Patent ID: 7608161

Claim:
A method of making a continuous strip of laminated printed adhesive labels comprising the steps of: dereeling a strip of release stock into a first in-feed location in a stock-processing machine having a plurality of spaced-apart workstations to receive and process moving strip stock; at a first workstation, applying a layer of curable silicone to one surface of the dereeled and in-fed release stock; at a second workstation, fast-curing the layer of curable silicone; at a third workstation, applying a hot melt adhesive to the cured silicone layer on the dereeled strip of release stock; at least partially solidifying the adhesive by cooling over a first cooled roller; feeding into a second in-feed location separate from the first in-feed location a strip of size-matched, preprinted label stock; and at a fourth workstation, laminating the label stock strip to the release stock with the printed side of the label stock against and in direct contact with the adhesive; wherein the step of applying the silicone is carried out with the use of a rubber coating roller that runs with a surface speed faster than the surface speed of the release stock at the point of application and a smoothing roller which runs at a surface speed slower than the surface speed of the release stock at the point of application.