Abstract:
There are disclosed a composite label for use in garments and other substrates and method of labeling. The composite label includes at least one label and a connector. The connector may be attached to a garment and subsequently the label(s) may be detached from the connector without cutting the label from the garment. The method includes attaching the composite label to a garment, and subsequently replacing one or more labels with another label or labels.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field 
         [0002]    The embodiments relate to the field of labeling. 
         [0003]    2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    A prior art disclosure is shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9  and is described in the specification. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,489 is made of record. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    An embodiment includes a composite label that can be attached to a garment, wherein the composite label includes at least one fabric label containing information, and a connector preferably composed of fabric, wherein the label is removably connected to the connector without cutting the label, and the connector is capable of being secured to a garment. It is preferred that the connector comprise a panel having opposite sides, wherein there are at least two fabric labels, wherein one of the labels is removably connected to one side of the panel, and wherein the other label is removably connected to the other side of the panel. It is preferred that the labels are connected or attached to the connector by a connection which is weak enough so that the labels can be manually pulled or stripped from the panel, but which is strong enough to endure repeated washings or dry cleanings. The connection can be by an adhesive or by a heat seal such as an ultrasonic seal or connection. It is preferred that the labels and the connector be composed of a fabric material which is essentially unreceptive to colored dyes. 
         [0007]    An embodiment of a method of labeling includes providing at least one fabric label removably connected to a fabric connector without cutting, connecting the connector to a garment, removing at least one of the labels, and adhering a different label or labels to the connector. The garment may be dyed after the connector is connected to the garment but before the different label(s) is (are) adhered to the connector. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAMMATIC DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a fragmentary pictorial view of a garment showing a composite garment label according to an embodiment; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial view of a composite label attached to a garment; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational view as seen from the left side of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a rear elevational view as seen from the left side of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an elevational view of a connector of the composite garment label, wherein the connector is attached to the garment, and from where the labels have been removed; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a pictorial view showing labels that differ from the labels shown in  FIG. 1 through 4 , attached to the connector; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of the composite label and a fragment of the garment shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a pictorial view of a prior art composite label on a garment; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a side elevational view of the composite label and a fragment of a garment as seen from the left side of  FIG. 8 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    With reference initially to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a fabric garment generally indicated at G such as a shirt. A composite label generally indicated at  10  is shown to be adhered to the inside of the garment G. Although the embodiment is illustrated to be a composite label  10  for use on a garment G it is capable of being attached to substrates other than garments. The composite label  10  may be attached to the garment G by sewing or stitching  11  as shown, or adhesively, or by heat sealing, or ultrasonically which is a type of heat connection. 
         [0018]    The composite label  10  is shown in  FIGS. 2 through 4  in different views. At least one and preferably two labels  12  and  13  may be attached to a connector or hanger  14 . The labels  12  and  13  and the connector  14  can be comprised of any suitable material such as fabric, either woven or non-woven, polyester being the most preferred material. The connector  14  is shown attached to the garment by the sewing or stitching  11 . The labels  12  and  13  are each attached to the connector  14  between ends  15  and  16  of the connector  14 . The labels  12  and  13  are most preferably attached to the connector  14  by an ultrasonic connection, but they can be connected to the connector  14  by adhesive, or other suitable means. The ultrasonic connection may be considered to be an ultrasonic weld or weldment. One or both labels  12  and  13  are releasably attached to the connector  14  so that one or both of the labels  12  and  13  can be separated from the connector  14  as by manually pulling on the label  12  and/or  13 , without the need to cut the label  12  or  13  from the connector  14  or without the need to cut the connector  14  and/or the labels  12  and/or  13 . In that the need to cut the label  12  and/or  13  from the connector  14  or to cut the connector  14  is obviated, therefore, there is no chance that any cutting action will result in cutting the garment G or other substrate. The connector  14  may be rectangular as shown, but it can have other shapes. The connector  14  is preferably attached to the garment G at a marginal area  17  adjacent edge  15  and the remainder of the connector  14  is shown to be unattached and to be a tab. The labels  12  and  13  are illustrated in  FIG. 2  to be flared outwardly and downwardly from the connector  14  for clarity of illustration.  FIG. 4  is a view of the composite label  10  without showing the garment G. In that  FIG. 4  is a view taken from the left side of  FIG. 3 , the label  12  is shown in elevation with a corner turned up to show the label  13 . As is evident from the  FIGS. 2 and 4  particularly, both sides of the label can have indicia I, either printed or woven. Usually one label such as a label  13  can comprise indicia such as advertising material, for example, the manufacturer&#39;s logo, and the other label  12  can comprise legally required information such as the country of origin, size, composite of the material and the like. 
         [0019]    The labels  12  and  13  are shown to be generally rectangular and to be separately releasably adhered to the connector  14  at margins  18  and  19 . The margins or end portions  18  and  19  are adjacent label ends  20  and  21 . The label ends  20  and  21  are spaced from respective label ends  22  and  23 . The connection of the labels  12  and  13  to the connector  14  is preferably strong enough to keep the labels adhered to the connector  14  during repeated washings or dry cleanings, yet the connection is weak enough so that either one or both of the labels  12  or  13  can be manually pulled or stripped away from the connector  14  without destroying the connector  14  or the garment G. The areas of attachment or the attachments or the connections are indicated at  24  and  25 . One or both of the connections  24  and  25  are shown by cross-hatching in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4  and by a squiggly line in  FIG. 4 . The attachments  24  and  25  are at margins  18  and  19  and are adjacent the edges  20  and  21  at end portions  18  and  19  of the labels  12  and  13 . The labels  12  and  13  are preferably attached only at one end portion so that the labels  12  and  13  hang naturally as they should and look like and act as tabs. While the attachments  24  and  25 , and thus the labels  12  and  13  are shown to be aligned, that is attached at the same places between ends  15  and  16  of the connector  14 , they may be offset or staggered by being attached at different places between the ends  15  and  16  of the connector  14 . The labels  12  and  13  can have shapes other than rectangular, if desired. 
         [0020]    It is preferred that the connector  14  and the labels  12  and  13  be comprised of a material which is unreceptive to colored dyes. One such material is polyester, but other materials such as nylon can be used. 
         [0021]    One use of the composite label  10  is as follows: The composite label  10  is sold to a garment manufacturer where the composite label  10  is sewn or otherwise adhered to a garment as, for example, by sewing the connector  14  as shown at  11 . The garment manufacturer may or may not dye the garment. Because preferably both the labels  12  and  13  and the connector  14  are comprised of a material which is unreceptive to the dye, the garment which is receptive to the dye is dyed but the composite label  11  is not dyed. The dyed or undyed garment can be sold to a wholesaler, distributor or other intermediary that removes one or both of the labels and adheres its own label or labels to the connector  14 .  FIG. 5  shows a fragment of the garment G and the connector  14  from which the labels  12  and  13  have been removed. Because the labels  12  and  13  have been connected to the connector  14 , a mark or telltale indication may be left on the connector  14  as indicated at  26 .  FIG. 6  shows new or different labels  27  and  28  attached by sewing or stitching  29 , but any other suitable means of attachment such as adhesive or heat sealing including ultrasonically connecting or sealing can be used. The composite label  10  can be dyed either before or after the new labels  27  and/or  28  have been attached to the connector  14 , but dyeing before attachment of the new labels  27  and/or  28  to the connector  14  is preferred. In the case of dyeing after the attachment of the new labels  27  and/or  28 , the material of which the labels  27  and  28  is constructed should preferably be unreceptive to the dye. The manner of attachment of the labels  27  and  28  is such that the attachment to the connector  14  is permanent, that is, not only should the thus modified composite label be preferably able to endure repeated washings or dry cleanings, but the attachment of the labels to the connector  14  is preferably such that the labels  27  and  28  are not removable except by cutting them apart from the connector  14 . The labels  27  and  28  can be of any suitable material such as fabric, plastics or the like. Both sides of each label  27  and  28  can bear indicia I′. 
         [0022]    The wholesaler may desire to leave the label  13  with the legally required information attached to the connector  14  and to just remove the label  13  with the manufacturer&#39;s information and replace label  13  with the wholesaler&#39;s own label. The wholesaler&#39;s label may be sewn or otherwise suitably attached permanently enough to endure repeated washings or dry cleanings and so that it cannot be removed except by cutting. 
         [0023]      FIGS. 8 and 9  show a prior art type of label known as a “booklet label” and indicated by reference character  30 . The label  30  is formed into a loop at a fold  31  having two panels or label portions  32  and  33 , each of which can carry indicia I″ on both sides thereof. The composite label  30  can be attached to the garment, as by sewing or stitching  34 . The composite label  30  has been comprised of any suitable material such as acetate, polyester or the like. 
         [0024]    Other embodiments and modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and all such of these as come within the spirit of this invention are included within its scope as best defined by the appended claims.