In connection with applying adhesive labels on cars and buses, a handheld scraper of the type mentioned in the introduction is used for pressing the label against the base such that air bubbles are obviated.
The labels may have a considerable length. It is not uncommon with adhesive labels having a length up to several metres.
Application occurs by positioning the label on the base, which e.g. can be sloping, vertical or horizontal, edged or rounded. Then it is temporarily attached to the base with tape. During this step, the adhesive label is held by the fitter with one hand and by longer adhesive labels typically by means of an additional fitter. The tape, which is cut into small strips in beforehand, is fastened to the adhesive label and the base by the other hand of the fitter. Typically, several pieces of tape are fastened. When the adhesive label has been temporarily fastened to the base at the right position, the back paper is removed from the adhesive label from one end to the other while the tape is removed. The fitter holds the scraper in his hand, pressing it against the adhesive label as the adhesive label is fastened, without forming air bubbles between the base and the adhesive label.
This method is time-consuming with much disadvantage, especially when applying long adhesive labels, including application of adhesive labels on buses where two fitters are required for applying adhesive labels.
Since application of adhesive labels, in particular on buses, is done as piecework, it is desirable to optimise the method as much as possible so that the task can be performed in the shortest possible time, with as few tools as possible and with the least use of consumables, including tape.