Moore Business Forms, Inc.

Stephen Michalovic

Mark S Casper

Henk Haan

Thomas P Nash

Jeffrey J Boreali

Myron C Heeb

John A Sabatowski

A sheet inverter is used in a method of handling documents, preferably to invert the documents, change them from an in-line configuration to a shingled configuration, and then move them in a direction substantially transverse to the original direction of conveyance of the documents. An inverter shaft is rotatable about a generally horizontal axis and has a plurality of sheet supporting elements, such as rods or bars (such as in an exaggerated generally S-shaped configuration) axially spaced from each other along the shaft, with each sheet supporting element comprising first, second and third portions defining first, second and third closed sides for receipt of a document, and an open fourth side by which the document may enter the elements. A support structure connects each of the sheet supporting elements (either together or individually) to the shaft for rotation with the shaft about its axis. The sheet supporting elements receive one or more documents at a first vertical level, which documents are sensed by a sensor. The supporting elements are then rotated with the shaft to deposit the documents (in association with stops) on a lower conveyor. The sheet supporting elements pass through openings between elements of the bottom conveyor and move back to the original position, which is sensed by another sensor, to await the next set of documents.

Turn-over and shingling apparatus

An inexpensive material dispenser for a roll or rolls of linerless labels may be in tube form, or constructed from a folded sheet blank. The tube may be removably closed at one or both ends and have an exterior peripheral surface with at least a portion of adhesive release material. A roll of linerless labels is loose in the tube interior and dispensed through an opening in the peripheral surface. A cardboard or paperboard blank may be folded so that end tabs are received within (having an interference fit with) a roll core, or a core for a plurality of label rolls. The labels of the plurality of rolls are prevented from touching each other.

Dispenser for linerless labels

Linerless labels are manually dispensed by mounting a roll of the labels for take-off from a stationary shaft. A polygon-cross-section foam core is provided between the shaft and the label roll to provide a brake drag effect to prevent excess label unwind. The non-adhesive face of the labels passes from the roll around a freely rotating guide roller with a non-stick surface which ensures consistent wrap of the labels and no scuffing of the non-adhesive face as the labels are dispensed. The labels pass from the guide roller to a tear surface having a first smooth, coarse, ribbed or grooved pattern metal portion which has low adhesion to the adhesive of the labels, but will stick to the labels sufficiently to provide an anchoring force to a label greater than the force necessary to tear along a perforation of the label, and a second non-stick surface portion. The tear surface preferably is the exterior surface of a rigid cylinder or tube, and the non-stick surface is provided by a plasma coating on a portion of the rigid cylinder or tube exterior surface, or the non-stick surface may be provided by non-stick varnishes (including silicone epoxy coatings), polypropylene baked enamels, polytetrafluoroethylene coatings, and polytetrafluoroethylene strips.

Non-stick coated linerless label dispensers

A thermal printer prints linerless labels in such a way that printer components will not stick to the adhesive face of linerless labels. Substantially stationary printer components, such as a label guide, transport plate, front panel, and stripper blade, preferably have the adhesive face engaging surfaces thereof plasma coated so that adhesive will not stick to them. An optional cutter provided downstream of the stripper blade also has plasma coated surfaces. A driven platen roller has a surface thereof coated with or covered by a high release silicone, which will not stick to the adhesive, but has high friction characteristics to facilitate drive of the labels. In a direct thermal printer, a plasma coated tear off surface is downstream of the driven platen roller, and stripper belts, a second roller with O-rings, and the like are provided to prevent the labels from wrapping around the driven platen roller. One or more sensors may also be provided for controlling drive of the platen roller in response to the position of registration marks on the linerless labels.

Linerless label printer and transport system

Linerless labels are manually dispensed by mounting a roll of the labels for take-off from a stationary shaft. A polygon-cross-section foam core is provided between the shaft and the label roll to provide a brake drag effect to prevent excess label unwind. The non-adhesive face of the labels passes from the roll around a freely rotating guide roller with a non-stick surface which ensures consistent wrap of the labels and no scuffing of the non-adhesive face as the labels are dispensed. The labels pass from the guide roller to a tear surface having a first smooth, coarse, ribbed or grooved pattern metal portion which has low adhesion to the adhesive of the labels, but will stick to the labels sufficiently to provide an anchoring force to a label greater than the force necessary to tear along a perforation of the label, and a second non-stick surface portion. The tear surface preferably is the exterior surface of the a cylinder or tube, and the non-stick surface is provided by a plasma coating on a portion of the metal cylinder or tube exterior surface.

Manual linerless label dispenser

A simple, inexpensive, and easy to construct label dispenser is provided for linerless labels. The dispenser is made from a rectangular strip of cardboard or paper board having four parallel fold lines defining the strip into first through fifth panels and with first and second openings in the first and fifth panels and a third opening in the third panel. The strip is folded about the fold lines to form an open ended rectangular parallelepiped with the first and fifth panels in face to face engagement. A plastic plug is inserted into the first and second openings, making a friction fit with them and holding the first and fifth panels together. A second plug is inserted into the third opening, and the plugs define a pivot axis for a roll of linerless labels. One of the labels is separated from the roll and the adhesive face of it is placed in engagement with the second panel outer face and parts of the fifth and third panels to facilitate holding of the blank in a rectangular parallelepiped configuration, while providing a non-stick tear-off surface for other labels in the roll mounted for rotation about an axis defined by the plugs.

Growing community of inventors

Williamsville, NY, United States of America

Stephen Michalovic