Patent ID: 6896022

Claim:
A label affixer shoe for applying a label to a recipient, comprising: an application blade comprising an edge, a first surface, and a second surface, said shoe is translatable between a first position and a second position; a pivot connected to said blade, said pivot defining a pivot axis therethrough; wherein: said pivot is arranged such that at least said blade of said shoe is pivotable about said pivot axis between a first orientation and a second orientation, where movement between said first and second orientations defining a movement that is independent from said movement between said first and second positions; pivoting said blade from said first to said second orientation causes a lateral displacement of said edge in a direction of said second surface; said first surface, said edge, and said second surface are configured so as to separate a label from a liner at said edge when said label and said liner are moved with respect to said blade from said first surface past said edge toward said second surface, and wherein said blade and said shoe are arranged such that when said blade is in said first orientation and said shoe is in one of said first or second positions, said blade and shoe do not obstruct motion of said label recipient to or from a label receiving position, and when said label recipient is in label receiving position, said blade is in said second orientation, and said shoe is in said first position, said edge engages a first edge of said label with said label recipient, and when said shoe has translated to said second position with said blade in said second orientation, said edge engages a second edge of said label with said label recipient, such that a translation of said shoe from said first position to said second position while said blade is in said second orientation applies said label to said label recipient.