US2834291A - Apparatus for printing on surfaces not readily absorptive of printing mediums - Google Patents

Description

y 3, 1958 L. MASTELLA 2,834,291

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ON SURFACES NOT READILY ABSORPTIVE OF PRINTING MEDIUMS Filed April 21, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

Jazz 13 jl lasiella; wwzww May 13, 1958 L. MASTELLA 2,834,291

' APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ON SURFACES NOT READILY ABSORPTIVE OF PRINTING MEDIUMS Filed April 21, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 FIG: 2

INVEN TOR. Lows Masiella May 13, 1958 1 MASTELLA 2,834,291

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ON SURFACES NOT READILY ABSORPTIVE OF PRINTING MEDIUMS Filed April 21, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 7

FIG r6 A.: A 36 39 IN V EN TOR.

Louis Masiella 4' m-a dow- United States Patent APPARATUS FOR PRINTING N SURFACES NOT READILY ABSGRPTIVE OF PRINTING MEDIUMS Louis Mastella, Cicero, Ill., assignor to Wm.

Wrigley, Jr., Company, Chicago,

III., a corporation of Delaware Application April 21, 1955, Serial No. 502,914

Claims. (Cl. 101-350) a is of the general type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 345,593, filed March 30, 1953, now Patent No. 2,775,193, for Mechanism for Applying Indicia to Packages or the Like.

To present neat and attractive appearance and to preserve the moisture content and general freshness of food, confectionery and the like, it is customary to wrap them in protective and moisture retaining wrappers and to package them. Wax is often used as an adhesive for the outer wrapper; -Also, it is common practice to use an outer wrapper of a cellulose or like material which, whether carrying wax on its outer surface or not-as a result of the sealing operation, is normally relatively non-absorptive of usual ink and externally applied printing mediums. This is particularly true of packages of chewing gum since chewing gum, if allowed to'd'ry, becomes hard and brittle. Despite the presence of the even laminated foil, waxed paper and cellulose wrappers, however, a slow drying and hardening takes placein the chewing gum as it ages, so that the mere presence of such wrappings is not always sufficient guarantee of the softness and freshness of the material therein. 7

One way in which the, freshness of wrapped and packaged chewing gum can be assured is by marking each package with a code number at the time the package is made up, the code number providing an indication ofthe date on which the package left the packaging machine. An inspection of similar packages offeredfo'r sale by retail outlets would then reveal whichof the packages are over age and should be withdrawn from sale.

Since the wrappers which enclose the chewing gum package usuallyhave 'an outer wrapper of cellulose or like material folded at the ends and sealed with wax, in

addition to' laminated inner foil and waxed paper wrappings, and since the end of the package is a convenient place to apply a code number or suitable indicia indicating a date or other information, it is necessary to apply thefmark to a relatively non-absorptive surface which may have a coating of wax thereon as a result of the wax sealing of 'folds. It'is difficult to apply a code marking to the package end surface without having the mark smear when applied or in subsequent handling of the package. z 7

It is an object of this invention to provide apparatus for placing a colored mark on a relatively non-absorbent surface, which mark will not be smeared, or otherwise erased ordistorted by .such abrasion as is encountered during the ordinary handling of a package.

A more specific object of this invention is the provision of apparatus for printing numbers or the like upon a moving surface of smooth and relatively non'absorbent material, the printed numbers being sufficiently hard and adequately adhered to the surface to resist being smeared by contact with other similar surfaces, or by ordinary handling.

A further specific object of this invention is the provision of apparatus for automatically printing a code number in wax upon a moving surface.

A feature of this invention is a means for continuously impregnating a porous roller with colored wax or other thermo-liquefied printing medium, so that such printing medium may be transferred from a tank or vessel containing the printing medium in liquid form to the raised characters of the printing roller in a uniform and satisfactory manner.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken together with the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment thereof and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the printing apparatus of this invention shown in an application to the printing of indiciaon the ends of a moving stream of pre-arranged packages of chewing gum;

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the printing apparatus of Fig. 1, the view being taken substantially on a line 22 of Fig. 1, and in the direction of the accompanying arrows;

Fig. 3 is another side sectional view of the printing apparatus of Fig. 1, wherein the section is taken substantially on a line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are side elevational views of certain of the parts of an applicator mechanism for the printing medium as used in my printing apparatus;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary end sectional view of my printing apparatus, the view being taken substantially on line '77 of Fig. 2 and in the direction of the associated arrows;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of the printing mechanism utilized in the disclosed printing apparatus;

- and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a typical package with which the printing apparatus of this invention may be used. The means for driving the printing mechanism of this invention'is described and claimed in detail in my aforesaid copending application, and hence will be described herein only in sufficient detail for an understanding of its structure and operation in association with the invention disclosed and claimed herein. Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 7, there is shown a continuous stream 10 of packages 12 of chewing gum or the like as it is forcibly propelled along a chute 11 connected to the output of a wrapping machine (not shown), the force for the movement of the stream of packages being derived from said wrapping machine. The packages chosen for illustration are of rectangular section and elongated form, and may contain the usual five sticks of chewing gum. As shown in Fig. 9, each package 12 is completely wrapped in a laminated wrapper having an inner foil layer, an intermediate layer of waxed paper and an outer layer of a cellulose sheet or the like, which outer layer is smooth, slick and relatively non-absorptive of ordinary printing mediums, such as ink. A composite laminated wrapper 13 is folded and overlapped at the ends of the package to form trapezoidal flaps 14,15, 16 and 17 having the cellulose layer exposed. The flaps are held in place and sealed by wax, some of Which may squeeze out onto the exposed end surface of the package, thereby presenting additional resistance to the adhesion of ordinary printing mediums. The last flap to be folded is flap 17 and it presents the asst-gar greatest area to the exterior of the package. therefore, is utilized to receive the printed eode n nbeg indicating the date on which the package passed through the code printing apparatus. The code number is shown in Fig. 9 as letter X, but it isunderstpod that any suitable number, letter or mark may be usedfor this purpose.

The packages 12 pass along chuteis. in engaging sideby-side relation, each package pushing the one a hea d,of it, and the last package to leave the wrapping-machine propelling all those between it and the printing apparatus hereinafter to be described.

The motive power for the printing apparatus is derived from the forced movements of the packages themselves and is translated through a pair of spaced wheels 18 secured to, and adapted to drive, a shaft 19 supported in depending journals 20 on a frame 21 of the printing apparatus. 7 V

The outer periphery of each wheel 18 isserrated to form spaced teeth 22, with the adjacent teeth spaced to receive therebetween a package 1.2 as measured along chute 11 in the direction of travel of said package. Teeth 22 project through suitable openings23 and 24 in chute 11, and the outer projecting regions ofthe teeth have peripheral dimensions such that they are contacted by the forward edge of alternate ones ofthe engagedmoving packages and are moved longitudinally of chute 11 with the packages. This movement is similar to that produced in a sprocket wheel and results in a rotation of the wheels 18. a V I The rotation of the wheels 18 is transmitted to an adjacent shaft 25 by sprockets 26 and 27 connected to.- gether by a driving chain 28. Said shaft 25 is disposed transversely of chute 11 and substantially parallel to shaft 19, and is also and similarly suitably journaled in the frame 21. To equalize the forces on the moving packages resulting from the endwise printing operation, two printing devices are used, one at each end of a package and they are synchronizedto perform their printing operations simultaneously, Since the two printing devices are substantially thesa me except that they are leftand right-hand devices, this description will be confined to just one of the deviees, -which will be the onedepicted in more detail in Figs. 1, Zand 3, with only a passing refer, ence to the portion of the other device, shown in detail for completeness in Figs. 7 and 8.

Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown mounted on the end of shaft 25 a bevel gear 29 which meshes with a bevel 'gear 30 pinned to a vertical shaft 31 for rotation therewith. Said shaft 25 is mounted in antifriction bear.- ings 32 and 33, and the upper end 3ftthereof ismade of larger diameter to form a shoulder 35 by which the shaft 1 is suspended in bearing 33. Keyed to the upper end 34 of the shaft 31 is a narrow printing roller 36 having a series of equally spaced code numbers or letters designatedby reference numerals 37 and which are formed on the outer periphery of the printing roller. Immediately adjacent the p rinting roller 36 and similarly keyed to upper end 34 of the shaft 31 is a gripper wheel 38 having a series of relatively widely spaced pairs of serrated grippers 39 formed on the outer periphery thereof. It may be noted (Fig. 8) that the spacing betweenadjacent grippers 39 is alternately different and such that the larger spacing provides contact at spaced positions on the ends of adjacent packages near the front and rear edges thereof as they pass along the chute. Identical gripper wheels are used at the two ends of the package so that said ends are held by the grippers while the printing rollers operate thereon, thereby preventing sliding of the packages past the printing rollers, as fully set forthin my aforesaid copending application. It may also be noted that a portion 40 of the end of a package held between adjacent grip'pers'is caused by such I grippers to bow outwardly, thereby insuring contact between the end of the package and the printing roller adjacent thereto during the printing operation.

A gear 41 is secured to gripper wheel 38 and printing roller6 by a pair of machine screws 42 in such manner that these three elements are constrained to rotate together. Gear 41 meshes with a pinion 43 mounted on a shaft 44 which is rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to the axis-of the shaft 31. Also mounted on the shaft 44 and in proximity to the pinion 43 is a spool 45, said spool having a counterbore 46 forming a shoulder 47 which abuts on a snap ring 48 disposed in a peripheral groove in the shaft 44. A machine screw 49 is threaded in the end of shaft 44, and a washer 50, serve to clamp the pinion 43 and the spool against the snap ring 48 to compel rotation of the spool 45 with pinion 43.

A flange 51 at the top of the spool is integral with the spool body 45 and a snap ring 52 is mounted in a peripheral groove near the lower end of the spool to provide a removable support for a porous cylinder 53 of felt or the like and of a size to be slipped over and carried by the spool 45. The upper end of cylinder 53 is disposed at a position to be contacted by the code numbers 37 as the printing roller and felt cylinder 53 are rotated. The lower end of cylinder 53 is immersed in liquid colored wax 54 which functions, in the present instance, as the printing medium and which is held in a container 55 which, in the disclosed structure, is integral with frame 21.

Although the lower end of felt cylinder 53 is immersed in wait 54, it has been found that the wax will not readily work its way upward through the felt to the vicinity of the printing roller by capillary action as some printing mediums, such as ink, would do. The upward movement is therefore given impetus by a simple pump comprising a spiral groove 56 (Fig. 4) in the outer cylindrical surface of a stationary sleeve 57 having an eccentric attaching flange 58 at the lower end thereof through which the sleeve 57 is secured to the bottom of the container 55 by a pair of screws 59.

Sleeve 57 and its groove 56' extend upwardly into the counterbore 46 of the spool 45, and the counterbored portion of said spool is provided at the region adjacent the upper end of counterbore '46 with a plurality of radial openings 60 (-Fig. 5) arranged in a double row. A clearance of between 0.005 to 0.01 inch is provided between the outer surface of sleeve 57 and the interior surface of counterbore 46. Spiral groove 56 also extends downwardly beyond the lower end of spool 45 in free communication with the printing medium, so that the liquid printing medium may readily enter the groove.

It may be apparent that when the described mechanism is in operation, the movement of packages 12on chute 11 causes rotation of wheels'18 which, in turn, causes rotation-of shaft 19, and then, through sprockets 26, chain 28 and sprocket 27, causes rotation of shaft 25. This, in turn, results in a rotation of gear 29 which drives double gear 30 and its associated shaft 31. Shaft 31 drives gear 41, and this results in a rotation of pinion 43 and its associated spool 45. It may be observed that there is a speed multiplication between sprockets 26 and 27 and a further speed multiplication 'bet'ween gear 41 and gear 43 dueto the relative sizesof these sprockets and gears. Spool 45 therefore will be driven at'a relatively continuous rate which is proportional to the amount of colored printing medium required for printing purposes, and this rotation will cause printing mediums, such as 'liquefied wax, to be picked'up by the interior surface of counterbore 46 and urged upwardly along spiralgroove 56 and into the openings 60. There it is confined by shoulder 47 and a slight pressure will thus be developed in the printing medium pickedup which 'will cause the printing medium, even though morevisc'ous than some liquids, to flow through the openings 60 into the felt cylinder '53, and then through said cylinder to the upper region thereof which is contacted by the indicia'37 on "the printing roller 36. A continuous supply of printing medium at the printing roller is thus assured.

The'printing medium, as utilized in my disclosed structure, being a thermo-liquefied medium, such as a wax having a color contrasting with that of the surfaces to which it is to be applied, must be kept hot in order to remain sufficiently fluid to function as a printing medium. The bottom of container 55 is therefore bored out as at '61 (Fig. 2) to receive a cylindrical electrical heating element 62 which is supplied with electricity through lead wires 63 from a suitable source of electrical energy. Adjacent one of said heating elements, as seen in Fig. 7, is a second bore 64 in which a thermostat 65 is mounted, which thermostat is electrically connected in the circuit of the heating elements 62 and functions to maintain the temperature of the heated printing medium within predetermined limits. Only one such thermostat is necessary since both heating elements may be controlled from the one thermostat.

It has been found that the printing medium will harden very quickly after it is applied to the relatively cool surface of the package, and therefore there is little or no danger that the code number or symbol applied to the ends of the packages will be smeared after the application. Furthermore, it may be observed that the printing roller actually indents the ends of the packages and the code number therefore is placed upon a portion of the end which is concave; that is, it is placed inwardly of the edges of the end regions and therefore there is little or no likelihood that the code number or symbol will contact the sides of the chute as the packages leave the printing station.

It may be apparent from the foregoing description that.

an entirely automatic means has been provided for applying code numbers or symbols adhesively to the ends of packages wrapped with a smooth, slick and relatively non-absorptive outer wrapping material which, in some instances, may have a surface coating of wax thereon, the code number or symbol adhering readily to the surface and hardening sufliciently to prevent smearing or distortion thereof through sub-sequent manipulation or handling of the packages. A relatively soft wick-like material is used as the applicator for supplying an adequate coating of printing medium to the printing roller despite the fact that the printing medium is of a type which does not flow readily through such material by capillary action. However, this characteristic of the thermo-liquefied wax printing medium is readily nullified by the simple pump provided on the interior of the applicator.

It is understood that the foregoing description is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention and that the invention therefore is not to be limited thereto but is to be determined by the appended claims.

I claim: a

1. Apparatus for printing indicia upon a relatively non-absorptive surface comprising a printing roller having embossed thereon the indicia to be printed, a reservoir having therein a supply of colored thermo-liquefied printing medium, means for maintaining the printing medium in liquid state, 'a soft porous roller of cylindrical shape rotatable about a central axis parallel to the axis of the printing roller, one axial end of the soft porous roller being immersed, in the liquefied printing medium in said reservoir and the other end being above the liquefied printing medium in the reservoir and in contact with the printing roller, and means responsive to the rotation of the soft porous roller for compelling the liquefied printing medium to travel from the reservoir to the said end of the soft porous roller which is in contact with the printing roller.

2. Apparatus for printing indicia upon a surface comprising a printing roller having embossed thereon the indicia to be printed, a reservoir for holding a supply of a normally solid printing medium, means for maintaining the printing medium in the reservoir in liquid state, a felt roller disposed in such manner as to have a region thereof continuously submerged in the liquefied print- 6 a ing medium and a region thereof spaced from the first region and in contact with the indicia on the printing roller, a hollow core of rigid material for supporting the felt roller, means for rotatably supporting the core, said means comprising a sleeve, means for securing the sleeve to the bottom of the reservoir, said sleeve extending into the hollow core and having the exterior surface of said sleeve spaced between five and ten thousandths of an inch from the interior surface of the hollow core, a plurality of radially disposed openings establishing communication from the sleeve to the felt, said sleeve hav ing a spiral groove of such hand as to cause liquefied printing medium to be moved axially of the core from the reservoir to the openings and then through the openings to the felt roller, such movement being created by the rotation of the core about said sleeve.

3. Apparatus for printing indicia upon a relatively slick and non-absorptive wrapper for a package, said apparatus comprising a printing roller having embossed thereon the indicia to be printed, means for rotatably supporting said roller with the indicia in contact with the Waxed wrapper, a reservoir for carrying a supply of thermo-liquefied Wax printing medium adjacent the printing roller, means for maintaining the wax in the reservoir in liquid state, a soft porous roller having a region thereon continuously submerged in the liquefied wax and a region thereon spaced from the first region and in contact with the indicia on the printing roller, and means for compelling the liquefied wax to travel from the reservoir through the porous roller to the indicia on the printing roller, said last-mentioned means comprising a core for the porous roller, means for rotatably supporting said core in such manner that the first and second above mentioned regions will be disposed with reference to the liquefied wax and the roller as aforesaid, said core being hollow and having a plurality of radially disposed openings therein establishing communication from the interior of the hollow core to the interior of the porous roller, a sleeve extending within the hollow portion of the core and in proximity to the openings, the exterior surface of said sleeve being spaced between five and ten thousandths of an inch from the interior surface of the core, means for supporting the sleeve from the reservoir, said sleeve having a spiral groove in the exterior surface thereof and extending upwardly in a direction to cause the liquefied Wax to flow along the said exterior surface of the sleeve upward to said radially disposed openings and thence through said openings into the porous roller.

4. Apparatus for printing indicia upon a surface comprising a printing roller having embossed thereon the indicia to be printed, a reservoir for holding a supply of a normally solid printing medium, means for maintaining the printing medium in the reservoir in a liquid state, a felt roller of generally cylindrical shape having one axial end thereof continuously submerged in the liquified printing medium and a region at the other end thereof spaced from the first region and in contact with the indicia on the printing roller, a hollow core of rigid material for supporting the felt roller, means for supporting the core for rotation about an axis located centrally of the core, said means comprising a sleeve, means for supporting the sleeve from the reserovir, said sleeve extending into the hollow core and having the exterior surface thereof spaced from the interior surface of the hollow core, a plurality of radially disposed openings in the core for establishing communication from the sleeve to the felt roller, said sleeve having a spiral groove therein for causing liquified printing medium to be moved axially of the core from the reservoir to the openings and then through the openings to the felt roller, such movement of liquified printing medium in the spiral groove being created by the rotation of the core about the sleeve.

5. Apparatus for printing indicia upon a surface comprising a printing roller having embossed thereon the indicia to be printed, a reservoir for carrying therein a supply'of normally immobile printing medium having a predetermined normal level in the reservoir, means for maintaining the printing medium in the reservoir in liquid state, a hollow felt roller of cylindrical outer shape having an axial end region thereon continuously submerged in the liquified printing medium and a region thereon spaced above the first region and in contact with the indicia on the printing roller, a rigid core providing a support for the felt roller, said core having radially disposed openings above the normal liquid level in the reservoir and establishing communication from the interior of the core to the felt roller, and pump means for forcing References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 541,078 Dolphin June 18, 1895 769,499 Sheetz Sept. -6, 1904 1,840,069 Walker et al. Jan. 5, 1932 2,086,191 Rutkoskie July 6, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 137,227 Australia May 15, 1950

Images