Method and apparatus for tray loading of labels into label magazines

Abstract

Method and apparatus for loading stacked labels into a label feed magazine having a retractable label pusher platen behind any "old" labels thereon. A stack of "new" labels is assembled into a tray-carrier which is slightly smaller in profile than the magazine and which holds the labels in stacked relation. The loaded tray-carrier is transported to the magazine and is telescoped therewithin to advance the label stack in the tray-carrier toward the "old" labels already in the magazine. The label pusher platen is repositioned behind the rearmost label in the "new" label stack and the tray-carrier may be removed rearwardly from the magazine or left in position within the magazine. The tray-carrier is preferably made of lightweight disposable material, such as cardboard or plastic, and desirably comprises a trough having one open end and low sides. After the tray-carrier is loaded with a label stack it may be covered with a shrink film or similar pliant cover which cooperates with the trough to hold the stack in position and to keep it clean.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

United States patent Nos. 3,537,934 and 3,567,559 show labeling machines with label magazines by which cut and stacked labels are fed to the labeling drum of the machine. In the apparatus shown in these patents, small bundles of stacked labels are periodically added to the label magazines in a manual operation. This is a time consuming operation and frequently causes problems because unskilled personnel may not properly orient the bundles in the magazine, thus resulting in improper label transfer and interruption of machine operation.

Prior attempts to improve the loading technique for such label magazines have not been commercially successful, although some of these techniques have been published. See, for example, German patent 2,014,410 and German published application 2,116,912. German published application 2,116,912 discloses a carousel arranged behind the main label magazine. Supplementary magazines are located in a fan-shaped pattern on the carousel which may be rotated to align a supplemental magazine on the carousel with the main magazine. A plunger then pushes a stack of labels out of the supplemental magazine and into the main magazine. This apparatus involves substantial expense and requires complex drive and control mechanisms for proper alignment and feeding and transfer of the label stack from the supplemental magazines into the main magazine.

German Pat. No. 2,014,410 discloses a conventional label magazine made up of a skeletonized framework consisting of parallel ribs or sticks. A supplemental basket-like magazine is also made up of parallel ribs or sticks which are staggered with respect to the ribs of the main magazine and which may be inserted into the gaps between the ribs of the main magazine. A pusher within the main magazine may thus be actuated without interference by the ribs of the supplemental magazine. In such a device the supplemental magazine involves a costly construction which is difficult to handle. It is bulky and does not offer proper protection and coverage for the labels therewithin.

Another known loading technique involves a rather large main magazine which will store a large supply of labels. This magazine has a retractable pusher which may be removed laterally from the path of the labels, whereupon it is drawn rearwardly to reposition it behind an added bundle of stacked labels which are placed in the magazine behind any labels remaining in the magazine. This operation is manual and is time consuming and requires skilled personnel to avoid disorientation of the newly added labels with respect to the labels already in the magazine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to avoid the disadvantages of the known devices and to provide a label loading method and apparatus which can be utilized by unskilled personnel, which will handle large numbers of labels during each filling cycle and in which the labels may be assembled into a tray-carrier in a loading machine and then covered to protect the labels during transport. The tray-carrier has a profile which is slightly smaller than the magazine to facilitate its telescopic entry into the magazine for the smooth and accurate alignment of new labels with old labels and unloading of the label stack from the tray-carrier into the main magazine while preserving this alignment. A label pusher platen is mounted on the magazine on a sliding hinge by which it may be swung laterally of the magazine and slid rearwardly to be repositioned behind the rearmost label in the new label stack.

Tray-carriers disclosed herein can be made very cheaply and if made of cardboard or thin plastic, can be disposed of after a single use, or they can be reused if desired.

The invention is based in part upon the perception that the main magazine will continue to function to feed labels to the label machine during the loading operation and during the telescopic addition of the tray-carrier to the main magazine. Accordingly, there is no down time on the machine during the tiime that additional labels are being loaded into the magazine.

For the purposes of the present invention, the walls of the tray-carrier are made very thin and the tray-carrier has an external profile only slightly smaller than the interior profile of the label magazine. Accordingly, the labels are held almost as snugly by the main magazine as they are by the tray-carrier and the pusher platen will fit with almost the same tolerance in the tray-carrier as in the main magazine. In practice, the tray-carrier wall thickness is less than 1 mm.

The label pusher platen is guided for fore and aft and lateral swinging movement with respect to the magazine for fast lateral withdrawal from a position behind the old labels already in the magazine, quick retraction longitudinally of the magazine and quick repositioning behind the rearmost label of the new label stack, without substantial interruption of the feeding movement of the labels from the magazine to the label drum.

In certain embodiments of the invention the tray-carrier consists of a deep drawn or molded synthetic material such as plastic. In other embodiments the tray-carrier can be made of cardboard. Accordingly, the costs of production are kept very low. The low cost of the label carriers makes it practical to have enough of the tray-carriers available so that they can be loaded by the label manufacturer and used to transport the labels from the label manufacturer to the label user and then thrown away or returned for reloading.

It is also possible to fabricate the tray-carrier of reusable material such as sheet metal, particularly where the tray-carrier is to be used only as a loading jig intended to be refilled with label stacks outside of but near the labeling machine.

The labels are typically preprinted, cut labels carrying brand markings and advertising and informational matter. However, the labels within contemplation of the present invention can also consist of foil for bottle neck wrapping purposes and hence they need not consist of paper, nor be preprinted.

Some of the tray-carriers embodying the invention consist of the combination of a channel-shaped bottom trough open at one end and a cover element, such as shrink film or cardboard, detachably fastened over said trough and which covers the label stack within the trough and also covers the open end of the trough, thus to protect the labels during transit and to provide a reinforcement for the package. The cover portion of the combined two-piece tray-carrier is usually removed shortly before or just after the insertion of the tray-carrier into the label magazine.

Some embodiments of the tray-carrier are provided with hinged flaps flexibly connected to the tray-carrier walls at the open end thereof and which may be swung between open and closed position to provide support for the stacked labels after removal of the tray cover and until the tray-carrier is loaded into the main magazine.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the disclosure hereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view subdivided on broken lines longitudinally therethrough to illustrate in this single view two embodiments of tray-carriers incorporating the invention. In this figure details of the stiffening ribs are only partially illustrated.

FIG. 2 is an end view again subdivided by broken lines to indicate two different embodiments of a slightly different form of tray-carrier adapted to contain a stack of bottle neck or shoulder labels.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a label magazine containing a supply of nearly exhausted or "old" stacked labels and into which a tray-carrier containing a fresh or "new" stack of labels has been telescopically inserted.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross section taken through two magazines, one containing body labels and the other containing neck or shoulder labels. The lowermost magazine in FIG. 5 is a cross section taken along the line 5-- 5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a loaded and covered tray-carrier made of cardboard.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of cardboard tray-carrier for rectangular body labels.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal cross section through the tray-carrier of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a cross section taken through a tray-carrier similar to FIG. 7 but shaped to contain neck or shoulder labels. Ribs of the label magazine are shown in broken lines.

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating automatic loading of labels from a label machine into a tray-carrier embodying the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the technique for spreading the end flaps on the tray-carrier to facilitate loading labels thereinto.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic view illustrating passage of a loaded tray-carrier through a shirnk tunnel for shrinking a plastic film as a cover about the upper part of the label carrier trough.

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the telescopic insertion of a loaded tray-carrier into a partially empty label magazine.

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13 but showing the tray-carrier fully telescoped into the magazine and pusher platen repositioned behind the rearmost label on the tray-carrier.

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic view following FIG. 14 and illustrating removal of the tray-carrier rearwardly from the loaded magazine, the pusher platen holding the labels against movement with the tray-carrier.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a completely wrapped tray-carrier.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. The scope of the invention is defined in the claims appended hereto.

In some instances like parts are given the same reference characters in the several views.

The label magazine 20 shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 13, 14 and 15 may typically be supported on a table 21 by posts 22, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and feeds successive precut stacked labels to a label drum 23 as shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15, or to a swinging adhesion pad 24 as shown in FIG. 3, in accordance with well known prior art techniques. Label magazine 20 comprises a frame 25 to which longitudinally extending ribs or sticks 26 are fastened to form a skeletonized magazine. The foremost ends of the ribs 26 are provided with nibs or flanges 27 against which the foremost label 28 in the magazine abuts, pending extraction of said label from the label magazine by the label drum 23 or adhesion pad 24.

FIG. 5 also illustrates a second label magazine 31 mounted above magazine 20. The labels 32 in magazine 20 are typically square in cross section for application to the body of a bottle, whereas the labels 33 in magazine 31 are curved and shaped especially to fit the shoulder or neck of the bottle. Magazine 20 is mounted on a set of brackets 34 and magazine 31 is mounted on a similar set of brackets 35. Both sets of brackets 34, 35 are slidably clamped to a pair of posts 22 and are adjustable thereon for proper orientation with separate label drums 23 or adhesion pads 24 by which the labels are transferred from the magazines to the bottles. For alignment purposes the respective brackets 34, 35 are provided with adjustable clamps having thumb nuts 36.

Magazines 20, 31 as just described are conventional and the prior art provides such magazines with label pusher platens which are spring loaded to maintain pressure on the rear of the label stack to advance the labels forwardly in the magazine. Such spring biased label pusher platens are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,537,934 and 3,567,559, for example. In accordance with the present invention, label pusher platens are also provided, but these are mounted on sliding hinges to facilitate their utilization with the tray-carriers embodying the invention. For this purpose label magazine 20 is provided with a label pusher platen 37 and label magazine 31 is provided with a label pusher platen 38. These platens 37, 38 have a novel mounting on their respective magazines, as best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. The respective magazines are provided along corresponding lower corners with longitudinally extending guide tubes or guideways 41, 42. Guide tubes 41, 42 are connected by suitable brackets 43 to magazine frame 25, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The respective platens 37, 38 have support arms 44, 45 outside of the magazines 20, 31 and these arms are coupled at their lower ends to the guideways 41, 42 by sliding hinges 46, 47. As best shown in FIG. 5, the arms 44, 45 extend upwardly from the sliding hinges 46, 47 so as to clear the frame 25 of the magazine and are respectively connected to the upper portion of the pusher platens 37, 38. The platens 37, 38 are pivotally movable on their hinges 46, 47 and may be swung laterally in the direction of arrow 48 to the broken line position of platen 37, as shown in FIG. 5. When swung to its broken line position, the platen may be moved longitudinally of the magazine by sliding hinge 46 along the guideway 41 in the direction of arrow 51 in FIG. 14.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, the platen may then be swung laterally back to its full line position (FIG. 5), and in the direction of arrow 52 to be repositioned behind the rearmost label in the new label stack and in alignment with the path of label movement.

The sliding hinges 46, 47 are connected to ends of cables 53 which desirably pass through the hollow interior of the guideway tubes 41, 42 and are reeved at one end of the guideways over pulleys 54 and at the other end over spring loaded pulleys 55. The spring loaded pulleys 55 exert tension on the cables 53 to bias the platens 37, 38 to move in the direction of arrow 56 in FIG. 13, so as to exert continuous advancing pressure to the label stack.

Arms 44, 45 are long enough to clear the sides of the tray-carriers, as shown in FIG. 5.

Two embodiments of tray-carriers are illustrated in FIG. 1. One tray-carrier identified by reference character 57 is illustrated above and to the left of the broken lines 58 and another embodiment 59 is shown below and to the right of the broken lines 58. Both tray-carriers 57, 59 have similar features.

It is an important feature of the invention that the tray-carriers, such as 57, 59 of FIG. 1, be only slightly smaller in profile than the interior space within the label magazine within which it is to fit. This invention takes advantage of the fact, moreover, that conventional magazines 20, 31 will typically be slightly larger in their interior dimensions than the profile of the label stacks 32, 33 which will be positioned therewithin. Accordingly, there is a slight clearance between the edges of the label stacks 32, 33 and the bottom and side walls of the label magazine such as are formed by the ribs 26 in the illustrated embodiment. This clearance is ordinarily two or three millimeters in width.

In accordance with the present invention, the walls of the tray-carriers 57, 59 are fabricated very thin, not to exceed such clearance, namely, two or three millimeters, so that a label stack may fit within the tray-carrier without binding against its sides and the tray-carrier will nevertheless be freely and slidably receivable telescopically within the confines of the label magazines 20, 31. In practice, it is desirable to keep the tray wall thickness below 1 mm.

While thin sheet metal could be used as the material for the tray-carriers, it has been found advantageous from the standpoint of cost and disposability to make the tray-carriers out of inexpensive plastic, cardboard or the like. In the embodiments shown in FIG. 1, the respective alternative forms of tray-carriers 57, 59 are made of molded thin deep drawn synthetic or plastic sheet material such as polyethylene.

Considering first tray-carrier 59, it has a bottom 62, a side wall 63 and a rear wall 64. It has no front wall. The over-all height of the side wall 63 and rear wall 64 is quite shallow because it is intended that the tray-carrier in its entirety be made in two parts, the lower part being shown in FIG. 1 and an upper part consisting simply of a cover or wrapping film which envelopes a stack of labels within the tray-carrier as hereinafter described. While the bottom wall 62 of the tray-carrier could be perfectly flat, especially where the material is inherently strong, such as sheet metal, the thin-walled plastic which is desirably used because of its low cost is advantageously provided with a reinforcing or stiffening grid configuration consisting of longitudinally extending ribs 65 and intersecting transversely extending ribs 66. Ribs 66 interconnect with the side wall 63, as illustrated in FIG. 1. This structure gives the bottom wall 62 of the tray-carrier substantial strength and rigidity, notwithstanding the thinness of the material.

Moreover, side wall 63 is desirably curved in vertical section, as illustrated in FIG. 1, thus to provide added strength for this thin-walled member. Rear wall 64 may also be provided with an upright channel 67 for added strength, and to provide a space to receive the platen behind the rearmost label in the label stack.

In preferred embodiments of the structure shown in FIG. 1, the bottom wall 62 of the tray-carrier is also provided with a longitudinal extending channel 68 which mates with a corresponding rib 26 of the magazine. Such rib functions as a track upon which the tray-carrier 59 may be slid longitudinally of the magazine. Channel or groove 68 greatly increases the strength of the thin-walled plastic material, as well as functioning as a guide during sliding movement of the tray carrier.

The alternate form of tray-carrier 57 which is also shown in FIG. 1, has a very similar construction. The differences are primarily in specific details such as the fact that the groove or channel 71 is somewhat wider and flatter than channel 68. This provides a broader floor for the label stack and eliminates the need for additional longitudinal ribs such as ribs 65 which are provided in the tray-carrier 59.

FIG. 1 also illustrates the fact that the rear wall 72 of load carrier 57 may be slightly bulged rearwardly, without the channel 67 provided at the rear wall 64 of the load carrier 59. This bulge adds strength and receives the pusher platen behind the rearmost label in the stack.

While the respective tray-carriers 57, 59 are provided with rear end walls 72, 64, they have no front end walls. The front ends of the tray-carriers 57, 59 are left open to facilitate discharge of the label stacks from the tray-carriers into the magazines.

FIG. 1 also illustrates the optional feature of providing the side walls 63 of the tray-carriers with hinged end flaps 73 which may be swung between the position shown in FIG. 1 and in the direction of arrows 74 of FIG. 11 to their positions shown in that figure in which a label stack can be loaded into and dispensed from the tray-carrier.

Moreover, the upper edges of the side walls 63 of the tray-carriers may be provided with turned over flanges 75 to further strengthen the upper edge of the tray-carriers.

In the specific configuration of FIG. 2, the bottom wall of the tray-carriers are shaped somewhat on a curve to match the configuration of the neck or shoulder lablels 33, whereas the tray-carriers shown in FIG. 1 have a substantially flat bottom to match the body labels 32 shown in FIG. 5. Other than dimensions and slight modification in configuration, the tray-carriers for the shoulder or neck labels are very similar to the tray-carriers for the body labels.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 16, after the label stack 77 is loaded into the tray-carrier 57, as hereinafter described, a cover 76 is wrapped around the loaded tray-carrier. Cover 76 makes up the second part of a two-part carrier and functions to reinforce the relatively fragile thin wall 63 of the tray-carrier and covers the otherwise open front end of the tray-carrier, thus giving the entire package greater stability and strength. Moreover, the cover 76 keeps the label stack 77 clean and free of dirt, etc., during transport of the package.

FIGS. 10 through 12 illustrate how a tray-carrier, for example tray carrier 57, is loaded with labels coming from a label manufacturing machine 78. The tray-carrier 57 is mounted on a support 81 in the path of labels coming from the machine 78 in the direction of arrow 82. A label stack 77 will thus be assembled either automatically or by hand into the tray-carrier 57. FIG. 11 illustrates the utilization of an opening tool 83 to spread the end flaps 73 of the tray carrier 57 prior to entry of the labels into the tray-carrier. The opening tool 83 spreads the flaps 73 in the direction of arrow 74.

When the tray-carrier 57 has a full label stack 77, it is transferred in the direction of arrow 84 (FIG. 12) into a shrink tunnel 85 where a heat shrinkable film forming the cover 76 is shrunk about the loaded tray-carrier 57. FIGS. 2, 12 and 16 show how cover 76 completes the two-part loaded tray-carrier.

The operations illustrated in FIGS. 10 through 12 may occur at a label manufacturing plant which may be remote from the label applying machine. The loaded tray-carrier 57 is protected from the elements by cover 76 and is sufficiently strong and rigid to withstand transport and shipment.

The loading of the label stack 77 from a tray-carrier such as tray carrier 57 into a magazine such as magazine 20 is illustrated in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15. FIG. 13 illustrates the situation where old labels 32 already in the label magazine 20 have been almost depleted therefrom and there is adequate room to receive tray-carrier 57 and its label stack load 77. First the cover 76 is removed from the tray-carrier, thus to expose the label stack 77. Tray-carrier 57 is then telescopically inserted into the magazine 20 by first moving it in the direction of arrow 86 in FIG. 13, pursuant to which the side walls 63 of the tray-carrier are snugly embraced by the side wall ribs 26 of the magazine, as shown in FIG. 5. Tray-carrier 57 is then slid forwardly in the direction of arrow 56 to telescope the tray-carrier into the magazine 20.

Meanwhile, the pressure platen behind the old labels 32 continues to feed labels to the label drum 23. As soon as the tray-carrier 57 is almost fully inserted into the magazine, platen 37 is swung laterally in the direction of arrow 48 in FIGS. 14 and 5 to clear it from the path of label advance and any remaining gap between the foremost label in new label stack 77 and rearmost label in old label stack 32 is taken up by pushing the tray carrier 57 forwardly in the direction of arrow 56. Platen 33 is now slid rearwardly in the direction of arrow 51 until it is behind the rearmost label in the stack 77 and it is then swung in the direction of arrow 52 to insert it in the channel 67 or in the bulge 72 formed in the rear wall of the tray-carrier. The tension of spring loaded pulley 55 is then allowed to push the platen against the rear of stack 77 for continued pressure feed of all of the labels now in the magazine.

While the tray-carrier 57 may be left in the magazine in its condition shown in FIG. 14, it is usually advantageous to immediately remove the tray-carrier 57 by pulling it rearwardly in the direction of arrow 87 as shown in FIG. 15, while the platen 37 keeps the label stack 77 from retracting with the tray-carrier 57. The operator may maintain pressure on the platen 37, or directly on the stack 77, with his other hand. Tray-carrier 57 may then be discarded or returned to the label manufacturing plant where it is reloaded as shown in the sequence illustrated in FIGS. 10- 12, inclusive.

It is to be noted that the operation of loading the tray carrier 57 into the magazine 20 is extremely simple and may be performed by unskilled personnel. The configuration and size of the tray-carrier and its telescopic relationship with the magazine 20 insures against any dislocation of the labels in stack 77 with respect to the labels in stack 32, so that the stacks 32, 77 are integrated smoothly and in substantially perfect alignment, without interruption of the continuous operation of the labeling machine.

FIG. 6 illustrates a modified form of tray-carrier 88 which comprises a trough-shaped lower part 91 and a complementary trough-shaped upper part 92. The configuration illustrated in FIG. 6 is for the receipt of rectangular body labels. The lower part 91 consists of cardboard panels which are shaped as an open-topped trough. The rear of the trough (not shown in FIG. 6) has a rear end wall. The front end of the tray-carrier 91 is provided with a bottom hinged flap 93 and side hinged flaps 94 which perform functions similar to that of the hinged flaps 73 on tray-carrier 57. Accordingly, during transport of the tray-carrier, these flaps are closed to confine the label stack 77 therewithin.

The upper part 92 of this tray-carrier may also consist of shrink film such as the shrink film cover 76 of the previously described embodiments. If desired, the upper corner of the label stack 77 may be provided with reinforcing cardboard angle strips 95 to protect the label edges which would otherwise be exposed to damage.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show a modified embodiment of tray-carrier in which the tray-carrier 96 is made up of cardboard panels hingedly connected to form a generally tubular envelope for the label stack 77 therewithin. The cardboard material of the tray-carrier is inexpensive, offers good protection for the label stack during transport and enables easy and quick reloading of the label magazine.

The tray-carrier 96 consists of a series of hingedly interconnecting panels which form an almost closed tube having open ends. Bottom panel 97 is hingedly connected to side panels 98 which are in turn connected to narrow top flaps or panels 99. Panels 99 are not wide enough to meet at the top of the carrier, thus leaving a slot 102 therebetween. The label stack 77 is received within the tube after which separate end panels 103 are interfitted within the otherwise open ends of the tube. The tray-carrier is sealed with an adhesive tape 104 which adhesively connects to the proximate margins of the top flaps 99 and spans across the slot 102, thus to close the slot and protect the label stack therewithin.

As shown in FIG. 8, an end portion 105 of tape 104 is brought around to adhere against the bottom wall 97 of the tray-carrier and has its extreme end at 106 folded back upon itself to provide an exposed tear tab. Moreover, a medial portion of the tape 104 may be overlaid with foil or a non-adhering tape strip 107 to overlie the slot 102 to prevent adherance of adhesive portions of the tape to the exposed edges of the labels in the label stack 77 within the tray-carrier. Alternatively, the tape 104 could be provided with a non-adhesive medial zone in the area otherwise covered by the strip 107.

Instead of the end panels 103, the endmost labels in the label stack 77 could function as end closure panels, if such labels have sufficient strength and substance.

FIG. 9 shows substantially the same arrangement as FIGS. 7 and 8, except that the bottom wall 97a has an offset portion 108 to accept the downwardly projecting rib portion 111 of the shoulder or neck labels for which this particular tray-carrier 96A is designed. The reference characters are otherwise the same as in FIGS. 7 and 8.

In a typical tray-carrier such as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, as many as seven thousand labels can be assembled into the stack 77 and the thickness of the walls 97, 98, 99 can be limited to 0.2- 0.3 mm. The fact that the adhesive tape 104 binds or presses the cardboard panels snugly against the sides of the label stack 77 provides mutual support by the label stack for the tray-carrier and the tray-carrier for the label stack. The thin walls of the tray-carrier 96 makes it readily telescopically receivable within the magazines 20, 31 inasmuch as there is usually a clearance of about 2 mm. between the interior walls of the magazine and the edges of the labels in stack 77.

The tray-carrier illustrated in FIGS. 7- 9 is easily opened. The adhesive tape 104 is first removed by pulling on tab 106. This will automatically also remove the end closure panel 103 which adheres to the tape. Thus a simple pull on the tape will open the end wall of the tray-carrier and will also open the slot 102.

After the opened tray-carrier 96 has been telescopically received within the magazine 20, in the same series of steps illustrated in FIGS. 12- 15, the adhesive tape 104 will be completely removed and the label pusher platen will be retracted and positioned behind the rearmost label in the stack 77. The flaps 99 can be bent backwardly along their hinged connection to the top edges of the side panels 98 to leave ample room for passage of a pusher platen, such as platens 37, 38 of FIG. 5. These platens may have their dimension changed to accommodate the configuration of the tray-carrier 98.

For example, some tray-carriers may have sides, others may have low sides, and in some one or another side may be omitted. The platens and their support arms will be shaped accordingly.

Claims

We claim:

1. A method of loading stacked labels into a label feed magazine and feeding said labels into a label machine, said magazine having a retractable label pusher platen behind old labels therein and in which method the magazine will continue to feed old labels to a label machine during the loading operation, said method comprising the steps of assembling a stack of new labels in an open-ended tray-carrier which is slightly smaller in profile than the magazine and which holds the new labels in stacked relation, transporting the loaded tray-carrier to the magazine, telescoping the loaded open-ended tray-carrier with its open end foremost within the magazine, advancing the stack of new labels in the tray-carrier through its open end and toward and against old labels already in the magazine while the magazine continues to feed old labels to the label machine and repositioning the label pusher platen behind the stack of new labels for feed of all said labels.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the tray-carrier is withdrawn rearwardly from the label magazine to transfer the label stack from the tray-carrier to the label magazine.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the tray-carrier remains in the label magazine as said pusher platen dispenses labels therefrom.

4. The method of claim 1 plus the step of restraining said label stack from loss during transport of the tray-carrier to the label magazine.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the label stack is restrained from loss by encasing it in a removable cover.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the removable cover comprises a shrink film.

7. The method of claim 1 in which said pusher platen has a slidable hinged connection to the label magazine, said pressure platen being repositioned behind the label stack by first swinging it laterally about its hinge out of the path of label advance, sliding it rearwardly to a position behind the label stack and swinging it laterally on its hinge to reposition it in line with the path of label advance and behind the rearmost label.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the label magazine has longitudinally extending ribs along its bottom which act as tracks along which the tray-carrier is slid.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the tray-carrier has complementary grooves which mate with said ribs.

10. Apparatus for continuously feeding labels from a label magazine to a label machine and for loading stacked labels into said label feed magazine without interrupting the continuous feed of labels therefrom, said magazine having a retractable label pusher platen behind old labels therein, said apparatus comprising an open-ended tray-carrier which is slightly smaller in profile than the magazine and which holds new labels in stacked relation, said open-ended tray-carrier being telescopically receivable within said magazine with its open end foremost to advance said new label stack through said open end and toward and against old labels already in the magazine while the magazine continues to feed old labels to the label machine, and guide means for retracting the label pusher platen from behind old labels already in the label magazine and repositioning it behind said new label stack.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the tray-carrier is provided with means for restraining loss of said label stack during transport of the tray-carrier.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which said means for restraining loss of said label stack comprises a removable cover for said tray-carrier.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 in which said removable cover comprises a shrink film.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 in which said means to restrain loss of said label stack comprises swingable flaps on said tray-carrier.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 in which said flaps are at said open end of said tray-carrier and are swung open prior to advancement of the label stack against any labels already in the magazine.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 in which said flaps extend longitudinally along opposite sides of the tray-carrier with a slot therebetween, and a removable tape spanning across said flaps and closing the slot.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 in which said tray-carrier has removable end closure panels, said tape extending around said end closure panels to secure said panels to the tray-carrier pending removal of the tape.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 in which said tray-carrier comprises a cardboard box having a bottom and sides from which said flaps extend, the ends of said box being closed only by said end closure panels.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 in which said end closure panels comprise endmost labels in said label stack.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 in which said tape has a glue-free zone over said slot.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 in which at least one end of the tape is provided with a pull tab free of connection with the tray-carrier.

22. The apparatus of claim 10 in which said guide means comprises a longitudinally extending guideway and a sliding hinge coupling the label pusher platen to the guideway and on which said label pusher platen is swingable laterally out of the path of label advance and slidable longitudinally along the magazine.

23. The apparatus of claim 10 in which said tray-carrier comprises a thin walled trough, the exterior profile of which is slightly smaller than the interior profile of the label magazine.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 in which said tray-carrier comprises molded plastic.

25. The apparatus of claim 10 in which said label magazine comprises longitudinally extending ribs along its bottom which act as tracks along which the tray-carrier is slid.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the tray-carrier has complementary grooves which mate with said ribs.

27. The apparatus of claim 10 in which said tray-carrier comprises a channel-shaped lower trough open at one end and a removable cover for enclosing a label stack within the trough, said cover having an end portion over the open end of the trough.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 in which the cover comprises a pliant shrink film.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 in which the side walls of the trough are provided with hinged flaps adjacent open end and which are movable between closed end and open end position with respect to said end.

30. The apparatus of claim 27 in which the label magazine comprises longitudinally extending ribs along its bottom which act as tracks along which the tray-carrier is slid, said tray-carrier having complementary grooves which mate with said ribs.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 in which the bottom of said tray-carrier has transverse ribs which reinforce said bottom and which span between said grooves.

32. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the label stack has a curved bottom, the bottom of said tray-carrier being correspondingly curved.

33. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the spacing of the edges of the labels in the stack from the magazine wall is about double the thickness of the wall of the tray-carrier.