Brady Worldwide Corp.

Brady Usa, Inc.

W. H. Brady Co.

Robert L Schanke

Brent A Bandholz

Robert F Behlmer

Richard L Carriere

Lawrence R Borucki, Jr

Alan J Suva

Robert J Godfrey

Robert G DeSmidt

Dean P Stefanac

Dennis J Skusek

Bernd D Bruhnke

A sleeve applicator machine is used to remove and open a sleeve from a carrier for application of the sleeve around an elongated object such as a wire. A mandrel is inserted into an opening of an unopened sleeve while the sleeve is still supported by the carrier. Once the mandrel is inserted into the sleeve, the mandrel is lifted to separate the unopened sleeve from the carrier. While still on the mandrel, the sleeve (which is now in a semi-opened state) is positioned between a separable pair of sleeve-opening dies in which the dies are in an opened position. The dies are closed or brought together around the sleeve and mandrel to compress the sleeve to a fully open state. At this point and with the dies holding the sleeve open, the mandrel may be withdrawn from the sleeve and a wire or other elongated object inserted into the opening of the sleeve.

Sleeve applicator machine and related method of operation

A cartridge assembly is disclosed with improved protection of its media and/or ink ribbon. The cartridge assembly includes a cartridge housing for receiving media. The cartridge housing includes an exit opening through which the media exits the cartridge housing along a media path. A media guide is also located on the media path and is spaced from the exit opening a predetermined distance. An edge protector extends between the exit opening and the media guide adjacent a lower edge of the media path to protect a lower edge of the media.

Cartridge assembly with edge protector

An improved print head assembly is disclosed that provides even pressure over the width of a print face across a platen roller. Accordingly, the print head assembly can perform edge-justified printing operations without portions of the print being faint or skewing due to uneven pressure across the print head.

Print head with uniform loading

A label wrapper assembly for wrapping a label on an elongated object. The assembly includes a support frame having a first wall spaced from a second wall. A wrapper frame is interposed between the first and second walls, and has a first end and a second end. The wrapper frame includes an opening for receiving the elongated object extending through the wrapper frame between the first and second ends, wherein the wrapper frame revolves around the elongated object to wrap a label thereon. In one embodiment, the first end is rotatably mounted to only one of the first and second walls, and the second end is adjacent to the other of the first and second walls. In another embodiment, a clamp mechanism is mounted to each of the walls, wherein each of the clamp mechanisms clamp onto the elongated object extending through the wrapper frame to hold the elongated object as the wrapper frame revolves around the elongated object. In yet another embodiment, a block assembly is supported by the wrapper frame for urging a label against the elongated object.

Label wrapper assembly

A label wrapper block assembly for mounting in a rotatably mounted wrapper frame in a label wrapper assembly includes a base having opposing ends joined by a top surface and a bottom surface. A channel extends between the ends in the top surface for receiving an object being wrapped by the label wrapper assembly. At least one biasing member is extendible into the channel for urging the label against the object received in the channel. In one embodiment, the at least one biasing member is a flexible material stretched across the base top surface.

Label wrapper block assembly

A spool suitable for winding material thereon includes an axially extending body having a proximal end and a distal end joined by an outer surface. A cam is rotatably mounted adjacent to the body for rotatable movement between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the cam secures the material to the spool and a portion of the cam extends radially outwardly from the body to define a first effective diameter of the spool. In the open position, the cam is spaced from the body to release the material secured to the spool and the portion of the cam retracts toward the body to define a second effective diameter of the spool which is less than the first effective diameter.

Spool having a dual purpose cam

A spool suitable for winding material thereon includes an axially extending body having a proximal end and a distal end joined by an outer surface. An extractor bar is mounted for slidable movement relative to the body for urging material wound onto the body toward the body distal end.

Spool having an extractor bar

An unwind spool assembly for dispensing material wound into a roll includes a rotatable shaft and a mounting block rotatably mounted on the shaft for rotation about the shaft in a wind direction and an unwind direction, wherein in the unwind direction the material unwinds from the roll, and in the wind direction the material winds onto the roll. A biasing member interposed between the shaft and the mounting block rotatably biases the mounting block toward the wind direction. In another embodiment, a slip clutch is fixed to the shaft for maintaining a drag on the shaft as the shaft rotates in the unwind direction to maintain tension in the material unwinding from the roll. In yet another embodiment, the unwind spool assembly includes a spool core for holding the roll of material. The spool core is rotatable about an axis, and at least one flange extending radially from the core is rotatable about the axis independently of the core.

Unwind spool assembly

A label applicator that prints and applies a label onto an elongated object, such as a wire. The label applicator includes a base assembly having an upper surface. A printer is fixed to the base assembly for printing indicia on a label to form a printed label. A label wrapper is fixed to the base assembly adjacent to the printer for receiving the printed label and an object. In operation, the printer feeds the printed label into the label wrapper to form slack in the label to remove tension from the label prior to the label wrapper wrapping the label onto the object.

Label applicator

A bidirectional hand held label printer with a novel labeling media and ink ribbon drive mechanism. A delay is introduced in the labeling media and ink ribbon drive mechanism to pretension the ribbon prior to feeding labeling media and ribbon past the print head. When the drive motor reverses direction, the drive roller stalls momentarily while the take up ribbon drive spindle tensions the ribbon in the desired direction.

Method and apparatus for maintaining ribbon tension

A cutting mechanism for a hand held printer includes a lever pivotally mounted to a base and coupled to a slidably mounted blade. Pivotal movement of the lever translates the blade along a cutting axis to cut labeling media. The lever is automatically returned to the noncutting position by a spring, and the blade is biased toward the cutting bar by a spring incorporated in the blade mounting mechanism. The blade has a chevron shape to provide a clean cut in a short cutting stroke.

Label printer having lever actuated cutter

A method and apparatus is disclosed for printing and dispensing labels for precise and accurate placement on an article. The present invention also minimizes label queue and the distance between the point of printing and the point of label dispensing. The invention has a retractable print head for printing information on a label while the label moves from a preprinting position to a fixed label dispensing position. The print head is movable to a dispensing position thereby allowing access to the printed label at the fixed label dispensing point by a transfer device. A dispenser having a stripper plate is provided to receive the web having the printed label thereon from the print head while in a printing position. The stripper plate strips the liner from the printed label after the transfer device comes in positive contact with the printed label by moving to a dispensing position. The printed label can then be placed on an article with extreme accuracy. It is contemplated that the present invention is particularly useful in applying printed labels, such as bar codes, to circuit boards, although many other applications will benefit from the present invention.

label printer and dispenser

A printer assembly that can handle media of different width and thicknesses has a pivotable platen with a lower body portion and a curved upper portion which extends from the lower portion. The curved portion is pivoted forward to contact the carrier material. A wound torsion spring, with one end held against a stop and the other end free to move the platen, is utilized to urge the platen in a forward direction to contact the carrier strip. The spring pressure is sufficient to keep the platen from being moved by the force of printing elements striking the material to be printed on. The assembly is also provided with spring-mounted edge guides for handling different widths of printing media to be fed through the printer assembly.

Adjustable platen for label printer

A removal and applicator hand tool for adhesive labels having a movable label retainer-wiper plate affixed between spaced lower and upper elements of a foot member in which the plate moves between a first position to grip a label between it and the lower element for retaining a label removed from an assembly with the tool and transporting it to an object and a second position separated from the lower element for removal of a label from an assembly and for release of the label upon application to the object.

Growing community of inventors

New Berlin, WI, United States of America

Robert L Schanke