comprises a gravure roll, rotatable about a vertical axis, with its periphery engaging the label carried by the drum, and further comprising a vertical fountain engaging said roll with means for supplying solvent to said fountain, said solvent supplying means further comprises an elevated container for said solvent, means for cooling the solvent in said container, means connecting the bottom of said solvent container to the bottom of said fountain and means connected to the top of said fountain for returning excess solvent from said fountain to said elevated container.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 302 words

In apparatus for applying labels to the cylindrical body of containers wherein the labels are individually cut from a moving web of a film-foam laminate of a thermoplastic polymer and carried by a vacuum drum from the cutting zone to a label applying zone, the improvement comprising means for applying a solvent for the polymer to at least two finite areas of the foam side of the label as it is being carried on the drum with the two areas being spaced apart such that one is adjacent the leading edge of the label and the other is a strip covering the trailing edge the solvent dissolving the polymer of the foam layer rapidly to form a momentary tacky bond at the finite areas of the leading edge sufficient to tack the label to the container, the leading edge bond becoming weaker and weaker as the solvent evaporates, there being means to wrap the label around the container while the leading edge bond is tacky enough to secure the label to the container sufficiently to anchor the leading edge thereto for wrapping, the bond formed by the tacky solution of the polymer in the solvent in the wrapped overlapped ends becoming stronger and stronger after wrapping, wherein said means for applying solvent comprises a gravure roll, rotatable about a vertical axis, with its periphery engaging the label carried by the drum, and further comprising a vertical fountain engaging said roll with means for supplying solvent to said fountain, said solvent supplying means further comprises an elevated container for said solvent, means for cooling the solvent in said container, means connecting the bottom of said solvent container to the bottom of said fountain and means connected to the top of said fountain for returning excess solvent from said fountain to said elevated container.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 257 words

In a method of providing a label around a container having a body whereby the label is wrapped around the container and the plastic label comprises a foam polymer layer, the method comprising the steps of: A. transporting toward a wrapping station a sheet of the plastic label stock whereby the transporting is continuous and the length axis of the stock is parallel to the horizontal; B. cutting the stock to form a plurality of labels of a desired length; C. moving the leading edge of the label to a vacuum drum; D. placing and guiding the label on the periphery of the drum with the top face next to the peripheral drum surface; and E. wrapping the label around the container, the improvement comprising: F. just before wrapping, applying a low boiling, quick evaporating solvent for the polymer of the foam layer to the underside of the foam layer in at least a finite area adjacent the leading edge of the label to form a momentary tacky bond that is a viscous tacky solution of the polymer in the solvent in the finite area, the bond between the label and the container becoming weaker and weaker after wrapping, whereby the label can be easily and cleanly stripped from the container so the container can be recycled; and G. applying the solvent to a finite area of the trailing edge to form a solid adhesive bond between the foam layer and the overlapped end of the label, the bond at the overlapped ends becoming stronger and stronger.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 257 words

In a method of providing a label around a container having a body whereby the label is wrapped around the container and the plastic label comprises a foam polymer layer, the method comprising the steps of: A. transporting toward a wrapping station a sheet of the plastic label stock whereby the transporting is continuous and the length axis of the stock is parallel to the horizontal; B. cutting the stock to form a plurality of labels of a desired length; C. moving the leading edge of the label to a vacuum drum; D. placing and guiding the label on the periphery of the drum with the top face next to the peripheral drum surface; and E. wrapping the label around the container, the improvement comprising: F. just before wrapping, applying a low boiling, quick evaporating solvent for the polymer of the foam layer to the underside of the foam layer in at least a finite area adjacent the leading edge of the label to form a momentary tacky bond that is a viscous tacky solution of the polymer in the solvent in the finite area, the bond between the label and the container becoming weaker and weaker after wrapping, whereby the label can be easily and cleanly stripped from the container so the container can be recycled; and G. applying the solvent to a finite area of the trailing edge to form a solid adhesive bond between the foam layer and the overlapped end of the label, the bond at the overlapped ends becoming stronger and stronger.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 84 words

A method as defined in claim 3 in which there are the steps of: supplying methylene chloride to a fountain, providing a gravure roll with an indented area to correspond to the finite areas to be made in the foam layer, supplying methylene chloride to the indented areas, and lightly contacting the foam layer against the gravure roll to apply methylene chloride to the foam layer to form in each of the finite areas a momentary tacky solution of the polymer in methylene chloride.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method as defined in claim 3 in which the solvent when applied becomes a very tacky solution in less than about 1/2 second.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 22 words

A method as defined in claim 3 further comprising the step of controlling the temperature of the solvent to about 55° F.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method as defined in claim 3 in which the container is a biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate carbonated beverage bottle.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 37 words

A method as defined in claim 3 in which the label is a coextruded label having a solid polymer layer with printing indicia thereon and a foam polystyrene layer that is next to the container when wrapped.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 72 words

A method as defined in claim 3, in which the step of applying methylene chloride solvent is by providing a gravure roll with indented areas corresponding to the finite areas to be made in the foam layer, and lightly contacting the foam layer against the gravure roll to apply the methylene chloride to the foam layer in the finite areas, thereby forming a momentary tacky solution of the polymer in methylene chloride.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as defined in claim 9 in which there is an additional step of controlling the temperature of the methylene chloride within the fountain to about 52° to 58° F.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1989-03-03	1989-09-02	1990-03-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1993-03-03	1993-09-02	1994-03-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1997-03-03	1997-09-02	1998-03-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus and method for wrapping a plastic label around a container

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