Method of producing labels and a label

Abstract: Method of producing labels comprising of the steps: - providing an elongate support web of which the rear surface is self-adhesive and is carried on a length of release backing material; - disposing a succession of folded sheets in a row along the length of the support web; and that partly the width of the front surface of the sup­ port web is covered along the length with a continuous strip of an adhesive layer before disposing the succession of sheets along the length of the support web. Each folded sheet is manufactured out of a longitudinal strip of equal width, by the following steps: - first the length of the strip is divided into a row of an equal number of panels along corresponding trans­ verse fold lines, of which the length of the first three panels are more or less equal and the last panel is at least a quarter longer than the first panel, - that next the strip is folded along the fold lines except at the fold line between the first and the second panel, - that next by means of a punch all the panels except the first panel are cut such, that the width of the first panel is being wider in the transverse direction than the other panels and that the last panel has become a tab, which is in the transverse direction shorter than the width of the last panel and - that the first panel is folded backwards such that all the panels are in between the first and second panel and the first panel is used as web of laminar material or cover sheet for the folded sheets.

Description: The invention relates to a method of producing labels and a label produced by this method. The method comprises the steps of: providing an elongate support web of which the rear surface is self-adhesive and is carried on a length of release backing material; providing an adhesive covering on the front surface of the support web; disposing a succession of folded sheets in a row along the length of the support web, the upper panel of the folded sheet which is the panel furthest from the support web having a width which is wider than that of the other panels of the sheet such tat it acts as a cover sheet for the folded sheet; Such a method is known from the European Patent EP-A-0 201 353 in this European Patent Application labels are described which are placed on a support web of which the rear surface is self adhesive. The labels described in the EP-A- 0 201 353 are labels which contain a folded sheet with information, however the folded sheet can not easily be pulled out of the cover. Labels are sheets of thin material, in particular of paper, which are or can be provided with an adhesive layer, in order to permit adhesion to a desired surface. Many types of labels are known, and they can be individual or can form part of a strip or sheet form which the individual labels can be removed as desired. It is becoming increasingly common to provide labels with a self-adhesive layer and then to place them on a protective sheet or strip, from which the labels can subsequently be removed as desired. The need often arises to provide the user with a great deal more information then a label can contain. Accordingly self-adhesive labels having multiple layers covered by an overlaid sheet become more and more in use. However, success in the label market requires that such labels are manufactured with low costs. Even more important is that such labels can be attached automatically to products by using a machine. The European patent application EP 0 232 054 describes a method to make labels, which are self-adhesive and which are carried on a release backing material. The labels described in this application are labels which contain a folded sheet with information, however the folded sheet can not easily pulled out of the cover; the cover has to be destroyed to reach the folded sheet. Another disadvantage of the method described is that the folded sheets after being disposed on the support web do not stay accurately in position without the use of an adhesive on the rear surface of the sheets, before they are covered by the self-adhered laminar web. So the sheets do adhered to both, the support web and the covering web which make it even more difficult to take the sheet out of the cover. The aim of the invention is to provide a multi-layered label of which the folded sheet can easily be pulled out of the cover and a method to manufacture such a label without the disadvantages mentioned above. The object of the invention is provided by a method according to the present invention for producing labels, the method comprising the aforementioned steps and characterized in that the adhesive covering on the front surface of the support web is a continuous strip along the length of the support web and has a width which is less than the width of the support web such that the two edge portions of the upper panel are not adhered to the support web over their whole surfaces. Hence, the sheet is inside an envelope which is formed of the supporting web and the covering sheet which both adhere to each other at the edges only partly. As the ends of the edges of the covering sheet are not adhered to the support web, the sheet can be taken out of the envelope more easily than if the edges were stuck to the support web over the whole length. The object of the invention can also be reached with a method according to the invention in which both the rear and the front surface of the support web are self-adhesive and that both surfaces are covered by a releasable backing material, and that the releasable backing material covering the front surface of the support web is cut along the length and that a part of the releasable backing material is taken away before disposing the row of sheets, such that sheets are disposed on the support web, directly on the adhesive upper layer on which the cover material has been taken away. In a preferred embodiment of the label manufactured according to the invention, the label is characterised in that the label comprises a longitudinal strip which is divided into a row of four or more panels by corresponding transverse old lines, the first panel being wider in the transverse direction that the remaining panels, the strip folded back and forth along the fold lines and that the first panel is used as covering sheet and that in between the second and the third panel a punch has made a notch or score on both sides. In the European patent application EP 0201353 a label is described which can be fixed to a container and comprises a longitudinal strip which is divided into a row of four or more panels by three or more corresponding transverse fold lines, the first panel being wider in the transverse direction than the remaining panels and the remaining panels being folded about the respective fold lines to lie over the rear face of the first panel so that two opposing longitudinal edge regions of the rear face of the first panel are left uncovered by the remaining panels . By means of the edge regions and/or the rear side of the second panel the longitudinal strip is adhered to a support web, such that the remaining panels are disposed between the first panel and the support web. This label described in this European patent application is more or less similar to the label manufactured by the method according to this invention. However a disadvantage in manufacturing this label is, that the adhesive layer that makes the sheet adhere to the supporting web has to be applied at least on the rear surface of the two edge regions of the first panel; consequently it is not easy to position the sheets on the supporting web with the adhesive on the rear surface of the sheets. Also the edges are adhered to the support web along the whole length which means that a sheet cannot be taken out of the envelope as easily as when the edges are not adhered to the support web along the whole length. Such a multilayered label is intended for use in particular for advertising purposes, in which case the intermediate sheet carries e.g. an advertising message which is already referred to in the printing on the covering sheet, a certain surprise effect thereby being obtained. Of course, the labels according to the invention are not restricted to this application, which is mentioned by way of example. The invention will be explained below in greater detail with reference to the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows a view in perspective of the separated parts of a preferred embodiment of a label according to the invention; Figs. 2 show a cross-section of a label according to Figure 1; Fig. 3 show top view of a label according to Figure 1; Fig. 4 a, b, c, d show in four steps the method to manufacture according to the invention of a folded sheet with seven panels; Fig 5 shows a schematic representation, for purposes of clarification, of a method of producing a label according to the invention; Fig. 6 shows schematically another possible method of producing a label according to the invention. The label illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing comprises a bottom sheet 1, whose top surface is provided with two strips 2, 3 of an adhesive layer, and a longitudinal strip 4 e.g. paper, which is divided into a row of panels 5, 6, 7, 8, by corresponding transverse fold lines 9, 10, 11, the first panel 5 being wider in the transverse direction than each of the remaining panels 6, 7 and 8. The strip 4 is folded back and forth along the fold lines 9, 10, 11, such that the first panel 5 is used as covering web and between the first panel 5 and the second panel 6 all the other panels 7, 8 are folded such that a tab 12 on the fourth panel 8 protrudes beyond the end of the first panel 5. The first panel 5 is wider than each of the remaining panels 6, 7, 8 and at the two opposing longitudinal sides two edges 13, 14 are formed which are disposed outside the width of the remaining panels 6, 7, 8. After the label has been formed the second panel 6 and the two edges 13, 14 will adhere to the support web 1 by means of the adhesive strips 2, 3, which adhesive strips could be rather small in width.. Figures 4 A, B, C and D show schematically the method to make the folded strips 4. A longitudinal strip 4 (figure 4A) is folded along transverse fold lines 10, 11 (figure 4B) and not along the line 9 between the first 5 and second panel 6. Than by means of a punch (not shown in the figure) the panels 6, 7 and 8 are cut in a desired shape (figure 4 C). In this way the sheets are disposed on the support web 1. As example figure 4 D shows the form of the unfolded strip 4 after it has been cut by the punch in the desired form. The unfolded strip shows that in between the second 6 and third panel 7 the punch has made a notch or score 15 on both sides. This can be helpful to pull out the panels inside the envelope, formed by the first panel 5 and the second panel 6. The parts 7,8 remains attached to the bottom sheet 6 and can be torn off if desired and the notches 15, it also being possible to provide a tear-off perforation for this, if desired. Such labels can be manufactured in the known manner to form strips or sheets, in particular by providing the rear surface or bottom side of the bottom sheets 1 with a self-adhesive layer on which a carrier or protective strip or sheet is placed. Figure 5 and 6 show a schematic representation of two different apparatus for producing labels as shown to Figures 1, 2 and 3 on a length of release backing material, in accordance with the present invention. Figure 5 show a reel 16 of an elongate web of a self-adhesive support web 17 carried on a release backing material 18 which is mounted and unwound along a pathway to a adhesive applying station 19 and then to a folded sheet applying station 20. At the adhesive applying station 19 two strips 2, 3 of an adhesive material are applied on the upper surface 21 of the elongate support web 17. At the sheet applying station 20 folded sheets 22 are positioned successively in a row along the elongate support web 17, each folded sheet 22 being spaced from the adjacent two folded sheets 22 and extending laterally across the support web 17. The upper surface 21 of the support web 17 has a succession of printed images thereon and the folded sheets 22 are applied so that each folded sheet 22 is in registry with the printed image. The folded sheets 22 are accurately maintained in position on the support web 17 as they adhere to the layers of adhesive material applied at the adhesive applying station 19. The composite web with the sheets 22 on it is then fed to a die-cutting 23 consisting of an upper, die-cutting roller 24 and a lower, backing roller 25. The die-cutting roller 24 is adapted to cut through all of the layers of the composite web as far as, but not through the release backing material 18. The die-cutting roller cuts around each folded sheet so as to form a succession of multiple labels each of which include a respective folded sheet which is adhered to respective support web portion by a respective portion of the laminar material. The release backing material carrying thereon the succession of labels is wound up to form a supply roll. Figure 6 shows another possible arrangement of an apparatus to carry out the method according to the invention. This apparatus has a reel 16 of an elongate web of an on both surfaces self-adhesive support web 17 carried on a release backing material 18 and covered with a release backing material 26 and which is mounted and unwound along a pathway to a cutting applying station 27 and then to a folded sheet applying station 20. Instead of an adhesive applying station 19 this apparatus has a cutting station 27, where the release backing material on top of the elongate web is cut through and next a part of the release backing material is taken away, before disposing the row of sheets, such that the sheets are disposed directly on the adhesive upper layer of the support web, of which the cover material has been taken away. It will be clear that this method is described and illustrated only by way of example, and that the labels according to the invention can also be produced in other ways, within the scope of the claims.

Claims: Method of producing labels comprising the steps of: providing an elongate support web (17) of which the rear surface is self-adhesive and is carried on a length of release backing material (18); providing an adhesive covering on the front surface of the support web (17); disposing a succession of folded sheets (4, 22) in a row along the length of the support web, the upper panel (5) of the folded sheet (4,22) which is the panel furthest from the support web (17) having a width which is wider than that of the other panels of the sheet such that it acts as a cover sheet for the folded sheet; characterised in that the adhesive covering on the front surface of the support web (17) is a continuous strip along the length of the support web and has a width which is less than the width of the support web such that the two edge portions (13, 14) of the upper panel (5) are not adhered to the support web over their whole surface. A label manufactured according to the method described in claim 1, comprising a longitudinal strip (4) which is divided into a row of four or more panels (5, 6, 7, 8) by corresponding transfer fold lines (9, 10, 11), the first panel (5) being wider in the transverse direction than the remaining panels (6, 7, 8), the strip (4) folded back and forth along the fold lines (9, 10, 11), the first panel (5) being used as a covering sheet and in between the second (6) and third panel (7) a punch has made a notch or score (15) on both sides.

Inventors: STOUTEN FRANSISCUS, STOUTEN, FRANSISCUS
Applicants: STOUTEN FRANSISCUS, STOUTEN, FRANSISCUS
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G09F3
IPC codes: B31D1, G09F3