Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for the labeling of soft-surfaced disposable cups--particularly those having a tapered or frustum shape--with a thin paper label (32) which provides decoration and structural rigidity to the cup. The label is cut between a die roller (30) and anvil roller (31) from a web (28) of paper having a coating of heat activable adhesive on one side, and the cut label (32) is laid on the rotating surface (37) of a vacuum drum (36). Vacuum ports (113) in the anvil roller (31) and ports (157) in the vacuum drum hold the label on the surfaces of the roller and drum during rotation. The label is heated while on the rotating vacuum drum (36) to activate the adhesive, and an indexer plate (42), having a plurality of cup holding mandrels (41), indexes a mandrel (41) holding a cup (46) into a position in which the rotated cup contacts the heated label and draws it off of the surface of the vacuum drum. The surface speed of the cup may be higher of that of the moving labels so that labels having the shape of a annulus sector will be drawn off of the drum surface onto the cup surface in proper alignment. Unlabeled cups are simultaneously provided to another mandrel (41) on the indexer plate (42) while a labeled cup is ejected from another mandrel. Thin labels having annulus sector shapes may be applied to tapered cups in this manner at high production speeds.

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First Claim