US2883044A - Adhesive label dispenser - Google Patents

Description

April 21, 1959 L. w. KEN BRICK 2,883,044

ADHESIVE LABEL DISPENSER Filed Oct. 24, 1958 immm www@ mi@ 5.- FIG. I

INVENTOR. l LAURENCE W. KENDRICK BY 0%, arfamfzo/dzz TTGRN EYS ilnited States Patent ADHESIVE LABEL DISPENSER Laurence W. Kendrick, Waltham, Mass. Application October 24, 1958, Serial No. 769,420

12 Claims. (Cl. 20G-S6) This invention relates to a combination of pressure sensitive labels with a dispenser mounting therefor. It resides more specifically in a series of pliant yet-somewhat stiif adhesive backed labels in separable pressure sensitive adhesive contact with a releasably surfaced and slit carrier having a eXible hinge forming material attached to the back side bridging the slits. The slits divide the carrier into strips and each label overlays a slit with a small tab end on one side of the slit and the major portion on the other side. Cuts are provided through the label stock between each label, said cuts substantially overlaying the carrier slits. The cohesion in shear of the label material is greater than the adhesion in shear provided by the adhesive between the small tab end of each label and the strip of the carrier to which it is secured. The stiffness of the label material resists bending of the label over the slit and thereby exerts a releasing force on the tab end when adjacent carrier .strips are rotated rearwardly with respect to each other. Consequently, by rotating said carrier strips rearwardly with respect to each other to thereby exert a shearing force on the adhesive between the tab end and its strip and a bendforwardly and backwardly to break the card along the partly scored line, one portion of the card subsequently being peeled olf rearwardly to expose the minor portion of the first few of the labels or peeled entirely off to expose the minor portions of an entire row of labels. In the latter case the subsequent protection of the minor portions of the unwanted labels is left to the return of some loose type of backing.

By the use of the present invention all of a row of pressure sensitive adhesive labels are made immediately available for selective removal Without any difcult manipulations and without the necessity of tearing the backing and the unused labels are readily protected for later use. These factors are particularly important when the labels are in the form of letters or numbers to be used y for making signs or the like where selection of the proper shape is essential and there will likely be a surplus of unused labels left on any of the rows or series of characters.

The invention is hereinafter described by reference to the accompanying drawing which forms apart hereof,

in which there is set forth by way of illustration and not ing force on the label through the adhesive, the adhesive i between the tab end and its carrier strip yields in shear and the strip moves in shear with relation to the tab end to thereby weaken the adhesive bond between the tab end and carrier strip sufficiently so that the resistance to bending of the label over the slit overcomes the weakened adhesive bond to release the tab end from its strip, whereupon the tab end snaps back to substantially the plane of the major portion of the label secured to the other strip and can be readily grasped for the purpose of removing the label from the carrier for placement elsewhere.

In certain cases, the gap between the top edges of each slit when the strips formed by such slit are rotated rearwardly a substantial distance is greater than the dimension of the tab end of the label in a direction transverse to the slit. With such an arrangement, if the resistance to bending of the label material is not suicient to overcome the weakened bond and release the tab end, continued rotation of the carrier strips causes the gap between the top edges of the slit to become greater than the dimension of the tab end in the direction transverse to the slit, whereupon such tab end is released from the strip to which it is secured.

By rotating the carrier strips back to original position, rebonding of the tab ends of the unused labels to the carrier strip occurs to protect their adhesive from deleterious effects of air and to protect them from distortion in handling.

Heretofore pressure sensitive adhesive labels have been furnished to the user mounted either on a backing of paper, from which they are peeled with some diculty as ,stripsfS and which acts as a hinge 6a of limitation certain forms in which the dispenser of this invention may be embodied and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form penser of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of the dispenser shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is like Fig. 3 showing progressive steps in the release of the tab ends of the labels.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a fragment of the dispenser shown in Fig. 1 showing the final position of the rotated carrier strip exposing the tab ends of a series of labels for complete removal from all of the carrier.v

Fig. 6 is a View taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. l.

Referring now to the drawing, a dispenser is there shown made up of a carrier 1 to which a series of separate pressure sensitive adhesive labels 2 is secured. The carrier 1 is formed for purposes to be more fully described hereinafter of a resilient but dense material such as, for example, sheet vulcanized bre, phenolaldehyderesin bonded fibre pulp, homogeneous pyroxylin or other plastic of similar physical properties or any similar material including dense paper of suflicient thickness with a surface from which the adhesive label will not remove surface fibers or delaminate the paper, in some cases densilied by materials which will not migrate into the adhesive layer to its detriment such as zinc chloride or some of the silicones. The carrier 1 is relatively stiif compared to the label material and is substantially thicker than the label material.

As appears more clearly in Fig. 3 the labels 2 are provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive coating 3 of rubber and resin combination or the like which is in adhesive contact with the carrier 1 thus serving to maintain the labels 2 in their intended display position on the top surface of carrier 1. Before applying the label stock 4 to the carrier 1 the carrier 1 is slit at 4a completely into two or more strips 5 and is brought together again by a sheet of ilexible hinge forming material 6 such as cellophane pressure sensitive adhesive tape, or a pressure sensitive adhesive tape of cellulose acetate or mylar, which is adhesively secured to the lower sides of the several carrier (see Fig. 4) about which adjacent strips 5 can rotate rearwardly with respect to each other.

Following this a sheet of conventional label stock 4 of various grades, including, but not limited to,` crepe paper, polyvinyl resin and other so-called label stock, all having an application of conventional pressure sensitive adhesive of' aber dison one side,vis applied to the top side of the reassembled carrier 1 and characters 2 such as letters and/or numbers are die cut by forcing a sharp edged die conforming to the shape required through` the label stock 4 and its ad.- hesive coating-3 andinto but not. through carrier 1. Additionallcuts` 7 are also made in the portions 10. of. the label material. 4. between each label. Cuts 7 substantially overlay the.slits:4a of. carrier Las'shown: inFig. 6, `to facilitate thezrotationV ofthe carrier strips 5 andto assure that, only thelabel tabs or tips 8' stand out when adjacentcarrier strips 5 are rotated rearwardly, withrespect to each other to release the tab ends as described hereinafter. These cuts.7 do notquite extend to the cuts ofA the. labels and consequently there is a small uncut gap 1.4v between, the endsof each cut 7 and the adjacentcuts of the two labels between whichthe cut extends. These gaps aid in hold,- ing thev parts together but they are easilyv torn when adjacent strips 5` are. rotated rearwardly with respect to each otherI as described hereinafter.

The. pressure sensitive adhesive 3 onx the labels is of a conventional. type permitting the labels 2 to be peeledV olf from the carrier 1. Such adhesive may range from solventecl rubber and rubber-resin combination to synthetic chemicalsof a tacky character.

The labels are in parallel rows and each label of each row bridges a slit 4a in the carrier with a tabend or tip of smallA area 8 extending from one side of theA slit 4a. andsecured to-one of the strips Siof the carrier formed by such slit' and with the major portion 9 of the labelextending from the opposite side ofthe slit and secured to the' other strip 5\of the carrier formed by such slit 4a.

Thelabel material 4 and the backing sheet 64 hold the strips 5 of the carrier together as shown in Fig. 3.

The area of the tab or tip end 8 of each label 2 is selected so that the adhesive force in shear supplied by adhesive 3 between tip 8 and the strip 5to which it is` secured is' less than the cohesion (resistance to tearing and' stretching)` in shear ofthe labelI material so that when adjacent strips S of the. carrier are rotated rearwardly with respect to eachi other,v as shown in Fig. 4, the shearing force exertedv on adhesive 3 bythe strip 5 to which the tab 8 s'securedkwill cause the adhesive between 8 and its strip 5" to yield'v and the strip moves in shear with respect to tab 8, as; shown' in Fig. 4, whereby such tab 8' commences to-be-pulled oli its strip. The yielding of the adhesive and theconsequent movement ofthe strip with respect' to the tab\ end 8' weakens the adhesive bond between tab 8 and itsr carrier strip. The forces applied by the rotation of adjacent strips asaforesaid'do not cause the portion 9 of the label tomove withk respect to its strip 5 because the area of 9-is relatively large comparedwith the area ofS'so lthat the adhesive` force holding 9 toits strip is much greater than thaty holding 8 to` its strip. Consequently, it is the adhesion between 8l and its strip which yields and not the adhesion between` 9 and its strip.

Phe cohesion which is' referred to above refers to the forces holding the label material together against tearing and stretching.` Since thecohesionh or resistance to tearingf and` stretching iss greater thanv the adhesion of tab 8 to\ itsV strip, it is this adhesion which will yield rather than the striplitself.

The above mentioned cohesion and` stitness of the labelmaterial resists bending-of thev label over slit. 4a (Fig. 4")l caused bythe rotation of strips 5. This resistance to bending. exerts a release force on the tab end 8' when the strips are thus rotated. This release force l'inally overcomes the weakened' adhesive bond between the tab end 8\ and its strip- 5 as the strips continue to be-rotated' and the vtab'endis'- released fromv its strip and snaps back to the plane of the` major portion 9 secured'to the other strip. lin` the event thisl resistance to bending is insuiicient to overcome the weakened adhesive bond" between. 8 and its strip' 5" continued rearward rotation of the `strips S with respect to,v each other continues to pull the tab 8 from 4its strip as above described, until the gap betweenA the top edges 12 (see Fig. 4) of the strips becomes greater than the dimension of the tab end 8 in a direction transverse to the strip (the distance tab extends beyond slit 4a when the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 3) whereupon the tab 8 -is pulled completely olf its strip and is thereby released and the stiifness of the label causes tab end 8 now released from its strip to snap back to substantially the plane of portion 9 so that' it can-be readily grasped by the tingers to p ull the label oif'from' the strip 5 to which 9 is secured.

The abovev mentioned gap between the top edge of adjacent strips 5 isv achieved by selecting the proper total thickness of the carrier 1 and backing strip 6 as compared to the dimension` of 81 in the directionl transverse to the slit 4a. Such a gap is assured if the combined thickness of the carrier 1 and backing sheet 6 is more than one half the dimension but such thickness can be less if the label material is of stijf enough material so that the resistance to bending` of the label over the-slit 4a is sucient to overcome the weakened adhesive bond between tab end S and its strip S to release the: tab end 8 when the adjacent strips are rotated.. rearwardly about their hinge connection only slightly to relative positions in which the. gap is less than the above `mentioned dimension.

The smaller the areaof tab end 8 thevless is the total adhesive force between it and` its strip and hence the easier it is to releasethe tab end. Preferably such area should bethe smallest, area which is consistent with the desired label dimensions and which permits it to be grasped by the tingers. Preferably the dimension of the tab area 8 inv adirection transverse to the slit (this dimension deter mines the area for a. label of any particular size) should be the smallest dimension which will permit the tab end to be grasped', by the lingers. In this way the label material does nothave to be very stiff to overcome the adhesion.k between the tab end and its strip because the total adhesion between the tab endandl its strip is small and because bending ofthe label is more dicult close to its edge than at a more intermediate portion.

While in the drawing the thickness of materials has been exaggerated by reason ofthe limitations of pen and ink drafting methods, it will' be understood that the materials shown in actual use are no thicker than they need be to perform their intendedfunction thus the label stock 4Y may vary from .001 to .012V inch or more in thickness, the carrier 1 may vary from .003 to .040 inch or more in thickness andthe exible hinge forming material 6 may be on the ord'er. of .003 inch in thickness. The exposed tab end' 8' of. the labels released as described above may beY approximately ,gto 9764 inch in extension or substantially one third ofthe width of such tab end such as the upper line of the letter E or the upper portion of the numeralv 7. It'may be convenient to apply a release surfacedpaper or lm adhered to the topsurface of carrier 1Y andunder' the label stock 4` before slitting both carrier 1" and said'rel'ea'se surface paper or film to provide a better releasel of` the pressure sensitive adhesive 3.

Practically any conventional label stock can be used in the present invention. Such stock varies from paper and vinyl sheets to metal, rigid plastic and impregnated cloth. If thestock has a low cohesion and a low stitness and is' easily torn or stretched, then the area of tab 8 and the dimension of tab 8` extending in a direction transverse to the slit should be kept at a minimum and a pres sure sensitive adhesive of. low strength should be used so that the total adhesion between the tab 8 and its carrier' is very small; Furthermore, the stiffness and resistance to tearing and stretching ofthe label stock can be increasedv by increasingthe thickness of the stock. Where the stockis stitt'er and' stronger and is not easily stretched, whichl is true of most conventional label stock, as for example, most paper and resin stocks and conventional adhesive tapes, a stronger adhesive can be used and the area of tabY 8 can be greater. The maximum area of tab 8 and the maximum dimension of tab 8 in a direction transverse to the slit and the proper pressure sensitive' adhesive required for any particular label stock to assure release of the tab ends 8 by rotation of the carrier strips 5 can be readily ascertained by persons skilled in the art after having been taught the principle of the present invention.

Suitable carrier materials are described in U. S. Patents Nos. 2,434,545, 2,681,732 and 2,831,277.

Suitable release films which may be adhered to the top l surface of the carrier to provide a better release of the pressure sensitive adhesive 3 are described in U. S. Patents Nos. 2,831,277 and 2,679,928.

The word label as used in the claims includes alabel of any shape, such as a letter or figure.

The label material or stock may be applied to the carrier in a number of ways as for example coating pressure sensitive adhesive onto the slit or unslit carrier and then coating or otherwise applying over this after or before slitting, a material to form the label stock, or printing the adhesive and then over this printing the label forming material with vinyl or other ink in the shape of the desired label on the carrier.

Instead of leaving uncut gaps 14'to hold the assembly together this can be done by slightly offsetting each cut 7 between the labels from its carrier slit in the direction of the carrier having large areas 9 of the labels adhered thereto, so that the label forming material between the labels and adjacent one side of the cut 7 is adhered across the slit and in hinging stands out a bit on the carrier strip to which the small areas 8 were adhered, out of the way of the labels, which stand out on the other carrier strip.

Although in the embodiment shown in the drawing the carrier is stii compared to the label stock which is an adhesive tape, and is thicker than the label stock, the label stock might very well be metal or other material as stil or stiffer than the carrier, and be thicker than the carrier, as heavy cardboard.

I claim:

l. In combination a label and label dispenser comprising a carrier, a slit in the upper face of said carrier separating said carrier into strips, means on the lower face of said carrier and bridging said slit to hingedly secure said strips for relative rearward rotation with respect to each other, a label releasably secured by pressure sensitive adhesive to the upper surface of said carrier and bridging said slit, said label havng a small end area extending from one side of said slit and adhesively secured to one of said strips adjacent said slit and a large end area extending from the opposite side of said slit and secured to the other strip adjacent to said slit, the adhesion in shear provided by said adhesive between said small end area and its strip being less than the cohesion of said label material in shear, whereby when said strips are rotated rearwardly to apply a shearing force on said adhesive and said small end area of said label, the adhesve between said small end area and the strip to which it is secured yields in shear and said last mentioned strip on which the small end of the label is secured moves in shear relative to said small end area against the adhesive force in shear exerted by said adhesive, the resistance to bending of the label over said slit being greater than the adhesion of said adhesive after said adhesive yields and said movement occurs to thereby overcome said adhesion and release said small area from the strip to which it is adhered in response to further relative rearward rotation of said strips, said small area being large enough to be grasped by the lingers to peel the label off the strip to which the large end is secured after said small area is released from its strip.

2. A label dispenser according to claim l, said label forming a part of a sheet cut to form a row of said labels, said slit in said carrier extending through the thickness of said carrier to form said strips, said hinge means comprising a sheet of exible hinge forming material adhesively secured to the lower surface of said carrier and bridging said slit.

3. A label4 dispenser according to claim 2, said sheet of labels having cuts extending between the labels, said cuts being substantially parallel with and substantially overlying said slit in said carrier.

4. A label dispenser according to claim 3, the ends of said last mentioned cuts falling short of the label cuts between which said last mentioned cuts extend.

5. A label dispenser according to claim l, the dimension of said small area in a direction transverse to the slit being less than the maximum gap formed between the top edges of said slit upon continued relative and rearward rotation of said strips.

6. In combination a label and label dispenser comprising a carrier, a slit in the upper face of said carrier separating said carrier into strips, means on the lower face of said carrier and bridging said slit to hingedly secure said strips for relative rearward rotation with respect to each other, a label releasably secured by pressure sensitive adhesive to the upper surface of said carrier and bridging-said slit, said label having a small end area extending from one side of said slit and adhesively secured to one of said strips adjacent to said slit and a large end area extending from the opposite side of said slit and adhesively secured to the other strip adjacent to said slit, the total adhesion in shear provided by said adhesive between said small end area and its strip being less than the cohesion of said label material in shear, whereby when said strips are rotated rearwardly to apply a shearing force to said adhesive and said small end area of said label, the adhesive between said small end area and the strip to which it is secured yields in shear and said last mentioned strip to which the small end of the label is secured moves in shear relative to said small end area against the adhesive force in shear exerted by said adhesive and said small end area is thereby released from its carrier strip.

7. A label dispenser according to claim 6, said label forming a part of a sheet cut to form a row of said labels, said slit in said carrier extending through the thickness of said carrier to form said strips, said hinge means comprising a sheet of flexible hinge forming material adhesively secured to the lower surface of said carrier and bridging said slit.

8. A label dispenser according to claim 7, said sheet of labels having cuts extending between the labels, said cuts being substantially parallel with and substantially overlying said slit in said carrier.

9. A label dispenser according to claim 8, the ends of said last mentioned cuts falling short of the label cuts between which said last mentioned cuts extend.

I0. In combination a label and label dispenser comprising a carrier, a slit in the upper face of said carrier separating said carrier into strips, means on the lower face of said carrier and bridging said slit to hingedly secure said strips for relative rearward rotation with respect to each other, a label releasably secured by pressure sensitive adhesive to the upper surface of said carrier and bridging said slit, said label having a small end area extending from one side of said slit and adhesively secured to one of said strips adjacent to said slit and a large end area extending from the opposite side of said slit and adhesively secured to the other strip adjacent to said slit, the total adhesion in shear provided by said adhesive between said small end 'area and its strip being less than the cohesion of said label material in shear and the dimension of said small area in a direction transverse to the slit being less than the maximum gap between the top edges of said slit produced when said strips are rotated rearwardly with respect to each other about said hinge means, whereby when said strips are thus rotated rearwardly to apply 'a shearing force to said adhesive and said small end area of said label, the adhesive between said small end area and the strip to which it is secured yields in shear and said last mentioned strip to which the small `end of the label is secured asse-,044

moves in shear relativel toy said smallv end area against theL adhesiveforcein shear-exerted by said adhesive and said smallend areais released from itscarrier strip.

11. A label and label' dispenser comprising a series of dispensably mounted pressuresensitive adhesive labels, a carrier having an upper Surface capable of releasing pressure sensitive adhesive, one or more slits extending completely through said carrier and separating it into two or morestrips, a sheet of flexible hinge forming material adhesively securedy to the-lower surface of! said carrier strips and bridging said slit: to hingedly secure said strips -for relative rearwardrotation with respect to each other, and a sheet of label framing material releasably secured by pressure sensitive adhesive to the upper release surfacesl of said carrier strips, said label material being cut to form said seriesA of lsubstantially parallel labels, each of said labels having 'a veryy small end area extending from one sideof said slit and a very largevr end area extending from the opposite side of said slit, said small end area being small enough whereby it maybe separated from the release surface of the underlying carrier initially byk weakening the grasp of the pressure sensitive adhesive by shear and eventually by the slight stiffness of the label when the carrier strips are rotated rearwardly relative to each other about the hinge formed by said hinge material and large enough whereby iti may be gripped 'byl the fingers of the user to removethe larger endarea of the label from the release surface of the other'carrier strip by tension.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein said labels are cut in the formofcharacters and said label form ing material? is formed with a series of aligned spaced cuts, eachofi saidL- cuts being located substantially above the carrier slit and substantially extending between the label cuts which form adjacent characters, whereby the label forming material between the characters is separatedy at said cam-ier slits when the carrier strips are rotatedll relativeV to each other about the hinge formed by said hinge forming material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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