Patent ID: 8187399

Claim:
A method for transferring a label from a web having a plurality of labels to a selected one of an item of a group of items moving on a rotary transport along a path, comprising the steps of: circumferentially advancing the item toward the web; rotating the item as it approaches the web; advancing the web through a label applicator system, the label applicator system including a supply reel for supplying the web with the labels thereon, a take-up reel for taking up the web after transfer of the label from the web to the item, the supply and take-up reels being vertically oriented, the supply reel and the take-up reel supplying and taking-up the web in a vertical direction, the label applicator system including a movable label applicator head, a rotary table for moving the items along a path defined by rotation of the table and for rotating the items relative to an axis of the items, a biased dancer arm associated with each the supply reel and the take-up reel, the dancer arms configured to move linearly and parallel to one another, a transducer operably connected to each of the dancer arms and a control system, the label applicator head being movable toward and away from the item, and a web positioning assembly for advancing and retracting the web to accommodate a pitch difference between the items in the item transport and the labels on the web, and retracting the web to accommodate the pitch difference between the items in the item transport and the labels on the web; reorienting the web from the vertical direction to a horizontal direction; positioning the web to accommodate a difference in pitch of adjacent labels and a pitch of adjacent items to approximately match a speed of advancing the item to a speed of advancing the web; maintaining tension in the web as the web moves through the applicator system; monitoring a position of a respective dancer arms; and transferring the label from the web to the item as the web is moving in the horizontal direction.