Patent ID: 9457587
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: B41J,B65C

Claim Text:
1. An automatic, thermal print on demand, labeling machine used to apply thermographic labels to produce, wherein a label applicator having a plurality of bellows carried on an indexable rotary head is utilized to transfer individual thermographic labels from a label carrier strip, onto the tip of a single bellow, and thereafter onto individual items of produce wherein said rotary head has a horizontal axis of rotation, comprising: a thermal print head positioned above said axis of rotation of said rotary head, a rotatable, cylindrical platen positioned above said axis of rotation of said rotary head and opposite said thermal print head means for moving said label carrier strip downwardly between said platen and said thermal print head a thermal print region between said thermal print head and said platen, at which region said thermal print head transfers heat to each of said thermographic labels to apply a code to said labels a label stripper pin positioned below said rotating platen, said label stripper pin being positioned a distance from said thermal print region wherein said distance is sufficiently small that a label is printed and dispensed onto a bellow in one index of said rotary head.