Abstract:
There is disclosed a web of record assemblies, wherein each record assembly includes a single-ply tag and a single-ply adhesive-backed label. The pressure sensitive adhesive on the label is releasably adhered to a release liner which underlies the label. The tag is detachable from the label and the label is releasable from the liner. The label is preferably detachably connected to the matrix which surrounds the label.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to webs of record members.  
           [0003]    2. Brief Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    The following U.S. Pat. Nos. are made of record: 3,963,124; 4,188,250; 4,309,468; and 5,833,273.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The purpose of the invention is to provide an improved web of record members comprising garment tags and labels, wherein the tags are free of adhesive and the labels can be removed and applied to a desired surface, wherein a standard release liner is used, and wherein both the tags and the labels are of one-piece or single-ply construction. According to the invention, it is desired that the tag be of one-piece or single-ply construction so that no adhesive can bleed onto the garment during steaming to which the garment and the tag are customarily subjected. Such single-ply tags are less susceptible to becoming dog-eared during repeated handling compared to laminated tags. In addition, single-ply tags are less susceptible to delamination or fraying and provide for a better appearance than a laminated tag.  
           [0006]    It is another feature of the invention to provide an improved web of record members, wherein the web includes a series of connected record assemblies, with each assembly including a single-ply tag and a single-ply label, which can be fed through and printed upon by a printer, and wherein the tag stock of which the tags and the labels are constructed is of uniform thickness.  
           [0007]    According to a specific embodiment of the invention, there is provided a longitudinally extending web of tag stock, the tag stock having an upper printable face and a lower printable face, longitudinally extending, spaced-apart strips of pressure sensitive adhesive on the lower face, longitudinally extending, spaced apart webs of liner having a continuous release coating releasably adhered to the pressure sensitive adhesive, the tag stock including side-by-side tag and label sections in a transversely alternating pattern, the label sections having the pressure sensitive adhesive and the tag sections being free of adhesive, the tag sections being partially severed from the tag stock to provide a series of detachable generally rectangular tags, and the label sections being cut by a continuous or substantially continuous cut or severing to provide a series of generally rectangular labels releasably adhered to the liner. The wide web is slit longitudinally between adjacent pairs of tags and labels, to provide a plurality of narrow webs. If desired, a narrow web of record members can be made by providing narrow tag stock in which case there is only one record assembly transversely across the web. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAMMATIC DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a wide web of record members in accordance with the invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a partly broken-away bottom plan view of a record member assembly including a tag and a label; and  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line  3 -- 3  of FIG. 2. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0011]    With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a wide longitudinally extending web  10 ′, comprising connected webs  10 . The webs  10 ′ is subsequently slit apart along line C to provide narrow webs  10  of record assemblies  11  adapted to be wound into a roll for printing in a printer as shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,384. The web  10 ′ includes a single longitudinally extending web of tag stock  12 . The tag stock  12  has a lower face  13 , a patterned coating of longitudinally extending transversely spaced stripes of pressure sensitive adhesive  14  and an upper surface  15  which preferably has a thermal coating for printing in a thermal printer as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,384. Preferably a plurality of transversely spaced release liners  16  having a continuous silicone release coating are adhered to the underside of the adhesive  14 . The release liner arrangement is comprised of a release liner  16  for each record assembly R 1 , R 2 , and so on. The liners  16  are transversely or laterally spaced across the web  10  as shown. The liner  16  preferably terminates short of the tag T or tag section TS as shown in FIG. 3 for example. The liners  16  have a known silicone release coating on one surface to which the labels L are releasably adhered by the pressure sensitive adhesive  14 . As shown in FIG. 2, adhesive  14  preferably terminates short of the leading and trailing edges of the record assemblies R 1  and R 2  to avoid gumming of the cut-off knife when cuts are made along line CL.  
         [0012]    The web  10 ′ is shown to comprise a series of connected record assemblies R 1  and R 2 . Although two record assemblies are illustrated, any practical number of record assemblies transversely across the web  10 ′ can be provided, for example, a single record assembly R 1 , two record assemblies R 1  and R 2  as illustrated, or three or more record assemblies. The web  10 ′ can be completely severed longitudinally along a centerline C in production, so that the resultant web is one record assembly wide. Each record assembly R 1  and R 2  has a tag section TS including a tag T and a label section LS including a label L. As shown, each tag T and label L is elongate and is generally rectangular in shape. There is a matrix or unused part  16  of the tag stock  12  to one side of the tag T and completely surrounding the label L. The tag T is releasably adhered by ticks or uncut lands  17  to the matrix  16 . The leading and trailing ends of the tags T are also connected to adjacent tags T until cut apart along line CL. The remainder of the tag T is completely severed from the matrix along a line  18 . The liner  16  is uncut at the line  19 . The label L is completely severed from the matrix  16  along a line  19  except preferably for frangible ticks or uncut lands  20  at the leading edges  21  and at the trailing edges  22  of each label L. The lands  20  keep the label L in the plane of the matrix  16  during both production of the web  10 ′ and during use of the web  10  in a printer. It is preferred to use such lands  20  especially in the event the labels L are relatively stiff.  
         [0013]    The tags T are each provided with an attacher hole  23  which can receive a plastic fastener of the type sold by Monarch Marking Systems, Inc., Dayton, Ohio U.S.A. under the trademark TAGGER TAIL®. The tags T are also provided with a transverse line of partial severing or perforations  24  close to one end of the tag T to provide a price tab  25  which can be torn from the reminder of the tag T.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 shows one of the record assemblies, for example the record assembly R 1  after it has been printed and subsequently cut from the web  10 ′. The one side S 1  of the tag is pre-printed, preferably by the flexographic printing process and preferably with a high quality image such as a store or brand name. The preprinting is done when the web is being manufactured. Side S 2  of the entire tag stock  12  has a thermal coating so that the tag T and the label L of one record assembly R 1  can be printed substantially simultaneously in a single pass of the narrow web  10  of record members R 1 , for example, through the printer. Immediately downstream of the printing station of the printer, the just printed record assembly is severed along transverse line of compete severing indicated at CL. The result is a record assembly such as the record assembly R 1  shown in FIG. 2. The severed record assembly R 1  can now be hung onto the garment using a plastic fastener. As the garment and record assembly R 1  are processed by steaming the garment, the record assembly R 1  is also subjected to steaming. In that the tag T is a single-ply tag, that is, one layer or ply rather than two or more layers or plies of adhesively adhered paper, the propensity to delaminate or for the adhesive to ooze out onto the garment is avoided. Also, a single-ply tag is less likely to dog-ear as with a laminated tag.  
         [0015]    The narrow strip  26  of tag stock  12  between the line C and the left edges of the tags T in FIG. 1 can be trimmed off.  
         [0016]    By way of example, not limitation, the tag stock  12  can be as thin as 0.007 inch thick or thinner, or it can be thicker such as 0.012 inch thick or thicker, or of a thickness therebetween, and the liner is between about 0.002 and 0.003 inch thick.  
         [0017]    Other embodiments and modifications of the invention 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.