Patent ID: 8550139

Claim:
Apparatus for the separation of a leading label from a label supply, said apparatus including means for advancing a label supply to a point of label application, said label supply having a first planar surface having a release layer applied thereto and an opposing planar surface having a layer of adhesive applied to at least a portion thereof, said label supply having a series of labels defined therein by lines of weakening, and means for separating the leading label from the supply of labels to allow the same to be applied to an article, wherein said means for separating include a tool positioned such that at least one protruding portion of the tool contacts and locates with an aperture formed along the line of weakening so as to commence the breaking of the line of weakening and the remainder of the line of weakening is formed by microperforations and characterized in that the width of the at least one aperture which is engaged by the tool is substantially the same as the width of the adjacent microperforations.