LABEL APPLICATION SYSTEMS

The present invention is directed to a system for transferring decorations to substrates, comprising: (i) a continuous web (102) including a plurality of decorations (18, 1604) provided on a first side (114) of the web, each decoration having a pressure sensitive adhesive (20) exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the first side of the web; (ii) an application station (108) at which the decorations are transferred from the web to substrates (10); (iii) a web path along which the web travels to transport the decorations to the application station; (iv) a substrate transport (12, 14, 16) configured to move the substrates to the application station; (v) a web control system including at least one web controller (118, 120, 500) configured to move the web at the application station to position a decoration on the web for transfer to a substrate. The application station is configured to transfer a decoration from the web directly to a substrate based on contact of the substrate with the pressure sensitive adhesive of a portion of the decoration while the portion of the decoration is attached to the web. The system further comprises (a) an actuator (700, 800) provided to press the substrate against the decoration as the decoration is moved through the application station, or (b) an actuator (900) provided to apply an application force to the web to press the web and the decoration against the substrate, or (c) a first actuator provided to press the substrate against the decoration as the decoration is moved through the application station, and a second actuator provided to apply an application force to the web to press the web and the decoration against the substrate.