This invention relates to label issuing machines. Our co-pending application 8225326 describes and claims label handling apparatus for use in connection with carrying out the method of British Patent • Specification 1380047. The disclosures of both the above documents are incorporated herein by reference-.

An essential component of the system described in the above specifications is a label bearing price and weight information. That label generally contains the information in convenient bar code form.

Apparatus is available commercially for printing bar codes on labels, but the apparatus available is designed to print on relatively flimsy label paper stock. This does not lend itself well to mechanical handling and accordingly the application referred to above proposes a label formed of a printed flimsy portion together with a strengthened portion. Such a label is also described in co-pending application 8225356.

The present invention is directed to an apparatus for producing labels of this type.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for labelling including a print station, means for feeding a strip of label- stock to the print station, means at the print station for printing _. variable information on the label stock, a combining station, means for feeding

to the combining station a strip of backing material of width less than the length of a label on the strip of label stock, the backing material feed being in a direction transverse to the direction of label feed, means for rendering the label adhesive on its unprinted side, means for applying pressure to the printed label and the leading portion of the strip of backing material to adhere them together, and means for cutting a length from the strip of backing material of dimension equal to or slightly greater than the width of the strip of label stock. Such apparatus produces labels consisting of a stiffened portion from which a flexible adhesive portion projects. The adhesive portion may be applied to merchandisefromwhich the stiffened portion may then be torn to detach a label from the goods for further processing as described in the Patent Specifications referred to above.

Most conveniently the pressure applying means and cutting means are combined e.g. as a movable member which has cutting edge which guillotines off a length of the backing material and a pressure applying surface which presses the cut off piece of backing material against the sticky part of the printed label.

^' The apparatus may include means for inhibiting further label issue until the combined label and backing has been removed from the apparatus.

The apparatus may be adapted to print various types of labels. In one form, the label stock may consist of a set of labels each releasably adhered to a paper tape backing, in which case the apparatus preferably includes immediately downstream of the printing station means for peeling away the backing from the label and projecting the label with its adhesive portion exposed _, into the combining station. Alternatively the label stock may consist of a tape

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being printable on one side and having a heat activatable adhesive coating on the other. In such a case the combining station may include heating means, for example a heated plate or a radiant heater,to activate the adhesive at the combining station. Conveniently the label is held at the combining station against a vacuum plate including a heating element. This serves not only to locate the label flat and in position but to activate the adhesive so that the backing sticks to it. The means for cutting a piece from the backing and pressing it against the label may include a further cutter means for severing the label from the strip.

The invention is illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a side view of apparatus according to the invention, with parts removed for clarity;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in the direction of arrow 2 of Figure 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation view of the apparatus taken in the direction 3 marked on Figure 2.

Referring to these drawings the apparatus consists basically of a known bar code printer device 1 having a print station 2 at which bar coded markings may be printed.-on label stock. The label stock is fed from a supply reel 3 over appropriate rollers and suitably driven by means not shown.

In the embodiment illustrated, after having been printed at print station 2, the backing strip of the composite label stock is pulled back over a sharp angled blade 4 and taken up on a take up .roller 5. The self- adhesive label moves towards the left as shov/n in Figure 1 ^* into a combining station indicated generally at 6.

At the combining station, the label _, is held upwardly against the horizontal surface of a vacuum chamber 7 which has a perforated face through which air is

sucked. Located below chamber 7 is a member 8 which can be reciprocated vertically. One face of member 8, the righthand face as seen in Figure 3, is ground flat and it cooperates with a counterblade 9 mounted laterally of the combining station. Located below counterblade 9 is a plate 10 and there is a slot between plates 9 and 10 through which a card strip 11 may be fed from a stock roll 12.

Card strip 11 is fed by means of a pair of pinch rollers 13 the upper one ^' of which is driven by means of a motor 14.

A microswitch 15 is mounted to one side of the combining station and it has an actuation arm projecting into the combining station and which may engage the leading edge of the card strip 11 as the strip is fed into the combining station.

Below the combining station is provided a motor linkage assembly 16 enabling member 8 to be vertically reciprocated. A suitable electrical power supply is provided to drive the basic label printing unit 1 .and motors 14 and 16, the circuitry being arranged to operate in the following fashion:

The bar code printer 1 is arranged to operate in known fashion on receipt of a signal from a weighing device. When that happens, the label stock is advanced beneath the ^" print head 2 and thewastebacking peeled away from the label over blade 14.At the same time as printing and forwarding of the label stock is initiated, power is fed to motor 14 to drive pinch rollers 13 and advance card strip 11 into the combining station. The electrical supply to motor 14 passes through microswitch 15 and accordingly when the leading edge of the card strip has reached the far side of the combining station as seen in Figure 3, microswitch 15 is actuated and motor 14, conveniently

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a slow speed stepping motor, stops. In case there is any difficulty in respect of feed, which might fail therefore to have microswitch 15 activated, motor 14 is also supplied through a relay having a maximum on time of e.g. 1 second in order to prevent motor 14 turning continuously.

Actuation of the microswitch 15 causes not only motor 14 to stop but motor and linkage arrangement 16 to be actuated, the output shaft of the motor making one revolution and member 8 accordingly being raised and lowered. As member 8 rises, it cuts the leading portion of strip 11 in cooperation with counterplate 9 and presses that leading portion into contact with the leading portion of the sticky label held against vacuum box 7. At the completion of the cycle, member 8 has returned to a lowered position and the leading end of the label, now with the piece of backing adhered thereto, may be grasped and the whole label removed from the apparatus and e.g. stuck on to a piece of merchandise by its uncovered sticky end. Means may be provided, for example in the suction pipe leading to vacuum chamber 7, to discriminate between the presence or absence of label material on the lower face of vacuum box 7 and to disenable or enable the label printing ^' unit 1 accordingly. If heat seal label stock is used, the lower face of vacuum box 7 may incorporate a heating element.

Wide variations are possible in the geometry of the arrangement shown and in the particular relationship geometrically between the label stock and the strip of backing card. In the example shown, the length of each unit of the label stock is greater than the width of the backing card tape. The length of backing card tape cut off each time is slightly greater than the v/idth of the label stock.

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