Claims
- 1. In a method of decorating a cylindrical or conical surface of a workpiece, the steps comprising:
- supporting the workpiece against rotation about a support axis spaced from said surface,
- oscillating said support about an oscillatory axis spaced from and generally parallel to said support axis,
- positioning a squeegee on a support at one side of a decorating screen to establish line contact between the opposite side of the screen and said surface,
- rolling the decorating screen along a tangential path while carried on said support about said surface and concurrently therewith,
- moving the squeegee by rotatably moving said support along an orbital path about said support axis to force a printing medium through the screen onto said surface at said line of contact, and
- moving said workpiece continuously about an axis generally corresponding to said oscillatory axis along a path of travel while supporting the workpiece against rotation.
- 2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said rolling a decorating screen includes rotating the decorating screen about a pivot axis forming a right angle with said support axis.
- 3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of moving said workpiece includes lifting a workpiece from a conveyor, carrying the workpiece along an arcuate path to a site selected for supporting of the workpiece against rotation, decorating the workpiece by said step of rolling the decorating screen along a tangential path and said step of moving the squeegee, and thereafter lifting the workpiece from the support and depositing the workpiece on a delivering means.
- 4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said step of moving a workpiece is carried out by engaging a workpiece with a vacuum chuck.
- 5. The method according to claim 3 where said step of moving a workpiece includes providing a plurality of workpiece support members adapted to move vertically on a continuously rotatable carousel above said support for a workpiece.
- 6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said step of moving a workpiece includes carrying a workpiece to each of a plurality of decorating stations, each decorating station having a support for a workpiece.
- 7. A method of decorating a cylindrical or conical surface of a workpiece, the steps comprising:
- loading a workpiece onto a support,
- holding the workpiece against rotation about a support axis,
- oscillating the support and the workpiece about an axis of oscillation,
- rotating a platform by indexing movement about said support axis through a predetermined indexing angle,
- supporting a squeegee on said platform in juxtaposition relation to a surface of said workpiece to receive decoration thereon such that the squeegee orbits about said surface,
- supporting a printing screen for linear reciprocating motion on said platform between said squeegee and said workpiece, and
- reciprocating said screen in a timed relation with rotation of said platform such that said screen rolls about the surface of said workpiece without relative displacement therebetween while said squeegee orbits about the workpiece to force a printing medium through openings in said screen.
- 8. The method according to claim 7 including the further step of adjusting the movement of said screen relative to said workpiece to prevent relative displacement therebetween.
- 9. The method according to claim 7 including the further step of proving a plurality of such supports for workpieces on said support.
- 10. The method according to claim 9 wherein said step of loading a workpiece includes lifting a workpiece from a conveyor, carrying the workpiece along an arcuate path to a site selected for supporting of the workpiece against rotation, decorating the workpiece by said step of rolling the decorating screen along a tangential path and said step of moving the squeegee, and thereafter lifting the workpiece from the support and depositing the workpiece on a delivering means.
- 11. The method according to claim 10 wherein said step of moving a workpiece is carried out by engaging a workpiece with a vacuum chuck.
- 12. The method according to claim 10 wherein said step of moving a workpiece includes providing a plurality of workpiece support members adapted to move vertically on a continuously rotatable carousel above said support for a workpiece.
- 13. The method according to claim 10 wherein said step of moving a workpiece includes carrying a workpiece to each of a plurality of decorating stations, each decorating station having a support for a workpiece.
- 14. Apparatus to decorate a conical or cylindrical surface of a workpiece, said apparatus including the combination of,
- means for supporting a workpiece against rotation about a support axis spaced from a surface of the workpiece for printing thereon,
- a decorating screen having openings defining a desired pattern for printing on the surface of the workpiece,
- squeegee means for forcing a printing medium through openings in said screen forming said desired pattern,
- screen drive means for rolling said decorating screen along a tangential path about the surface of the workpiece,
- squeegee drive means including rack and pinion gears for moving said squeegee means in an orbital path about said support axis to force a printing medium through openings in said screen while in line contact with said surface of the workpiece,
- housing means movable about said axis for carrying said screen and squeegee drive means, and
- means to oscillate said housing means about an axis generally parallel and spaced from said support axis.
- 15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said pinion gear is supported by said housing means to rotate about an axis intersecting and perpendicular to said support axis.
- 16. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said means for supporting a workpiece includes spaced-apart chuck members at least one of which is movable toward and away from the other for releasably engaging a workpiece.
- 17. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said screen drive means includes adjustable means to maintain zero relative displacement between said screen and said workpiece as the former rolls about the latter.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuing application of application Ser. No. 270,869, filed June 5, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,283.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
270869 |
Jun 1981 |
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