US2393626A - Air drying means for screen printing apparatuses - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 29, 1946. HfFLElsHER ETAL AIR DEYING MEANS EOE SCREEN PRINTING APPARATUS FiledV Sept. 6. 1941 5` Sheets-Sh'eet 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 29, 1946.l H. FLEISHER ETAL 2,393,626

AIR DRYINGIMEANIS FOR SCREEN PRINTING APPARATQS Filed sept. e, 1941 5 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORN EY Jan. 29, 1946. H. AFLEISHER ETAL 2,393,626

AIR IVDRYING MANS FOR SCREEN PRINTING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 6, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTOR N EY 'f i? g@ Jan. 29, 1946. H. FLErsHER ETAL AIR DRYING MEANS FOR SCREEN PRINTING APPARATUS FiledSept. 6. 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 EN@ D@ Jan. 29, 1946. H. FLEISHER ETAL AIR DRYING MEANS FOR SCREEN PRINTING APPARATUS Filed sept. 6. 1941 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR l ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 29, 1946 UNITED STATES ?ATENT OFFICE f AIR DRYING MEANS FOR SCREEN PRINTING APPARATUSES Application September 6, 1941, Serial No. 409,867

15 Claims. (Cl. lill-420) This invention relates to apparatus for applying designs upon flexible webs of textile fabrics, paper, and like materials, and more particularly to an improved apparatus employing a stencilprinting screen.

This invention is an improvement over a screen printing apparatus disclosed in a prior Patent No. 2,210,474, issued August 61940, to George I-I. Tillett, entitled Color printing web.

This application is a continuation in part of our prior application, Ser. No. 364,604, filed November '7, 1940, entitled Screen printing apparatus."

One object of this invention is to provide improved means to space the coils, or layers, of

printed web from each other when they are' wound upon a spool, and for permitting the flow of a stream of dry air between the layers of said web after the printing operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for applying designs upon flexible webs of the above nature, which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple in Construction, easy to operate by relatively unskilled labor, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efcient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, there have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings several forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

Briefly, the screen printing apparatus of this invention includes a central table rfor supporting a screen, frame and a pair of spools, one carrying a roll of web to be printed, and the other serving as a take-up roll for the web after printing. The web to be printed is adhesively fixed to a carrier ibelt which is fed manually intermittently from one spool below the screen to be wound upon the other spool. Provision is also made of marginal spacer strips secured to the carrier belt so that when said belt is wound in spiral condition, the color paste freshly printed upon the web will be kept out of contact with the adjacent layer of said web, whereby smudging of said color will be prevented, .and said fresh color will be given a chance to dry. The spacer strips also serve to separate the successive layers of the web and provide between them. a drying space through which a stream of dry air may be forced.

By winding the printed web in spiral form upon the take-up spools, the material may be stored while drying or curing in the minimum of space as compared to the former methods of drying printed webs on elongated flat tables or suspending said webs in festoons or loops. VThe compact coiled web-carrying spools of the present invention are movably mounted on casters so as to facilitate the feeding of the web back again through the printing apparatus for applying additional colors or printing the web at different areas from those originally printed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an improved screen printing apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a broken end elevational View of the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged broken sectional View on line 3 3 of Figure 2 across one side of the machine.

Figure 4 is a broken perspective view of the -web and the carrier belt and spacing strips therefor.

Figure 5 is an edge view of a short length of `a web, a carrier belt, and a spacer strip of modied form having teeth on the bottom surface thereof.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, of a web, a carrier belt, and still another modified form of spacer strip having eyelets instead of teeth secured thereto.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional View of a spool showing a web carrier belt, and the modified form of spacer strip shown in Figure 5 wound thereon.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a spool having a web carrier belt and a spacer strip of the form shown in Figure 5, wound thereon, and showing means to direct a flow of dry air through the layers thereof.

Figure 9 is a broken side view of the machine showing a modified form of web guiding means.

Figure 10 is an end view, with parts broken away, of a motor-operated fan mechanism for blowing a stream of drying air longitudinally through the layers of the helical belt carrying the freshly printed web wound upon the spool.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary view of the same, and one end of the spool.

Figure 11ul is a fragmentary view of the other end of said spool. i

Figure 12 is an edge view of a short length of a web carrier belt spacing strip having a series of modified spacer buttons of streamlined form mounted on the underside thereof.

Figure 13 is a ibottom view oi' the same.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary View of a screen printing apparatus, showing a modified form of belt and. spacing strips in which the belt passes above the table top and the spacing strips pass beneath it.

Figure 15 is a fragmentary view of the same showing a side View of the guiding means for the svpacer strips located beneath the table top.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral I8 denotes a flat table top which, in this instance, is suitably supported by four corner uprights, or legs II,Y

I2, I3, and I4. The uprights and I2 are connected and braced by horizontal bars I5, I 6, and |1, while the rear uprights I3 and I4 are likewise connected and braced by similar horizontal bars located behind said bars I5, I6, andvvI1, and concealed thereby as viewed in Figure 1. The uprights I2 and I3 are connected and braced at the top by horizontal side bars I8, I9, and 2U, and the uprights I l and I4 are braced by similar side bars concealed thereby. At each end of the apparatus, provision is made of upright bars 2| extending from the lower horizontal bar I5 to the upper bar I1, and a short vertical bar 22 extends at each side from the intermediate horizontal bar I9 to the lower =bar 20 (Figure 2) Provision is also made of a pair of horizontal shafts 23 mounted in and extending between the uprights |I and I2, and the uprights I4 and I3, respectively. Each of said shafts 23 is journaled at each upright 11, 12, 14, and 13, in brackets 24 (Figures l and 2), each of which is vertically adjustable on and is secured to the respective upright by a bolt 25 passing through an elongated slot 28 provided in the bracket 24 and screwthreaded into the respective upright. A hand wheel 21 is secured on the front end of each shaft 23 and a sprocket 28 is secured upon the rear end of said shaft. The shafts 23 are extended at their front ends 29 beyond the uprights I2 and I3, and said ends are preferably made hexagonal in cross-section to removably receive a manually-operated crank handle 38.

The table top I0 extends rearwardly beyond the uprights II and I4, as at 4I and is provided with a pair of transversely spaced apart bearing brackets 32 and 33 adjustably mounted thereon by means of bolts 34 and 35 passing through a common elongated slot 36 in each bracket and through the table top extension 3| (Figure 2). An angle piece 31 secured to the table top extension 3| has a screw 38 threaded therethrough into engagement with each of the brackets 32 and 33 to permit them to be held in any desired position and to prevent said brackets from moving rearwardly when the machine is being operated.

Stencil screen Provision is also made of a swingable stencilsupporting frame (Figures 1 and 2), comprising end rods 39 and 48, and side bars 4I and 42, the

rear end rod 48 being pivoted in bearings 43 and 44 carried by the brackets 32 and 33 respectively. The rods 39, 40, 4I, and 42 are connected together at the corners of the stencil frame by four angle blocks 45, thus maintaining the frame in rectangular shape. Y

Four vertically disposed posts 46 extend upwardly, one from each angle block 45, to support side rods or tracks 41 and 48, which are spaced above the side rods 4I and 42, respectively, and are parallel thereto. `An elongated angle bar 49 extends between the side rods 4| and 42 adjacent the front end of the screen supporting frame,

and a similar angle bar 50 extends between the rods 4I and 42 adjacent the rear ends thereof. The angle bars 49 and 58 are adjustably secured to the respective rods 4I and 42 by clamping brackets 5I, and are arranged to have one of their angle portions horizontal and the other vertical. By means of the brackets 5I, the angle bars 49 and 58 may be adjusted longitudinally in the direction of web travel along the rods 4| and 42 to position the stencil frame supported thereby in the desired location.

The horizontal base portions 52 of the angle bars 49 and 50 extend toward each other and form opposing seats for a rectangular stencil screen, which, in this instance, is made of four narrow wooden strips 53, 54, 55, and 56, and secured together at their adjoining ends. A printing stencil sheet 51 is stretched across the bottom of the stencled screen, said sheet 51 being preferably made of specially treated silk having the desired perforated design formed thereon through which the thin color paste may penetrate and be applied by a squeegee to the web W placed thereunder. In this instance, the front and rear strips 53 and 55 of the stencil screen are removably seated on the horizontal portions 52 of the angle bars 49 and 50 of the swingable stencil screen supporting frame.

The stencil frame, comprising the strips 53, 54, 55, and 56, is seated in the carrying frame, comprising the bars 39, 40, 4|, and 42, and may be brought into exact register with the design on the stencil screen by adjustment of the vertical limit arm 58 (see Figure 2) of an adjustable guide bar having a horizontal arm 59 which is secured to the table top I8.

The stencil screen, 53, 54, 55, and 56, may be manually-lifted from the underlying web W whenever it is desired to shift the web, by swinging its carrying frame 39, 40, 4|, and 42, upwardly about the hinged connection of the rod 40 in the bearings 43 and 44 as a pivot.

Provision is also made of means to manually lift the stencil screen carrying frame, 39, 40, 4I, and 42, and such means comprises a pivoted foot treadle 88 which, as shown in Figure 2, is connected to the front rod 39 of the screen carrying frame through a system of links and levers arranged with a mechanical disadvantage whereby a, comparatively small movement of the treadle 88 will move said frame a realtively large amount.

The foot treadle is pivoted at 8| to a cross bar 82 extending between the lower side bars 28, and provision is made of a short upstanding link 83, which loosely connects the forward part of the treadle 80 with a long vertical link 84. The upper end of the long link 84 is loosely connected to a short vertical link 85, which in turn is pivoted to an inclined arm 86 at a point closely adjacent the lower xed end 81 thereof. The end 81 of the arm 86 is pivoted to the front intermediate upright 2| between a pair of angle blocks, and the upper end 98 of the arm 86 is connected by a chain 9| (see Figure 2) reeved over a pulley 92, supported on the rear surface of the upright 2|, said chain passing downwardly from said pulley and being connected to a post 93 secured to a vertical slide 94, which is adapted to loosely embrace the upright 2|.

The slide 94 is connected to the lower end of an upstanding plate 95 (Figures 1 and 2), which carries a short horizontal shaft 96 at its upper end. The shaft 96 extends beyond the sides of the plate 95 and has rollers 91 journaled on each end thereof. The rollers 91 engage blocks 98 -end 00.

secured to the underside of the front screen frame rod 30 and serve to reduce friction. By means of this construction, it will be seen that when the operator steps on the treadle 80, force 'will be transmitted through the links 83, 84, 85, arm 86, chain slide 04, plate 95, to the rollers 91, causing the front end of the stencil screen carrying frame to swing upwardly and lift the stencil screen out of contact with the web W. To assist the operator in this operation, counterweights 9S may be hung upon the arm 86 adjacent its upper The stencil carrying frame is engaged at its forward end by a pair of curved strips i@I and |55 which serve to guide the angle blocks d5 as this frame is lowered into place. l

The web W is adapted to be fed across the table top i0 under the stencil screen 51 from one side of the printing apparatus to the other. In order to avoid any stretching or movement of the web W, it is temporarily secured upon a carrier band or belt |00, preferably constructed of heavy flexible paper, by means of a nondrying, sticky adhesive which may be composed, for

example, of a mixture of china clay and glycerine. By the use of this adhesive, the carrier belt |00 may be used repeatedly before replacement is necessary, due to the fact that it may be stripped therefrom repeatedly without damage to the belt |00 of the web W. In most instances only the outer 'bres at the undersurface ,of the web- W are impregnated by the adhesive.

Provision is also made of a pair of spacer strips |0| and |02 disposed beneath 'both margins of the carrier belt |00, and preferably cemented thereto (see Figure 4). It will be understood that said strips |0| and |02 may, if desired, be riveted to the carrier belt |00 as by eyelets, within the scope of the invention. The combined web W, carrier belt |00, and spacer strips |0| and |02, are adapted to be guided across the table top I0, by means of a pair of transverse grooves |03 and |04, respectively, formed in the upper surface of said table top I0, When the web W and the carrier strip |00 are wound into a spiral coil upon a spool |05 (as shown in Figures 1 and 2), it will Ibe understood that the belt |00 will be spaced apart in successive layers by the strips |0| and |02 at its edges, thus providing an air space therebetween, protecting the color paste printed on the web W and preventing smudging of the table top I0 thereby. The color will thus be permitted to penetrate uniformly into the web and produce a sharp and distinct reproduction of the design thereon. The edges of the web carrier belt |00 outside the web are preferably coated with shellac or other suitable material to seal them against moisture and afford additional stiffening.

The color paste employed in the screen printing apparatus is adapted to be forced through perforations in the stencil screen 51 onto and into the web W by means of a squeegee blade |06, preferably made of soft rubber and having its upper edge set into a recessed strip |01. The strip |01 is hinged as at |08 to another strip |09, located above it, which strip |09 is adapted to be clamped between a pair of transverse angle bars l0 and by a pair of thumb screws I I 2. The angle bars ||0 and are secured to the forward ends of a pair of short horizontal slide members ||3 and ||4 of inverted U-shape in cross-section. The legs of each inverted U- shaped member straddle the parallel side tracks 41 and 40 and thus guide the squeegee blade |06 in its manual reciprocation by the operatorV who Vgrasps a relatively long handle rod ||5 secured at one end to the cross bars ||0 and I, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. It will be noted that the inverted U-shaped guiding members H3 and ||4 do not actually rest on the tracks 41 and 48, but the weight of this structure and the squeegee blade |06 is imposed directly upon the stencil screen 51 so as to cause the color paste to pass therethroughand upon the web beneath it. The pressure of the squeegee blade |06 upon the screen may be increased if desired by the use of suitable ring shaped weights IIS surrounding a pair of vertical posts ||1 extending upwardly from the guide members ||4.

ln operation, the squeegee blade |06 will be lifted at each end of its stroke and moved and lowered at the opposite side of the mass of color paste so as to push it in the reverse direction. This operation is readily accomplished by Swingthe handle rod I |5 upwardly and causing the rear ends H9 and |20 of the guide members ||3 and i4 to engage the tracks 41 and 4B which act as fulcrurns therefor.

When the printing operation is completed, the squeegee blade |00 will be raised away from the stencil screen 51 and maintained in such raised position, while the stencil screen is also lifted and the web shifted to bring a new unprinted portion into registry with the screen, For this purpose, provision is made of a pair of transl versely spaced apart standards |2| and |22 secured to the table top I0 at the rear of the stencil screen supporting angle bar 50. Each of the standards |2| and |22 has a horizontal rearwardly extending arm |23, |24, and forwardly extending angle arm |25, |26, respectively. 'Ihe arms |23 and i24 extend outwardly in opposite directions and carry rollers |21, and the arms |25 and |20 extend inwardly toward each other and carry rollers |28,

When it is desired to support the squeegee blade |06 up out of contact with the stencil screen 51 at the rear end of its stroke, it will merely be necessary to tilt the handle ||5 upwardly to cause the rear ends H0 and |20 of the guide members H3 and H4 to be disposed under the rollers |21, and the rear cross bar to be disposed above the rollers |28. The web-carrying belt with the web W adhering thereto may then befed across the table top I0 from the feed spool |05 on one side of the printing apparatus to the take-up spool |05 on the other side. Each of the spools |05 has a hollow shaft |20 which extends from its rear end, and has a sprocket |30 detachably secured to said extending end by a set screw I3 I. A chain, |32, is reeved over the sprocket |30 and the sprocket 28 on the hand wheel shafts 23, whereby rotation of the hand wheel 21 on the take-up side of the apparatus will cause the web W to be fed across the table tcp I0 from the feed spool |05.

In order to insure accurate printing, indicating lines are marked at spaced intervals along the edge of the carrier belt |00, and a single line is marked on the table top l0. These marks when in alignment indicate to the operator that the web W has been properly positioned in accurate registration for `another printing operation.

, Spools As herein shown, a pair of identical spools |05, are provided which may be selectively used for feeding and taking-up of the web. Each spool is permanently mounted upon a truck |35 having casters |36 whereby it may be wheeled toward and away from the apparatus to carry the web into and out of printing position. In order to insure accurate registration of the printed designs on the web, means are herein provided on each side of the printing apparatus for alining the spool carrying truck |35 with said apparatus. The alining means above referred to includes two pairs of resilient arms |31, |31a extending outwardly from the corner uprights l2, I3, and I4. The arms |31, |31a, are each curved outwardly to facilitate the movement of the side base bars |38 and |39 of the truck |35 into engagement therewith and to guide the feeding spool so that the web W to be printed will be in correct transverse registry with the stencil screen wh'en it is fed into printing position.

In order to lock the spool truck |35 in operating position, provision is made on each of said alining means of a toggle mechanism comprising a lever |40 having one end pivoted as at |4| to the adjacent resilient arm |31, |31a. A handle |42 at the other end of the lever |40 is provided to manipulate the same. Provision is also made of a thin rod |43 having a hooked end |44 adapted to catch into an elongated slot |45 provided in th'e side base bars |38 and |39 and pivotally secured to the lever |40 intermediate its ends, said rod |43 passing through a vertical post |46 which is arranged to rotate in the lever |40. A coiled spring |41 surrounds the rod |43 and reacts between the post |46 and a washer held on the outer end of the rod |43 by lock nuts |49 and |50. When it is desired to hold the truck in the locked position, the hooked end |44 of the rod |43 will be connected to the truck side bars |38 and |39 by engagement in the slot |45 nearest thereto and the levers |40 will be swung into the truckloading position. If desired, an additional slot |45 may be used so that the trucks may be readily reversed and either side thereof selectively applied to th'e printing apparatus.

Web-drying apparatus While the apparatus is being operated, and a:

freshly printed web W is being wound continually upon the take-up spool |05, a constant flow of dry air will be directed against the surface of the web on said spool by means of a duct |5| leading from a central motor driven air blower |52 (see Figure l) Additional drying may also be obtained by means of an auxiliary blower, not shown, to force dry air into the hollow spool shaft |29, which air will be caused t flow outwardly through perforations |53 th'erein and between the layers of the spiral coil of web W wound thereon.

In the modified form of web-drying means illustrated in Figure 5, a continuous row of spaced-apart teeth |60 are provided on the underside of the spacer strips |6| and |62, which strips are similar in other respects to the plain spacer strips |0| and |02, shown in Figure 4. In Figure 6, the teeth consist of spaced-apart eyelets |63 attached to the spacer belts and having openings |64 therebetween.

It will be seen from these modified forms of spacer belts, shown in Figures and 6, that a stream of dry air under pressure may be supplied to a special form of spool |65 ,having a hollow shaft |66 which is plugged adjacent one of its end flanges |61, as shown in Figure 8. The hollow shaft |66 outside of th'e flange |61 is provided with perforations or slots |68, to permit the dry air stream to pass outwardly into a hollow end casing which is suitably secured in spaced relation at its outer edge to the flange |61 to form an enclosed chamber. The flange |61 is also provided with a series of arcuate slots |1| in alignment with the openings |64 between the teeth |60 or eyelets |63 on the spacer strips |6| and |62, whereby the stream of air blown into the casing |10 will be forced in a longitudinal direction through the successive layers of the web W spirally wound on the spool |65.

Operation The operation of the above described screen printing apparatus is substantially in accordance with that disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent No. 2,210,474. In brief, the operation is as follows:

Assuming the squeegee blade |06 is held in raised position by the rollers |21 and |28, the stencil screen frame will be swung upwardly by depressing th'e treadle 80. The web-carrying belt |00 will then be drawn across the table top I0 from the feeding spool |05 with the spacer strips |0| and |02 guided by the grooves |03 and |04, respectively. The free end of the web-carrying belt |00 will then be attached to a take-up roll 05, which has first been locked in place at the other side of the printing apparatus, by threading it through the slotl|12 in a longitudinal bar |13 of the take-up spool, as indicated in Figure '7. The hand wheels 21 will then be turned to bring the first mark on the carrier belt into alignment with th'e mark on the table top I0, whereupon the stencil screen holding frame will be lowered to cause said screen to engage the web W. The squeegee blade |06 will then be lowered upon the rear end of the stencil screen 51 and the proper quantity of color paste will be then placed upon the screen 51 in front of the blade |06, which may then be pulled forwardly by means of the handle ||5.

When the squeegee blade |06 is in its forward position after having traversed the length of the screen 51, it will be lifted by tilting the handle I5 upwardly and placed in front of the mass of color paste, and then pushed rearwardly to spread the same along the screen 51. After the desired number of strokes of the squeegee blade |05 have been made, said blade will be latched in its raised position as above described. The stencil carrying frame will be swung upwardly by means of the treadle 80. The web W will then be fed along the desired amount to bring the next desired indicating mark on the web-carrying belt into registry with the mark on the table top |0. This procedure will be continued until the web has been completely unrolled from the feed spool, and wound up on the take-up spool.

After the spool of unstenciled web has been unwound from the feeding spool, printed, and wound up on the take-up spool, the latter may be unlocked and rolled away from the printing apparatus for drying or other treatment. It will then be returned to the printing apparatus on either side thereof, if desired, and the previous take-up roll will then serve as the feed roll-it being merely necessary to shift the crank handle 30 to the other shaft 23 to operate the feeding mechanism and take-up mechanism, as described above.

In instances where the spacer strips |0| and |02 are not cemented or otherwise secured to the carrier belt |00, a pair of fixed spaced vertical belt guiding arms |30 and |8| (see Figure 9) are provided at both ends of the table |0 to insure that the edges of the belt |00 carrying the web W. when they leave the table lll. will properly feed between the end danses of the spool |05, The vertical belt guiding arms |30 and 8| are secured in position by screws |82..

In the modied kform of the invention shown in Figures and 11, an air drying apparatus is disclosed comprising a motor |99 which is proF vided with a pulley I9 which by means V of a belt |92 drives a larger pulley |93 loosely mounted upon a hollow shaft |94, the axis of which is alined with the axis of the spool |65 rigidly mounted on said shaft |94.

Connected with the pulley |93 are a series of inclined radial fan blades |95 (six in this instance) which are housed within a cylindrical shield |96 having a wire protecting screen |91 at the end thereof. The shaft ISM is journaled within ,a pair of bracket members |98, each having an elongated base seated upon a frame |95) of trapezoidal shape, the base 29.0 .of which is larger than the top 23Go, said frame |99 being connected by side bottom bars `29th which are mounted upon rollers or casters |36.

The spool |65 is also provided with a plurality of cross bars (six in this instance), which are connected at their opposite ends to a pair of circular plates 292, one of said cross bars Zilla being provided with a narrow slot 253 for receiving the end of a carrier belt 285 for detachably holding said belt upon said spool. In order to guidey the edges of the spiral belt 2cd and hold themin alignment with the printing screen, the spool plate 292 adjacent the fan is provided with a plurality of round radial spokes 295 (six in this instance) which are connected to said circular plate. A similar number of spokes 205 are secured on an outer movable plate 295s which is held in any desired adjusted position on the shaft |94 by a set screw 205|) (Figure lla?.

The pitch of the fan blades |95 is preferably made adjustable by providing cylindrical extensions 296 on their inner ends, which are adapted to be rotatably seated in socket members 201 formed on the pulley |93. The fan blades |95 are adapted to be held in any desired angular positions by means of set screws Zell engaging said extensions 20B (see Figure 1l).

The modied form of the carrier belt spacing strip 2|!J, shown in Figures 12 and 13, is similar in all respects to the strips Iill and |92 of Figures 5 and 6, except that the belt strip 2H) is provided with a plurality of spaced ellipticalshaped buttons 2| secured to the bottom surface thereof, and arrangedlongitudinally so as to provide a streamlined construction permitting the maximum flow of air from the drying fan through the layers of the web-carrying belt spirally Wound upon the spool |65.

It is also Within the scope of the invention to emboss the buttons 2|| upon or attach them directly to the belt 2|9, if desired.

In the modied form shown in Figures 14 and 15, provision is made of a Web supporting belt 2|5 and a pair of spacing strips 2 I6 formed separately therefrom and unattached thereto. Each strip 2|6 has a roW of elliptical spacing buttons 2|1, similar to the buttons 2| sho-wn in Figures 12 and 13, secured thereto, and said spacing strips are adapted to be passed beneath the table top 2|3 during the printing operation, while the Webcarrying belt 2|5 passes above it. The strips 2|6 are guided under the table top 2|8 by a small circular flange 2|9 rigidly mounted on a cross Cross rod is secured in position below Vthe table top 21s by a pair of angle brackets 22,2 attached at opposite end sof said table by screws223.

The belt 2|5 is held in alignment with the printing screen by means of a pair of large guide anges 224 mounted on a cross rod 225 secured in place by a pair of brackets 226 having ears 227 engaging the ends of said cross rod 225.

While there have been disclosed in this s pecication several forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown Vfor the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specinc disclosures, but may be modiiiecl and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes al1 the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

l. In a spool for a color printing apparatus, a Web-carrying belt adapted to be wound spirally on said spool, marginal spacing means secured to said belt to protect the web from contact with the adjacent layer of said belt and provide a spiral drying space for said web, and means to direct a stream of dry air through the spiral space between the successive layers of said belt and web, said means including a hollow casing forming at one end of said spool, said casing having an inlet for said air stream and a plurality of spirally arranged outlet openings in alignment with said spiral spaces in the belt coiled in said spool.

2. In a screen color printing apparatusI a printing table, a spool having a web carrier belt wound spirally upon it, marginal spacing means located between the successive layers of said belt to provide a spiral drying space for said web, means to pass a ,stream of air through said spiral drying space parallel to the axis oi said spool, said means including a fan having adjustable blades mounted for rotation on the axis of said spool, and means for driving said fan.

3. In a screen color printing apparatus, a printing table, a spool having a web carrier belt wound sprally upon it, marginal spacing means located between the successive layers .of said belt to provide a spiral `drying space for said web, means to pass a stream of air through said spiral drying space parallel to the axis of said spool, said means including a fan mounted for rotation on the axis vof said spool, and means for driving said fan.

4. In a screen color printing apparatus, a printing table, a spool having a web carrier belt Wound spirally upon it, marginal spacing means located between the successive layers of said belt to provide a spiral drying space for said web, means to pass a stream of air through said spiral drying space parallel to the axis of said spool, said means including a fan mounted for rotation on the axis of said spool, means for driving said fan, and a protective end screen surrounding the periphery and end of said fan.

5, In a screen color printing apparatus, a printing table, a spool having a web carrier belt Wound spirally upon it, marginal spacing means located between the successive layers of said belt to provide a spiral drying space for said web, means to pass a stream of air through said spiral drying space parallel to the axis of said spool, said means including a fan mounted for rotation on the axis of said spool, means for driving said fan, and a protective end screen surrounding the periphery and end of said fan, said spool having two sets of radial spokes at the opposite ends thereof to guide the web-carrying belt into alignment with the printing screen on said table.

6. In a screen color printing apparatus, a printing table, a spool having a web carrier belt wound spirally upon it, marginal spacing means located between the successive layers of said belt to provide a. spiral space for said web, means to pass a stream of air through said spiral drying space parallel to the axis of said spool, said means including a fan mounted for rotation on the axis of said spool, means for driving said fan, and a protective end screen surrounding the periphery and end of said fan, said spool having two sets of radial spokes at the opposite ends thereof to guide the web-carrying belt into alignment with the printing screen on said table, one of said sets of radial spokes being adjustable lengthwise of the axis of said spool to accommodate dierent widths of carrier belts.

7. In a screen color printing apparatus, a printing table, a spool, a web-carrying belt wound spirally upon said spool, a pair of spacer bands located between the successive layers of said belt and having spacing buttons on one side thereof, means to guide the belt across the top of said table in alignment' with the printing screen, and means to guide the spacer bands beneath said table, said spacer band guiding means including a pair of angle brackets secured underneath said table at opposite ends thereof, a cross rod mounted in the vertical legs of said angle brackets, and two pairs of spacing flanges mounted on said cross rod, said flanges embracing the edges of said bands.

8. In a screen color printing apparatus, a printing table, a spool, a web-carrying belt wound spirally upon said spool, a pair of spacer bands located between the successive layers of said belt and having spacing buttons on one side thereof, means to guide the lbelt across the top of said table in alignment with the printing screen, and means to guide the spacer bands beneath said table, said spacer band guiding means including a pair of angle brackets secured to said table underneath opposite ends thereof, a cross rod mounted in said angle brackets, and two pairs of spacing flanges mounted on said cross rod and embracing the edges of said bands, one :flange of each pair being frictionally and slidably mounted on said cross rod.

9. In combination, a spool for a color printingY apparatus, a web-carrying belt adapted to be ywound spirally on said spool, marginal spacing means between adjacent convolutions of said belt to protect the web from contact with the overlying convolutions of said belt and provide a spiral drying space for said web, and means on the spool to direct a stream of a drying medium through said space in a direction parallel to the axis of said spool.

10. A combination as set forth in claim 9 wherein the means for directing the drying medium comprises a perforate flange on said spool and means to supply the drying medium under pressure to the outer surface of said flange.

11. In combination, a spool for a color printing apparatus, means to mount such spool for rotation about a horizontal axis, a web-carrying.r belt adapted to be wound spirally on said spool, marginal spacing means between adjacent convolutions. of said `belt to protect the web from contact with the overlying convolutions of said belt and provide a spiral drying space for said web, and means on the spool t0 direct a stream of a drying medium through said space in a direction parallel to the axis of said spool.

12. A combination as set forth in claim 1l wherein the spool has perforate anges against the outer face of one of which the drying medium is supplied under pressure, the outer facing of the other of the flanges being exposed to atmospheric pressure.

13. A combination as set forth in claim 1l wherein the means for directing the drying medium comprises a perforate ange on said spool and a fan mounted for rotation coaxially of said spool and adjacent to the outer surface of said flange.

14. A combination as set forth in claim 11* wherein the means for directing the drying medium comprises a perforate flange on said spool and a set of fan blades journalled for rotation on the rotative mounting means for said spool.

15. A combination as set forth in claim 11 wherein the means for directing the drying medium comprises a hollow casing forming one of the flanges for the spool, the wall of the casing facing the web being perforate, and wherein means is provided to supply the drying medium under pressure to said casing.

HARRY FLEISHER.y GEORGE H. TILLETT.

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