Hand-Held Labeler

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the art of hand-held label applying machines.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,005 to William A. Jenkins granted May 17, 1977 discloses a label printing and applying apparatus having a housing or frame with an access opening and a subframe disposed in the housing for supporting a roll of labels. A portion of a full label roll extends outside the housing.

Some prior art labelers enclose the entire label roll in a pivotally mounted box-like enclosure or cover. The cover is pivoted to an open position when it is desired to load a new roll of labels into the labeler and thereupon the cover can be moved to the closed position in which the label roll is retained in the labeler.

This invention relates to the type of hand-held labeling machine in which at least a portion of a label roll extends outside a housing. The label roll is rotatably mounted in the housing. According to the invention a retainer is movable between one position in which a label roll can be inserted into an access opening in the housing and another position in straddling relationship with respect to the label roll to prevent the roll from unraveling. The retainer in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is wire-like in construction and has a generally U-shaped configuration. The retainer has a pair of arms which extend along opposite sides of the label roll and a bight that joins the arms.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a labeler in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the labeler;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a fragment of the labeler;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3, showing the retainer in one position; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing the retainer in another position.

With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a labeler generally indicated at 10 including a housing or frame generally indicated at 11 including generally mirror-image housing sections 12 and 13. The housing sections 12 and 13 provide a handle 14 composed of handle portions 15 and 16. The housing mounts a subframe generally indicated at 17 which includes subframe sections 18 and 19. The subframe sections 18 and 19 extend in generally side-by-side relation and are substantially mirror images. An actuator 20 pivotally mounted on a pin 21 to the handle 14 is urged counterclockwise by a spring 22. The clockwise pivoting of the actuator 20 is limited by an adjustable stop 23 which is movable by rotating a screw 24. The actuator 22 has a pair of gear segments or sections 25 and 26 in mesh with respective gears 27 and 28. A print head 29 has a pair of gear segments or racks which mesh with respective gears 27 and 28. The print head 29 has guide grooves 32 and 33 and the subframe sections 18 and 19 have guide grooves 34 and 35 for receiving respective ball bearing strips 36 and 37 so that the print head 29 is mounted for straight-line reciprocating movement.

A feed wheel 38 has teeth 39 and a gear mounting portion 40 for receiving the gear 28. A ratchet wheel 41 having teeth 42 has a gear mounting portion 43 and a multiplicity of pawls 44. The pawls 44 form part of a mechanism for adjusting the ratchet wheel 41 relative to the feed wheel 38. The portion 43 is rotatably mounted in a hole 45 in the housing section 12 and the feed wheel 38 also has a portion 46 rotatably mounted in a hole 47 in the housing section 13. The gear 27 carries a pawl 48 cooperable with the ratchet teeth 42.

The housing 11 rotatably mounts an applicator roll 49. The subframe 17 mounts a platen 50 with which the print head 29 cooperates.

A label roll R is suitably mounted to portions 51 and 52 of the subframe. The portions 51 and 52 are mounted on flexible resilient arms 53 and 54 and 55 and 56.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,005 shows and describes the structure of the labeler 10 in additional detail and is thus incorporated herein by reference.

A retainer generally indicated at 57 is shown to have a pair of arms 58 and 59 joined by a bight 60 to provide a generally U-shaped arrangement. The retainer is preferably of one-piece construction and preferably has a constant cross-section. The retainer is wire-like in appearance but can be made of any suitable flexible resilient material, such as spring steel or plastic. The arm 58 has arm portions 61 and 62 which are joined and make an obtuse angle with each other, and the arm 59 has arm portions 63 and 64 which are joined and make an obtuse angle with each other. Portions 61 and 63 are parallel to each other and portions 62 and 64 are parallel to each other. The portions 62 and 64 are joined to the bight 60. The portions 61 and 63 have respective out-turned portions or connectors 65 and 66 received in respective aligned connectors or holes 67 and 68. The portions 61 and 63 are inside the housing 11 in the position shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the connectors 65 and 66 pivotally mount the retainer 57 in the holes 67 and 68. As seen, the retainer 57 is mounted to the subframe 17 at a location remote from the handle 14. The arms 53 and 55 of the subframe section 18 and 19 have pairs of projections 69 and 70, and 71 and 72, which define respective grooves 73 and 74. The arms 58 and 59 are relatively close and generally parallel to the sides of the roll R. The bight 60 is preferably slightly spaced from the outer periphery of a full label roll R as shown in FIG. 2. The bight 60 extends generally transversely to the axis of the roll R. If excessive unwinding occurs the bight 60 offers resistance to further unwinding.

Other embodiments and modifications of this invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and all such of these as come within the spirit of this invention are included within its scope as best defined by the appended claims.