Method and Apparatus for Superposed Application of Shipping Labels over Packing Slips

Abstract

A process for automating placement of a shipping label onto a carton on a conveyor system includes moving a carton on the conveyor system to the induction scanner, electronically scanning the carton to obtain identification information from a bar code associated with the carton, accessing electronic shipping information corresponding to the identification information, and transmitting the shipping information to a controller coupled to the conveyor system. The process also includes printing indicia, corresponding the identification information, onto the shipping label and a packing slip at the print-and-apply station, mechanically coupling the packing slip to a non-aggressive adhesive on the shipping label, and mechanically applying the shipping label and attached packing slip to the carton, such that the shipping label covers the packing slip and the packing slip is exposed when a portion of the shipping label is removed along a line of weakness in the shipping label.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for automating placement of a shipping label onto a carton on a conveyor system including an induction scanner, a print-and-apply station, and a verification scanner, the process comprising:
 moving a carton on the conveyor system to the induction scanner;   electronically scanning the carton to obtain identification information from a bar code associated with the carton;   accessing electronic shipping information corresponding to the identification information;   transmitting the shipping information to a controller coupled to the conveyor system;   printing indicia onto the shipping label and onto a packing slip at the print-and-apply station, the indicia corresponding to the identification information;   mechanically coupling the packing slip to a non-aggressive adhesive on the shipping label;   mechanically applying the shipping label and attached packing slip to the carton, wherein the shipping label covers the packing slip and the packing slip is exposed when a portion of the shipping label is removed along a line of weakness in the shipping label.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor system includes a weighing station. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , further comprising a dimensional scanning station configured to determine the dimensions of the carton. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the conveyor system includes a diversion conveyor configured to remove noncompliant cartons from the conveyor system. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a computer-readable storage medium with instructions for controlling the conveyor system and each of the conveyor system functions. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising mechanically folding the packing slip prior to attaching it to the back side of the shipping label with a non-aggressive adhesive prior to actuating the tamp. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising bringing the folded packing slip into contact with the non-aggressive adhesive using a pick-and-place arrangement. 
     
     
         8 . A method for automatically applying a packing slip and a shipping label to a substrate with a single label-applying tamp, the method comprising:
 automatically aligning the substrate with the tamp;   automatically picking a packing slip:   mechanically moving the tamp into a position to apply a packing slip and actuating the tamp; and   automatically actuating the tamp to apply the shipping label to the substrate such that the shipping label covers the packing slip, wherein the shipping label is visible but the packing slip is hidden by the shipping label until the shipping label is at least partly removed.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising mechanically folding the packing slip prior to attaching it to a back side of the shipping label with a non-aggressive adhesive prior to actuating the tamp. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising bringing the folded packing slip into contact with the non-aggressive adhesive using a pick-and-place arrangement. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising mechanically folding the packing slip prior to using the tamp to attach the packing slip to the substrate with a non-aggressive adhesive. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 printing shipping information on the front side of the shipping label with a first printing arrangement;   printing content information on the packing slip with a second printing arrangement.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the substrate includes indicia marked thereupon indicative of the shipping information and the content information, and the method further comprises:
 electronically scanning the indicia marked on the substrate; and   printing the shipping label and packing slip in accordance with the indicia marked on the substrate.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the packing slip and shipping label each having a substantially identical sheet of material with a face side and an oppositely facing back side;   the packing slip and shipping label each including a center section attached to a border section disposed outboard from the center section, with the center section being attached to the border section by a line of weakness;   the packing slip and shipping label each having an adhesive pattern attached thereto on its back side in its border section, with the adhesive pattern having an inboard edge thereof which is spaced outboard away from the line of weakness by an adhesive-free zone;   the packing slip adapted for attachment to a substrate by the adhesive pattern on the back side of its border section;   the shipping slip adapted for attachment to the front side of the border section of the packing slip by the adhesive pattern on the back side of the border section of the shipping label, in such a manner that the shipping label is superposed over the packing slip with the shipping label completely covering the packing slip.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein, the packing slip and shipping label each have identical peripheries, and the method further comprises aligning the two identical peripheries. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising supplying the packing slip and shipping label sequentially from a same backing strip. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 printing packing list information onto the center section of the front side of the packing slip; and   printing shipping information onto the center section of a front side of the shipping label.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising printing the packing slip and shipping label sequentially using the same printer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the shipping label comprises a sheet of material defining a front side and opposing back side, the shipping label further including a center section attached to a border section disposed outboard from the center section, the center section being attached to the border section by a line of weakness;   the shipping label having an adhesive pattern, attached thereto on the back side of its border section, for attaching the shipping label to the substrate;   the shipping label having a pattern of non-aggressive adhesive attached on the back side of its center section for attachment thereto of the packing slip; and   wherein the method further comprises;   attaching the shipping label to the tamp with the front side of the shipping label abutting the tamp and the back side of the shipping label exposed beneath the tamp;   attaching the packing slip to the back side of the shipping label while the shipping label is attached to the tamp; and   actuating the tamp to apply the shipping label to the substrate with the packing slip between the back side of the shipping label and the substrate.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising, attaching the packing slip to the back side of the center section of the shipping label with the non-aggressive adhesive prior to actuating the tamp.