A sheet conveying apparatus includes a tray having a plurality of sheets, a feeder to successively convey sheets stacked on the tray, a controller, and a double-feed sensor to detect double feed when the feeder conveys a plurality of sheets in an overlapping manner. When a double-feed length, which corresponds to a length, in a conveyance direction of the sheet, of a region in which the double feed has been detected by the double-feed sensor, is larger than a predetermined distance, the controller determines that the double feed has occurred. When the double-feed length is smaller than the predetermined distance and a sheet size is smaller than a predetermined size, the controller determines that the double feed has occurred. When the double-feed length is smaller than the predetermined distance and the sheet size is larger than the predetermined size, the controller determines that the double feed has not occurred.

A joining apparatus for supporting strips of adhesive labels comprises two modules each of which in turn comprises a conveying element of the respective supporting strip; a cutting element configured to cut a respective supporting strip; a joining element that can be configured in a first operating position, in which it keeps in position a respective supporting strip and/or a fixing element, and in a second operating position in which it abuts against the joining element of the other module so as to join the supporting strips; a locking element that can be configured between an active position and a passive position. In particular, at least one joining element can be removed from the respective module to allow the introduction of the fixing element even when the two modules are in the neared configuration to one another. The subject matter of the present patent application is also a joining process for supporting strips of adhesive labels.

A beverage container handling machine, such as a beverage container filling machine or a beverage container closing machine, is used to handle beverage bottles, cans, and similar containers, which containers are configured to hold or contain a beverage, such as water, soft drinks, beer, wine, and juices, or a similar product for transport and consumption by consumers of beverages and similar products.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes first and second abutment surfaces in contact a leading edge of a conveyed sheet before the sheet is nipped by a conveyance portion, which nips the sheet while the first and second abutment members are moving from respective standby positions together with first and second rotary members by being pressed by the leading edge. The first and second rotary members are in contact with the sheet being conveyed by the second conveyance portion after the leading edge of the sheet passes through the first abutment surface, the first rotary member, and the second abutment surface, and the second rotary member, and the first and second abutment members move toward standby positions by urging members after a trailing edge of the sheet passing through the first and second rotary members.

A system and method for feeding a ribbon of un-lined label stock to a printer includes first and second, abutting rollers that cooperatively remove label stock from a roll. An optical sensor is disposed in a ribbon path between the rollers and the printer. The optical sensor determines a slackness level of the ribbon between rollers and the printer. Speed of a drive roller drive motor is increased when the slackness level is below a prescribed threshold. Speed of the drive roller motor is decreased when the slackness level is above a prescribed threshold.

A label printer includes a print head configured to perform printing on a label sheet, a transporting roller configured to transport the label sheet downstream, a peeling roller configured to transport a backing sheet in a direction different from a travelling direction of a label to peel the label from the backing sheet, and a control unit configured to control rotation of the transporting roller and rotation of the peeling roller, wherein a maximum friction force between the transporting roller and the label sheet are set such that the maximum friction force between the peeling roller and the backing sheet is not greater than a transport force of the peeling roller so as to make a transport error of the label sheet by the transporting roller within an acceptable value.

A media cartridge includes: a base including: a media chamber having a mouth, and a lower portion of a media outlet; first and second wings configured to support a media spool therebetween; and a cover connected between the first and second wings, and including: an upper portion of the media outlet, and a perimeter configured to engage the mouth of the media chamber, to suspend the first and second wings within the media chamber and place the upper portion of the media outlet adjacent to the lower portion of the media outlet.

A method of making a pad of labels comprises: printing display information on a top surface of a substrate; affixing a first layer of lamination material to a bottom surface of the substrate; affixing a second layer of lamination material to the top surface of the substrate, the second layer of lamination material having a release coating applied to a top surface thereof; applying an adhesive strip to a bottom surface of the first layer of lamination material, the adhesive strip being covered by a liner material; cutting the substrate having first and second layers of lamination material affixed into at least one label; removing the liner material to expose the adhesive strip after cutting the substrate into at least one label; and arranging the labels into a pad of labels.

A label box includes a dispensing region and a storage region for holding a stack of labels, all of which have the same two-dimensional contour. The dispensing region includes a guiding-and-holding body that has been manufactured by an additive-manufacturing process based on a three-dimensional computer model thereof. The guiding-and-holding body forms a guide space for receiving and guiding of the stack and for dispensing the labels. The guide space includes a guide section that is adjustable to conform to the contour. The guiding-and-holding body also includes a securing region for at least partially securing the label box to a holding device.

A product transfer apparatus includes a product suction pad part having a suction cup part capable of sucking a plate-like product, a transfer base whose lower part has the product suction pad part, and a label suction part having a label pad, which is able to suck a label to be pasted to the product, and an up-down function of moving the label pad up and down between a position upper than and a position lower than the position of a front end of the suction cup part.