Patent ID: 8371354

Claim:
A rotating die head for cutting or perforating labels comprising adhesive on label stock, the die head comprising an outer surface comprising flat areas and raised cutting edges above the flat areas, the die head having: a) at least 80% of its outer surface comprising the flat areas between the raised cutting edges, b) multiple raised cutting edges on the outer surface, and c) an internal volume in the die head, the rotating die head characterized by the internal volume in the rotating die head enabling transport of coolant liquid into and out of the volume so as to cool the outer surface of the die head when the coolant temperature is at least 10 C.° cooler than the outer surface of the die head to prevent sticking of adhesive to the cutting edges; the die head being present in a labeling system having a feed supply of labels having at least one adhesive face thereon, the feed system directing the labels into a cutting area or perforating area with the die head; wherein a label material having a trailing edge is in contact with the cutting edge of the die head and has a leading edge of the label material stabilized with respect to a matrix adjacent the leading edge before the trailing edge of the label material leaves the cutting edge, the stabilizing being effected without vacuum being distributed over an area comprising at least 50% of the surface area of the cut label; the leading edge of the label material and the matrix adjacent the leading edge of label material stabilized within a nip formed between a set of rollers, while the trailing edge of the label is stabilized without vacuum; and a web of the label material is in contact with a set of rollers, at least one roller in contact with an adhesive face of the label material.