Method and apparatus for affixing print banner labels to printed files
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for affixing labels on printed output medium for separating print jobs. The method and apparatus include spooling at least one print file to a print queue. A print label program is executed to identify a first page of each print job in the print queue. A label application device coupled to a printer automatically affixes a label on the first page of each print job.
1. A network printing apparatus, comprising:
a network interface for receiving print jobs from a plurality of client devices on a network;
a printing device for printing documents according to the received print jobs and comprising an output portion for dispensing the printed documents;
a label application device disposed adjacent the output portion and configured for automatically affixing labels on the printed documents upon dispensation from the output portion without further user intervention, the label application device comprising:
a label print head disposed proximate the output portion;
a label mounting member disposed proximate the label print head and adapted to support a supply of labels; and
a controller electrically coupled to the label print head and configured to control actuation and printing by the label print head to perform the automatic affixing of the labels to the printed documents in a manner that separates each printed document corresponding to a separate print job from a different one of the plurality of client devices.
2. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the label mounting member is adapted to support a roll of adhesive-backed labels.
3. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the label print head moves substantially perpendicular to the printed documents to print identifying information and affix one of the plurality of labels onto the printed documents.
4. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the label print head further comprises a label separator.
5. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the label print head is slidably coupled to at least one track.
6. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the network interface is configured for connection with a network server.
7. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the printed documents are selected from at least one of letter size paper, legal size paper, and A 4 size paper.
8. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the printing device is one of an ink jet printer, a bubble jet printer, a laser printer, and a copier.
9. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the label print head further comprises a piston disposed proximate the label print head to affix one of the plurality of labels onto the printed documents.
10. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the label application device is configured to affix each label along a margin of a first sheet of a given print job.
11. The printing device of claim 10 , wherein a portion of each affixed label extends over an edge of the respective first sheet.
12. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the label print head is configured to print source information on the labels prior to the labels being affixed to respective printed documents, the print source information identifying which of the one of the plurality of client devices initiated printing the respective printed document.