Hand-held label printer

Abstract

A hand-held label printer has an integrated label applicator mechanism pivotably and exchangably disposed in opposing side walls of a printer housing and across a front wall opening in the housing. The label applicator mechanism is pivoted into a label applying position in which the applicator mechanism receives and guides a printed label peeled from a web stock by a peeler rod along a label path extending from the peeler rod over a label shelf of the applicator mechanism to a position from which a label applicator roller of the applicator mechanism can engage a leading portion of the label for application to a surface to be labeled. The label applicator mechanism is pivoted into a web stock threading position to provide ready access by a user of the printer to facilitate threading of a leading portion of web stock along a web stock path from a roll past a printing mechanism and over the peeler rod to a web stock transport mechanism and to facilitate clearing of web stock jams or of label jams. A particular label applicator mechanism is adapted to receive and guide in the label applying position labels having one particular dimension along the label path. For labels having another particular dimension, another applicator mechanism adapted to receive and guide such labels is readily exchanged for the previously deployed label applicator mechanism.