EP0062162A1

EP0062162A1 - A process and apparatus for cutting labels and/or tags from a continuous tape after its printing

Info

Publication number: EP0062162A1
Application number: EP82101664A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Emilio Negri
Original assignee: LEPTONS ITALIA Srl
Current assignee: LEPTONS ITALIA Srl
Priority date: 1981-04-01
Filing date: 1982-03-04
Publication date: 1982-10-13
Also published as: IT1136878B; IT8120862A0

Abstract

Process and apparatus for cutting self-adhesive labels and/or loose tags or stickers which are printed by a printing head (1) on a continuous tape (10) being unwound in front thereof, in which the cutting means (2) for the labels and/or tags is mounted on the printing head (1), which means provides for cutting during a given translation of the head, means (5, 31, 32) being provided for moving said cutting means (2) from an inoperative position to a cutting position.

Description

This invention relates to a process and apparatus for cutting from a continuous tape such elements as labels, tags, stickers or the like (which will be hereinafter referred to as labels for simplicity) as soon as it has been printed by a printing device.
Hitherto, labels and the like have been printed when still in the form of a continuous tape and then cut with a guillotine type cutter having a blade wider than the label placed over the tape, and a counter-blade under the label. For its own nature, this guillotine cutting unit is relatively bulky, thus requiring a positioning not at the end of each label, but often after a certain numbers of labels. This requires to displace the whole unit whenever desiring to change the size of the label and/or tag.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a process and apparatus for carrying out a cutting operation in the simplest way possible and also less bulky and less expensive.
The above specified object has been accomplished by providing that during a given translation step of the printing head transversely of the tape, such a head activates a cutting means mounted thereon, thus cutting during said translation step.
The relative apparatus is provided with a cutting means mounted on the printing head, which may have two positions, that is a non-cutting and a cutting position.
In particular said cutting means may comprise a cutting roller collaborating with a counter-blade. Preferably, in this case a pressure means is also provided and comprises an actuating pressure wheel integral with the cutting means; it assures the blocking or clamping of the tape during the cutting operation and rotatably drives said cutting roller.
Another preferred approach provides an auxiliary driving roller immediately before the printing device; it draws the label support, avoiding an even slight bending thereof. The peripheral speed of this auxiliary driving roller is slightly larger than the speed of the main driving roller; thus, the silicone support or backing of the label slides on the auxiliary driving roller.
A first embodiment provides that the cutting device mounted on the printing head can be moved to the cutting position and respectively moved back to the non-cutting position by an electromagnet carried on the head.
Other solutions provide the use of stationary cams at the ends of the priting head stroke. They are caused to contact the cutting device having two stable positions, thus moving it from one position to another. The contact between the cams and the cutting device occurs whenever the printing head is moved for a longer stroke, so as to pass beyond the width of the label or the like.
The invention will now be further explained in accordance with some exemplary embodiments that have been shown in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic full side view of the apparatus according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a side view of a first cutting device mounted on the printing head and its operating mechanism at a first operating position;
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but at another operating position;
Fig. 4 is a front view at different operating positions of the printing head, on which a different cutting cutting device is mounted with relative operating mechanism, and
Fig. 5 is a side view at two operating positions of the cutting device according to Fig. 4.

Referring first to Fig. 1, it will be seen that tape 10 of labels or the like unwinding from a reel 11 is, for example, caused to pass through two idle rollers 12 and 13, and then through the main driving roller 14. The tape 10 with the labels arranged on the upper side then follows a horizontal path leading to a printing table 15 above which a printing head 1 is provided. Inmediately after of the printing head, a cutting means 2 is provided, only schematically shown in Fig. 1 and in two versions thereof in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, 5, respectively.
A driving roller 16 is located immediately before the printing head 1 and rotates at a faster peripheral speed than that of the main driving roller 14, so that said driving roller 16 slightly slips on the backing of tape 10 and maintains the label tape always perfectly taut in front of the printing table 15. An idle counter-roller 17 is located over the auxiliary driving roller 16 and performs the function of causing said tape 10 to adhere to roller 16.
Figs. 2 and 3 show the cutting means at two different operating positions: Fig. 2 shows the cutting means at the non-cutting position, while Fig. 3 shows the cutting means at work. The cutting means 2 comprises a roller 21 providing the actual cutting when collaborating with the counter-blade 3. An actuating pressure wheel 22 is integral and concentric with said cutting roller 21 so as to press on tape 10 and, as a result, exert a clamping action thereon, while at the same time it rotates said cutting roller 21. Roller 21 and wheel 22 are rotatably mounted on a lever 23 pivoted at 24, which lever is operated by an electromagnet 5. This can lift said roller 21, so that said tape 10 can move forward on the printing table 15 and counter-blade 3. However, the electromagnet 5 can also shift said lever 23 so that the cutting roller 21 adheres to the counter-blade 3 for cutting. At the same time, the cutting wheel 22 adheres on the surface of tape 10 and by adherence rotates and causes the rotation of the cutting roller 21.
In order to obtain a correct cut, the printing head 1 effects a given stroke for printing the label or the like and a longer stroke, longer than the width L of the label (Fig. 4) when cutting.
Another embodiment for the activation of the roller has been shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this case, the cutting roller 21 and activating pressure wheel 22 made as above described are mounted on an arm 23 pivoted at 24. The activating means for the cutting roller is made up by external cams 31 and 32 moving the cutting means 21 from one position to another as shown in Fig. 5. In any case, the two possible positions for the cutting roller 21 are made stable by spring 33. Preferably, two springs 33 will be provided, located on both sides of lever 23.

Claims

1. A process for cutting labels and/or tags printed on a continuous tape (10) comprising a cutting operation after printing, characterized in that cutting occurs during the translation of the printing head (1) by the activation of a cutting means (21) mounted on the movable printing head (1).

2. A process according to Claim 1, characterized in that the printing head (1) for cutting the label and/or the tag travels for a distance longer than that required for printing.

3. An apparatus for cutting labels and/or tags printed by a printing head (1) on a continous tape (10), characterized in that the cutting means (2) for the labels and/or tags is mounted on the printing head (1), while means to move said cutting means from a non-cutting position to a cutting position are provided.

4. An apparatus according to Claim 3, characterized in that the cutting means comprises a cutting roller (21) collaborating with a counter-blade (3), which is arranged on the other side of the tape (10) at a zone where said tape (10) is not present.

5. An apparatus according to Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the cutting means (2) mounted on the printing head (1) is moved from its non-cutting position to the cutting position by means of an electromagnet (5) carried on said printing head (1). ₁

6. An apparatus according to Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said cutting means (2) is moved from its non-cutting position to the cutting position by means of cams (31, 32) mounted at the ends of each stroke of the printing head (1).

7. An apparatus according to any of Claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the cutting roller (21) is integral with an activating pressure wheel (22) to press the tape (10) against the counter-blade (3) and cause the movement of the cutting . roller (21).

8. An apparatus according to any of Claims 3 to 7, characterized in that an auxiliary driving roller (16) is provided imnediately before the printing table (15) and that said auxiliary driving roller (16) has a larger peripheral speed than . the main driving roller (14) and is located on the side of the tape (10) where no labels or the like are provided so as to stretch out said tape (10), thus causing the surface of the tape to slide on the auxiliary driving roller (16).