Method and apparatus for placing tags on produce and the like

Apparatus for bunching vegetables and like articles and for placing a closure or tag thereon comprising a plurality of arms (27) for holding and stretching an elastic band and a channel (34) along which is fed a strip (15) of tags. As the elastic band is stretched taut to a smaller cross section, it intersects the tag and enters the aperture (20) therein. With relaxation of the elastic band the tag is pulled from the strip and remains on the band to identify the bunched articles. Bending of the strip by the arm end (45) weakens the strip connecting webs (17) to allow separation of the end tag.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to apparatus for placing identification tags on 
bunches of produce and the like. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Many vegetables such as broccoli, celery, carrots and the like are bunched 
and tied for shipment to the market and for sale in the supermarket. While 
several methods for bunching are used today, one of the most advantageous 
holds the bunches by use of a rubber band. The rubber band is placed 
around the bunches and the bunches are inserted into shipping cartons for 
transport to the market. 
With the various advertising and promotion programs to build the market, 
suppliers of produce prefer to place an identification on their produce. 
Also many suppliers desire to communicate recipes and other information to 
the consumer. Also where other articles other than produce are bunched, 
identification or other information may be necessary. One method involves 
placing the produce in plastic bags having identification and other 
information thereon; also attempts have been made to print on the rubber 
bands used for bunching the vegetables. Both methods have their particular 
disadvantages. 
It is the primary purpose of the subject invention to provide a simple yet 
effective method and apparatus for identifying and otherwise communicating 
information to the consumer of bunched vegetables and other products. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The method and apparatus for bunching vegetables and like products wherein 
means are provided for holding and feeding forward a tag having an opening 
therein for receiving a rubber band, means for aligning the tag with a 
predetermined path, means for receiving and stretching a rubber band to 
traverse said predetermined path so as to cause the stretched and reduced 
area of the rubber band into engagement with the tag, means for relaxing 
and allowing the rubber band to expand in cross sectional area so as to 
attach to and pull the tag from the holder thereby attaching the tag to 
the rubber band.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
In FIG. 1 is shown a typical bunch 10 of broccoli which is held by a rubber 
band 11. This produce is typical of the type of product which growers 
desire to have identified with their trademark. For this purpose a closure 
12 fixed to the rubber band can either have printed thereon the necessary 
information or can have attached thereto a label 14. These closures are 
made in a combination closure-label strip 15 (FIG. 2) embodying a series 
of consecutive closures 12 which are integrally connected by webs 17 and 
have secured thereto by glue or the like (not shown) a series of 
paperboard labels 14. 
The strip 15 is made of a plastic material that is relatively thin and 
stiff. The plastic material is weakened at regularly spaced intervals 
along transverse lines normal to the side edges of the strip by the 
formation of a hole 18 bordering said transverse line. There is also 
formed in opposite side edges of the strip at each such line a pair of 
notches 19 with the inner points of the notches being separated from the 
outer extremities of the holes 18 by the webs 17 which integrally unite 
consecutive closures. Each closure 12 is provided with an aperture 20 
which is disposed adjacent and connected to one of the holes 18 by a 
narrow opening 21 positioned between the notches 19. The label 14 is fixed 
to the closure near the end opposite the aperture 20. 
The produce is bunched by first being grouped together and then being 
inserted through an opening 25 in a plate 26 (FIGS. 3 and 4) having 
stretched therearound the rubber band 11 as shown in FIG. 4. The apparatus 
for stretching the band comprises a plurality of arms 27 each supported on 
the plate 26 by a pivot 23. Thus each arm can pivot in a plane parallel to 
the plane of the plate. The arms are attached together by a series of 
rigid linkages 28 which are pivotally attached thereto with one arm being 
pivotally attached to a rod 29 extending to an actuator 30. By supplying 
pressured fluid through a tube 31, the actuator can be caused to move the 
rod 29 for pivoting the arms in unison to the position shown in FIG. 4. 
Normally the compression spring 29A located inside the actuator maintains 
the arms in a position shown in FIG. 3. 
Each arm carries at the end a hook 32 having a tip extending normal to the 
arm and on which the rubber band can rest when the arms are moved to the 
centering position. When the arms are actuated to the extended position 
the rubber band is stretched therebetween for insertion of the bunch 10 
and thereafter by relaxation of the arms the rubber band is allowed to 
close around the bunch. For a more thorough description of this apparatus 
reference can be made of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 06/380,515 filed 
on May 21, 1982 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,241 with Curtis L. Parry et al as 
inventors and entitled Apparatus for Bunching, Trimming and Banding 
Vegetables. 
It has been found that a closure 12 can be placed on the rubber band 11 in 
the manner shown in FIG. 1 for identification of the origin of the produce 
or articles and such other information as desired by the supplier. In 
accordance with the invention the rubber band is stretched to reduce the 
cross section thereof and to hold a section taut. Thereafter the band and 
closure are brought together with the band in alignment with the opening 
21 for passage thereof between the holding points 22 and into the aperture 
20. Because of the ribbon cross section, the band will pass between the 
holding points and thereafter flatten thereagainst as it is relaxed to 
separate the closure from the strip with severance of the webs 17 by 
mechanically breaking the attached points of the closure. The closure thus 
remains on the band as the band is relaxed around the produce. Thus the 
band functions to assist in separating the closure from the strip. 
In accordance with the invention the closure is placed on the rubber band 
10 as it is stretched for placement around the bunch. In this manner the 
rubber band serves to assist in separating the closure from the strip and 
the closure is positioned on the strip as the band is stretched. The strip 
15 is fed into a channel 34 formed by the parallel guides 36 and 37 and 
moved forward until the forward end contacts an abutment 38. Usually the 
strip is wound in a spiral and a flat magazine (not shown) can be 
provided. Thereafter with actuation of the arms, the arm 27A is rotated in 
the clockwise direction to carry with it an attached lever 39. This lever 
rides against a pin 40 fixed to a second lever 41 pivotally fixed to the 
plate 26 by a pin 42. A spring 44 normally keeps the second lever into 
contact with the first lever. 
With rotation of the first lever, the second lever is pushed until the 
normally extending end 45 contacts the forward closure and bends that 
closure at the webs 17 to extend normal along a guide 46 forming an 
extension of the guide 36. This guide 46 includes guides 47 aligning 
generally with the aperture 20 of the closure and also with the path of 
the rubber band as it is stretched. Thus the band is forced through the 
opening 21 and into the aperture 20. The band naturally is turned sidewise 
as it passes between the points 22 and thereafter flattens again so that 
with relaxation thereof the closure is pulled from the strip and remains 
on the rubber band. The webs 17 are substantially broken when the lever 
end 45 bends the strip. 
With relaxation of the actuator 30 the band is allowed to relax around the 
bunch and a third lever 43 contacts an arm 48 pivotally attached to the 
plate 26 by a pin 49. Attached to the other end of this arm is a detent 50 
extending through a slot 51 in the guide 36. A spring 52 extends between 
the third arm 48 and detent. Thus as the lever 48 is rotated in the 
clockwise direction the detent drops into the aperture 20 of the strip and 
with further movement, shifts the strip lengthwise to move the end thereof 
once again into contact with the abutment 38. A spring 55 holds the end of 
the strip into close contact with the guide 36 so that the web 17 will be 
broken as the next closure is folded against the guide 46. The spring 55 
allows passage of the label 14 through the guides 36 and 37 and the 
bending of the strip for separation of one closure and label therefrom. 
Thus it can be seen that the closure is placed on the rubber band and the 
band is manipulated in the normal manner for placement on the bunch. The 
taut and therefore reduced cross section of the rubber band allows passage 
of the band between the holding points of the closure to thereafter 
contact the points as the rubber band is relaxed to pull the closure from 
the strip.