Patent ID: 8999100
Filing Date: 2015-04-07
Classification: B65C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for applying a label to an article travelling along an article path in a labelling machine, wherein said label is received on a movable surface at an input location to be retained against said surface whilst being glued and advanced, through motion of said surface, to an output location, at which said label is transferred to said article; and wherein the article is rotated with a tangential speed about an axis whilst travelling at a speed along said path; the method comprising: providing at least three portions of said surface with independent and controllable vacuum means for retaining said label onto said surface; retaining, through application of said vacuum means, a leading edge of said label at a first one of said three portions and a trailing edge of said label at a second one of said three portions, at least whilst the label is advanced at a label process speed between said input location and said output location; a mid-section of said label facing a third one of said three portions; transferring said label onto said article; wherein said step of transferring said label onto said article comprises: curtailing the application of said vacuum means at said first one portion of said surface upon said first portion reaching said output location; and interrupting the application of said vacuum means at said third portion of said surface; the trailing edge of said label being retained at said second portion of said surface; with said process speed being greater than the speed resulting from the combination of said tangential speed and of said travelling speed.