US2391539A - Method of making pressure sensitive labels - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 25, 1945. R. s. AVERY METHOD OF MAKING PRESSURE SENSITIVE LABELS Filed July 13, 1942 Patented Dec. 25, 1945 arouses iun'rnon or MAKING PRESSURE snusmva means a, Stanton Avery, Los Angeles, Calif. Application July 13, 1942, Serial NoABii/i'ld 2 Claims. (cl. Isl-2) This invention relates to a method of making pressure sensitive adhesive tapes, labels, and the like, and the resulting product. 7

An object of the invention is to provide a backing sheet on which separated tapes or labels are mounted by means of a normally tacky adhesive commonly referred to in this art'as pressure sensitive adhesive, whereby the backing sheet may serve as a convenient holder for holding the tapes or labels conveniently assembled together prior to the removal of the tapes or labels upon their application to various articles that the tapes or labels are to be applied.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a method whereby the paper stock that forms the tapes or label is divided into separated portions prior to its being brought into adhesive engagement with the backing whereby the portions bi the paper stock, although separated from I each other are, nevertheless, in contiguous relationship covering substantially the entire backing so that the adhesive will be effectively protected thereby but enabling the separated portions to be individually removed. g

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of making pressure sensitive tapes and labels wherein a backing is employed to which the adhesive does not strongly adhere and the adhesive is originally applied to the backing and the paper stock which has been first longitudinally divided is then brought into engagement with the adhesive on the backing so that. in effect, the

adhesive is transferred from the backing to the paper and upon subsequent removal of the paper from the backing the adhesivewill be removed from the backing along with the paper.

Another object" of the invention is to provide a method of making pressure sensitive adhesive labels and the like, wherein the paper stock that items the labels is first longitudinally divided and is then laminated 'with the backing with pressure sensitive adhesive between the paper and the backing and thereafter.-the laminated material is divided upon transverse lines or ,upon lines that intersect the longitudinal division lines to divide the paper stock into the individual labels or strips of the desired size and shape. Such transverse lines on which the paper stock is divided may extend also through the backing, enabling the resulting sheet of labels to be separated readily into transversely extending strips that can be conveniently handled. In some instances, it is desirable to have only the paper stock divided upon the transverse lines leaving the backi'ngunsides: or edges of the labels that can be readily granted to facilitate peeling or removing the liibei, from the backing.

with the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating apparatus that may be employed to perform themproved method and obtain the resulting product;

Fig. 2 is a plan'view of one form of product obtainable by the use or the improved method;

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are similar views illustrating other types of products that are obtainableirom the use of the improved method; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through a die that may be employed in the manufacture of the product illustrated in Fig. 5. x

Referring to the accompanying drawing whereparts throughout, Iii indicates a storageoi paper stock drawn from a suitablesupply such as a supply roll of paper, not shown, and which is drawn between laminating rolls II and I! over suitable guide rollsl3 and It. This paper stock may be of=any desired type that is to subsequently form the tapes or labels. it indicates a storage of backing that is trained over rolls I6, I], I8, i8, and 20 prior to being fed between the laminating rolls II and 12. 2| indicates a sum box or a suitable reservolr for pressure sensitive adhesive 22.

It will be noted that the backing as it passes over the roll is is temporarily immersed in the adhesive 22 so as to be coated therewith on its under side which becomes uppermost on the backtrated in Fig. 2 can the backing along spaced narrow stripes. In place of the wiping roller a wiping blade may be employed if desired.

The backing employed with the'improved method is preferably one to which the adhesive does not have any strong afilnity. A typical backin that is suitable is glassine although other backings, such as for example Cellophane or Pliofllm, may be employed in certain instances.

24 indicates a gang of cutters having longiwith the backing I that has the coating of adhesive thereon. With such an arrangement the cutting edges or blades 25 cut through the paper while it is still dry and while it has no adhesive ap lied thereto. If the cutting of the paper is deferred until after the adhesive is applied to the paper, then the adhesive tends to be picked up by the cutting blades with the result therein that will divide the sheets upon these transverse lines. Such cutting rule preferably does not extend into the margin or binding portion 25 but if it does extend into the margin or binding portion 29, that portion that traverses the binding portion preferably does not cut but merely perforates the binding portion as indicated at 33 so that the marginal portion 29 remains largely, if not entirely, intact to hold the transversely extending strips of the backing in assembled relationship. Similarly, a shown in Fig. 4, if desired the transverse cutting rules or dies may leave small fragile connecting webs 34 so that although the backing is largely divided into transversely extending strips they are nevertheless temporarily held together so that the sheet, although it is readily divisible, nevertheless is held together to facilitate its handling as a complete sheet.

The labels 8i in Figs. 3 and 4 can be readily peeled from the backing l5a or if desired the sheet may be divided or separated upon the transverse lines into individual strips each carrying a relathat the blades must be regularly and periodically I cleaned unless cutting or the paper canbe accomplished along stripes or areas tov which no adhesive has been applied. With the arrangement as shown in Fig. 1, the apparatus can be continuously operated without the cutting edges be-,

coming gummed and requiring periodic shutdowns and cleaning.

Although the-paper is longitudinally divided by the cutting blades into separated strips 21, these strips remain incontiguou edge-to-edge relationship and as the strips pass with the backing l5 between the laminating rolls H and they are pressed into firm engagement with the adhesive on the backing efiectively resulting in a transfer of the adhesive from the backing to the paper. Although the adhesive thus becomes firmly attached to the paper it still remains attached to the backing but on separating or peeling the paper from the backing it will be found that most, if not all, of the adhesive remains attached a to the paper and separates itself from the back- After the laminated material passes from between the rolls II and I2 it'may then be cut into suitable sections, such as by a die 28 producing an article, such as is illustrated in Fig. 2, consisting of the backing "in with strips 21 temporarily adhering thereto by the pressure sensitive adhesive, these strips extending longitudinally of the backing. Frequently, .it is desired to provide a suitable margin or binding portion 29 that may be punched-as at 30 to enable the sheets to be kept in a suitable binder for purposes of convenience. The strips 21 can then be readily removed individually from the backing and applied to "any article desired. They may have printed matter applied thereto. I

When it is desired to have the strips 21 divided into smaller sections, such 3!, the sheet produced by the method. and illus thereafter be divided upon transverse lines 32 by running the sheets through a suitable die that will cut through both the paper stock and the backing. I find it convenient to divide the sheets in this manner by merely positioning them in a letter press which has transversely extending cutting rules mounted as individual labels tively small number of labels and from which the labels can be individually picked or peeled off.

In some instances it is highly desirable to divide the paper only upon the transverse lines, in which case a die such as'is' illustrated in Fig. 6, may be employed. In this form of construction it is vir-' tually essential that a hard, unyielding backing be employed of the character of glassine. Such a I backing is relatively incompressible as compared with ordinary papen' By so regulating the cutting edge 35 it may be caused to penetrate the paper only without cutting through the backing. If the backing is somewhat compressible or rubber-like as in the case of Cellophane, Pliofilm and like materials, this cutting of the paper without cutting the backing simultaneously therewith is virtually impossible in that the backing compresses under the cutting edge 35 and when the cutting edge penetrates the paper it has a tendency to snap through the backing also. By using an incompressible hard backing, such as glassine such snapping through does not take place with the result that the paper only is divided upon the transverse lines and the backing remains entirely intact, such as is illustrated in Fig. 5. In the die illustrated in Fig. 6, it is usually necessary to have the impression-die come into metal-to-metal contact with the anvil or matrix towards which the die is forced.

Fig. 5 illustrates another form of product obtainable by use of the present method. In this form of construction the backing l5 has the adhesive 22 applied thereto in longitudinally extending spaced stripes 38 spaced from each' other by uncoated or desensitized stripes or areas 31. These uncoated or desensitized areas may be formed by either having the roll 23 wine adhesive therefrom entirely or an applying roll may be employed that picks up adhesive from the gum' box and applies it only to the stripes 38 leaving the areas 31. In producing this form of construction it is possible to apply the adhesive in stripes to the under side of the Daperstock ill rather than to the upperside of the backing. The cuttin blades 25 are then arranged to cut the paper stock on longitudinal lines II that are arranged intermediate the sides of the desensitized or uncoated areas 31, so that when thepaper and backing pass together through the laminating rolls ii and I2 the paper and backing are laminated together but the labels that are detached mm the backing to facilitate their being grasped and peeled from the mouse backing. In manuiacturing the article illustrated method' it will be appreciated that it is possible to produce sheets of tapes or labels contiguously arranged upon a backing and to longitudinally divide the paper stock prior to its coming in contact with the adhesive so that danger of the adhesive accumulating on the cutting knives 25 is entirely avoided. The resulting product may then be optionally transversely cut into individual labels by either cutting through the paper and backing entirely on transverse lines, or by leaving temporary connections such as are afforded by the webs 34, or the paper stock alone may be divided upon transverse linesleaving the backing intact. I

It is of course possible to divide the sheet of paper on the longitudinal lines as well as the transverse lines by using a die that is so regulated that it will penetrate the paper only provided that a hard, unyielding, and virtually incompressible backing such as glassine is employed. In so doing the backing and the paper are first laminated tobacking. This operation may be performed either before or after the sheet is subjected to the die 38 that cuts the transverse lines. v

- Various changes may be made in the details 01' construction without departing from the spirit or scope oi the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. The method of manufacturing adhesive tapes, labels and the like comprising applying to a continuous backing a pressure sensitive adhesive, moving the backing and paper stock of substantiaily the same width as the backing width into laminating engagement with each 0 her between laminating rolls so as to cause the esive to adhesively connect the backing and paper stock, and slitting the paper stock just prior to its passing through the laminating rolls into a pluraiity'of strips which cooperate with each other to cover the adhesive on the backing.

2. The method of manufacturing adhesive tapes, labels and the like comprising applying to to adhesively connect the backing and paper stock,

erly regulated it will cut the longitudinal lines and slitting the paper stock just prior to its pass ing through the laminating rolls into a plurality of strips which cooperate with each other to cover the adhesive on the backing and thereafter transversely dividing the strips without dividing the backing.

RAY STANTON AVERY.

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