GB2049490A

GB2049490A - Applying lines or stripes to plates or bowls

Info

Publication number: GB2049490A
Application number: GB8013660A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Erich Netzsch GmbH and Co Holding KG
Current assignee: Erich Netzsch GmbH and Co Holding KG
Priority date: 1979-04-27
Filing date: 1980-04-25
Publication date: 1980-12-31
Also published as: DE2917050A1; GB2049490B; DE2917050C2

Abstract

Apparatus for applying lines or stripes to plates, bowls or similar articles having a circular flange includes a decorating station with three waisted double cone rollers 12, 13, 14 [see also Figure 4] for engaging the flange and thereby holding the article. A drive 15 [Figure 1] is coupled to roller 13 to rotate the article and one or more applicator tools 20 apply the lines or stripes. The rollers are mounted on a support 8 which is pivotable about a horizontal axis 7 by an actuator 9 [Figure 4] and vertically movable by an actuator 5 [Figure 3]. The articles are supplied to the decorating station by a conveyor 1 [Figure 4]. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for applying lines or stripes to plates or the like The invention relates to apparatus for applying lines or stripes to plates or other articles having a substantially circular section outwardly extending flange, in particular ceramic or glass articles, such as articles of crockery. The invention is concerned with that type of apparatus having a conveyor for transporting an article to a decorating station and three waisted double cone rollers which hold the article whilst lines or stripes are applied by one or more applicator tools.

Apparatus of this type is disclosed in German patent No 1285934 which is suitable for applying lines or stripes to relatively flat or planar articles of crockery, such as plates whose outer edge of flange is not steeply inclined. There is however the danger with bowls or plates whose edge is more steeply inclined that the colour that is applied will run down the inclined edge thus reducing the quality of the finished article.

According to the present invention apparatus for applying lines or stripes to articles having a substantially circular section outwardly extending flange includes a conveyorfortransporting an article to a decorating station, means for stopping the conveyor, three waisted double cone rollers for engaging the flange and thereby holding the article, means for rotating the article, one or more applicator tools for applying the lines or stripes and a support on which the three rollers are carried, the support being pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis and preferably either the conveyor or the support including means to move it vertically with respect to the other.

The apparatus in accordance with the present invention permits a plate or the like to be held and then tilted such that a part of its inclined edge or flange is substantially horizontal. This permits the applicator tool to contact it at right angles thus resulting in the reliable application of clean lines or stripes and substantially removes the risk that the colour will then run.

Preferably the support is arranged beside the conveyor and its pivotal axis extends substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the conveyor. The pivotal axis will, in practice, then also lie beside the article to be decorated which results in a simple construction which leaves the space above the article unobstructed.

In one embodiment one of the rollers is carried by an arm movably secured to the support such that its distance from the other two rollers is adjustable.

This permits a plate to be securely located by the apparatus and also permits the decoration of plates of different diameters.

Preferably the support is pivotable upwardly through an angle of up to 75" from the horizontal.

This feature permits even plates or dishes with a very steeply inclined edge to be decoarated. Furthermore the support is preferably pivotable downwardly through an angle of up to 45" from the horizontal. This permits the satisfactory decoration of the edge of a plate which is upside down our a plate having a downturned flange.

One specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa partially cut away side elevation of the apparatus seen in the direction of movement of the conveyor, with a plate with a relatively flat edge held in the working positon; Figure 2 is a similar view of the same apparatus in the working position with a plate with a more sharply inclined edge; Figure 3 is a further similar view of the same apparatus with a plate with an edge having a downwardly inclined outer trim in the working position; and Figure 4 is a plan view of the apparatus and plate shown in Figure 1.

The apparatus includes a continuous conveyor 1 consisting of four parallel conveyor belts arranged substantially horizontally on a frame 2 which can be stopped by means of a conventional combination light barrier (not shown) or the like when a plate 3 or another ceramic object on the conveyor has arrived at the decorating station. A platform 4 which can be raised and lowered by a lifting device 5 shown in Figure 3 is arranged on the frame 2 at the side of the conveyor 1. The platform 4 carries a bearing block 6 or the like affording a horizontal pivotal axis 7 about which a plate-like support 8 above the platform 4 can be pivoted by means of a pneumatic actuator 9 or another suitable device.Preferably the support 8 is constructed so as to be capable of pivoting upwardly in the direction of the arrow 10 (seen in Figure 2) through an angle of 75" and more preferably approximately 60 and downwardly in the direction of the arrow 11 (seen in Figure 3) through an angle of 45 , or more preferably 20 .

The support 8 carries three double cone rollers 12, 13 and 14 of approximately equal size which will be referred to below merely as rollers, arranged in a triangular configuration. Each roller has two coaxial frustoconical portions arranged to that their portions of minimum diameter abut and thus afford a recessed or waisted periphery. The rollers are arranged so as to be able to locate and support a plate with its edge situtated at the waist of each roller. In the starting position of the apparatus the three rollers are at the same height. The roller 12 is freely rotatable whilst the roller 13 can be rotated by means of an infinitely variable drive 15 in order to rotate the plate 3to be decorated. The rollers 12 and 13 are spaced apart by only a small distance whilst the roller 14 is situated approximately diametrically opposite them.The roller 14 is journalled at or near the free end of an arcuate clamp arm 16 carried by a mounting 17 by means of a conventional ball guide 18 or the like. Spring means (not shown)'bias the arm 16 to the left as seen in Figures 1 and 4 so as, in use, to ensure that the roller 14 engages the edge of the plate to be decorated. The arm 16 is movable in the direction of the bail guide 18 along a path 19 so as to vary the distance between the roller 14 and the rollers 12 and 13 to accommodate plates of differing diameters. Thus the plate 3 can be engaged by the three rollers and by virtue of the double cone construction of the rollers it can be lifted from the conveyor 1 and simultaneously centred in the required position for application of lines or stripes.

An applicator tool 20 which can be raised, lowered and optionally pivoted by means of a mounting 21 is shown schematically in Figure 2 only for the sake of simplicity. This applicator tool can be supplied with colouring material from a reservoir in a manner which is known per se, and there can be several individual tools. For example brushes, pipettes, nozzles, drawing pens or other colour applicators can be used. The supply of colouring material may be controlled by dosing valves.

Figure 1 shows a relatively flat plate 22 to which lines are to be applied, its outer edge or flange lying in an approximately horizontal plane. With this shape of plate the operating position during decoration can correspond to the starting position. The lower edge 25 of the plaform 4 which is chosen as the datum plane lies below the principal plane 27 of the conveyor 1 by a distance 26.

In use, the plate is placed on the conveyor 1 and conveyed to the decorating station adjacent the rollers 12 and 13 where the conveyor is stopped by the light barrier or other means which are not shown. The arm 16 is then moved inwardly so that the is engaed by all three double cone rollers. The support 8 is then moved up a short distance so that the plate is no longer in contact with the conveyor and the applicator tool is brought into contact with the edge of the plate. The roller 13 is rotated by the drive 15 so as to rotate the plate and the applicator applies a circular or part-circular line or stripe to the plate. Alternatively the plate may be held stationary and the applicator moved inwards to apply a radial line or stripe to the plate.

However, for treatment of a plate 23 with a more steeply inclined edge as shown in Figure 2, the support 8 with the entire centering and retaining device including the three rollers is pivoted upwards in the direction of the arrow 10 through an angle of approximately 45". The applicator tool 20 can then be positioned to contact the edge of the plate 23 approximately a right angles when applying the lines or stripes. In this case the distance 26 in Figure 1 is reduced to a smaller distance 28 for treatment of the plate. The parts shown by chain dotted lines in Figure 2 show how such a plate 23 is located and gripped by the centering and lifting double cone rollers when it is on the conveyor 1.

Figure 3 shows the operating position for decorating a plate or a dish 24 with a steeply inclined edge having a peripheral lip which extends downwardly and outwardly. In order to ensure that the vertically extending applicator tool 20 is applied to an approximately horizontal edge surface of the bowl, the object is first raised with the support 8 and the other parts of the retaining and centering device by means of the lifting device 5 so that the lower edge 25 of the platform 4 lies above the principal plane 27 of the conveyor 1 by a distance 29. Then the bowl 24 is pivoted downwards about the axis 7 in the direction of the arrow 11 by means of the pivotal actuator 9, for example through an angle of approximately 15 or 20 . Then the lines or stripes can be applied in the conventional manner.

Preferably the platform 4 is also movable in the horizontal direction in order that the apparatus may ba used to decorate plates or the like of different diameters.

It will be appreciated that a great many modifications may be made to the embodiments described above. Thus the support 4 may be fixed and the conveyor 1 may be vertically movable and optionally laterally movable also. Whilst the invention has been described with reference to rotationally symmetrical articles such as plates, it may under circumstances be applicable to articles of other shapes having a circular flange.

Claims

1. Apparatus for applying lines or stripes to articles having a substantially circular section outwardly extending flange including a conveyor for transporting an article to a decorating station, means for stopping the conveyor, three wasisted double cone rollers, for engaging the flange and thereby holding the article, means for rotating the article, one or more applicator tools for applying the lines or stripes and a support on which the three rollers are carried, the support being pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which either the conveyor or the support includes means to move it vertically with respect to the other.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the support is arranged beside the conveyor and its pivotal axis extends substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the conveyor.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which one of the rollers is carried by an arm movably secured to the support such that its distance from the other two rollers is adjustable.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the support is pivotable upwardly through an angle of up to 75" from the horizontal.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the support is pivotable downwardly through an angle of up to 45" from thehorizontal.

7. Apparatus for supplying lines or stripes to articles having a substantially circular section outwardly extending flange substantially as specifically herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.