Claims
- 1. Continuous motion apparatus for decorating cylindrical containers, said apparatus including:
- a continuously rotating mandrel carrier having a plurality of rotatable container carrying mandrels positioned along its periphery;
- a continuously rotating blanket wheel having its periphery adjacent the periphery of mandrel carrier;
- a plurality of blanket segments on said blanket wheel disposed along the periphery thereof, and mounted so that during rotation of said blanket wheel all of said blanket segments remain fixed relative to each other;
- a plurality of printing cylinders adjacent the periphery of the blanket wheel;
- inking means for applying a different color ink to each of said printing cylinders which in turn apply differently colored picture segments to each of said blanket segments to form a complete main image thereon for transfer to the outer cylindrical surface of a container mounted on one of said mandrels, which container is in rolling engagement with said blanket segment as it passes through a printing zone;
- an individual direct printing unit associated with an individual one of said blanket segments;
- each of said direct printing units including a printing means that prints an auxiliary image directly on said cylindrical surfaces as the containers pass through the printing zone;
- said printing means including a closed loop flexible belt means having a plurality of printing plate segments disposed in tandem along the length thereof, guide means for directing said flexible belt means along a closed loop path, said guide means including a rotatable drive roll and an anvil disposes behind an individual plate segment to support the latter in a printing position while it is applying the auxiliary image to the container, means for stepping said drive roll for each revolution of said blanket roll by an incremental distance such that a plate segment that is supported by said anvil and has applied an auxiliary image is moved off of said anvil and is replaced in said printing position by the next upstream plate segment;
- support means mounting said printing unit on said blanket wheel for movement of said printing unit in its entirety relative to said blank wheel selectively by a machine operator, while rotation of said blanket wheel is stopped, between an operative position wherein said containers normally engage said belt means and an inoperative position wherein said containers and said belt means fail to engage as said blanket wheel and said mandrel wheel rotate;
- after being moved to said inoperative position by a machine operator, said printing unit in its entirety remaining fixed in said inoperative position relative to said blanket wheel while the latter rotates;
- said printing unit when in both said operative and inoperative positions being mounted on said blanket for continuous rotation therewith;
- after being moved to said operative position, said printing unit remaining continuously at said operative position during continuous rotation of said blanket wheel; and
- after being moved to said inoperative position, said printing unit remaining continuously at said inoperative position during continuous rotation of said blanket wheel.
- 2. Continuous motion container decorating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the support means comprises a pivotal mounting extending parallel to the rotational axis of said blanket wheel.
- 3. Continuous motion container decorating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 also including adjusting means operable when said printing unit is mounted on said blanket wheel to adjust printing pressure between said belt means and containers engaged thereby.
- 4. Continuous motion apparatus for decorating cylindrical containers, said apparatus including:
- a continuously rotating mandrel carrier having a plurality of rotatable container carrying mandrels positioned along its periphery;
- a continuously rotating blanket wheel having its periphery adjacent the periphery of mandrel carrier;
- a plurality of blanket segments on said blanket wheel disposed along the periphery thereof, and mounted so that during rotation of said blanket wheel all of said blanket segments remain fixed relative to each other;
- a plurality of printing cylinders adjacent the periphery of the blanket wheel;
- inking means for applying a different color ink to each of said printing cylinders which in turn apply differently colored picture segments to each of said blanket segments to form a complete main image thereon for transfer to the outer cylindrical surface of a container mounted on one of said mandrels, which container is in rolling engagement with said blanket segment as it passes through a printing zone;
- an individual direct printing unit associated with an individual one of said blanket segments;
- each of said direct printing units including a printing means that prints an auxiliary image directly on said cylindrical surfaces as the containers pass through the printing zone;
- said printing means including a closed loop flexible belt means having a plurality of printing plate segments disposed in tandem along the length thereof, guide means for directing said flexible belt means along a closed loop path, said guide means including a rotatable drive roll and an anvil disposes behind an individual plate segment to support the latter in a printing position while it is applying the auxiliary image to the container, means for stepping said drive roll for each revolution of said blanket roll by an incremental distance such that a plate segment that is supported by said anvil and has applied an auxiliary image is moved off of said anvil and is replaced in said printing position by the next upstream plate segment;
- support means mounting said printing unit as a whole on said blanket wheel for movement of said printing unit as a whole selectively by a machine operator between an operative position wherein said containers normally engage said belt means and an inoperative position wherein said containers and said belt means fail to engage as said blanket wheel and said mandrel wheel rotate;
- said printing unit when in both said operative and inoperative positions being mounted on said blanket for continuous rotation therewith;
- after being moved to said operative position, said printing unit remaining continuously at said operative position during continuous rotation of said blanket wheel;
- after being moved to said inoperative position, said printing unit remaining continuously at said inoperative position during continuous rotation of said blanket wheel;
- each of said printing units having its anvil positioned in the vicinity of the trailing end of the blanket segment associated with said printing unit, and
- each of said blanket segments including a narrow trailing edge portion for positively rotating containers as the auxiliary images are being applied thereto.
- 5. Continuous motion container decorating apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which the flexible belt means comprises a timing belt having teeth that extend across its interior surface, said timing belt having said plate segments on its exterior surface.
- 6. Continuous motion container decorating apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which the means for stepping the drive roll comprises link means, cam means at one end of said link means, said drive roll being at the other end of said link means.
- 7. Continuous motion container decorating apparatus as set forth in claim 6 also including a pawl and ratchet means interposed between said drive roll and said other end of said link means.
- 8. Continuous motion container decorating apparatus as set forth in claim 7 also including a one-way clutch that limits rotation of said drive roll to a single direction.
- 9. Continuous motion container decorating apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which for each of the units there is a rocker interposed between the link means and the cam means, and a follower connected to said rocker and operatively engaged with said cam means.
- 10. Continuous motion container decorating apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which the link means is removable to permit the unit to remain mounted on the continuously rotating blanket wheel without the drive roll being stepped.
- 11. Continuous motion container decorating means as set forth in claim 4 in which the belt means comprises a plurality of relatively narrow closed loop belts each of a different length equal to an integral number of said incremental distances, and each of the belts being stepped by an incremental distance for each revolution of the blanket wheel.
- 12. Continuous motion container decorating means as set forth in claim 11 in which there is an individually operable means for adjusting tension of each belt.
- 13. Continuous motion container decorating means as set forth in claim 12 in which for each belt means for adjusting tension thereof includes an eccentric operable from outside the direct printing unit and means operable from outside the direct printing unit to lock the eccentric means in its adjusted position.
- 14. Continuous motion apparatus for decorating cylindrical containers, said apparatus including:
- a continuously rotating mandrel carrier having a plurality of rotatable container carrying mandrels positioned along its periphery;
- a continuously rotating blanket wheel having its periphery adjacent the periphery of mandrel carrier;
- a plurality of blanket segments on said blanket wheel disposed along the periphery thereof, and mounted so that during rotation of said blanket wheel all of said blanket segments remain fixed relative to each other;
- a plurality of printing cylinders adjacent the periphery of the blanket wheel;
- inking means for applying a different color ink to each of said printing cylinders which in turn apply differently colored picture segments to each of said blanket segments to form a complete main image thereon for transfer to the outer cylindrical surface of a container mounted on one of said mandrels, which container is in rolling engagement with said blanket segment as it passes through a printing zone;
- an individual direct printing unit associated with an individual one of said blanket segments;
- each of said direct printing units including a printing means that prints an auxiliary image directly on said cylindrical surfaces as the containers pass through the printing zone;
- said printing means including a closed loop flexible belt means having a plurality of printing plate segments disposed in tandem along the length thereof, guide means for directing said flexible belt means along a closed loop path, said guide means including a rotatable drive roll and an anvil disposes behind an individual plate segment to support the latter in a printing position while it is applying the auxiliary image to the container, means for stepping said drive roll for each revolution of said blanket roll by an incremental distance such that a plate segment that is supported by said anvil and has applied an auxiliary image is moved off of said anvil and is replaced in said printing position by the next upstream plate segment;
- support means mounting said printing unit as a whole on said blanket wheel for movement of said printing unit as a whole selectively by a machine operator between an operative position wherein said containers normally engage said belt means and an inoperative position wherein said containers and said belt means fail to engage as said blanket wheel and said mandrel wheel rotate;
- said printing unit when in both said operative and inoperative positions being mounted on said blanket for continuous rotation therewith;
- after being moved to said operative position, said printing unit remaining continuously at said operative position during continuous rotation of said blanket wheel;
- after being moved to said inoperative position, said printing unit remaining continuously at said inoperative position during continuous rotation of said blanket wheel;
- said anvil being remote from said drive sprocket and being non-rotatable;
- said anvil including a curved support surface disposed inside of said loop path to support said plate segments while they are in said printing position;
- said belt sliding along said support surface as said drive roll is rotated; and
- with said printing unit in said operative position, said support surface being essentially in curved alignment with said blanket segments.
- 15. Continuous motion decorating apparatus as set forth in claim 14 in which the flexible belt means comprises a timing belt having teeth that extend across its interior surface, said timing belt having said plate segments on its exterior surface.
- 16. Continuous motion apparatus for decorating cylindrical containers, said apparatus including:
- a continuously rotating mandrel carrier having a plurality of rotatable container carrying mandrels positioned along its periphery;
- a continuously rotating blanket wheel having its periphery adjacent the periphery of mandrel carrier;
- a plurality of blanket segments on said blanket wheel disposed along the periphery thereof, and mounted so that during rotation of said blanket wheel all of said blanket segments remain fixed relative to each other;
- a plurality of printing cylinders adjacent the periphery of the blanket wheel;
- inking means for applying a different color ink to each of said printing cylinders which in turn apply differently colored picture segments to each of said blanket segments to form a complete main image thereon for transfer to the outer cylindrical surface of a container mounted on one of said mandrels, which container is in rolling engagement with said blanket segment as it passes through a printing zone;
- an individual direct printing unit associated with an individual one of said blanket segments;
- each of said direct printing units including a printing means that prints an auxiliary image directly on said cylindrical surfaces as the containers pass through the printing zone;
- in a single pass through said printing zone, said container rotates in the order of a single revolution about its own axis and during said single pass both said main and auxiliary images are applied to said container;
- said printing means including a closed loop flexible belt means having a plurality of printing plate segments disposed in tandem along the length thereof, guide means for directing said flexible belt means along a closed loop path, said guide means including a rotatable drive roll and an anvil disposed behind an individual plate segment to support the latter in a printing position while it is applying the auxiliary image to the container, means for stepping said drive roll for each revolution of said blanket roll by an incremental distance such that a plate segment that is supported by said anvil and has applied an auxiliary image is moved off of said anvil and is replaced in said printing position by the next upstream plate segment;
- said anvil being remote from said drive sprocket and being non-rotatable;
- said anvil including a curved support surface disposed inside of said loop path to support said plate segments while they are in said printing position;
- said belt sliding along said support surface as said drive roll is rotated; and
- with said printing unit in said operative position, said support surface being essentially in curved alignment with said blanket segments;
- said flexible belt means comprising a timing belt having teeth that extend across its interior surface, said timing belt having said plate segments on its exterior surface.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/666,387 filed on Mar. 8, 1991, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
9209435 |
Jun 1992 |
WOX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
666387 |
Mar 1991 |
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