The present invention relates to a method for automati- 5 cally advancing a carrier tape or ribbon which carries a row of closely arranged, mutually sequential self-adhesive labels, for accurately positioning the labels, one at a time, in a station in which the label is printed and/or is affixed to an article, said carrier tape being drawn 10 forward by means of a motor-driven feed means, which is arranged to halt the tape temporarily each time said tape is advanced through a distance corresponding to the length of a label.

15 Labelling of goods manually in stores for example, with the aid of labelling guns and like devices, is a labo¬ rious, time-consuming and expensive task. It is possible to eliminate this task, if the goods can be labelled directly on the premises of the distributor or in the

20 store, with the aid of automatically operating apparatus. Apparatus for fixing onto articles self-adhesive labels arranged in mutually spaced relationship, in a row on a carrier ribbon or tape are at present known. For the purpose of halting the tape, such apparatus include means

25 for sensing the space between two mutually adjacent labels. Sensing can be effected, for example, photoelectrically or, for example, with the aid of mechanical thickness- measuring devices.

0 In recent years it has become more and more usual to use label-bearing tapes on which the labels are placed very close together, in a row, i.e. without any real spacing between said labels but separated by a slit only. In order to simplify manufacture and to render said manu- 5 facture less expensive, these labels are normally placed on a tape having corrugated or wave-shaped edges. There are

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available at present perfectly good, hand-operated pin¬ cers with which such labels can be affixed to selected goods . On the other* han , there Is no simple automatic device which will perform this task. Among other things, this is due to the difficulty in controlling the forward feed of such a tape automatically, because there is virtually no space between mutually adjacent labels which can be sensed for the purpose of sending a con¬ trol signal to the drive means.

The object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problems and to provide a method and apparatus for automatically advancing accurately and step-wise a tape bearing mutually sequential labels placed in close relationship one with the other.

This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by means of a method of the aforementioned kind whichis characterized in that during its passage be- tween a storage reel and the feed means, the tape bearing the separate labels is caused to pass ." over a freely rotatable roller and to drive said roller with¬ out slipping or sliding; and in that the rotary move¬ ment of said roller is sensed and utilized for control- ling the feed means.

The method according to the invention enables the feed of the label-bearing tape to be controlled very pre¬ cisely, for example completely independent of any slip between tape and feed roller.

The invention also relates to apparatus for carrying out the method. In accordance with one embodiment of said apparatus , the structure of the outer cylindrical sur- face of the roller may be such that when the tape is pressed against said roller the friction generated is sufficient to prevent sliding or slipping therebetween.

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In a further embodiment, particularly intended for a tape having at least one irregular edge, the roller is provided with means arranged to co-act with said irregularity of the tape, in a manner to prevent sli- ding or slipping of the tape relative to the roller.

For the purpose of sensing the rotary movement of the roller, the apparatus includes suitably stationary electrooptical or pneumatic means arranged to sense the passage of markings on or recesses in the cylin¬ drical surface of the roller or the end surface there¬ of, said markings or recesses being arranged at precise distances apart, for delivering a stop, signal to the feed means or to the roller-drive means. The sensing means suitably has the form of a fork arranged to sense recesses in a sleeve which surrounds the roller and which projects beyond one end of said roller, the other edge of said roller having an irregular shape for co-action with a corresponding shape on the tape. In accordance with one embodiment intended for tape where both edges thereof are irregular, normally wave-shaped, a sleeve is suitably arranged around the roller at both ends thereof, each of said sleeves having an irregular inner edge corresponding to said tape, so as to form therebetween a groove which is precisely adapted to the tape.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of an apparatus according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus Illustra-- ted in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the sensing roller incorporated in the apparatus illustrated in

Figures 1 and 2 .

In the illustrated apparatus of Figures 1 and 2 the reference 1 identifies a wave-shaped label-bearing tape on which there is arranged a row of closely pac¬ ked, mutually sequential self-adhesive labels 2, said tape arriving from a storage reel and being rolled-up onto a collecting reel when the labels have been re¬ moved from the tape. For the sake of simplicity said reels are not illustrated In the drawing. The tape is drawn forwards by means of a drive means including two rollers 3 and 4, of which rollers the roller 3 is driven from a motor 5. During Its passage through the apparatus, the tape 1 passes over a plurality of guide rollers 6, 7 and 8, and Is guided, in a conventional manner, over the edge of a tongue 9 intended for loosening each separate label 2 from the tape 1. Those articles to be labelled pass beneath the tongue 9, whereupon a loosened label Is affixed to a respective article, with the a ^' id of a pressing roller 10. This operational mode is totally conventional, and will not be described in further detail here.

The application of successive labels to articles pass- Ing beneath the tongue 9 requires, however, the tape

1 to be stopped temporarily in exactly the correct position in relation to the position of the label to be applied relative to the guide edge of the tongue 9. In accordance with the inventio , the tape 1 is , to this end, passed over a roller 11 which is freely ro¬ tatable about its axis. The tape Is pressed against the outer cylindrical surface of the roller 11 by means of the guide rollers 7 and 8. In the exemplary embodiment In which a wave-shaped tape 1 Is used, the roller 11 is provided with a corresponding wave- shaped groove around its cylindrical surface, which

means that the roller will be driven fully synchronous¬ ly with the forward movement of the tape. Thus , by sensing the rotary movement of the roller 11, it is possible to establish exactly how far the tape has been advanced.

In this respect, the roller 11 of the illustrated em¬ bodiment is provided on one edge thereof with a plura¬ lity of slots 12 which are arranged in an outwardly projecting flange and the distance apart of which corresponds exactly to the pitch between the labels 2 on the tape 1. For the purpose of sensing the slots 12 there is used a stationary reading fork 13, arranged to sense, for ^' example electooptically or pneumatically, the passage of each slot -12 and therewith to deliver a stop signal to the drive motor 5 of the roller 3.

The construction of the roller having a groove provided with wave-shaped edges for the wave-shaped tape 1, and sensing means 13 for the slots 12 is illustrated more clearly in Figure 3. In the illustrated roller, the wave-shaped groove has been formed by arranging around the roller 11, at respective ends thereof-, two ring- shaped sleeves 11 having internal, wave-shaped edges. One of said sleeves 14 projects beyond the roller, and is provided with the slots 12 sensed by the reading fork 13. In order to stop the drive roller 3 at de- • sired time intervals , the guide signals from the fork 13 can be applied directly to the motor 5 driving the roller 3, or, for example, to a magnetic clutch which disengages the motor from the roller 3.

It will be understood that the described apparatus can be modified in several respects, inter alia with re- spect to the technique used to sense the rotary move¬ ment of the roller 11 and the manner in which sensing

of said rotary movement is used to influence the drive means. For example, the roller 11 can be provided with automatically readable indications of a kind other than the recesses 12, or may be provided with other means.

Although the apparatus has been described with refer¬ ence to a wave-shaped label-carrying tape, the inven¬ tion can also be applied, in principle, with label- carrying tapes having straight edges, provided that the requisite friction can be obtained between the tape and the cylindrical surface of the roller 11, to pre¬ vent sliding or slipping therebetween. This can be achieved, for example, by applying a suitable coating to the cylindrical surface of the roller 11, or by providing said surface with a suitable structure. It will also be understood, that carrier tapes having one wave-shaped edge and one straight edge can also be used.

In addition to applying labels onto respective articles the same requirement of exact positioning of success¬ ive labels prevails when said labels are to be printed prior to being affixed to said articles. As will be understood by those skilled in this art, the afore- described invention can also be applied to this end.

One important advantage afforded by the invention is that driving of the tape is not critical per se, since the invention enables the length of the tape actually fed forwards ^' passed the edge where the labels are separated from the tape to be constantly monitored in a precise manner. Any relative movement between tape and feed roller will not therefore affect the accuracy.

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