Adhesive label or leaflet assemblies

Abstract: An adhesive label or leaflet assembly comprises a flexible carrier strip 10 with a series of labels or leaflets spaced along its length and each secured thereto by an adhesive strip 21. The face of the carrier strip 10 on which the labels or leaflets are disposed is coated with a release material, and the adhesive strip adheres to the front sheet 14 of the label or leaflet and has bands 23 extending lengthwise of the carrier strip beyond the edges of each label or leaflet and adhering to the release material. Each label or leaflet comprises a back sheet 15, a front sheet 14 and one or more further sheets 17, 19 all connected together along fold lines 16, 18, 20, the further sheets being disposed between the front and back sheets. The labels or leaflets in the resulting assembly can readily be dispensed on to a succession of containers by automatic machinery, the bands 23 then serving to secure the labels or leaflets to the containers.

Description: This invention relates to adhesive label or leaflet assemblies and is concerned with the provision of an assembly whereby individual labels or leaflets can be detached from a carrier strip and attached by automatic machines to individual articles. The strip with its charge of labels or leaflets is conveniently adapted for storing in a roll. EP-A-232054 describes an adhesive backing sheet releasably adhering to a release sheet, and a label secured to the adhesive backing sheet by a self-adhesive transparent sheet which overlies the label and adheres to the front face of the label and, round three sides of the label, to the backing sheet. Along the fourth side of the label, the edges of the label, the transparent sheet and the backing sheet are coincident, so that the label is contained in a pocket formed jointly by the adhesive backing sheet and the transparent sheet. The label has front, back and intermediate sheets joined together along fold lines. In US-A-4621442 an adhesive multi-layer label is described. The multi-layer label is adhered to an adhesive front sheet that has portions extending beyond opposing edges of the multi-layer label. The multi-layer label and the adhesive front sheet are provided on a layer of adhesive that has a releasable backing so that, when the adhesive multi-layer label is applied to an article, both portions of the front sheet that extend beyond the multi-layer label as well as the rear of the multi-layer label adhere to the article. According to this invention there is provided an adhesive leaflet assembly comprising a flexible carrier strip having one of it faces coated with a release material, and a plurality of leaflets spaced from each other lengthwise of the strip each of which leaflets comprises a front sheet, a back sheet connected along a first transverse edge to the front sheet, and one or more further sheets disposed between the front and back sheets and connected thereto, and adhesive sheet means overlying each leaflet and adhering to the front sheet thereof and extending beyond the leaflet at both transverse edges of the leaflet, characterised in that both of the lengthwise extending margins of the carrier strip extend laterally beyond the lengthwise extending edges of the leaflets and of the adhesive sheet means, whereby said margins provide selvedges, the edge of the back sheet opposite said one edge is lightly tacked to the adhesive sheet means or to the rear face of the front sheet and in that the plurality of leaflets are mounted directly on the said one face of the carrier strip and the portions of the adhesive sheet means which extend beyond the leaflet are adherent directly to the said one face of the carrier strip. The adhesive sheet means may extend beyond the lengthwise extending edges of the leaflet to engage said coated face of the strip, so that the leaflet is wholly enclosed. The adhesive sheet may be translucent or opaque but is preferably transparent. The opposite edge of the back sheet remote from said first line may be adhesively tacked indirectly to the adhesive sheet means by positioning the second fold line beyond the free edge of the front sheet, or by cutting away parts of the free edge of the front sheet, e.g. at its corners, or by forming one or more holes in the front sheet adjacent its free edge so that the part or parts of said further sheet behind the hole or holes can adhere to the adhesive sheet means. The invention also provides a method of forming an adhesive leaflet assembly comprising the steps of placing at spaced intervals along a flexible carrier strip a plurality of leaflets one face of the carrier strip being coated with a release material, each of which leaflets comprises a front sheet, a back sheet connected to the front sheet along a first fold line, and one or more further sheets connected to the back sheet and disposed between the front and back sheets, placing over the carrier strip and the leaflets an adhesive strip of translucent or transparent sheet material so as to cover the whole of each leaflet and to adhere to the front sheet of each leaflet, and die-cutting through everything but the carrier strip about each leaflet but leaving a transversely extending band of the adhesive strip extending beyond the transverse edges of each leaflet and removing the excess adhesive strip, characterised in that the leaflets are placed directly on the coated face of the carrier strip, in that the edge of the back sheet (15) opposite the first fold line (16) is lightly tacked to the adhesive sheet material (21) or to the rear face of the front sheet (14) and in that the adhesive strip, where it extends beyond the leaflets, is adherent directly to the coated face of the carrier strip so as to leave each leaflet secured to said one face of the carrier strip by said transversely extending bands of the adhesive strip, and in that in removing the excess adhesive strip the lengthwise extending margins of the carrier strip are left devoid of covering. The terms "transversely" "transverse" and "longitudinally" are used herein to specify directions in relation to the carrier strip. Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the first stage in one method of manufacturing leaflets according to the invention, Figure 2 is an edgewise view of a strip of the leaflets on an enlarged scale, Figures 3 and 4 show two further stages in the method Figure 5 is an edgewise view of the leaflets on the carrier web on an enlarged scale, and Figures 6 and 7 illustrate modifications of the method. Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, a carrier web 10 of paper having a release coating on its upper surface has placed on it a series of strips 11 of leaflets, each strip extending transversely of the web but terminating short of the side edges of the web, and being spaced lengthwise of the web from the next adjacent strips. Each strip comprises four leaflets 12 with between them, transversely of the web, bands 13 which serve to connect the leaflets 12 together at this stage for ease of handling but which are eventually to be discarded. Each strip of leaflets is in one piece and comprises, as shown viewed edgewise transversely of the web 10 in Figure 2, a front sheet 14, a back sheet 15 slightly longer than the front sheet and connected to the front sheet along a transverse fold line 16, first further sheet 17 connected to the back sheet 15 along a fold line 18, and a second further sheet 19 connected to the further sheet 17 along a fold line 20. Sheets 17 and 19 are disposed between the front and back sheets. Each leaflet may incorporate, in addition to matter identifying the article to which it is to be attached, instructions for use of the article, maker's guarantee, or other matter. A transparent web 21 with adhesive on its rear face is placed lengthwise over the carrier web 10 and the strips of leaflets 12, so that the front sheets 14 of the strips of leaflets and the exposed surface portions of the carrier web 10 adhere to it. Since the back sheet 15 is slightly longer than the front sheet 14 a narrow margin 22 of the sheet 17 projects beyond the free edge 14a of the front sheet 14 and becomes lightly tacked to the adhesive rear face of the transparent web 21. Referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings, the assembly of the carrier web 10, strips 11 and transparent web 21 is subjected to a die-cutting operation which cuts through the transparent web 21 and the strip 11 but not the carrier web 10 and divides each strip into its four constituent leaflets and separates the bands 13 from the leaflets 12, leaving each leaflet attached to the carrier web by two strips 23 of the transparent web extending beyond the fold lines 16, 18 of the leaflet. The transparent web 21 is then separated from the carrier web, taking with it the bands 13, but leaving a rectangle of the web material over each leaflet, and is discarded. The carrier web 10 carrying its rows of four leaflets is then slit lengthwise along the lines 24 shown in Figure 4 into four strips 25 each carrying a succession of leaflets leaving exposed two lengthwise margins 26 of the strip of web 10 material at opposite sides of the leaflets. Figure 5 shows the resulting arrangment viewed at right angles to the length of the web 10. Each strip 25 with its leaflets 12 adherent thereto is intended to be rolled up for storage purposes. When the assembly comes to be used, the strip is led round a guide presenting a relatively small radius guide surface to the rear (uncoated) face of the strip 10 and the relative stiffness of sub-assembly of the leaflet 12 and transparent sheet material causes the sub-assembly to become parted from the strip so that the adhesive rear face of the leading edge portion 23 of the panel of transparent sheet material covering the leaflet is exposed. Simultaneously the article to which the sub-assembly is to be applied is moved past the guide at a matching speed to that of the strip 25 and a transfer device causes the sub-assembly to be transferred to the article as it peels from the strip. The strip of labels or leaflets is advantageous in being well adapted for use in this way with automatic machines. The lengthwise margins or selvedges of the carrier strip, being devoid of any covering, are particularly suitable for use in such machines because the web or strip guides of the machines use the selvedge and can be snagged by a thick edge of a label or leaflet. The method of manufacture of the label or leaflet assemblies is advantageous in that the label or leaflet can be of any shape and its edges which extend lengthwise of the carrier strip need not be straight. The light tacking of the sheet 17 to the adhesive rear face of the transparent panel prevents the leaflet from opening during the transfer. Referring now to Figure 6, the further sheet 17 can alternatively be arranged to become tacked to the adhesive face of the transparent sheet by cutting off the corners of the free edge of the front sheet as shown at 27 or, as shown in Figure 7, by forming holes 28 adjacent the free edge of the front sheet 16 so that the parts of the further sheet 17 so exposed become pressed against and adherent to the said adhesive face. In another alternative arrangement (not shown) the front face of the further sheet may be tacked to the rear face of the front sheet by a transversely extending line of adhesive. In the arrangements illustrated the transparent sheet has the same width as the leaflet, but if desired, for example for weather resistant purposes, the transparent sheet may have a width greater than the label, as indicated in chain lines at 29 in Figure 6. If desired a line of perforations 30 may extend widthwise of the transparent sheet on either or both sides of the leaflet as shown in Figure 7 to facilitate access to the label or leaflet by the consumer.

Claims: An adhesive leaflet assembly comprising a flexible carrier strip (10) having one of it faces coated with a release material, and a plurality of leaflets (12) spaced from each other lengthwise of the strip (10) each of which leaflets comprises a front sheet (14), a back sheet (15) connected along a first transverse edge (16) to the front sheet, and one or more further sheets (17,19) disposed between the front and back sheets and connected thereto, and adhesive sheet means (21) overlying each leaflet (12) and adhering to the front sheet (14) thereof and extending beyond the leaflet at both transverse edges of the leaflet, characterised in that both of the lengthwise extending margins (26) of the carrier strip extend laterally beyond the lengthwise extending edges of the leaflets (12) and of the adhesive sheet means (21), whereby said margins provide selvedges, the edge of the back sheet (15) opposite said one edge (16) is lightly tacked to the adhesive sheet means (21) or to the rear face of the front sheet (14) and in that the plurality of leaflets (12) are mounted directly on the said one face of the carrier strip (10) and the portions (23) of the adhesive sheet means which extend beyond the leaflet are adherent directly to the said one face of the carrier strip (10). An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second transverse edge (18) of the back sheet (15) is adhesively tacked indirectly to the adhesive sheet means (21) by positioning a fold line which connects the back sheet (15) along its second transverse edge to said one or more further sheets beyond the free edge of the front sheet (14). An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second transverse edge (18) of the back sheet (15) remote from said first transverse edge (16) is adhesively tacked indirectly to the adhesive sheet means (21) by cutting away parts of the free edge of the front sheet (14). An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the edge (18) of the back sheet (15) remote from said first line is adhesively tacked indirectly to the adhesive sheet means (21) by forming one or more holes (28) in the front sheet adjacent its free edge so that the part or parts of said further sheet behind the hole or holes can adhere to the adhesive sheet means (21). An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lengthwise extending edges of the adhesive sheet means (21) are coincident with the lengthwise extending edges of each leaflet. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the adhesive sheet means (21) extends laterally beyond the leaflets at one or both of the lengthwise-extending edges of each leaflet. A method of forming an adhesive leaflet assembly comprising the steps of placing at spaced intervals along a flexible carrier strip (10) a plurality of leaflets (12), one face of the carrier strip being coated with a release material, each of which leaflets comprises a front sheet (14), a back sheet (15) connected to the front sheet along a first fold line (16), and one or more further sheets (17, 19) connected to the back sheet and disposed between the front and back sheets, placing over the carrier strip and the leaflets an adhesive strip of translucent or transparent sheet material (21) so as to cover the whole of each leaflet (12) and to adhere to the front sheet (14) of each leaflet, and die-cutting through everything but the carrier strip (10) about each leaflet but leaving a transversely extending band (23) of the adhesive strip extending beyond the transverse edges of each leaflet and removing the excess adhesive strip, characterized in that the leaflets (12) are placed directly on the coated face of the carrier strip (10), in that the edge of the back sheet (15) opposite the first fold line (16) is lightly tacked to the adhesive sheet material (21) or to the rear face of the front sheet (14) and in that the adhesive strip (21), where it extends beyond the leaflets, is adherent directly to the coated face of the carrier strip (10) so as to leave each leaflet secured to said one face of the carrier strip (10) by said transversely extending bands (23) of the adhesive strip, and in that in removing the excess adhesive strip the lengthwise extending margins (26) of the carrier strip are left devoid of covering. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein strips of the leaflets (12), formed integrally with each other with separating portions (13) between each two next adjacent leaflets in each strip, are placed to extend transversely of a carrier web and are covered by the adhesive strip (21), whereby, after the die-cutting, removal of the excess adhesive strip removes said separating portions (13), and comprising the further step of slitting the carrier web lengthwise along the former location of the separating portions (13) to form a plurality of carrier strips each carrying leaflets (12) secured thereto at spaced intervals along its length and each having its lengthwise margins (26) devoid of covering by the adhesive strip or the leaflets.

Inventors: HOWARD ROBIN GEORGE, HOWARD, ROBIN GEORGE
Applicants: DENNY BROS PRINTING, DENNY BROS. PRINTING LIMITED
Application year: 1988
Main classification: G09F3
IPC codes: G09F3, B31D1