The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 10, 2000
Filed:
Jan. 09, 1998
David Steinberg, Needham, MA (US);
William Davis, Ashland, MA (US);
Winchester-Auburn Mills, Inc., Woburn, MA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method is provided for dispensing and labeling a selected length of cord from a spool of bulk material. One embodiment of the invention consists of at least one spool of cord from which a length of cord is drawn and an apparatus for measuring, labeling, tracking and cutting the selected length of cord. After the length of cord has been measured, a label is applied to the cord at the selected length from a lead end of the spool. The label is imprinted with at least one pair of functionally related identification elements, such as bar code indicia, and is adapted to be wrapped around the cord, to identify the cord and facilitate severing the cord from the spool. The information contained on the functionally related elements is entered into a computer, either manually or by scanning, for pricing and inventory control. The length of cord is then separated from the spool by severing it through the label intermediate the pair of bar code indicia so that a first portion of the label remains applied to the severed length of cord, and a second portion of the label remains applied to the lead end of the spool. The invention also embodies a method for labeling the length of cord that is cut from the spool. The method includes dispensing the length of cord, applying the label to the cord, and severing the cord between the pair of functionally related identification elements imprinted on the label.