FR2974536A1 - Printing machine for three-dimensional printing on article e.g. bottle, has drive units around periphery of disk, where each drive unit includes series of receiving elements, and drive element rotatably mounted on disk and coupled to motor - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine has a printing station (5) provided with an inkjet print head (6), and a support disk (1) provided with receiving elements for receiving articles. A motor (7) rotates the support disk for placing the receiving elements at the printing station, where drive units are provided around the periphery of the disk. Each drive unit (8) includes a series of receiving elements (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d), and a drive element (9) rotatably mounted on the disk and coupled to the motor. A notched belt (10) allows simultaneous rotation of the drive element and the receiving elements. An independent claim is also included for a method for printing using a printing machine.

Description

1

Three-dimensional printing machine and method of printing Technical field of the invention

The invention relates to a printing machine on three-dimensional articles comprising: a printing station provided with an ink-jet printing head, a support plate provided on its periphery with a plurality of article receiving members, means for rotating the support plate arranged to place a receiving member at the printing station. 15

State of the art

Bottles, tubes, jars used for inkjet printing are generally made of plastic, as they are particularly inexpensive, unbreakable, light, and colorizable. The bottles can also be formed of glass.

In order to print a color pattern on a plastic article, the surface to be printed is preferably subjected to treatment, for example by corona, flame, plasma, or any suitable surface treatment, in order to give the surface a better adhesion of the ink. A white background which is dried, for example with ultraviolet radiation, is then optionally printed before printing a four-color process (black, magenta, cyan, yellow).

In the case of industrial processes, each color is printed by a separate print head, and these heads sweep in turn the surface to be printed.

The patent application EP2179853 describes a machine for printing in series conical cups. It comprises a horizontal rotating plate provided at the periphery of a series of supports radially receiving respective cups. Each support is able to rotate its cup around its axis. Each support is further tilted so that the upper generatrix of the tapered cup can be adjusted horizontally. The plate brings, by successive indexed rotations, each cup into successive processing stations. Some of the stations include a printhead oriented to project ink onto the horizontal generatrix of the cups. The printheads are carried by a single frame adjustable in height, so that the machine can be adapted to different cup diameters.

Despite its adjustment possibilities, this machine does not accept large variations in the dimensions of the cups. In addition, the height of the pattern printed on the cups is limited to the length of the row of nozzles of the print heads.

Patent Application GB2376920 discloses a method for printing a pattern on a cylinder (or cone) of any size using a single print head. The cylinder is rotated about its axis while the print head travels a generatrix of the cylinder. In other words, the relative trajectory of the print head relative to the cylinder is helical. The software managing the printing takes into account the parameters of the helix to correct the printed image.30 3

Although the dimensions of the article to be printed can vary in large proportions, this method is unsuitable for an industrial process where it is desired to print articles at a high rate. Object of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide a machine for obtaining a high print timing with good reproducibility. This object is achieved in that: each receiving member is rotatably mounted on the support plate to rotate an article associated therewith, a single motor being arranged to drive all rotational receiving members, and comprises separate assemblies spaced at the periphery of the support plate, each assembly comprising a series of receiving elements, a first driving element rotatably mounted on the support plate and coupled to said motor, and a transmission element 20 end, in the form of a closed loop, which is integral with the receiving elements of the series and the first drive element, allowing the simultaneous rotation of the first drive element and the series of receiving elements.

According to one implementation, the end transmission element is arranged so that at each turn of the latter, the receiving elements of each series, and the first associated driving elements, take up an identical position.

According to one particular example, each receiving element comprises a pinion, the first driving element is a toothed wheel, and the element

end transmission is a toothed belt whose number of teeth is an integer multiple of the number of teeth of each associated gear, and the number of teeth of the associated toothed wheel.

According to one embodiment, the assemblies are connected in pairs to form separate unit elements, in each unit element the first drive elements are connected to a second drive element by an intermediate transmission element, in the form of a closed loop, so that each turn of the intermediate transmission element corresponds to one revolution of the end transmission elements of the two connected assemblies, and the second driving element returns to a position identical to each revolution of the transmission element. intermediate, said second driving element being coupled to said motor.

The unit elements can be connected in pairs by a main transmission element, in the form of a closed loop, coupled on the one hand to a third drive element fixed to a central axis driven by the single motor, and secondly at the second drive elements of two unitary elements connected so that at each turn of the main transmission element corresponds a turn, or a half-turn, of the intermediate transmission elements of the connected unit elements, and that the third element The drive train returns to an identical position at each turn of the main transmission element.

The object of the invention is also related to a printing method using a printing machine and comprising the following steps: putting the end transmission elements to an indexing representative of the beginning of a turn of said elements end transmission, perform at least one complete rotation of each receiving element, return the end transmission elements to the indexing representative of the beginning of a turn of said end transmission elements. Brief description of the drawings

Other advantages and features will emerge more clearly from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and represented in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a top view of a printing machine; Fig. 2 illustrates a partial side view of the printing machine; Fig. 3 illustrates a three-dimensional view of the printing machine.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 diagrammatically represents, in a top view, an embodiment of a machine for printing articles, making it possible to ensure high-speed printing of three-dimensional articles whose dimensions may vary in important proportions.

Articles may be generally cylindrical in shape (eg bottles, bottles, jars, etc.). The shape of an article may deviate slightly from that of a cylinder; it can be slightly conical (eg cups), concave, or convex. It can also have an elliptical or ovoid section. 530 6

By cylinder, we mean an object defined by a line called generatrix passing through a variable point describing a closed plane curve, called the guiding curve and keeping a fixed direction.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printing machine comprises a support plate 1. This support plate 1 can be rotated by rotation means such as a motor 2 coupled to the support plate 1. The support plate 1 is provided on its periphery with a plurality of article receiving elements 3. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the receiving elements 3 can be angularly distributed uniformly over the periphery of the support plate. 1 which has the general preferential shape of disc. In other words, the receiving elements 3 are distributed along a circle C, equidistant from the center of the support plate 1 coinciding with the center of the circle C1. Each receiving element 3 is rotatably mounted on the support plate 1, for example by means of ball bearings. Of course, those skilled in the art may use other types of rotational editing of his knowledge. The rotation of a receiving member 3 rotates an article 4 associated therewith. Preferably, the axis of rotation of the receiving elements 3 is substantially perpendicular, or exactly perpendicular, to the plane formed by the support plate 1. In the case of a disc-shaped support plate 1, this is the plane of the disk (plane P in Figure 2, the plane of the disk corresponding to Figure 1 in the plane of said Figure 1).

In the present description, by substantially perpendicular is meant perpendicular to plus or minus 10 degrees.

Preferably, the receiving elements 3 are arranged to axially receive respective articles 4, an article 4 being associated with a receiving element 3 carrying it. "Axially" means that the articles are

arranged on the receiving elements with their longitudinal axis oriented perpendicularly to the plane P of the support plate 1.

The receiving elements 3 are provided to ensure a stable and sufficiently precise maintenance of the articles 4 during the various treatments. For example, in the case where the articles 4 are pot-shaped, the receiving elements 3 may have a shape that fits inside the pots, the pots being arranged on the receiving elements 3 with their opening facing the tray In the case where the articles 4 are bottles, the receiving elements 3 may have a cylindrical shape to the diameter of the inside of the necks of the bottles. The receiving elements 3 may be provided with an expansion system that allows to marry the inner shape of the necks. A tailstock (not shown) supported in the bottom of an article may be provided to complete the axial alignment of the article.

The means for rotating the support plate 1 are arranged so as to place a receiving element 3 at a printing station 5, of the machine, provided with a jet printing head 6. ink. By "level" is meant that the receiving element 3 is proximal to the printing station 5 so that the surface of an article can be printed by the print head 6.

A single motor 7 is arranged to drive all the receiving elements 3 in rotation. The use of a single motor 7 makes it possible to obtain a reproducibility of the movement of the reception elements 3 each turn made by the latter, and a reproducibility of the patterns printed on each article.

This reproducibility makes it possible to ensure identical treatment of the articles 4. In some cases, the articles 4 are treated by several printing heads, 8

at different indexes of the support plate 1, of different colors (for example white, black, magenta, cyan, yellow) so that the colors are superimposed to reproduce a pattern. During a complete rotation of the receiving element 3 at a print head, it is possible that some defects appear. For example, during its rotation, the motor may have certain defects causing a local and reproducible variation of the angular velocity of a receiving element 3. It is preferable to reproduce this variation at the level of each receiving element 3, and each indexing of the support plate, so that the same defects are superimposed during printing so as not to be visible at first, and to obtain substantially identical printed articles, this is notably made possible by the use of the single motor 7.

In order to improve the reproducibility and the timing, the printing machine comprises separate assemblies 8 staggered at the periphery of the support plate 1, and coupled to the single motor 7.

Each set 8 comprises a series of receiving elements 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, a first driving element 9 rotatably mounted on the support plate 1 and coupled to the single motor 7. The first driving element 9a preferably, an axis of rotation substantially, or exactly, perpendicular to the support plate 1. Each assembly 8 further comprises an end transmission element 10, in the form of a closed loop.

The end transmission element 10 is integral with the receiving elements 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d of the series and the first driving element 9 of the assembly concerned, allowing the first element of the assembly to rotate simultaneously. drive 9, coupled to the single motor 7, and the series of receiving elements 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d.30 9

The division in the form of assemblies makes it possible in particular to facilitate coupling to the motor by limiting the number of transmission elements required, while maintaining a high clocking. Preferably, the end transmission element 10 of each assembly 8 is arranged so that at each turn of the latter, the receiving elements 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d of the series, and the first associated driving element 9, take up an identical position. This makes it possible to ensure for a given set the reproducibility of all the defects at each turn of the end transmission element 10.

To improve the coherence between the assemblies and the timing, when an end transmission element 10 of a set 8 has taken a turn, all the end transmission elements 10 of the different sets 8 preferably have go around the loop In other words, at each turn of an end transmission element 10, the receiving elements 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d of each series and the first associated driving elements 9 take up an identical position.

By identical position, it is meant that the element concerned (first training element, receiving element) has made at least one complete turn on itself (or an integer multiple of turns on itself), and is found according to the same indexing as before starting his turn. Thus, advantageously, the printing machine comprises a control system capable of positioning, before, during, or after each rotation of the support plate 1, the end transmission elements 10 at an identical position representative of the beginning of a turn of said end transmission elements 10.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, at each set 8, each receiving element 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d preferably comprises a pinion 11 whose axis of

rotation is preferably substantially or exactly perpendicular to the plane of the support plate 1. The first driving element 9 is a toothed wheel, and the end transmission element 10 is a toothed belt whose number of teeth is an integer multiple of the number of teeth of each pinion 11 associated, and the number of teeth of the associated toothed wheel. Thus, the teeth of the toothed belt cooperate with the teeth of the toothed wheel and pinions 11. At each turn of the toothed belt a tooth of the belt comes into contact with the same tooth of the toothed wheel, and other teeth the toothed belt come into contact with the same teeth associated with the gears.

Preferably, the assemblies 8 are connected in pairs to form separate unit elements 12. In each unit element 12, the first driving elements 9 of two combined assemblies are connected to a second driving element 13, preferably rotatably mounted on the support plate 1, by an intermediate transmission element 14, in the form of closed loop, so that each turn of the intermediate transmission element 14 corresponds to a turn of the end transmission elements 10 of the two connected sets. The second drive element 13 is coupled to the motor 7. The second drive element 13 resumes a position identical to each revolution of the intermediate transmission element 14. Preferably, the second drive element 13 comprises a toothed wheel associated with the intermediate transmission element 14 which may be a toothed belt. The toothed wheel may comprise an axis of rotation substantially or exactly perpendicular to the plane of the support plate 1. Preferably, when an intermediate transmission element 14 makes a loop turn, all the intermediate transmission elements 14 of the machine also do a loop tour. The second drive element 13 preferably has an axis of rotation substantially or exactly perpendicular to the support plate 11. The support plate 1 is preferably a disc, and the receiving elements 3 are arranged at the periphery. of this disc according to a first circle C1, the first driving elements 9 are preferably arranged in a second circle C2 concentric to the first circle, and of smaller diameter than the first circle C1. In the same way, the second drive elements 13 are preferably arranged in a third circle C3 concentric to the second circle C2, and of smaller diameter than the second circle C2. The first, second and third circles C1, C2, C3 each have their center coinciding with the center of the disc forming the support plate 1. In other words, starting from the periphery of the support plate, we find successively towards the center of the plateau 1 the receiving elements 3, the first driving elements 9, the second driving elements 13.

The coupling of the unit elements 12 to the motor 7 can be achieved by connecting the latter two by two by a main transmission element 15, in the form of a closed loop, coupled on the one hand to a third driving element 16 fixed to a central axis driven by the single motor 7, preferably the central axis is a single motor shaft 7, and secondly to the second drive elements 13 of the unit elements 12 connected so that at each turn of the main transmission element 15 corresponds to a turn or a half-turn of the intermediate transmission elements 14 of the connected unit elements 12 (and preferably of all the intermediate transmission elements). The third drive element 16 takes up a position identical to each revolution of the main transmission element 15. Although the example concerned aims at a turn or a half-turn, preferably at each turn of an intermediate transmission element 14 corresponds to an integer multiple of revolutions of the main transmission element 15. The third drive element 16 preferably has an axis of 12

rotation substantially, or exactly, perpendicular to the support plate 1

The main transmission element 15 may be formed by a toothed belt. The driving element 16 may comprise a notched wheel whose axis of rotation is substantially, or exactly, perpendicular to the plane of the support plate 1.

The transmission elements (end, intermediate and main) being in the form of closed loop, by "turn" made by them, means a loop turn. The transmission elements may be in the form of belts, preferably notched, or chains.

To promote the reproducibility of the movements made by the receiving elements 3, it is preferable that the transmission elements (end, intermediate and main) can start from a first position, representative of the start of a turn, to reach, according to the same first direction of rotation of the single motor 7, a second position identical to the first position. Between the first and second positions, the receiving elements 3 have at least performed a complete turn on themselves. In the first and second positions, in addition to the transmission elements 10, 14, 15, all the driving elements 9, 13, 16 preferably have an identical position.

According to an improvement increasing the timing, after printing an article, the control system is able to determine the current position of the transmission elements, preferably at least of the end transmission element 10. From the current position, and knowing the first position, the control system determines the number of revolutions of the motor shaft necessary in the first direction of rotation of the single motor 7 to reach the second position, it also determines the number of

turns of the motor shaft to return to the first position by reversing the direction of rotation of the single motor 7 in a second direction of rotation. The control system selects the least consuming solution in terms of revolutions of the motor shaft so that the receiving elements 3 resume an identical position. After printing, the speed of rotation of the receiving elements no longer need to be compatible with a printing speed of the print head, the speed of the single motor 7 can increase (regardless of the direction of rotation).

According to the particular example of Figures 1 to 3, the printing machine comprises eight sets angularly distributed at the periphery of the plate 1, and four separate unit elements 12. Each set comprises four receiving elements 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d. Each receiving member 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d is provided with a pinion 11 of 25 teeth, and the first driving member 9 of an assembly is formed by a notched wheel of 25 teeth. The associated end transmission element 10 is a toothed belt comprising about 150 teeth. In other words, when the toothed belt of a set makes a turn, all the receiving elements 3, and all the first driving elements 9, do exactly six turns on themselves. This makes it possible, as mentioned previously, to avoid offsets, and to make up for any defects every six turns of the reception elements 3.

The first driving elements 9 of two adjacent assemblies are coupled to a second driving element 13 to form a unitary element 12. In FIG. 3, the second driving element 13 comprises in fact two notched wheels whose axis of rotation is preferably perpendicular to the support plate 1. These two notched wheels are interconnected by a total connection, that is to say they are fixed relative to each other, they therefore have the same angular velocity. A first gear wheel of the second drive element 13 is coupled to 14

the intermediate transmission element 14 formed by a toothed belt of 150 teeth. We then obtain a total of four unit elements 12.

Finally, the four unitary elements are coupled two by two to the central axis. Each coupling can be made by a toothed belt-like main transmission element 15 coupled on the one hand to second 50-tooth wheels of the second driving elements 13 respectively of the two connected single elements, and to a third driving element 16 preferably arranged in the form of at least a toothed wheel with 50 teeth fixed to the central axis. In Figure 3, the toothed belts forming the main transmission elements 15 are only two in number.

According to the example, the toothed belts forming the intermediate, transmission and transmission end transmission elements are all identical.

In fact, in the example of FIG. 3, when the belts forming the end transmission elements 10 turn around, the belts forming the intermediate transmission elements 14 turn around, and the belts forming the transmission elements 15 principal make two rounds. In the example, 50-tooth wheels (second wheels and third drive element) are used to use a shaft, or a motor shaft, of large diameter. In the application, if the axis, or the motor shaft, allows it, the skilled person can also use, at the second drive element 13, second wheels of 25 teeth (which could be confused with the first wheels) and a third drive element 16 of 25 teeth, then one revolution of the main transmission element 15 will generate a revolution of the intermediate transmission element 14. 15

This makes it possible to ensure the best reproducibility of the rotational movements of an article on its support at each indexing of the support plate.

According to one variant, it is possible to dispense with the conditions on the number of teeth since the single motor 7 is capable of driving all the receiving elements 3 in rotation. For this, the control system identifies a first position of the reception elements 3 representative of the beginning of a treatment of articles, for example an impression of articles.

All the receiving elements 3 are rotated in a first direction of rotation of the single motor 7. When the treatment of the articles is finished for a given position of the support plate, the receiving elements are found in a second position, the direction of rotation of the single motor is then reversed to return to the first position. The return to the first position can be done before, after or during the rotation of the support plate 1 to improve the timing.

In general, the control system described above can be implemented by an onboard electronics equipped with a program able to determine, from the state of the engine and the constituent components of the machine, a photograph at each moment of operation of said machine. According to this photograph, the control system can easily return to a position identical to the receiving elements.

Preferably, the single motor 7 causing the rotation of the receiving elements 3 is a brushless motor type ("brushless" in English). Such an engine avoids fluctuations in the electrical and mechanical losses associated with other types of engines which would have the consequence of introducing non-reproducible offsets at each turn of the main end transmission, intermediate transmission and transmission elements. In addition, the brushless motor allows 16

know the exact position of the receiving elements 3 and transmission, facilitating the work of the control system mentioned above. Indeed, according to the particular example with the number of fixed teeth and the use of 150 tooth belts, we know that every six turns of the central axis, we find ourselves in a known position from which all any offsets will be reproduced identically.

According to one particular embodiment of the printing machine, the support plate 1 of which is preferably a disc, article processing stations, for example printing heads, are distributed radially around the support plate 1, preferably regularly. The printheads may be staggered from each other at an angle to the center of the disk equal to the angle between two adjacent receiving elements 3 or a multiple of this separation angle. This allows, when one of the heads is at a receiving element with an associated article, to place the other heads respectively opposite other items, and the articles can be treated concomitantly to increase the timing of the printing machine. In other words, when a receiving element is opposite a processing station, the other processing stations are also opposite an associated reception element. An article can then undergo different treatments at different indexes of the support plate 1.

As in the example of Figure 1, the support plate 1 can be arranged to transport each item of a loading station 17 to an unloading station 18. The loading station 17 can be equipped with an arm grasping device capable of grasping an article in a first working position, and fitting the seized article with a proximal receiving element 3 of the loading station 17 in a second working position. Similarly, the unloading station 18 may be adjacent to the loading station 17, and may include a working position in which a

associated gripping arm can recover the article attached to the receiving element disposed opposite the unloading station 18. On the path made by an article attached to the support plate 1 by its associated receiving element 3, in the direction of clockwise according to the example, between the loading station 17 and the unloading station 18, are arranged different processing stations distributed radially around the support plate 1.

Among the treatment stations, one can find successively from the loading station an anti-static treatment station 19, a surface treatment station 20 (corona, flaming or plasma type), a printing station 5 equipped with a white ink, an ultraviolet radiation drying station 21, color printing stations, and another ultraviolet radiation drying station 23. Preferably, there are four color printing stations each comprising a print head 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d respectively associated with the colors black, cyan, magenta, yellow (regardless of the distribution).

In operation of the printing machine, the print heads are oriented towards the proximal article of the printing station concerned. Preferably, each head has an independent adjustment in inclination with respect to the vertical of the support plate so as to follow the profile of an article, especially when the latter is conical. The nozzles of each print head are preferably perpendicular to the plane of the support plate 1. Preferably, the color printing stations are adjacent so that at each indexing of the support plate 1, an article passes successively from one printing station to another so that the mixture of inks is obtained under optimal conditions. The white printing station 5 can be separated from the black, magenta, cyan and yellow printing stations 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d by a drying station 21. The printing station 5 in white allows in fact cover the article with a white undercoat 18

when the items are dark. Although not shown, between each color printing station, it is possible to insert a station for drying the printed ink.

A drying station may be ultraviolet-based using light-emitting diodes as a source of ultraviolet light so as to freeze the ink droplets printed on the articles.

Preferably, when a treatment station is in the working position in which it is able to process an article, the other stations are also in working position.

The printing machine described above provides a high timing of printing. In Figure 3, each belt is preferably associated with at least one tensioner 24 adapted to adjust the tension of the associated belt.

The particular example is an eight-set machine, however, one skilled in the art will be able to adapt the machine according to the diameter of the disk forming the support plate. Thus, the machine may have more than eight sets, the set number will preferably be a power of two greater than or equal to eight. Two adjacent sets will be able to form a separate unitary element, then the individual unit elements will be recursively merged two by two until four separate unitary elements each have a drive element proximal to the central axis, and connected in pairs to each other. third driving element by an associated main transmission element.

A printing method employing a printing machine as described above may comprise a step in which the elements

10 are at an indexing representative of the beginning of a turn of the end transmission elements 10. Then, at least one complete rotation of each receiving element (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) is during this rotation the articles can all or at least partly be processed. Then the end transmission elements 10 are returned to the indexing representative of the beginning of a turn of the latter. This makes it possible to ensure that all the reproducible defects will be reproduced identically at each indexing of the support plate 1. Thus, before, after or during the step in which the end transmission elements 10 resume indexing representative of the beginning of a turn of the end transmission elements 10, the support plate 1 rotates on itself to move an article from a first processing station to a second processing station.

Preferably, the complete rotation of each receiving element 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d is performed according to a first direction of rotation of the single motor 7, and the indexing representative of the beginning of a revolution of the transmission elements of end 10 is taken up by the rotation of the single motor 7 in a second direction of rotation inverted with respect to the first direction.

In fact, when the rotation of the single motor is reversed, the motor shaft driving the receiving elements reverses its direction of rotation, this inversion is then transmitted to the receiving elements.

The single motor 7 rotates the articles at a speed compatible with the printing speed of the printheads. Preferably, the single motor makes it possible to drive all the elements for receiving rotation at an identical angular speed. This makes it possible in particular to improve the timing by ensuring that when a receiving element has a turn on itself, all the receiving elements have 20

also made a turn on themselves. Thus, all the receiving elements are preferably rotated simultaneously and are not releasable relative to each other to allow the same angular displacement at the same rotational speed.

In the case where the articles are not of circular section, they will be arranged in the same way on each receiving element so that the evolution profile of the article with respect to the rotational position is the same and is known from 'a print management software. 10

Claims (9)

REVENDICATIONS1. Printing machine on three-dimensional articles (4) comprising: - a printing station (5) provided with an ink-jet printing head (6), a support plate (1) provided on its periphery of a plurality of receiving elements (3) of articles (4), means for rotating (2) the support plate (1) arranged to place a receiving element (3) at the station printing device (5), characterized in that: each receiving element (3) is rotatably mounted on the support plate (1) to rotate an article (4) associated therewith, a single motor (7). ) being arranged to drive all the receiving elements (3) in rotation, it comprises separate assemblies (8) staggered at the periphery of the support plate (1), each assembly (8) comprising a series of reception elements ( 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d), a first driving element (9) rotatably mounted on the support plate (1) and coupled to said motor r (7), and an end transmission member (10), in the form of a closed loop, which is integral with the receiving elements (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) of the series and the first driving element ( 9), allowing simultaneous rotation of the first drive element (9) and the series of receiving elements (3a 3b, 3c, 3d). 2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the end transmission element (10) is arranged so that at each turn of the latter, the receiving elements (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) of each series, and the first 21 22 driving elements associated (9), take up an identical position. 3. Machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: - each receiving element (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) comprises a pinion (11), - the first driving element (9) is a toothed wheel, - the end transmission element (10) is a toothed belt whose number of teeth is an integer multiple of the number of teeth of each associated pinion (11), and the number of teeth of the associated toothed wheel. 4. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the assemblies (8) are connected in pairs to form separate unit elements (12), in each unit element (12) the first elements of drive (9) are connected to a second drive element (13) by an intermediate transmission element (14), in the form of a closed loop, so that each turn of the intermediate transmission element (14) corresponds to a turn of the end transmission elements (10) of the two connected assemblies, and that the second driving element (13) returns to a position identical to each revolution of the intermediate transmission element (14), said second element drive (13) being coupled to said motor (7). 5. Machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the unit elements (12) are connected in pairs by a main transmission element (15), in the form of a closed loop, coupled on the one hand to a third element of drive (16) fixed to a central axis driven by the single motor (7), and secondly to the second drive elements (13) of two unitary elements connected so that at each turn of the transmission element (15) corresponds to one turn, or half a turn, of the intermediate transmission elements (14) of the connected unit elements, and that the third drive element (16) returns to a position identical to each revolution of the element of main transmission (15). 6. Machine according to claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the number of sets (8) is equal to eight, and in that the number of separate unit elements (12) is equal to four. 7. A printing method using a printing machine according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises the following steps: putting the end transmission elements (10) to an indexing representative of the start of a lap of said end transmission elements (10), performing at least one complete rotation of each receiving element (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d), returning the end transmission elements (10) to the representative indexing beginning of a turn of said end transmission elements (10). 8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that before, after, or during the step in which the end transmission elements (10) take up the indexing representative of the beginning of a revolution of said transmission elements. end (10), the support plate (1) rotates on itself to move an article from a first processing station to a second processing station. 9. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the complete rotation of each receiving element (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) is effected in a first direction of rotation of the single motor (7), and in that the indexing representative of the beginning of a turn of the end transmission elements (10) is taken up by the rotation of the single motor (7) in a second direction of rotation inverted with respect to the first direction.