Decoration of articles

Abstract

Method and system for decorating a round, oval or irregularly-shaped, open-ended article with a heat-transfer, wrap-around label supported on a carrier web. The system comprises a turret for positioning the open-ended article at a transfer location. The turret comprises a continuously rotating mandrel and a motor, the motor being coupled to the mandrel for continuously driving the rotation of the mandrel. The rotating mandrel is appropriately sized and shaped to be inserted into the open-ended article through the open end thereof and to follow the circumferential contour of the interior surface of the open-ended article when the open-ended article engages and rolls about the rotating mandrel. The system also includes a feed mechanism for positioning the label on the carrier web at the transfer location, the surface speed of the web matching that of the rotating mandrel. The system further includes means for transferring a label from the carrier web to the exterior of the open-ended article, the label, during transfer, pressing the interior surface of the open-ended article into engagement with the rotating mandrel in such a way as to cause the open-ended article to engage and roll about the rotating mandrel. In this manner, the surface speed of the article at any given cross-section thereof is kept constant and can be matched to the surface speed of the carrier web. The system further includes conveyor means for feeding the open-ended article to the turret before labelling and for removing the open-ended article from the turret after labelling.