Patent ID: 8851136

Claim:
A laboratory tube printer and labeler for labeling laboratory tubes with printed labels, the tube printer and labeler advantageously accommodating an automated tube handling device having a robotic pickup and placement mechanism comprising: a housing having an upper deck with a printing station and a tube labeling and pickup station displaced from the printing station; a label tape transport assembly having a first spindle for a label tape supply reel and a second spindle for a label tape take-up reel; a ribbon transport assembly having a first spindle for a print ribbon supply reel and a second spindle for a print ribbon take-up reel; a thermal transfer printer having a print head located at the printing station; a plurality of guides to guide a label tape with labels to the printing station and to guide a print ribbon to the printing station between the label tape and the print head of the thermal transfer printer; a plurality of guides to guide a label tape with printed labels to the tube labeling and pickup station; and, a positioning mechanism having an actuator that releaseably positions a laboratory tube at the tube labeling and pickup station wherein a printed label is applied to the tube, wherein the first spindle and second spindle each have a spindle drive that selectively transports a label tape in a forward and reverse direction.