The invention relates to a method and a system for moving and labelling reels (R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, . . . R.sub.n) of a web material such as paper or nonwoven in which each reel has a central core piece (3) which is hollow and around which the web material is wound. A robot arm (6) is inserted into the central core piece (3) of at least one reel (R.sub.1) and is then used to move the (R.sub.1) from a first position (P1) to a second position (P2) and to fix an inner label (15) onto the central core piece (3). According to the invention, the inner label (15) is placed on the robot arm (6) before the robot arm (6) is inserted into the central core piece (3) and the robot arm (6) is used both to fix the inner label (15) to the central core piece (3) and to move the at least one reel (R.sub.1).

A system to monitor available media in a printer is disclosed. The system may include a media holder that includes a support frame and a support member that extends from the support frame. The support member may be configured to receive a media roll. The system may include an optical sensor attached to the support frame of the media holder. The optical sensor may be configured to include an axial end of the media roll within a field of view of the optical sensor. The optical sensor may be configured to output sensor data that indicates whether the media roll has available media according to a radius of the axial end.

The present invention provides a label printer, including an upper cover module and a bottom case module configured to cooperate with the upper cover module in printing. An elastic wall is disposed at an articulating part between the upper cover module and the bottom case module. An inclined surface is provided at a corresponding position of the lower cover module. When the upper cover is opened upward to the maximum extent, a tail end of the elastic wall cooperates with the inclined surface to form a support structure to prevent the upper cover module from falling due to the gravity and the like when the upper cover module is opened.

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 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, a transporting roller, a peeling roller, and a control unit, wherein the control unit controls a current value to be supplied to a peeling motor configured to rotate the peeling roller such that a transport force of the peeling roller for transporting the backing sheet is equal to or greater than a minimum force required for peeling the label and is greater than a maximum friction force between the peeling roller and the backing sheet, and the maximum friction force and 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 equal to or smaller than a transport force of the peeling roller that sets a transport error of the label sheet by the transporting roller to be within an acceptable value.

Apparatus and method for the making of a pressure-sensitive adhesive stock for labels using a label production line, are disclosed. The stock comprises a first layer of facestock material configured to be die-cut to form the stock of labels surrounded by a matrix, the first layer being backed by a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive, which in turn is covered by a release liner. 5 The apparatus and method allow the matrix of the facestock to be peeled-off from the release liner on the label production line without stopping the label production line by merely slowing down the label production line. A pressure-sensitive adhesive stock free of the matrix of the facestock is therefore produced without lowering production yields.

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.

According to examples, an apparatus may include a first feed element and a second feed element, in which a web is to be fed to the first feed element and from the first feed element to the second feed element. The apparatus may also include a controller that may determine whether the web exiting the second feed element is shifted from an intended position and based on a determination that the web is shifted from the intended position, cause the first feed element to be moved laterally a first distance and the second feed element to be moved laterally a second distance to compensate for the shift in the web exiting the second feed element.

A winding device (10) for winding a web (92) onto a reel (90) has a drive shaft (20), a gear (30), a clutch shaft (63), an energy storage means (50), a clutch (60) and an output shaft (80). The gear (30) is configured, as a positive-engagement gear, to transmit a rotary movement of the drive shaft (20) to a first clutch shaft element (61) assigned to the clutch shaft (63). The clutch shaft (63) is connected via the clutch (60) with the output shaft (80) in order, selectively, to enable or prevent a transmission of torque between the clutch shaft (63) and the output shaft (80). The gear (30) has, without the energy storage means (50) having effect, a first predetermined transmission ratio (i_0) between the drive shaft (20) and the clutch shaft (63), and the energy storage means (50) is configured to store and release rotational energy and to vary the transmission ratio.