LABEL APPLICATION APPARATUS AND METHODS OF USE.

Abstract

A method for printing and applying a label to an article moving in a transport direction along a transport path involves: using a printing and labeling assembly that includes a label material path that feeds the label material past a printer to print on a label of the label material to produce a printed label that is dispensed in a first direction onto a label application belt moving in a second direction, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction so that the printed label moves onto the label application belt from a lateral side of the label application belt; and the label application belt moves the printed label into position to engage with the article as it moves along the transport path.A label printing and application system and apparatus are also provided.

Description

APPARATUS FOR LABEL APPLICATION AND METHODS OF USE Technical field This application relates generally to labeling devices and more particularly to devices for printing labels and labeling items as the items are transported along a path. Background of the invention Material handling systems are used in many industries. Material handling systems vary and often include complex packaging and conveying systems that rapidly move items from one location to another within a facility or multiple facilities. Labeling is often necessary to convey information about the items so they can be properly identified, sorted, and / or routed, among other reasons. Placing labels on items moving along a conveyor path within a material handling system presents unique challenges, which the industry has attempted to overcome by using complex electromechanical or electropneumatic systems that rely on numerous moving parts and a high degree of complexity.Examples of these existing systems include label applicators that use pneumatic cylinders to press labels onto the items as they pass by, and label applicators that employ complex arrangements of electric motors and mechanical components to apply labels to the items. Furthermore, in labeling devices that incorporate a printer, the label printing speed must generally match the item conveying speed for proper system operation. More specifically, the current state of the art is known as a ζ machine. "Up-roll printing and application" distributes the label directly onto the product from the printer. The production line speed must be synchronized with the printing speed. If the production line is too slow, the label will bunch up (wrinkle). Conversely, if the production line is too fast, the label will be torn off the printer. Furthermore, the support shafts for the label feed stock in current roll-up printing and application machines are arranged vertically and use a label feed stock where the labels are oriented on the stock so that the long axis of the label, typically 41, is aligned with the feed direction. This configuration results in several drawbacks, including inefficiencies in production line space and label feed rolls, increased machine wear due to the inefficiencies, and the label feed roll potentially becoming telescopic when applied to the reel because it must be handled in a horizontal configuration. Additionally, due to the orientation of the labels on the feed stock relative to the printer, symbols such as one-dimensional barcodes (or IDs) may not print correctly.They must be printed in a staggered fashion, which leads to poor print quality. In general, one-dimensional barcodes (or IDs) systematically represent data by varying the width and spacing of the parallel lines. It would be desirable to provide a label application device that allows the label printing speed to vary according to the transport speed of the items being labeled, efficient use of production line space and label feed material rolls, and higher print quality. Brief description of the invention In one aspect, a method of printing and applying a label to an article moving in a transport direction along a transport path involves three steps of: using a label material having a liner with a plurality of labels thereon; moving the label material along a label material path in a feed direction past a printer to print a given label, wherein a parallel-line barcode is printed on the given label and each line of the parallel-line barcode runs parallel to the feed direction and the length of the liner;separating the given label from the lining and dispensing the given label out of the path of the label material in a first direction on a label application tape system for the movement of the label in a second direction, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction, and the second direction is substantially parallel to the transport direction or includes a directional component that is substantially parallel to the transport direction; the label application tape assembly moves the label into position to be contacted by the article moving in the transport direction for the application of the label to the article as the article moves; In another aspect, a method for printing and applying a label to an item moving in a transport direction along a transport path involves the steps of: using a printing and labeling assembly that includes a label material path that feeds the label material past a printer to print on a label of the label material to produce a printed label that is distributed in a first direction onto a label application belt that moves in a second direction, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction so that the printed label moves onto the label application belt from a side of the label application belt; and the label application belt moves the printed label into position to engage with the item as it moves along the transport path. In another aspect, a label printing and application system includes a conveyor for moving items to be labeled in a transport direction. A label roll support shaft is oriented substantially horizontally, and a roll of label material, consisting of a liner with a plurality of labels thereon, is mounted for rotation on the label roll support shaft. A label printer is located along a label material path to print labels from the label material as the label material moves along the label material path past the label printer.A label separation station is placed along the path of the label material, where the labels are separated from the reel and dispensed out of the path of the label material in a first direction. A label application belt system is placed to receive labels as the labels are dispensed in the first direction, where the label application belt system moves in a second direction that is substantive to the first direction. In one implementation of the above, the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the transport direction, and the second direction is substantially parallel to the transport direction or includes a directional component that is substantially parallel to the transport direction. The label application system, according to one modality. Oescngción deteHad^ de te invención With reference to Figures 1A-D, a labeling apparatus © 10 for labeling moving items is described, which may, by way of example, include, but is not limited to, boxes, cartons, cases, containers, skates / rollers, packaging, plastic containers, shrink-wrapped containers, or other items. The labeling apparatus 10 includes, in the operating configuration, a horizontally arranged label material supply shaft 12 (e.g., around which the label roll will rotate and / or a reel 13 that holds the label roll), a label printer 14 (arranged behind the indicated plate), a label release mechanism W, a label application zone 18, and a horizontally arranged label backing / liner pickup shaft 20. In one embodiment, the label printer is a conventional print engine, which can print in either thermal transfer or direct thermal mode.In some embodiments, the labeling apparatus 10 can be used to apply pre-printed labels, in which case the label printer 14 would be optional. In the labeling apparatus © 10 of Figure 18, the raw material or label material, which includes both a liner or backing 30 and several labels 28 applied to a release surface of the liner or backing, generally travels along the label material path from the label material supply reel 12, past the label printer 14 for printing and then through a release mechanism 16 (for example, a bar, or peel-off edge on which the label backing pivots sharply to effect the release of the label).A label feed material drive arrangement (not shown) may include one or more motors that operate to rotate one or more knees associated with one or more knee separation blades through which the label material passes and / or operate to rotate the take-up reel 20. Once released, the label is applied to a moving item by the label application assembly 26 in the label application zone 18. The backing of the label material is loaded onto the backing take-up reel 20. Figure 2 represents an example of a roll of label material 22 that can be applied to moving joints using the labeling apparatus 10. The label material 22 includes labels 28 attached in a removable / free manner to a backing 30 (also called a label material liner or backing) that facilitates the transport of the labels 28 through the labeling apparatus 10. Each label 28 has a leading edge 32, which is the first edge of the label 28 to travel along the label material path 24, a trailing edge 34, which is the last edge of the label 28 to travel along the label material path 24, and side edges 39. In various embodiments, the dimensions of the leading and trailing edges are larger than the dimensions of the side edges.In one modality, the front and back edges have a dimension of approximately 10 centimeters, while the side edges have a dimension of approximately 5 centimeters, but other variations are possible. The dimension of the front and back edges of the label defines the width of the label, and the dimension of the side edges of the label defines the height of the label (i.e., the height of the label runs substantially parallel to the length of the label liner). This contrasts with conventional printing and application machines that generally use a label material where the labels are arranged with their long axis parallel to the feed direction, and typically correspond to side edges of 10 centimeters and front / end edges of 6 centimeters.Therefore, while the current design does not allow for twice the number of labels on a label roll of any given diameter, the described machine also provides an increase in the machine's effective throughput. This is because the maximum throughput is limited by the maximum practical printing speed of the printer, and the feed length of the labels run on the described machine is half the feed length of a conventional print and apply machine. Furthermore, because the described labels are printed in a horizontal format, indicators or symbols, such as barcodes, are printed in a near-pick format; that is, the parallel lines of each barcode are printed parallel to the direction of movement of the label material past the label printer. The currently described machine also provides higher print quality.Furthermore, because the label feed length during printing is half of what is required in conventional print and apply machines, the lifespan of the wear parts is doubled. Labels 28 can generally be pressure-sensitive adhesive labels having one adhesive label side facing the liner before separation from the liner, said adhesive side for attaching the label 23 to the moving article to be labeled, and one non-adhesive label side that is generally the printed side. The non-adhesive label side can be a printable substrate, a non-printable substrate, or a pre-printed surface. In other embodiments, the label material 22 used can be unlined label material, in which case the label release mechanism 16 can operate to separate each label from the final length of label material 22. The label application assembly 26 may have a modular configuration, allowing it to be installed and removed from the appliance 10 without affecting its function or operation of the other parts of the apparatus. It is important to note that the label application assembly 26 provides a "bulk" between the printer and the application point, so the printing speed and the product speed do not have to be synchronized because the two processes are decoupled. In contrast, conventional print and apply machines dispense the label directly onto the product from the printer, which requires the product speed to be synchronized with the printing speed. If the product speed is too slow, the label will bunch up (wrinkle), and if the product speed is too fast, the label will tear off the printer. The label application belt assembly or system 26, which may also be referred to here as a label fusing module, includes a first conveyor 40.a second conveyor 40', a roller 42, at least one first fan 44, and an impeller chamber 46 (internal to the assembly housing). The first and second conveyors 40, 40' have a support surface 48, 48' positioned to receive a label 28 that has been released from the backing 30, an upstream end 50 positioned near the label release mechanism 16, and a downstream end 52 positioned near the roller 42. The conveyor 40, 40' has one or more openings 58 to allow a negative pressure effect to occur on the support surface 48. The openings 58 can be any convenient shape, which may include, but is not limited to, circular, slotted, elliptical, square, rectangular, other shapes, or combinations thereof. As shown, the 40, 40' conveyor can have a plurality of openings 58 arranged as evenly spaced rows of slots.In other embodiments, the shape and orientation of the openings 58 in the plate 40 may vary. The primary portion of the 25 conveyor 40, 40' that defines the support surface 48 may typically be flat. 5 as shown, but other variations are possible, including conveyor configurations that result in some curvature in the sucking surface 48 and / or one or more angle changes in the support surface 48. The conveyor 40 can be of any convenient thickness ranging from a thin plate to a thick plate. As shown, the fan 44 is positioned to draw an airflow P through the openings 58 in the conveyor 40, 40', which airflow passes through the impedance chamber 46 and is then expelled from the other side of the assembly. By drawing the airflow F through the openings 58 in the conveyor 40, 40', the fan 44 creates a negative pressure effect on the support surface 48 of the conveyor 40, 40'. The fan 44 can be of any convenient type or size of fan available.The impeller chamber 46 is defined by the rear surface 56 of the conveyor 40, 40', an end wall 60 opposite the conveyor 40, 40', and a plurality of side walls 62 extending from the conveyor 40, 40' to the end wall 60. It is acknowledged that the fan 44 may be positioned on any one of the plurality of side walls 62 or on the end wall 60. The impeller chamber 46 may be sealed to prevent air leakage, but modalities with some air leakage may also be implemented. Although the use of a fan was described above, alternative means may be used to create a negative pressure effect on the support surface 48 of the conveyor 40, which may include any means for creating negative pressure known in the art.Such means for creating a negative pressure effect on the support surface 48 may include a Ventor apparatus, a vacuum pump, or other device capable of creating a negative pressure effect on the support surface 48 by extracting air through openings 58 in the conveyor 40, 40'. As shown in Figure 3, roller 42 is positioned near the downstream end 52 of conveyor 40, 40'. Roller 42 rotates freely and has an outer surface portion 64 that is positioned near a moving item 66 (e.g., moved along a conveyor 67) to be labeled so that the outer surface portion 64 is in contact with an application surface 68 of the moving item 66 (also referred to herein as the moving item application surface). The contact between the outer surface portion 64 of the roller 42 and the application surface 68 of the moving article 66 creates a contact zone 70 where the outer surface portion 64 contacts the application surface 68. The contact zone 70 receives the leading edge 32 of a label 28 and pulls the label 28 forward in contact with the application surface 68 of the moving article 66.Because roller 42 rotates freely, the contact between the outer surface portion 64 of roller 42 and the application surface 68 of the moving article 66 causes the speed of the label 28 to match the speed of the application surface 68 of the moving article 66 when the label 28 enters the space zone between rollers 70. The free-spinning roller 42 matches the speed of the label 28 with the speed of the application surface 68 without having to synchronize the speed of the label 28 (or the speed of the label printer in modes that use a label printer) with the speed of the moving article 66 using electric motors, timers, controllers, and other electronic equipment. The outer surface portion 64 of the roller 42 may be compliant so as to adapt to irregular surfaces and / or varying distances. The outer surface portion 64 of the roller 42 may also be elastic so that the outer surface portion 64 adapts durably and consistently to an original shape in response to any deformation. The elastic and resilient properties of the outer surface portion 64 of the roller 42 allow the passing application surface 68 of the moving tool 66 to partially displace the outer surface portion 64 of the roller 42, which then reshapes itself after the application surface 68 has passed. A roller 42 having an outer surface portion 64 that is compliant and / or resilient may also be referred to herein as a compliant roller without implying a lack of resilience.The outer surface portion 64 of roller 42 may also be non-stick so that adhesive and / or label failures do not accumulate on the outer surface portion 64 of roller 42 and impede performance. The outer surface portion 64 of roller 42 may be made of an elastic material, such as plastic, rubber, silicone rubber, or foam, for example. One or more surface treatments may be applied to the outer surface portion 64 to provide non-stick properties to roller 42. In one embodiment, the outer surface portion 64 of roller 42 may be a highly elastic, non-stick silicone rubber. In some embodiments, roller 42 may have hollow windows 72 extending longitudinally through the roller 42, allowing the windows 72 to deform toward a central axis of the roller 42 to provide strength.In operation, the application surface 68 of the moving article 66 partially displaces the outer surface portion 64 of the roller 42, which may deform. Due to the elastic nature of the roller 42, the outer surface portion 64 of the roller 42 seeks to maintain its original shape and exerts a force against the application surface 68 of the moving article 66. When a label 28 moves through the contact zone 70, this force acts on the label 28, pressing the adhesive side of the label against the application surface 68 to adhere the label 28 to the moving article 66.Also due to the resistance of roller 42, a degree of displacement / deformation of the outer surface portion 64 of roller 42 constantly changes in response to changes in a contour of the application surface 68 of the moving article 86. This dynamic nature of the outer surface portion 84 of roller 42 allows roller 42 to maintain contact 5 with the application surface 68 of the moving article 66 despite one or more contour irregularities in the application surface 68 and allows the smooth application of the label 28 to the application surface 68. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the space occupied by the described apparatus in a label application line is minimized because, as described in detail above, previous printing and application machines have an upward-facing reel configuration, which would roughly be equivalent to moving the described apparatus on its side with the label material supply shaft and the label backing pickup shaft arranged vertically. But with the current design, the label material supply shaft and the label backing pickup shaft are arranged horizontally, which makes the reels and label rolls vertically oriented, resulting in a decrease in the effective processing line space occupied by the described apparatus, thus increasing the efficiency of the processing line. As shown in Figure 4, the conveyors 40, 40' are positioned to extend from the release mechanism 16 to the roller 42. The conveyors 40, 40' have a width W in a direction generally parallel to an axis of rotation of the roller 42, and the width W can be selected to adequately support a lateral dimension of the label 28 (lateral with reference to a direction transverse to the machine). The conveyor 40 has a length L in a direction generally parallel to the transport direction of the article D (Figure 3), and the conveyor 40' has a length L* in a direction angled towards the path of the moving article, wherein the direction L* has a directional component parallel to the transport direction P. As shown in Figure 5, the label material 22, which includes 5 labels 28 removably / releasably attached to a backing 30, moves in direction 29 behind plate 31, where printer 14 prints clues on the labels 28 (also behind plate 31). The printed labels 28 continue to travel along direction 29 until they reach the label release mechanism 16 where the label material 22 passes tightly over the release mechanism 10, and the tight travel path of the label material 22 around the release mechanism 16 causes the leading edge 32 of the label 28 to separate from the backing label material 30. The leading edge 32 of the label 28 continues to travel downward in direction 45 (into the paper in figure 3) towards the conveyor 40 as the label 28 continues to separate from the backing 15 of the label material 30.The adhesive label side of label 28 generally faces away from the carrier surface 48 of the conveyor 40. The reverse or backing 30 moves upward along direction 33, and towards the backing pickup reel 20. Label material 22 is fed by the label drive mechanism (not shown) from the label material supply reel 20 (not shown) to the label printer 14 (behind plate 31). The label release mechanism 16 may include, but is not limited to, a release bar, release roller, release plate, peel bar, peel edge, or other release mechanism. The fan 44 blows airflow through the openings 58 in the 25 conveyor 40, 40; and the airflow in turn blows a negative pressure effect (vacuum effect) along the support surface 48 of the conveyor 4Q, 407. The negative pressure effect on the support surface 48 keeps the label 28 in contact with the support surface 48 and keeps the label 28 straight as the label 28 moves along the label's lubrication path. A controller is provided to control the various components. The controller may take various forms, incorporating electrical and electronic circuits and / or other components. As used herein, the term controller is intended to broadly encompass any circuit (e.g., solid-state, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIO), electronic circuit, logic circuit, field-programmable gate array (FPGA)), processor(s) (e.g., shared, dedicated, or pooled, including hardware or software executing code), software, firmware, and / or other components, or a combination of some or all of the foregoing, that performs the control functions of the device or the control functions of any of its components. As shown in Figure 6, in one additional embodiment, a sensor support arm 74 is positioned at the rear, for example, the non-conveyor side, of the label application assembly 26. In one embodiment, the sensor support arm 74 is generally curved, such that one end of the sensor support arm 74 is directed to a position downstream of the roller 42, thereby enabling a sensor 76 positioned at the end of the sensor support arm 74 to detect the proper application of the label 28 to the moving article 66. In one embodiment, the sensor 76 is a camera. In one embodiment, a second sensor is positioned behind the conveyor 40' to detect the proper release of the label 28 from the conveyor 40'. In one embodiment, the second sensor is an optical sensor. In one embodiment, both the second sensor and the sensor 76 are employed. As shown in Figure 7, in a further embodiment, the roller 42 is replaced with a plurality of dies 78. The fingers 78 have a full medial portion that is positioned close to a moving article 66 (for example, moved along a conveyor 67) to be labeled in such a way that the flat medial portion 5 10 15 20 is in contact with an application surface 68 of the moving article 66 (also referred to herein as the moving article application surface).The contact between the flat medial portion of the fingers 78 and the application surface 68 of the moving article 66 creates a separation zone where the flat medial portion contacts the application surface 68. The separation zone receives the leading edge 32 of a label 28 and pulls the label 28 forward into contact with the application surface 68 of the moving article 66. In one embodiment, the fingers 78 are flexible so that they can flex during the application of the label 28. In another embodiment, the fingers 78 are metallic. As shown in Figure 8, in a further embodiment, the labeling apparatus W includes a support 80 used to mount the labeling apparatus TO. In one embodiment, the support 80 comprises a main body that can be fixed to a surface, such as a floor, via fixing points 86. In another embodiment, the fixing points 86 are bolts.In one embodiment, the support 80 comprises a pivot point 82, so that the labeling apparatus W can rotate about a vertical axis. Furthermore, the support 80 may comprise a locking mechanism 84 to lock the rotation of the labeling apparatus 80 in a desired position. Therefore, the described embodiment provides a label printing and application system that includes a conveyor for moving items to be labeled in a transport direction. A support shaft for the label roll is oriented substantially horizontally, and a roll of label material is formed by a liner. A label roll holder with a plurality of labels is mounted for rotation on the label roll support reel. A label printer is located along a label material path to print labels from the label material as the label material moves along the label material path past the label printer. A label separation station is positioned along the label material path, where the labels are separated from the liner and dispensed out of the label material path in a first direction. A label application belt system is used to receive labels as they are dispensed in the first direction.wherein the label application tape system moves in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The first direction is substantially perpendicular to the transport direction, and the second direction is substantially parallel to the transport direction or includes a directional component that is substantially parallel to the transport direction. The label application tape system is configured to move the labels into position to be contacted by items moving in the transport direction for the application of the labels to the items as the items move. The described embodiment also provides a method for printing and affixing a label to an item moving in a transport direction along a transport path. The method involves the steps of: using a label material having a liner with a plurality of labels,wherein the liner has a length and a width, and each label on the liner has a height running parallel to the length of the liner and a width running parallel to the width of the liner, and the width of each label is at least 1.5 times greater than the height of each label; moving the label material along a label material path in a feed direction past a printer to print a given label, wherein a parallel-line barcode is printed on the given label and each line of the parallel-line barcode runs parallel to the feed direction and the length of the liner; separating the given label from the liner and dispensing the given label off the label material path in a first direction onto a label application tape system for moving the label in a second direction, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the transport direction, and the second direction is substantially parallel to the transport direction or includes a directional component that is substantially parallel to the transport direction; the label application tape assembly moves the label into position to be contacted by the article moving in the transport direction for the application of the label to the article as the article moves. The foregoing is provided for the purpose of illustrating, explaining, and describing types of labeling devices. Modifications and adaptations to these types will be obvious to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of this application.

Claims

1. A method for printing and applying a label to an article moving in a transport direction, along a transport path, the method being characterized in that it comprises: using a label material having a liner with a plurality of labels thereon; moving the label material along a label material path in a feed direction past a printer for printing a given label, wherein a parallel-line barcode is printed on the given label and each line of the parallel-line barcode runs parallel to the feed direction and the length of the liner;The label is detached from the lining and dispensed out of the path of the label material in a first direction onto a label application belt system for the movement of the label in a second direction, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction, and the second direction is substantially parallel to the transport direction or includes a directional component that is substantially parallel to the transport direction; the label application belt assembly moves the label into position to be contacted by the article moving in the transport direction for the application of the label to the article as the article moves.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the lining has a length and a width, and each label in the lining has a height that runs parallel to the length of the lining and a width that runs parallel to the width of the lining, and the width of each label is at least 1.5 times greater than the height of each label.

3. A method for printing and applying a label to an article moving in a transport direction along a transport path, the method being characterized in that it comprises: 5 using a printing and labeling assembly that includes a label material path that feeds the label material past a printer to print on a label of the label material to produce a printed label that is distributed in a first direction on a label application belt that moves in a second direction, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction such that the printed label moves on the label application belt from a lateral side of the label application belt; and the label application belt moves the printed label into position to affix it to the article as it moves along the transport path.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the direction of transport and the second direction is substantially parallel to the direction of transport or includes a directional component that is substantially parallel to the direction of transport. 20 5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the label material has a length and a width, and each label on the label material has a height that runs parallel to the length of the label material and a width that runs parallel to the width of the label material, and the width of each label is at least 1.5 times greater than the height of each label. 25 6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that a barcode is printed on the label, wherein the barcode lines are printed in an orientation that is parallel to a direction of movement of the label past the printer, whereby each barcode line is oriented perpendicular to the width of the label.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the feed speed of the label material past the printer during printing is less than the transport speed of the label application belt, and the printed label is completely released from the label material before engaging with the label application belt. 10 8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the transport speed of the label application tape is substantially the same as the transport speed of the article along the transport path.

9. The method according to claim 3. characterized in that the label material is fed from a roll of label material that is mounted on a reel of label material of the printing and labeling assembly, wherein the support shaft of the label material extends in a substantially horizontal direction.

10. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the first direction runs substantially vertically downwards, the second direction runs substantially horizontally, and the transport direction runs substantially horizontally.

11. A label printing and application system for use in applying labels to articles moving in a direction of transport, characterized in that it comprises: 25 a substantially horizontally oriented label roll support shaft; a label material roll formed by a liner with a plurality of labels thereon, wherein the label material roll is mounted for rotation on the label roll support shaft; 5 a label material path along which the label material moves; a label printer positioned along the label material path for printing labels from the label material as the label material moves along the label material path past the 10 label printer;A label separation station along the material path, wherein the labels are separated from the liner and dispensed out of the material path in a first direction; a label application belt system positioned to receive labels as the labels are dispensed in the first direction, wherein the label application belt system moves in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

12. The label printing and application system according to claim 1, 20 characterized in that the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the transport direction, and the second direction is substantially parallel to the transport direction or includes a directional component that is substantially parallel to the transport direction;where the label tape application system is configured 25 to move labels into position to be contacted by items moving in ε: the transport direction for applying the labels to the items as the items move.; 13. The label printing and application system according to claim 11, characterized in that the liner has a length and a width, and each label on the liner has a height running parallel to the length of the liner and a width running parallel to the width of the liner, and the width of each label is at least 1.5 times greater than the height of each label.

14. The label printing and application system according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises a controller for controlling the label printer, wherein the controller is configured to cause the label printer to print a parallel-line barcode on each label, and each line of the parallel-line barcode runs parallel to a feed direction of the label material past the label printer and parallel to the length of the liner.

15. The label printing and application system according to claim 14, characterized in that the feed direction is substantially perpendicular to the transport direction, 16. The label printing and application system according to claim 11, characterized in that the label application tape system includes at least one vacuum tape.

17. The label printing and application system according to claim 11, characterized in that the printing speed of each label by the label printer is decoupled from the speed of application of the label to the moving article.

18. The label printing and application system according to claim 17, characterized in that, due to decoupling, it is not necessary to synchronize the speed of the label printer and the speed of the moving article, 19. The label printing and application system according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises a label material drive deposition for moving the label material along the label material path, 20. The label printing and application system according to claim 19, characterized in that a linear speed of the label material drive arrangement does not coincide with a linear speed of movement of the article in the transport direction.

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